Lightweight reaction can for passenger inflators

Claim 2

A lightweight reaction can (1) for vehicle passenger inflators comprising: a trough-shaped body part (10) having opposite ends, opposite side walls, and a bottom wall with an inflatable bag ring retaining notch (12, 14) on the inner side of each side wall, said body part further having inflatable bag cover retaining grooves (20, 22) on the outer side of each side wall, and a plurality of end plate attachment grooves (26, 28, 30, 32, 34) on each opposite end, first and second end plates (36, 38) attached to a respectively associated opposite end of said body part by means positioned in co-operative relation with the respective end plate attachment grooves, each of said first and second end plates acting to retain the shape of said body part and having a shoulder (36a, 38a) facing inwardly of said body part and positioned to be in substantial alignment with the inflatable bag retaining notches on the inside walls thereof, each of said first and second end plates further having a reaction can attachment flange (50) and a gas generator flange seat (44) positioned to receive and to support an associated one of the ends of an elongated inflator gas generator (40) positioned therein, and a cover (24) for the reaction can to protect an inflator-inflatable bag (18) positioned therein, said cover being retained on said reaction can by said inflatable bag cover retaining grooves on the outer side of each side wall of said body part.

Claim 3

A lightweight reaction can according to claim 1 wherein said cover (24) includes depending portions that snap into said inflatable bag cover retaining grooves on the outer side of each side wall of said body part, said cover having a separate hinge (24b, 24c) adjacent each side wall of said body part and a break seam (24a) intermediate said hinges, whereby, upon initiation of the inflator gas generator (40) and deployment of the inflator-inflatable bag (18), said cover is operative to separate at said break seam (24a) with the result that each of the separated cover portions swing open on the hinge (24b, 24c) associated therewith.

Claim 4

A lightweight reaction can according to claim 1 or claim 2, further including; an inflatable bag attachment ring (16), a tether strap (54) having opposed ends (54a, 54b) and being of such length and strength as to be operative to absorb loads tending to spread the side walls of said body part upon inflation of an inflator-inflatable bag (18) positioned in the reaction can, a band (56) attached to said inflatable bag attachment ring (16) by a continuous loop (56a) formed therein, and means attaching the opposed ends of said tether strap to opposed inner portions of said band.

Claim 5

A lightweight reaction can according to claim 3 wherein said band (56) is made of inflatable bag throat material and the opposed ends (54a, 54b) of said tether strap(54) are attached thereto by sewing.

Claim 6

A lightweight reaction can according to any preceding claim wherein the fabrication of said body part (10) is of continuous aluminum extrusion.

Claim 7

A lightweight reaction can according to claim 5 wherein said end plates (36, 38) are an extruded shape reducing the amount of machining.

Claim 8

A lightweight reaction can as defined by claim 1 further including an ignition port (48) in at least one (36) of said first and second end plates, said ignition port being positioned in concentric relation with the associated gas generator flange seat (44) of said one end plate.

Claim 9

A lightweight reaction can (1) for vehicle passenger inflators comprising: a trough-shaped body part (10) having opposite ends, opposite side walls, and a bottom wall with an inflatable bag ring retaining notch (12, 14) on the inner side of each side wall, said body part further having inflatable bag cover retaining grooves (20, 22) on the outer side of each side wall, and a plurality of end plate attachment grooves (26, 28, 30, 32, 34) on each opposite end, the fabrication of said body part being of continuous aluminum extrusion, first and second end plates (36, 38) attached to a respectively associated opposite end of said body part by screw means positioned in co-operative relation with the respective end plate attachment grooves, each of said end plates (36, 38) having an extruded shape reducing the amount of machining and acting to retain the shape of said body part (10), each of said end plates further having a shoulder (36a, 38a) facing inwardly of said body part and positioned to be in substantial alignment with the inflatable bag retaining notches on the inside walls thereof, each of said end plates further having a reaction can attachment flange (50) and a gas generator flange seat (44) positioned to receive and to support an associated one of the ends of an elongated inflator gas generator (40) positioned therein, with at least one (36) of said end plates having an ignition port (48) positioned therein in concentric relation with the associated gas generator flange seat (44) of said one end plate, an inflatable bag attachment ring (16), a tether strap (54) having opposed ends (54a, 54b) and being of such length and strength as to be operative to absorb loads tending to spread the side walls of said body part upon inflation of an inflatable bag (18) positioned in the reaction can, a band (56) attached to said inflatable bag attachment ring by a continuous loop (56a) formed therein, said band being made of inflatable bag throat material, means attaching by sewing the opposed ends of said tether strap to opposed inner portions of said band, and a cover (24) for the reaction can to protect an inflator-inflatable bag (18) positioned therein, said cover being retained on said reaction can by said inflatable bag cover retaining grooves (20, 22) on the outer side of each side wall of said body part, said cover including depending portions that snap into said inflatable bag cover retaining grooves on the outer side of each side wall of said body part, said cover having a separate hinge (24b, 24c) adjacent each side wall of said body part and a break seam (24a) intermediate said hinges, whereby, upon initiation of the inflator gas generator and deployment of the inflator inflatable bag, said cover is operative to separate at said break seam with the result that each of the separated cover portions swing open on the hinge associated therewith.

Claim 10

A lightweight reaction can (1) for vehicle passenger inflators comprising: a trough-shaped body part (10) having opposite ends, opposite side walls, and a bottom wall with an inflatable bag ring retaining notch (12, 14) on the inner side of each side wall, said body part further having inflatable bag cover retaining grooves (20, 22) on the outer side of each side wall, and a plurality of end plate attachment grooves (26, 28, 30, 32, 34) on each opposite end, the fabrication of said body part being of continuous aluminum extrusion, first and second end plates (36, 38) attached to a respectively associated opposite end of said body part by screw means positioned in co-operative relation with the respective end plate attachment grooves, each of said end plates (36, 38) having an extruded shape reducing the amount of machining and acting to retain the shape of said body part (10), each of said end plates further having a shoulder (36a, 38a) facing inwardly of said body part and positioned to be in substantial alignment with the inflatable bag retaining notches on the inside walls thereof, each of said end plates further having a reaction can attachment flange (50) and a gas generator flange seat (44) positioned to receive and to support an associated one of the ends of an elongated inflator gas generator (40) positioned therein, with at least one (36) of said end plates having an ignition port (48) positioned therein in concentric relation with the associated gas generator flange seat (44) of said one end plate, an inflatable bag attachment ring (16), a tether strap (54) having opposed ends (54a, 54b) and being of such length and strength as to be operative to absorb loads tending to spread the side walls of said body part upon inflation of an inflatable bag (18) positioned in the reaction can, a band (56) attached to said inflatable bag attachment ring by a continuous loop (56a) formed therein, said band being made of inflatable bag throat material, means attaching by sewing the opposed ends of said tether strap to opposed inner portions of said band, and a cover (24) for the reaction can to protect an inflator-inflatable bag (18) positioned therein, said cover being retained on said reaction can by said inflatable bag cover retaining grooves (20, 22) on the outer side of each side wall of said body part, said cover including depending portions that snap into said inflatable bag cover retaining grooves on the outer side of each side wall of said body part, said cover having a separate hinge (24b, 24c) adjacent each side wall of said body part and a break seam (24a) intermediate said hinges, whereby, upon initiation of the inflator gas generator and deployment of the inflator inflatable bag, said cover is operative to separate at said break seam with the result that each of the separated cover portions swing open on the hinge associated therewith.