Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-28
2001-09-04
Swann, J. J. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S732000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283497
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to an airbag module for motor vehicle having a housing for a folded together inflatable airbag and a holder element that can be locked at the housing and a method for making same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Airbag modules are known in principle and serve to mount a folded together inflatable airbag together with a gas generator, which inflates the airbag in the event of a collision, as a unit in a motor vehicle, e.g. as a driver's, a passenger's or as a side airbag.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an airbag module for motor vehicles and a method for securing a holder element at a housing of the airbag module that permits as simple and rapid an assembly of the airbag module as possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is accomplished by providing an air bag module having a holder element that has at least one locking section that extends along the housing wall in the latched state and that is latched to the holder section of the housing on its side, which faces away from the housing wall.
In accordance with the present invention the holder element can be locked without additional securing means such as clamps, screws or rivets, through which the manufacture of the airbag module is considerably simplified. The method that is provided in accordance with the present invention for the latching of the locking section with the holder section of the housing enables the holder element to be securely locked in one step through a single relative movement between the holder element and the housing. The holder element is, thus, formed in accordance with the invention as a holder clip that can be pushed or clipped onto or at the housing.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the locking section is clamped in between the holder section, such as a latch region of the holder section that projects in the direction of the housing wall, and a projection that is arranged at the housing wall.
Through this the locking section—and thereby the holder element—is held by the projection in a definite latching position relative to the housing in the latched state. In addition the holder element is secured by the projection in its locked position in such a manner that the holder element and the housing can not arrive out of engagement by themselves.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the holder section and the housing wall bound an intermediate space for the locking section that ends ahead of the projection, with the holder section extending approximately parallel to the housing wall.
The holder element can be introduced with its locking section into an intermediate space of this kind in order to provide for a definite relative movement between the holder element and the housing when producing the latching between the housing and the holder element.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the projection that is arranged at the housing wall has a deflection surface that is designed for the deflection of the locking section, in particular of a free end region of the locking section, away from the housing wall and that preferably extends at an inclination to the housing wall at an angle of approximately 20° to 60°.
By means of a deflection surface of this kind the free end region of the locking section is automatically guided away from the housing wall and into a position which enables a latching with the holder section of the housing when the holder element and the housing are moved relative to one another. In this way a method for the assembly of an airbag is created through the present invention that is conceivably simple and as a result is advantageous for mass production.
In manufacturing the air bag module of the present invention, the locking section of the holder element has a free end region that is moved preferably approximately parallel to the housing wall in the direction of a projection that is arranged at the housing wall. The free end region of the locking section is then pressed against a deflection surface that preferably extends at an inclination to the housing wall, and the locking section is latched with a holder section of the housing.
In accordance with the present invention, the holder element is transferred into its final position through a relative movement between the holder element and the housing and in this the locking section of the holder element is automatically moved in such a manner that it is latched with the holder section when it reaches its final position. Consequently, the locking of the holder element at the housing can be achieved without additional aids and through merely one single relative movement between the holder element and the housing.
Further embodiments of the invention are set forth in the subordinate claims, in the description and in the figure.
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patent: 5310213 (1994-05-01), Mori
patent: 5320379 (1994-06-01), Burnard et al.
patent: 5356174 (1994-10-01), Rhein et al.
patent: 5556124 (1996-09-01), Olson
patent: 5560644 (1996-10-01), Fiore
patent: 5607179 (1997-03-01), Lenart et al.
patent: 5639112 (1997-06-01), Phillion et al.
patent: 5855391 (1999-01-01), Holland
patent: 5876058 (1999-03-01), Nemoto
patent: 6010146 (2000-01-01), Otsuka et al.
patent: 6092832 (2000-07-01), Worrell et al.
patent: 297 06 246 U1 (1997-09-01), None
patent: 2323572 (1998-09-01), None
Fernandez Abelardo
Hannemann Jens
Trimborn Ralf
Zimmerbeutel Bernd Uwe
Bottorff Christopher
Delphi Technologies Inc.
Marra Kathryn A.
Swann J. J.
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