MXPA00005387A - Airbag module - Google Patents

Abstract

An airbag module has a gas generator (2). A gas generator support (4) is connected to the gas generator. A cover (8) is connected to the gas generator support. An airbag (6) is arranged in a folded state between the gas generator, including the gas generator support, and the cover. The airbag is provided with an opening (10) in which the gas generator including the gas generator support is installed. The airbag is further provided with passageways (20) in the peripheral area of opening through which hooks (16) or projections of the gas generator support and/or the cover engage extend.

Description

'AIR BAG MODULE' FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an air bag module comprising an air bag, a gas generator and an air bag cover wherein the air bag is provided with a seal protector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Known air bag modules comprise an air bag and a gas generator with a plurality of components for securing the air bag to the gas generator. Known airbags have an opening through which gases generated by a gas generator can be conducted into the interior of the airbag. The air bag is secured to a housing by means of flanges and screws or fixing means. The gas generator is also secured to the housing by means of screws or fixing means. This air bag module, for example, is known from Patent Number WO 94-25311. This air bag module comprises an air bag, a gas generator and additional fastening elements for securing the air bag to the gas generator. The air bag has an opening through which the gas generator extends into the interior of the air bag. The periphery of the opening is fixed in an additional air bag retaining ring. The air bag with the air bag retaining ring is held between an additional holding plate and a housing part together with a flange that is provided to the gas generator. Starting from the housing, the fasteners extend through the flange of the gas generator and the air bag retaining the additional holding plate. In this way, the gas generator and the air bag are retained between the retaining plate and the housing through a fixing effect. Known airbag modules, therefore, include a plurality of individual components that result in laborious and delayed fabrication and high manufacturing costs. In addition, a large number of the individual components result in an increased weight of the air bag module.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide an air bag module that is simple- and economical in manufacturing cost and that is easy to assemble in a vehicle. The object is provided by an air bag module comprising the features described in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims. The air bag module according to the invention requires only three components, namely an air bag, a gas generator including a support of the gas generator fastened thereto and a cover. The cover seals the air bag assembly to the outside and encloses the folded air bag. The air bag is thus placed with the housing or the support of the gas generator by means of a simple connection. The cover and the support of the gas generator are also connected to each other by a simple connection. The reduced number of components reduces costs, and also the assembly is considerably facilitated since only a few components have to be joined together in an interlaced manner. This facilitates a considerably shorter assembly time and decreases assembly costs. In addition, the weight of this air bag module can be reduced due to the number of components more - little. Preferably both the air bag and the cover are fastened to hooks or projections of the gas generator support. This allows the whole air bag module assembly by means of a single connection since no additional fasteners are required to hold the cover. A sealing protector is attached to the interior of the air bag. The sealing shield closes the openings in the air bag except for a passage through which at least part of the gas generator extends into the interior of the air bag. The sealing shield can be pressed against the support of the gas generator and / or the gas generator by the inflation gas of the gas generator to seal the air bag. This is an effective cost way to seal the air bag in the area where it is attached to the gas generator support, so that the air bag does not need to be fixed together with the support of the gas generator to effect a sealing effect. The sealing protector can, for example, be made of a layer of fabric or film of the same material as the rest of the air bag, thereby serving as a flame protection or heat protection at the same time. This sealing protector is preferably sewn together with the air bag; however, it can also be connected to the airbag - - using adhesive substances or in any other way. The sealing protector can preferably also be manufactured in several layers. For example, a heat resistant layer may be provided at the top protecting the holding area of the air bag against the heat caused by the hot inflation gas generated by the gas generator. This protection against heat can also be obtained by means of a sealing protector made entirely of a heat-resistant material. A seal protector as described above is economical to manufacture since only an additional seam is required in the air bag, without any additional assembly or assembly. In contrast to known sealing methods, the costs for manufacturing and assembly are reduced in this manner considerably. The air bag is preferably fastened to the support of the gas generator in a positive manner in such a way that the fastening of the air bag ae secures the cover. This has the advantage that after mounting the cover, the air bag is retained in a manner that can not be separated from the support of the gas generator by concussion or similar means. Since this assurance is achieved without involving additional insuring elements, a higher reliability is obtained together with an assembly that is facilitated more. In another embodiment, both the air bag and the gas generator support are fastened to the hooks or projections of the cover. This allows for easier assembly since the air bag, the cover and the gas generator holder are held together by a single connection. Also, with this arrangement the air bag can be attached to the cover before connecting the gas generator and the gas generator support with the air bag and the cover. This facilitates the installation of the folded air bag on the cover. The positive fixing of the air bag in the cover is advantageously carried out in such a way that it is secured by the support of the gas generator. This constitution of the connection ensures that once the support of the gas generator is assembled, that is to say, the module of the airbag is completely armed, the airbag can no longer be separated by itself from its fastened position. This arrangement does not require the use of additional securing elements to secure the airbag, wherein the number of components and therefore the efforts and costs of assembly are reduced. The reduced number of individual components and the facilitated assembly process also reduces the risk of a defective assembly, thereby increasing the reliability of the air bag module. According to another embodiment, the cover is secured securely to the support of the gas generator by means of additional connection elements, particularly by means of bolts or rivets. This additional securing prevents the cover from separating from the support of the gas generator for example, during transport or assembly. The cover can not be separated from the air bag module through the concussion or similar means once the air bag module is assembled or assembled. According to another embodiment, the gas generator can be integrally formed with the gas generator support or can be screwed, fixed, welded or gummed onto the gas generator support. The gas generator thus forms a single component together with the support of the gas generator clearly facilitating the assembly of the air bag module. The number of assembly steps for assembling the airbag module is reduced resulting in a reduction of time and costs for assembly. The cover and / or the air bag preferably are further secured by further folding the hooks after the air bag and cover have been secured together.

- The hooks are bent in such a way that the cover and the air bag can no longer be separated from the hooks. In addition, the cover and / or the air bag can be attached to the hooks. The air bag and / or the cover in this way are connected securely to the support of the gas generator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described continuously in greater detail by means of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a detailed view of a first embodiment of an air bag module; Figure 2 shows a plan view of an air bag with a sealing protector for an air bag module according to the invention; Figures 3 and 4 show a top view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a gas generator and a support of the gas generator; Figure 5 shows a section through the air bag module on the driver's side according to the invention; Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the operation of the seal protector; - - Figure 7 shows a section through another module on the side of the driver's air bag according to the invention; Figure 8 shows a section through another module of the driver-side air bag similar to the embodiment according to Figure 5; Figure 9 shows a section through a Lateral airbag module or the front seat passenger corresponding to the embodiment shown in Figure 5; Figure 10 shows a section through another side air bag module or the front seat passenger, similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 9; Figure 11 shows a detailed view of an air bag module according to another embodiment; Figure 12 shows a section through an airbag module of the driver according to another embodiment; and Figure 13 shows a section through an air bag module on the driver's side according to another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION - - Figure 1 is a detailed view showing the basic construction of an air bag module according to a first embodiment of the invention. The air bag module has a gas generator, a gas generator support 4, connected to the gas generator 2, an air bag 6 and a cover 8. The gas generator 2 has an essentially cylindrical shape and is it places approximately in the center of the support of the gas generator 4 in such a way that the support of the gas generator preferably extends in a flat manner, depending on the periphery of the gas generator. The support of the gas generator, however, can be deeply stretched or configured in any other way. The support of the gas generator 4 is preferably welded to the gas generator 2. Both parts, however, can be made integrally, for example from a piece of rolled metal. The air bag 6, as shown in plan view in Figure 2, has an opening 10 into which the support of the gas generator 4 is inserted together with the gas generator 2. Along the periphery of the gas generator. opening 10, passages 14 are provided such as slits separated from one another. Bent hooks 16 are placed on the outer edges of gas generator support 4 separated from one another. The bent hooks 16 extend through the corresponding passages 14 of the air bag 6 to secure the air bag to the support of the gas generator. The bent hooks 16 are integrally formed with the gas generating support 4. After assembly, the hooks 16 can be further deformed or bent to further secure the air bag 6 and the cover 8. Also, a sealing protector 18 is provided. inside the air bag 6 and can move freely towards or away from the opening 10. This sealing protector 18 is made of an additional fabric layer sewn together with the air bag 6 at its periphery 32 and closes the opening 10 except as regards a passage 20. The passage 20 is placed approximately in the center of the opening 10 and is dimensioned to allow the gas generator 2 to extend at least partially through the passage 20 towards the air bag 6. The sealing protector 18 is placed between the gas outlet openings of the generator gas 2 and the support of the gas generator 4 so that it is pressed against the support of the gas generator 4 by inflation of the gas to seal the air bag, as described below. The cover 8 comprises a cover plate 22 which forms the outer surface of the air bag module and which faces the occupant of the vehicle once the air bag module is installed. In its interior, the cover plate 22 is provided with side walls 24 forming a rectangular frame in which the folded air bag 6 is placed. The cover is made of a polymeric material that is flexible enough to allow the support of the gas generator to be pushed into the cover and the hooks 16 are made to manipulate through the passages 26 in the cover. The side walls 24 are provided with a flange having passages 26 therethrough by means of which the cover 8 can be secured to the support of the gas generator 4. Extending the corresponding hooks 16 of the support 4 of the gas generator through from passages 26, the fastening is completed. Figures 3 and 4 show a top view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of the support of the gas generator 4 and the gas generator 2 according to the previously described embodiment. In this embodiment, the support of the gas generator 4 has an essentially rectangular shape with two flattened corners, however, depending on the installation site, the support of the gas generator may have any suitable shape, eg, rectangular similar to Figure 1 , without changing its operating mode. It can be seen from the cross-section of Figure 4 that the support, of the gas generator 4 including the gas generator 2 that the gas generator support is welded to the gas generator 2. The "L" shaped hooks 16 are they form at the periphery of the support of the gas generator to extend through the corresponding passages of the air bag. The support of the gas generator is advantageously made of a metal sheet allowing it to be welded to the gas generator; however, alternatively it can be made of plastic. The embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 5 corresponds to the modality illustrated in the Figure 1. The sealing shield 18 which when viewed therefrom from the opening 10 is placed further inwards, is held by seams 32 inside the air bag 6. The sealing shield 18 has a passage 20 through it. which extends the gas generator 2 at least partially towards the interior of the air bag 6. Inside the air bag 6, the sealing protector 18 covers the holding areas with the passages 14 and the area of the air bag 6. gas generator support 4. When the airbag is filled with gases generated by the gas generator 2, the sealing protector 18 is pressed against the support of the gas generator 4 by means of gas pressure, whereby the air bag 6 is sealed in the area of the gasket 10.

- The sealing function of the sealing protector 18 is illustrated in Figure 6. The gas that inflates the air bag and which is pressed against the sealing protector 18 is indicated by the arrows in Figure 6. Figure 7 shows a mode alternative of the invention, wherein the cover 8 is secured in the gas generating support 4 by means of the rivets 31. As in the embodiment of Figure 5, the support of the gas generator is provided with hooks 16 in its outer periphery extending through the passages in the air bag 6. At its oriented end away from the cover plate 22 the side walls 24 of the cover 8 are provided with a bent portion 29 towards the inside, where the passages 26 for receiving the hooks 16 are provided for securing the cover 8. In addition, the side walls 24 of the cover 8 extend through the bent portion 29 so that a portion is parallel to the hooks 16. The portion of the side walls that come into contact with the hooks 16 are connected to the hooks by means of the rivets 31. In this way, the cover is further secured in the support of the gas generator. In this way it is no longer possible for the cover to be unintentionally separated from the support of the gas generator, for example during transport or assembly. Since the - The airbag has already been securely fastened to the gas generator support by means of the cover, the complete assembled airbag module is securely held together. Figure 8 shows a modification of the mode shown in Figure 5. In this embodiment, the support of the gas generator 4 is not welded in the gas generator 2, but is held by means of nuts and bolts 34. For this In this case, the gas generator 2 is provided with a retaining flange 36 at its periphery which is brought into contact by the support of the gas generator 4 in the form of a ring. The fastening flange 36 is firmly connected to the gas generating support 4 by means of the nuts and bolts 34. Instead of nuts and bolts, another suitable fastening method can be used to connect the fastening flange 36 to the generator support. gas, for example, by rivets. Figure 9 shows, in section, a front passenger seat or side airbag module. This air bag module differs from the previously described modes mainly through the shape of the gas generator 2. In this embodiment, the gas generator 2 has a tubular shaped housing with a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the support of the gas generator. gas generator 4 and face 22 of cover 8. The - - Gas generator support is welded to the gas generator and has hooks 16 bent at its outer edges. During assembly, first the air bag 6 and then the cover 8 are fastened to the aforementioned hooks 16. As with the embodiments already described, the bent air bag 6 is placed between the support of the gas generator 4, including the gas generator 2, and the cover 8 that completely encloses the air bag 6 with its side walls 24. In this embodiment, likewise, a sealing protector 18 is provided inside the air bag 6, as explained with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 10 shows an additional embodiment of a seat passenger or side air bag module.

The air bag module corresponds essentially to the air bag module shown in Figure 9. However, according to this embodiment, the support of the gas generator 4 is not welded to the gas generator 2, but is connected to the gas generator 2. same by means of nuts and bolts 34. Like the gas generator shown in Figure 8, the gas generator is provided with a fastening flange 36. Figure 11 shows another embodiment of the invention, wherein the gas bag air 6 is not fastened to the gas generating support 4, but rather to the cover 8. The support of the gas generator 4 is configured - - basically as shown in the embodiment according to Figure 1. The support of the gas generator 4 is essentially rectangular and the gas generator 2 round cylindrical is located approximately in the center thereof. The gas generator support extends around the gas generator and is welded to the gas generator. Essentially in the perpendicular direction, the bent hooks 16 spaced apart from each other at the outer periphery of the support of the gas generator 4 are provided. The hooks 16 advantageously are manufactured integrally with the support of the gas generator 4 by means of forming, for example a laminated metal. The cover 8 is provided with a cover plate 22, which, for example, in an airbag mode of the driver forms the outer cover of the steering wheel. On the back side of the cover plate, the cover 8 has side walls 24 in the shape of an essentially rectangular frame. The side walls are manufactured integrally with the cover plate, for example, by means of injection molding. The cover may also be composed of several pieces or may be produced through multiple component injection molding. In addition, the reinforcing ribs 37 are provided in the connection area between the cover plate 22 and the side walls 24. On the side - oriented away from the cover plate 22, the side walls 24 are provided with hooks 38 spaced apart from one another, which are bent outwards perpendicularly in the manner of the "L" shape. These hooks 38 can extend through the passages 14 of the air bag 6, which corresponds essentially to the embodiment shown in Figure 1. In addition, the passages 40 are provided in the side walls 24 of the cover 8 through the which the corresponding hooks 16 of the support of the gas generator 4 can be extended. In this way, during assembly, the hooks 38 of the cover 8 extend through the passages 14 of the air bag 6. Subsequently, the cover with the air bag attached thereto is connected to the generator support 4. For this purpose the hooks 16 of the support of the gas generator 4 are also guided through the passages 14 in the air bag and through the passages 40 in the side walls of the cover 8. This also ensures the air bag 6 on the cover 8, since it can not be separated from the hooks 38 as long as the gas generating support 4 extends through the passages 40 in the cover 8. Figure 12 shows a further embodiment of the air bag of the invention. This embodiment has a cover 8 with hooks 38 formed on the edges - of its side walls 24, as in Figure 11, which extend through the passages 14 of the air bag 6. In addition, the side walls 24 are provided with U-shaped hooks 44 directed inwards in its distal end of the cover plate 22. The hooks of the gas generator stand are hooked on these hooks 44. The hooks of the gas generator stand in this way they extend through the passages in the air bag 6 so that the fastening thereof on the cover 8 is further ensured. Another embodiment of the air bag module is illustrated in Figure 13. The gas generator 2 essentially corresponds to the gas generators of the driver air bag modules described above. The support of the gas generator 4 extends from the periphery of the gas generator 2. The support of the gas generator 4 is provided with passages 46 near its outer edges. The side walls 24 of the cover-8 have hooks 48 which are folded essentially perpendicularly to the outside at their opposite end to the cover plate 22. These hooks 48 extend through the corresponding passages 46 in the generator support. 4. Like the modalities described above, the bent air bag 6 is placed between the cover plate 22 and the gas generator - 4 where it is enclosed by the side walls 24 of the cover 8 and is provided with passages 14 near the periphery of the opening 10. These passages 14 are hooked on the hooks 48 of the cover 8 so that the air bag 6 is securely retained in the cover 8. During assembly, the air bag 6 first engages the hooks 48 of the cover 8 before engaging the hooks 48 in the passages 46 through the gas generating support 4. This ensures the air bag 6 on the cover 8 by means of gas generating support 4. An unintentional separation of the air bag 6 from the cover 8 is therefore not possible as long as the support of the gas generator 4 engages the hooks 48 of the cover 8 through its passages 46. Furthermore, in this embodiment likewise, a sealing protector 18 is provided inside the air bag 6, as explained in the above embodiments.

Claims (8)

- CLAIMS:

1. An airbag module comprising: a gas generator (2), a support of the gas generator (4) connected to the gas generator (2), a cover (8) connected to the support of the gas generator ( 4), and an air bag (6), which is placed in a folded state between the support of the gas generator (4) and the cover (8), the air bag has an opening (10) therein which the gas generator (2) and the gas generating support (4) are installed, and with the passages (14) near the periphery of the opening (10) through which the hooks (16, 38) of the gas generator support (4) and / or cover (8), where a sealing protector (18) is fixed to the interior of the air bag, the sealing protector (18) closes the opening (10) in the air bag (6) except as regards a passage (20), through which a part of the gas generator extends into the interior of the air bag, and wherein the sealing shield is pressed against the support of the air bag. gas generator and / or the gas generator by inflation gas from the gas generator for sealing the airbag.

2. An air bag module according to claim 1, wherein the air bag (6) and the cover (8) is held by the hooks (16) of the gas generator support (4).

3. An air bag module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fastening of the air bag (6) in the gas generating support (4) is secured by the cover (8).

4. An air bag module according to claim 1, wherein the air bag (6) and the gas generating support (4) are held by the hooks (38) of the cover (8). An air bag module according to one of claims 1 or 4, wherein the fastening of the air bag (6) on the cover (8) is secured by the support of the gas generator (4). The air bag module according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (8) is secured to the support of the gas generator (4) by means of additional connection elements (31), particularly by means of bolts. or rivets. 7. An air bag module according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the gas generator (2) is integrally formed with the - gas generator support (4) or screwed, fixed, welded or gummed to the support of the gas generator (4). 8. An air bag module according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (8) and / or the air bag (6) are further secured by bending the hooks (16, 38).