The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 26, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 28, 1999
Philip Wendel Hopf, Dayton, OH (US);
Maria V. Villegas, Chihuahua, MX;
Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel, Remscheid, DE;
William Thomas Shaw, Dusseldorf, DE;
Delphi Technologies, Inc., Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
This present invention provides a device for retaining an inflator within an air bag module housing in a sealing manner. In a first embodiment, the device comprises an inflator seal member and an inflator seal retainer. The inflator seal member is disposed about an outer surface of the inflator by disposing the inflator through a central opening formed in the inflator seal member. The inflator seal member further has a flange which is received within a retaining groove formed in the module housing for partially locating the inflator within an internal cavity formed in the module housing. The inflator seal retainer is designed to provide high quality seal retention between the inflator and the module housing. In a broad sense, the inflator seal retainer comprises a symmetric star shaped member having spring-like properties. The inflator seal retainer is formed so that it includes a plurality of peaks radially disposed about an opening defined by the inflator seal retainer. Because the inflator seal retainer has spring-like properties, the inflator is intimately receiving within the opening and makes contact with the retainer at distinct contact points. These contact points comprise points where a retention force is applied by the inflator seal retainer to the inflator to aid in the retention of the inflator. The plurality of peaks are disposed in a plurality of retaining slots formed in the module housing to retain the inflator and provide the desired seal.