Flangeless airbag inflator with mounting adaptor

Abstract

An inflator for use in an airbag module assembly including a reaction canister having a stud-receiving opening in a front canister endplate and an inflator-receiving aperture in a rear canister endplate. The inflator includes an inflator housing and a mounting adaptor. The inflator housing has a generally cylindrical sidewall, a front housing end with a mounting stud extending therefrom, and a rear housing end. The mounting adaptor fits over the sidewall of the inflator housing adjacent the rear housing end and is secured to the housing by a snap engagement between a snap projection of one of the housing and the adaptor and a snap receptor of the other of the housing and the adaptor. The mounting adaptor is sized and adapted to extend through the inflator-receiving aperture of the rear canister endplate and has a radially extending flange sized and adapted to engage the rear canister endplate surrounding the inflator-receiving aperture. The mounting stud is sized and adapted to fit within the stud-receiving opening of the front canister endplate to be secured thereto so that the mounting stud and the adaptor, in combination, secure the inflator within the reaction canister and allow the inflator to withstand tensional loading between the canister endplates.