The invention relates to a module assembly for an airbag device for protecting occupants of a motor vehicle.
A module assembly can include an airbag packet, for example for a driver or passenger airbag, which can be inflated to protect a vehicle occupant and is delimited by an encircling outer edge. The airbag packet is formed by an airbag which has been folded up, unfolds when it is inflated and in the inflated state forms a cushion by which the occupant to be protected is to be protected from injury in the event of a crash, and which is arranged in the folded state as an airbag packet in a flexible protective envelope which surrounds (closes off) the airbag packet in a gastight manner. This allows the package dimensions of the airbag packet to be minimized by generating a subatmospheric pressure in the flexible protective envelope (which is ultimately to be closed off in a gastight manner). DE 101 14 208 A1 and DE 10 2004 056 128,both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, disclose various module assemblies. A module assembly may also comprise a carrier, to which the airbag is fixed so that the airbag packet adopts a defined position within the corresponding motor vehicle.
One exemplary embodiment relates to a module assembly for an airbag device for protecting occupants of motor vehicles. The module assembly comprises a carrier for the module assembly, an airbag packet which can be inflated to protect a vehicle occupant, a flexible protective element, and a mechanism to fix the airbag packet to the carrier. The airbag packet is accommodated in the flexible protective envelope. The protective enveloped is closed off in a gastight manner. The mechanism to fix the airbag packet to the carrier includes a holding element. The holding element, which includes a securing mechanism provided on the carrier to fix the airbag packet to the carrier, extends along an edge of the airbag packet. The securing mechanism is formed integrally on the carrier and is resiliently pivotable with respect to a lateral section of the carrier, or the securing mechanism is fixed on the carrier as a separate assembly.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, appended claims, and the accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described below.
a shows a fourth modification to the exemplary embodiment shown in
b shows a plan view of an excerpt from the arrangement shown in
Exemplary embodiments disclose particular features which occur when surrounding a folded airbag packet with a flexible envelope (film), reduced to minimum package dimensions by use of subatmospheric pressure. The flexible envelope being closed in a gastight manner in order to achieve the subatmospheric pressure. Embodiments also disclose the possibility of generating and maintaining a subatmospheric pressure during and after the manufacture of the airbag packet surrounded in a gastight manner by the envelope being taken into account above all.
According to a first embodiment, a holding element, which to fix the airbag packet is engaged over (or engaged around) by a securing mechanism provided on the carrier, extends along at least part of the outer edge of the airbag packet, so that the airbag packet is fixed to the carrier by way of the holding element and the carrier-side securing mechanism.
The structure of the first embodiment can provide an easier way to fix the airbag packet to the carrier, by the airbag-side holding element being brought into engagement with the carrier-side securing mechanism. The holding element is in this case arranged together with the airbag packet in the protective envelope (preferably formed by a film), which holds the airbag packet together in a gastight manner and with minimum package dimensions. For this purpose, the holding element is suitably connected to the airbag packet, for example by being arranged in a loop of the airbag packet. This is preferably a closed loop which the holding element engages around along a ring-like curve that is completely closed in cross section and which may be formed, for example, by two airbag sections being joined to one another. Suitable ways of joining the two airbag sections include, for example, sewing, interweaving or adhesive bonding, or any other suitable method.
The holding element can in a simple way be formed by a holding ring which runs in the shape of a ring around the outer edge of the airbag packet and which may either be a completely closed ring or a ring which is interrupted at one or more locations, in order to facilitate fitting by threading into associated securing mechanism. As an alternative to the holding element being designed as a holding ring, it may also be formed, for example, by a holding plate.
Suitable materials for the holding element are in particular metal (sheet metal) or plastic, or any other suitable material.
In one embodiment, the holding element is under elastic preloading such that it tends to engage in the associated securing mechanism on the carrier.
The securing mechanisms are preferably designed in such a manner that they engage around the airbag-side holding element, if appropriate together with the carrier of the module assembly.
The securing mechanism may either be formed integrally on the carrier or fixed to it as a separate assembly. By way of example, securing bolts for forming a screw or rivet connection, clamping elements for forming a clamp connection or a material rearrangement (overturned flange) on the carrier are suitable for fixing separate securing mechanisms to the carrier.
The separate assembly forming the securing mechanism may, for example, be securing hooks or at least one housing part which is arranged on the carrier and on which corresponding securing mechanisms are integrally formed.
Furthermore, the securing mechanism provided may be a clamping device which clamps the holding element to the carrier by mechanism of a clip, and is thereby simultaneously fixed to the carrier.
Furthermore, the securing mechanism may be fixed to the carrier by a latching mechanism, preferably on at least two latching points spaced apart from one another, in order to ensure maximum stability and reliability of the latched connection.
In the case of securing mechanisms formed integrally on the carrier, these securing mechanisms are particularly preferably formed as clip elements or latching projections.
Overall, the securing mechanisms may be designed for both positively and non-positively locking holding of the holding element; a combination of these two types of connection is also possible.
To prevent the edge portion of the airbag and/or that portion of the protective envelope which covers that edge portion of the airbag, which are received between the holding element and the associated securing mechanism and have the latter engaging over them, from being damaged, it is possible to provide a cover which is located between the holding element and the associated securing mechanism, specifically in particular between the airbag packet (including the flexible protective envelope), on the one hand, and the securing mechanism, on the other hand. An example of a suitable cover is a flexible shrink-fit tube.
According to one embodiment, a plurality of individual securing mechanisms are arranged in succession (and at a distance from one another) on the carrier along the outer periphery of the airbag packet. However, it is also conceivable for the securing mechanism on the carrier to run continuously around the outer edge of the airbag packet.
The carrier may firstly be a generator carrier (which usually consists of metal). However, the carrier may also form part of a housing (consisting of metal or plastic) for accommodating the airbag packet, in which case a section of this housing can simultaneously perform a dual function as a generator carrier.
A gas generator G (pot gas generator) which is used to inflate the airbag packet 1 is secured to the disc-like base body 40 of a carrier 4 of the module assembly via a generator flange F in a known way using suitable connecting mechanism 44, for example in the form of screws or rivets; this carrier 4 therefore serves as a generator carrier and at the outer periphery has a lateral end section 42 which is angled off (substantially at right angles) and engages around the airbag packet 1 in the shape of a ring. In addition to screws or rivets, it is also possible for other elements to be used as connecting mechanism 44 for securing the gas generator G to the carrier 4 via the generator flange F, for example a bayonet closure, the components of which are arranged, in particular formed integrally, on the generator flange F, on the one hand, and on the carrier 4, on the other hand. This opens up the possibility of direct integration of the joining mechanism in the components F, G, and 4 which are to be secured to one another, so that there is no need whatsoever for separate, additional joining mechanism.
The airbag packet 1 is likewise secured to the carrier 4 and for this purpose has a holding ring 2, which runs around its outer edge R, as holding element which lies inside the film-like protective envelope 3 in an annularly continuous loop 12 at the outer edge R of the airbag packet 1. The loop 12, surrounded by a section 32 of the protective envelope 3, at the outer edge R of the airbag packet 1 is formed by two airbag sections being fixedly joined to one another in a suitable way, for example by sewing, interweaving or adhesive bonding, at a joining location 14 so as to produce the loop 12.
The holding ring 2 runs in the form of a ring around the outer edge R of the airbag packet 1 within the loop 12, so that it completely surrounds the airbag packet 1 in the form of a ring.
The holding ring 2 is assigned securing mechanism 5 on the carrier 4, which are formed by a plurality of securing hooks arranged in succession along the outer periphery of the carrier 4. These securing hooks lie completely both outside the airbag packet 1 and outside the protective envelope 3 which encloses the airbag packet 1. As a result, the respective bases 50, extending along the carrier 4, of the hook-like securing elements can be fixed to the carrier 4 in a simple way by securing bolts, for example to produce a screw or rivet connection. There is no risk of damaging the protective envelope 3, since the securing mechanism 5 are completely outside the protective envelope 3.
A hook-shaped securing section 52 of the securing mechanism 5 engages over the holding ring 2 together with the loop 12 of the airbag packet 1 and the envelope section 32 surrounding the loop 12. Together with the carrier 4, specifically its disc-like base body 40 and its end section 42 which is angled off from this base body 40, the securing mechanism 5 engage completely around the holding ring 2, so that the airbag packet 1 is thereby fixed to the carrier 4.
It is in this case easy to mount the airbag packet 1 on the carrier 4 by the airbag packet 1, together with the holding ring 2 arranged in the loop 12 at the outer edge R of the airbag packet 1 and the protective envelope 3, which surrounds the airbag packet 1 and the holding ring 2 and has been closed off in a gastight manner, being placed onto the carrier 4, with the angled-off lateral end section 42 of the carrier 4 surrounding the airbag packet 1. Then, the securing mechanism 5, in the form of hook-like securing elements, are fixed to the carrier 4 by suitable connecting mechanism 45, for example in the form of rivets or screws, in a position in which their respective hook-shaped securing sections 52 engage over the holding ring.
In the exemplary embodiment of a module assembly shown in
On the side remote from the securing mechanism 5′ in the radial direction, there is, in addition to the holding ring 2, a protuberance 41 (formed integrally or secured as a separate element) of the carrier 4, which is intended to prevent the holding ring 2 from being disengaged from the securing mechanisms 5′ in the radially inward direction under the action of the tensile forces which occur during inflation and unfolding of the airbag packet 1.
In the exemplary embodiment of a module assembly shown in
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
Both in the case of
Finally,
The clamping device 7 is spread open in a simple way after the airbag packet 1 has been positioned, and is pushed onto the carrier 4, so that it engages around the outer periphery of the carrier 4 and the holding ring 2 of the airbag packet 1. The clamping action is then produced in a known way by a clamping screw being introduced into a passage opening 76 in angled-off actuating sections 74 of the clamping device 7 and being tightened by mechanism of an associated nut in such a way that the slot 70 narrows, and as a result the clamp 72 fixes the holding ring 2 to the carrier 4.
As an alternative to using a clamping device 7 which is formed by a single clamp which runs in the form of a ring around the entire periphery of the holding ring 2 and the carrier 4, the clamping device 7 may also comprise a plurality of clamps which are spaced apart from one another in the periphery direction of the holding ring 2 and each fix a subsection of the holding ring 2 to the carrier 4.
In the exemplary embodiment of a module assembly illustrated in
The overturned flange 46 at the outer edge of the carrier 4, which engages around the securing section of the housing part 8, is preferably only formed after the airbag packet 1 and the holding ring 2 and then the housing part 8 have been placed on the carrier and positioned on it in such a manner that the holding ring 2 is engaged over or at least partially surrounded by the receiving section 82 of the housing part 8. The housing part 8 is to be oriented in such a manner that its securing section 80 runs along the edge of the carrier 4. Then, the housing part 8 is fixed to the carrier 4 by turning over the edge 46 of the carrier 4, and at the same time the holding ring 2 is also fixed to the carrier 4 by mechanism of the receiving section 82 of the housing part 8.
Another particular feature of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
Finally,
A recess 92, in which the holding ring 2 together with the loop 12 of the airbag packet 1 and the corresponding section 32 of the protective envelope 3 is accommodated, is formed at the outer, lateral housing wall 95, which surrounds the airbag packet 1 in the form of a ring and projects (substantially vertically) from the base surface 90, in the region of the upper end, remote from the base surface 90.
In this case, the holding ring 2 is additionally delimited by a covering element 98, which together with the latching recess 92 forms a U-shaped receptacle for the holding ring 2 and which is fixed to a laterally projecting end section 96, forming a securing flange, of the housing bottom part 9 by being flanged over it.
One difference between the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
In addition to the carrier 4 of the module assembly,
The five German priority applications: DE 10 2004 055 657.1 filed Nov. 15, 2004; DE 10 2004 056 128.1 filed Nov. 16, 2004; DE 20 2005 009 002.6 filed Jun. 3, 2005; DE 20 2005 010 863.4 filed Jun. 3, 2005; and DE 20 2005 010 864.2 filed Jul. 5, 2005,are all incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
Given the disclosure of the present invention, one versed in the art would appreciate that there may be other embodiments and modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, all modifications attainable by one versed in the art from the present disclosure within the scope and spirit of the present invention are to be included as further embodiments of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is to be defined as set forth in the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2004 055 657 | Nov 2004 | DE | national |
10 2004 056 128 | Nov 2004 | DE | national |
20 2005 009 002 | Jun 2005 | DE | national |
20 2005 010 863 | Jun 2005 | DE | national |
20 2005 010 864 | Jul 2005 | DE | national |
This application is a continuation of International Application PCT/DE 2005/002050,which has an international filing date of Nov. 14, 2005; this International Application was not published in English, but was published in German as WO 2006/050719, both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/DE2005/002050 | Nov 2005 | US |
Child | 11798337 | US |