Gas bag module

Details Gas bag module Gas bag module

2002-03-28

2004-08-31

Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3616)

Land vehicles

Wheeled

Attachment

C280S731000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06783149

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a gas bag module.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known gas bag modules usually consist of several components, in particular of a gas bag, a gas generator and a carrier element, and are provided for incorporation into a steering wheel. The carrier element can, for example, be a holding plate for the gas bag module or the housing of the module, in which the gas generator and the gas bag are arranged. Numerous steering wheel gas bag modules have been proposed, in which components of the module are mounted so as to be neutralized with regard to vibration from the remainder of the module, or act in a damping manner with regard to vibration for the steering wheel, so that the vibrations on the steering wheel rim are damped. The components are usually mounted here on or in plastic rings which hitherto consist of styrene butadiene or of ethylene propylene terpolymers. The mountings of plastic hitherto are designed for being used at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. This means that the damping frequency in this temperature range corresponds as exactly as possible to the frequency of excitation.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention consists in making available a gas bag module which has a mounting for the component that is neutralized with regard to vibration with as uniform a damping frequency as possible, over the entire temperature range of −40 to +85 degrees Celsius.
This is achieved in a gas bag module of several components, which comprise a least a carrier element, a gas generator and a gas bag. At least one elastic element is provided and at least one of the components is mounted in the gas bag module so as to be neutralized with regard to vibration by means of the at least one elastic element consisting of silicone. Silicone was not used hitherto for the mounting of components in the gas bag module, because it is, to a certain extent, difficult to handle and appeared to be unsuitable for the mounting of components which heat up intensively and also difficult with regard to the nature of application of parts on the silicone. However, tests have surprisingly shown that the above-mentioned difficulties can be overcome and silicone also comes into consideration as a supporting material in the case of components which heat up intensively, with corresponding geometric construction. The great advantage of silicone is its almost uniform damping frequency over the entire range of use of the module which is to be aimed at, namely from −40 to +85 degrees Celsius. Thus the gas bag module according to the invention has a component which also has a good vibration neutralization at extreme temperatures.
Preferably, the gas generator is supported in the module by the elastic element so as to be neutralized with regard to vibrations. The gas generator represents a relatively heavy part of the module, which can act as vibration attenuator.
The elastic element surrounds the gas generator at least to some extent in peripheral direction, as is provided by one embodiment. This has the advantage that the damping and mounting takes place in all directions of the peripheral plane.
Alternatively, of course, the gas generator could also only be mounted at some points, for example on three or four buffer rings of silicone.
Provision is further preferably made that the gas generator has a ring flange and the elastic element has a groove to receive the ring flange. In this embodiment, the silicone was distinguished by its easy deformability, so that without a great action of force, the gas generator can be pressed into the groove.
A clamping device which is preferably provided fastens the element on the module side by a clamping action, the clamping device clamping the element in axial direction in the embodiment with the ring flange.
The invention further relates to a vehicle steering wheel with a gas bag module and several steering wheel sections, in which either the gas bag module or the steering wheel sections are mounted to the remainder of the steering wheel or on the steering wheel by means of an elastic element of silicone so as to be neutralized with regard to vibration. The steering wheel sections are for example the hub, the spoke and the steering wheel rim; the steering wheel rim in particular is to be neutralized with regard to vibrations from the hub, so that the element made of silicone is either to be arranged at the transition from the hub to the spoke, in the spoke or at the transition from the spoke to the steering wheel rim.


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Co-pending patent Appln. Ser. No. 09/963,909, filed Sep. 26, 2001 entitled “Vehicle Steering Wheel”.
U.S. Patent Appln. Ser. No. 09/954,671, filed Sep. 17, 2001 entitled “Steering Wheel”.

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