Gas generator housing

Details Gas generator housing Gas generator housing

1999-12-06

2001-05-08

Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3611)

Land vehicles

Wheeled

Attachment

C280S730200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06227560

ABSTRACT:

DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to a gas generator housing and particularly to such for use with a gas generator and for a vehicle occupant safety restraint airbag, and which serves as a manifold for inflation of the airbag.
Airbag modules are bulky and heavy items, particularly for the passenger side of a vehicle where a large capacity airbag must be used to fill the space between the passenger and the instrument panel. This requires a large capacity gas generator which is traditionally a cylinder with a gas outlet at one end. It is secured to the vehicle and the airbag by being mounted in a metal housing connected to a manifold which directs the gas into the inflation opening of an airbag.
Problems are encountered with known mounting arrangements in that they are heavy, costly, bulky and there is a tendency for the gas generator to rattle against the metal housing surface producing undesirable noise.
The present invention aims to provide an improved and more compact mounting arrangement, and is particularly advantageous whenever packaging space is restricted.
According to the present invention there is provided a housing for a gas generator for a side airbag inflator in a vehicle safety restraint, the housing comprising an elongate back plate for supporting the gas generator, and having means for mounting to a fixed part of the vehicle, the back plate having, at one end region, side flanges extending laterally of the gas generator and, at the other end region, having a retaining ring fixed to the back plate which is arranged to circumscribe the gas generator, to hold the gas generator securely to the housing and thus to a fixed part of the vehicle.
The housing thus holds the gas generator under tension and prevents it rattling, thus reducing noise.
In one embodiment, the gas generator housing of the invention is symmetrical about its longitudinal axis so that it can be mounted on either the right side or the left side of the vehicle and has an integral manifold and preferably also an integral heat shield.
Alternatively the housing may be asymmetrical. It may be formed by stamping or cutting an asymmetrical outline from sheet metal and this gives the possibility of providing left- and right-handed items.
Preferably the other end of the housing is open so that the housing can accommodate different length gas generators, and the retaining ring is adjustable so as to accommodate different widths of gas generators.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5284358 (1994-02-01), Rhein
patent: 5816607 (1998-10-01), Bugdaci et al.
patent: 5839751 (1998-11-01), Lutz
patent: 0 822 124 A1 (1997-07-01), None

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