Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-01
2004-03-16
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S730200, C411S107000, C411S156000, C411S339000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06705635
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to attachment methods. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel method and system for attaching an inflatable cushion for an airbag to an interior surface of a vehicle.
2. The Relevant Technology
The inclusion of inflatable safety restraint devices, or airbags, is now a legal requirement for many new vehicles. Airbags are typically installed in the steering wheel and in the dashboard on the passenger side of a car. In the event of an accident, an accelerometer within the vehicle measures the abnormal deceleration and triggers the ignition of an explosive charge. Expanding gases from the charge fill the airbags, which immediately inflate in front of the driver and passenger to protect them from impact against the windshield. Side impact airbags have also been developed in response to the need for similar protection from impacts in a lateral direction, or against the side of the vehicle.
However, despite their enormous lifesaving potential, airbags have typically been limited to certain vehicles and configurations. In part, these limitations are a result of the limited methods that have been available for fastening the cushion member to an interior surface of the vehicle. For example, according to known methods, a hole may be formed in the fabric near the seam of the cushion member and aligned with a hole formed in an interior surface of the vehicle. A fastener, such as a bolt, may then be threaded through both holes to mount the airbag in place.
Many parts of a vehicle interior have little room to accommodate the airbag cushion material. The added bulk of fasteners such as bolts, screws, rivets, and the like often exceeds the available space at a location, so that the airbag must be positioned at a less desirable location. The head of the fastener keeps the airbag from folding evenly and compactly in its compartment. This is especially problematic in the case of side impact airbags, in which folding space is tightly constrained. Some more compact vehicles simply do not have the space to accommodate the bulk of certain airbags, such as side impact airbags.
Yet further, previously-known airbags are somewhat difficult to install. Often, several steps are required. For example, an airbag may need to be aligned and held in position over the vehicle surface. Then, fasteners such as screws or bolts may need to be threaded through the proper holes and tightened. The tightening process may require that an operator use considerable care to tighten each fastener to the appropriate load. The entire process may require that multiple installers take several minutes, working together, to install each unit.
In addition, ergonomic issues often arise with threaded fasteners due to the fact that the installer must hold the airbag with one hand and a tool with the other. Often, the installer must move into an awkward position to use the tool in conjunction with the airbag. Upon tightening the threaded fastener, the airbag material tends to rotate under the torque exerted by the tool. As a result, additional anti-rotation devices must often be utilized during installation to keep the airbag in the proper orientation.
Even among non-threaded fasteners, many known devices must be oriented with some care before they can provide effective fastening. As a result, installation personnel must not only keep the cushion member properly aligned with the vehicle surface, but must simultaneously rotationally align the fastener with its mating portion of the vehicle surface.
Furthermore, some known fasteners require access to a rear portion of a vehicle surface in order to effect attachment. For example, bolt
ut combinations and the like may require that the cushion member be attached to the vehicle surface prior to assembly of the vehicle, so that installation personnel can access both sides of the vehicle surface to complete the attachment. The result is that assembly of the vehicle may need to be delayed to accommodate installation of the cushion member.
Known fastening methods also tend to add to the cost of airbag manufacturing and installation. If damage is discovered anywhere in the airbag assembly, it is likely that the entire assembly will have to be scrapped. The stringent specifications for airbag manufacturing may require that fasteners not be reconnected because an unacceptable level of damage to the airbag fabric may result.
Additionally, some existing fasteners have surfaces that rub undesirably against each other during operation of the vehicle, so that squeaks, rattling, or other disconcerting sounds are produced. Such sounds may, for a common consumer, be interpreted as indicia of poor vehicle quality, even though the airbag cushion has been properly installed.
Other fasteners are not easily removable. After deployment of an airbag, it may be desirable to replace the cushion member just in case the cushion member has become weakened or otherwise unusable as a result of deployment. However, some fasteners make the replacement process unnecessarily difficult and expensive. Screws and bolts, for example, may tend to strip the interior threads of a hole, so that the hole must be re-tapped prior to installation of a new airbag. Specialized replacement or servicing parts may also be required.
Perhaps the most severe deficiency of known fastening methods is the heightened danger of airbag malfunction due to installation errors, material defects, or design errors. In the case of threaded fasteners, tightening the fasteners to the proper load is often a critical step because too much tightening can damage the cushion member, the fastener, or the vehicle surface, thereby raising the possibility of an airbag malfunction. It is easy for a tight-fitting fastener to abrade or even begin to sever the fabric material during and after assembly. With threaded fasteners, the fabric of the airbag around the hole is compressed, undesirably twisted, and possibly damaged when the bolt is screwed into place. This increases the chances that the airbag will fail to deploy properly. If the fastener is not sufficiently loaded, the cushion may come loose during the explosive force of inflation, and deploy at a location where it can fail to protect a passenger or even cause injury.
Even if the problems described above occur only in one installed airbag out of every several thousand, the one faulty airbag may be the cause of serious injury. As a result, it is critical that more reliable and error-free fastening systems and methods be discovered. Fastening systems and methods with greater ease of assembly and removal could also save lives by making airbags less expensive and more widely available.
Accordingly, a need exists for a novel apparatus and method of attaching a cushion member for an airbag assembly to a vehicle surface. Such an apparatus and method should preferably operate without significantly damaging the airbag fabric, so that the reliability of the airbag system is maintained and a minimum of labor material is wasted on scrapped parts. Furthermore, such an apparatus and method should be compact, so that the airbag cushion member maybe tightly folded. Yet further, the apparatus and method should be easy to install, so that installation costs are reduced and the possibility of installation error is minimized. Preferably, such a fastener should be engageable with a minimum of orientation adjustment.
Still further, a need exists for a novel attachment apparatus and method that does not produce noise during operation of the vehicle. The method and apparatus also should not require access to any rear portion of an attachment surface. Furthermore, such a method and apparatus should preferably be easily removable so that damaged or used cushion members may be conveniently removed and replaced.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus of the present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet b
Hoeft David E.
Hoskyns James
McGee Robert F.
Autoliv ASP Inc.
Brown Sally J.
Erickson James D.
Rosenberg Laura B.
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