Initiator assembly for air bag inflator

Claim 2

Apparatus for inflating an air bag, comprising: an inflator housing defining a chamber in said housing, a quantity of gas generating material disposed within said chamber which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating the air bag, an igniter recess in said gas generating material for receiving an igniter therein, a cover separate from said housing, said cover being fixed to said housing and closing said chamber except for said igniter recess, said cover having an igniter opening aligned with said igniter recess, an igniter actuatable to ignite said gas generating material, and means for securing said igniter to said housing and in said igniter recess, comprising: a weld adaptor separate from said cover and from said housing, and a body of plastic material attaching said igniter to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor being larger in diameter than said igniter recess and when fixed to said cover with said igniter attached thereto closing said igniter recess, said weld adaptor being welded to said cover and attaching said igniter to said housing; said weld adaptor including a conical surface in a socket portion of said weld adaptor and surface means for defining a circumferential groove dividing said conical surface into an axially inner portion and an axially outer portion, a portion of said plastic material being disposed in said groove in said weld adaptor to lock said plastic material to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor having an annular axially extending surface and an annular radially extending surface together defining an outwardly facing shoulder on said weld adaptor, another portion of said plastic material being located against said shoulder of said weld adaptor and adhering to said surfaces forming said shoulder.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said plastic material is a body of solidified injection molded material at least partially disposed between said igniter and said weld adaptor and adhered to said igniter and to said weld adaptor.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said weld adaptor includes means for blocking movement of said igniter in a first direction into said housing and means for blocking movement of said igniter in a second direction out of said housing.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said socket portion has surface means for defining a passage through which said igniter extends and a flange portion, the outer perimeter of said flange portion being welded to said housing cover at a location disposed radially inwardly of the outer perimeter of said gas generating material.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 comprising projecting means on said weld adaptor for selectively angularly orienting said inflator.

Claim 7

Apparatus for inflating an air bag, comprising: an inflator housing defining a chamber in said housing, a quantity of gas generating material disposed within said chamber which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating the air bag, an igniter recess in said gas generating material for receiving an igniter therein, said igniter recess being relatively small in diameter as compared to said chamber, a cover separate from said housing, said cover being slightly larger in diameter than said chamber and when fixed to said housing closing said chamber except for said igniter recess, said cover having an igniter opening aligned with said igniter recess, an igniter actuatable to ignite said gas generating material, and means for securing said igniter to said housing and in said igniter recess, comprising: a relatively small diameter weld adaptor separate from said cover and from said housing, and a body of plastic material attaching said igniter to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor being slightly larger in diameter than said igniter recess and when fixed to said cover with said igniter attached thereto closing said igniter recess, said weld adaptor being welded to said cover and attaching said igniter to said housing; said weld adaptor including a conical surface in a socket portion of said weld adaptor and surface means for defining a circumferential groove dividing said conical surface into an axially inner portion and an axially outer portion, a portion of said plastic material being disposed in said groove in said weld adaptor to lock said plastic material to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor having an annular axially extending surface and an annular radially extending surface together defining an outwardly facing shoulder on said weld adaptor, another portion of said plastic material being located against said shoulder of said weld adaptor and adhering to said surfaces forming said shoulder.

Claim 8

Apparatus for inflating an air bag, comprising: an inflator housing defining a chamber in said housing, a quantity of gas generating material disposed within said chamber which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating the air bag, an igniter recess in said gas generating material for receiving an igniter therein, said igniter recess being relatively small in diameter as compared to said chamber, a cover separate from said housing, said cover being slightly larger in diameter than said chamber and when fixed to said housing closing said chamber except for said igniter recess, said cover having an igniter opening aligned with said igniter recess, an igniter actuatable to ignite said gas generating material, and means for securing said igniter to said housing and in said igniter recess, comprising: a relatively small diameter weld adaptor separate from said cover and from said housing, and a body of plastic material attaching said igniter to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor being slightly larger in diameter than said igniter recess and when fixed to said cover with said igniter attached thereto closing said igniter recess, said weld adaptor being welded to said cover and attaching said igniter to said housing; said weld adaptor including a conical surface in a socket portion of said weld adaptor and surface means for defining a circumferential groove dividing said conical surface into an axially inner portion and an axially outer portion, a portion of said plastic material being disposed in said groove in said weld adaptor to lock said plastic material to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor having an annular axially extending surface and an annular radially extending surface together defining an outwardly facing shoulder on said weld adaptor, another portion of said plastic material being located against said shoulder of said weld adaptor and adhering to said surfaces forming said shoulder.

Claim 9

Apparatus for inflating an air bag, comprising: an inflator housing defining a chamber in said housing, a quantity of gas generating material disposed within said chamber which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating the air bag, an igniter recess in said gas generating material for receiving an igniter therein, a cover separate from said housing, said cover being larger in diameter than said chamber and when fixed to said housing closing said chamber except for said igniter recess, said cover having an igniter opening aligned with said igniter recess, an igniter actuatable to ignite said gas generating material, and means for securing said igniter to said housing and in said igniter recess, comprising: a weld adaptor separate from said cover and from said housing, and a body of plastic material attaching said igniter to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor being larger in diameter than said igniter recess and when fixed to said cover with said igniter attached thereto closing said igniter recess, said weld adaptor being welded to said cover and attaching said igniter to said housing, said weld adaptor including means for blocking movement of said igniter in a first direction into said housing and means for blocking movement of said igniter in a second direction out of said housing comprising a conical surface in a socket portion of said weld adaptor, said means for blocking movement of said igniter in said first direction into said housing comprising a surface on said weld adaptor which faces generally away from said first direction and a portion of said plastic material engaging said surface to block movement of said plastic material and thereby said igniter in said first direction; said weld adaptor including surface means for defining a circumferential groove dividing said conical surface into an axially inner portion and an axially outer portion, a portion of said plastic material being disposed in said groove in said weld adaptor to lock said plastic material to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor having an annular axially extending surface and an annular radially extending surface together defining an outwardly facing shoulder on said weld adaptor, another portion of said plastic material being located against said shoulder of said weld adaptor and adhering to said surfaces forming said shoulder.

Claim 10

Apparatus for inflating an air bag, comprising: an inflator housing defining a chamber in said housing, a quantity of gas generating material disposed within said chamber which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating the air bag, an igniter recess in said gas generating material for receiving an igniter therein, a cover separate from said housing, said cover being larger in diameter than said chamber and when fixed to said housing closing said chamber except for said igniter recess, said cover having an igniter opening aligned with said igniter recess, an igniter actuatable to ignite said gas generating material, and means for securing said igniter to said housing and in said igniter recess, comprising: a weld adaptor separate from said cover and from said housing, and a body of plastic material attaching said igniter to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor being larger in diameter than said igniter recess and when fixed to said cover with said igniter attached thereto closing said igniter recess, said weld adaptor being welded to said cover and attaching said igniter to said housing, said weld adaptor including means for blocking movement of said igniter in a first direction into said housing and means for blocking movement of said igniter in a second direction out of said housing comprising a conical surface in a socket portion of said weld adaptor, said means for blocking movement of said igniter in said first direction into said housing comprising a surface on said weld adaptor which faces generally away from said first direction and a portion of said plastic material engaging said surface to block movement of said plastic material and thereby said igniter in said first direction; said weld adaptor including surface means for defining a circumferential groove dividing said conical surface into an axially inner portion and an axially outer portion, a portion of said plastic material being disposed in said groove in said weld adaptor to lock said plastic material to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor having an annular axially extending surface and an annular radially extending surface together defining an outwardly facing shoulder on said weld adaptor, another portion of said plastic material being located against said shoulder of said weld adaptor and adhering to said surfaces forming said shoulder.

Claim 11

Apparatus for inflating an air bag, comprising: an inflator housing defining a chamber in said housing, a quantity of gas generating material disposed within said chamber which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating the air bag, an igniter recess in said gas generating material for receiving an igniter therein, a cover separate from said housing, said cover being larger in diameter than said chamber and when fixed to said housing closing said chamber except for said igniter recess, said cover having an igniter opening aligned with said igniter recess, an igniter actuatable to ignite said gas generating material, and means for securing said igniter to said housing and in said igniter recess, comprising: a weld adaptor separate from said cover and from said housing, and a body of plastic material attaching said igniter to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor being larger in diameter than said igniter recess and when fixed to said cover with said igniter attached thereto closing said igniter recess, said weld adaptor being welded to said cover and attaching said igniter to said housing, said weld adaptor including means for blocking movement of said igniter in a first direction into said housing and means for blocking movement of said igniter in a second direction out of said housing, said means for blocking movement of said igniter in said second direction out of said housing comprising a conical surface in a socket portion of said weld adaptor and a portion of said plastic material engaging said conical surface to block movement of said plastic material and thereby said igniter in said second direction; said weld adaptor including surface means for defining a circumferential groove dividing said conical surface into an axially inner portion and an axially outer portion, a portion of said plastic material being disposed in said groove in said weld adaptor to lock said plastic material to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor having an annular axially extending surface and an annular radially extending surface together defining an outwardly facing shoulder on said weld adaptor, another portion of said plastic material being located against said shoulder of said weld adaptor and adhering to said surfaces forming said shoulder.

Claim 12

Apparatus for inflating an air bag, comprising: an inflator housing defining a chamber in said housing, a quantity of gas generating material disposed within said chamber which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating the air bag, an igniter recess in said gas generating material for receiving an igniter therein, a cover separate from said housing, said cover being larger in diameter than said chamber and when fixed to said housing closing said chamber except for said igniter recess, said cover having an igniter opening aligned with said igniter recess, an igniter actuatable to ignite said gas generating material, and means for securing said igniter to said housing and in said igniter recess, comprising: a weld adaptor separate from said cover and from said housing, and a body of plastic material attaching said igniter to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor being larger in diameter than said igniter recess and when fixed to said cover with said igniter attached thereto closing said igniter recess, said weld adaptor being welded to said cover and attaching said igniter to said housing, said weld adaptor including means for blocking movement of said igniter in a first direction into said housing and means for blocking movement of said igniter in a second direction out of said housing, said means for blocking movement of said igniter in said second direction out of said housing comprising a conical surface in a socket portion of said weld adaptor and a portion of said plastic material engaging said conical surface to block movement of said plastic material and thereby said igniter in said second direction; said weld adaptor including surface means for defining a circumferential groove dividing said conical surface into an axially inner portion and an axially outer portion, a portion of said plastic material being disposed in said groove in said weld adaptor to lock said plastic material to said weld adaptor, said weld adaptor having an annular axially extending surface and an annular radially extending surface together defining an outwardly facing shoulder on said weld adaptor, another portion of said plastic material being located against said shoulder of said weld adaptor and adhering to said surfaces forming said shoulder.