Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Mst Automotive of America

William R Buchanan

Timothy D Slack

John W Wiers

Jeffrey A Jenkins

Stanley B Good

Norman A Ellsworth

John P Wallner

An airbag inflator assembly is disclosed that includes a container containing a charge of pressurized gas and having a peripheral surface surrounding an opening in the container. A burst disc member has one side capacitive discharge welded to the peripheral surface of the container to seal the opening and thus confine the pressurized gas within the container. An ignitor assembly includes an ignitor assembly housing and ignition elements constructed and arranged to generate sufficient force to break the seal formed by the burst disc member and release the pressurized gas from the container. The ignitor elements are disposed substantially within the ignitor assembly housing. The ignitor assembly housing is an integrally formed unitary construction capacitive discharge welded to a side of the burst disc member opposite to the one side. In a preferred embodiment, the welds are formed by (1) applying a force to urge i) the first side of the burst disc member into engagement with the peripheral surface of the container and ii) the peripheral surface of the ignitor assembly housing into engagement with the second side of the burst disc member. Also, pulses of electrical discharge are applied i) in a vicinity of the forceable engagement between the first side of the burst disc member and the peripheral surface of the container until welded to one another, and ii) in a vicinity of the forceable engagement between the peripheral surface of the ignitor assembly housing and the second side of the burst disc member until welded to one another.

Compressed air bag inflator

A method of manufacturing an airbag inflator assembly comprising placing a container, burst disc member, and housing for the ignitor assembly in a chamber; pressurizing the chamber to an appropriate pressure based upon a desired pressure to be contained within the container; applying force i) to urge a surface portion on one side of the burst disc member and the peripheral surface surrounding the opening in the container into forcible engagement with one another, and ii) to urge a surface portion on an opposite side of the burst disc member and an associated surface portion of the ignitor assembly housing into forcible engagement with one another; applying pulses of electrical discharge energy i) in the vicinity of the forcible engagement between the surface portion on one side of the burst disc member and the peripheral surface surrounding the opening in the container so that the surface portion on one side of the burst disc member and the peripheral surface surrounding the opening in the container are sealingly welded to one another, and 2) in the vicinity of the forcible engagement between the surface portion on the opposite side of the burst disc member and the associated surface portion of the ignitor assembly housing so that the surface portion on the opposite side of the burst disc member and the associated surface portion of the ignitor assembly housing are welded to one another.

Method for assembling a compressed air bag inflator

A vehicle safety apparatus (10) includes a seat (12) having a frame (20). A cushion (24) is supported by the frame (20) and is surrounded by a seat cover (32). The seat cover (32) has a first opening (36). The cushion (24) has a chamber (28). An air bag module (40) having an air bag (60) and a module deployment door (78) is disposed within the chamber (28). A frame member (100) having a second opening (116) is fastened to the air bag module (40). The frame member (100) clamps the seat cover (32) and the module deployment door (78) together. The air bag (60), when inflated, inflates through the first and second openings (36) and (116).

Frame member for a seat mounted vehicle safety apparatus

An apparatus for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint such as an air bag (80) includes an inflator (90) having an axis (30) and first and second spaced end portions (92, 94). A housing (12) has first and second spaced apart side walls (20, 22) at least partially defining a chamber (26) which receives the inflator (90). The apparatus includes means (96, 98) for securing the first end portion (92) of the inflator (90) to the first side wall (20). Means for securing the second end portion (94) of the inflator (90) to the second side wall (22) comprises an adaptor (140). The adaptor (140) has a first portion (142) engaging the second side wall (22) and a second portion (160) engaging and supporting the inflator (90) at a location in the chamber (26) spaced inward from the housing second side wall (22).

Growing community of inventors

Romeo, MI, United States of America

William R Buchanan