Gas generator container and airbag module

Abstract

The invention relates to an inflator holder (14) for an airbag module (10) comprising a holder bottom part (20) in which an inflator receiving hole (18) is formed and comprising a holder sidewall part (22) which delimits, together with the holder bottom part (20), a receiving compartment (26) for an inflator (12) open on a discharge side (28) opposed to the holder bottom part (20). The inflator holder (14) includes a filter grid (24) for exhausting gas fastened on the inflator holder (14) which filter grid at least partially delimits the receiving compartment (26) on the discharge side (28). In addition, the invention relates to an airbag module (10) comprising an airbag (16), an inflator (12) and said inflator holder (14).

Claims

1. An inflator holder (14) for an airbag module (10), comprising a holder bottom part (20) in which an inflator receiving hole (18) is formed and comprising a holder sidewall part (22) which, together with the holder bottom part (20), delimits a receiving compartment (26) for an inflator (12) open on a discharge side (28) opposed to the holder bottom part (20) and is connected to the holder bottom part (20), wherein the inflator holder (14) comprises a filter grid (24) for exhausting gas fastened on part of the inflator holder (14), wherein the filter grid (24) is formed from an expanded metal portion manufactured integrally with the holder bottom part (20) and/or the holder sidewall part (22) and delimits the receiving compartment (26) on the discharge side (28), in that the filter grid (24) completely covers the receiving compartment (26), and wherein flow orifices (30) of the filter grid (24) have a maximum flow cross-section ranging from 0.2 mm.sup.2 to 8 mm.sup.2.

2. The inflator holder (14) according to claim 1, wherein the filter grid shows a degree of perforation of at least 25%.

3. The inflator holder (14) according to claim 1, wherein the filter grid shows a degree of perforation of at least 30%.

4. The inflator holder (14) according to claim 1, wherein the holder sidewall part (22) completely encompasses the holder bottom part (20) on the outside.

5. The inflator holder (14) according to claim 1, wherein the filter grid (24) is manufactured integrally with the holder bottom part (20) and directly fastened on the holder sidewall part (22) and with the latter forms a pre-assembled unit.

6. The inflator holder (14) according to claim 1, wherein the filter grid (24) is manufactured integrally with the holder bottom part (20) and fastened on the holder bottom part (20).

7. The inflator holder (14) according to claim 1, wherein the filter grid (24) extends to the area of the inflator receiving hole (18).

8. The inflator holder (14) according to claim 1, wherein the filter grid (24) is manufactured by deep-drawing, folding and/or beveling of a flat blank.

9. The inflator holder (14) according to claim 8, wherein the flat blank is pot-shaped and comprises a laterally projecting edge which abuts on the lower side of the holder bottom part to be fastened thereto.

10. The inflator holder (14) according to claim 1, wherein the filter grid (24) is connected to one of the holder sidewall part (22) and the holder bottom part (20) by welding, folding, screwing, pinning, riveting, adhesive bonding and/or through-joining.

11. The airbag module (10) according to claim 10, wherein the inflator (12) is a two-stage inflator (12).

12. The airbag module (10) according to claim 10, wherein the filter grid (24) spans all gas flow paths between the inflator (12) and the airbag (16).

13. The airbag module (10) according to claim 10, wherein the airbag module (10) is a passenger airbag module.

14. An airbag module (10) comprising an airbag (16), an inflator (12) and an inflator holder (14) according to claim 1, wherein the inflator (12) is arranged at least partially in the inflator receiving hole (18).

15. An airbag module (10) comprising an airbag (16), an inflator (12) and an inflator holder (14) according to claim 1, wherein the inflator (12) is arranged at least partially in the inflator receiving hole (18) and is fastened at least partially on the edge of the inflator receiving hole (18).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the invention shall be described by way of various configuration examples shown in the attached figures, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically shows a cross-section of an airbag module according to the invention comprising an inflator holder according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of an inflator holder according to the invention in a perspective view,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of an inflator holder according to the invention in a perspective view,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of an inflator holder according to the invention in a perspective view,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a fourth embodiment of an inflator holder according to the invention in three different views,

(7) FIG. 6 schematically shows the manufacture of an inflator holder according to the invention in accordance with a first variant of a manufacturing method,

(8) FIG. 7 schematically shows the manufacture of an inflator holder according to FIG. 5 in accordance with a second variant of a manufacturing method,

(9) FIG. 8 schematically shows the manufacture of an inflator holder according to FIG. 3 in accordance with a third variant of a manufacturing method,

(10) FIG. 9 schematically shows the manufacture of an inflator holder according to the invention in accordance with a fourth variant of a manufacturing method,

(11) FIG. 10 shows a detail of a filter grid made from a metal grid of an inflator holder according to the invention,

(12) FIG. 11 shows a detail of a filter grid made from expanded metal of an inflator holder according to the invention,

(13) FIG. 12 shows a detail of a filter grid made from perforated sheet of an inflator holder according to the invention,

(14) FIG. 13 shows a fifth embodiment of an inflator holder according to the invention in an intermediate state of its manufacture, the inflator holder being provided as a substantially flat sheet blank, and

(15) FIG. 14 shows the inflator holder from FIG. 13 in a perspective view, the inflator holder being shown in the final state of its manufacture.

DESCRIPTION

(16) FIG. 1 illustrates an airbag module 10 comprising an inflator 12, an inflator holder 14 and an airbag 16. The inflator 12 is arranged in an inflator receiving hole 18 of the inflator holder 14 and is fastened to the edge delimiting the inflator receiving hole 18.

(17) The inflator holder 14 comprises a holder bottom part 20, a holder sidewall part 22 and a filter grid 24 made from metal which are interconnected in the mounted state. The filter grid 24 may be fastened either to the holder sidewall part 22 or to the holder bottom part 20.

(18) Through the filter grid 24 gas generated by the inflator 12 and exiting the latter on the side thereof may flow, as schematically illustrated by arrows.

(19) The holder sidewall part 22 and the holder bottom part 20 delimit a receiving compartment 26 for the inflator 12, wherein a discharge side 28 of the receiving compartment 26 is open.

(20) On the discharge side 28 the receiving compartment 26 is delimited by the filter grid 24. The filter grid 24 comprises flow orifices 30 the maximum flow cross-section of which ranges from 0.2 mm.sup.2 to 8 mm.sup.2. The degree of perforation of the filter grid 24 amounts to at least 25%.

(21) For reasons of clarity, only some of the flow orifices 30 of the filter grid 24 are provided with a reference numeral.

(22) The airbag module 10, i.e. the airbag 16, the inflator 12 and the inflator holder 14 may be arranged in a joint housing (not shown).

(23) The inflator 12 can be a two-stage inflator 12, i.e. it can inflate the airbag 16 in two stages.

(24) The airbag module 10 is a passenger airbag module, for example.

(25) In a first embodiment of the inflator holder 14 shown in FIG. 2, the holder sidewall part 22 completely encompasses the holder bottom part 20. Moreover, the filter grid 24 completely covers the receiving compartment 26.

(26) By the complete cover the filter grid 24 completely spans all gas flow paths between the inflator 12 and the airbag 16. In other words, the gas is force-guided through the filter grid 24.

(27) The filter grid 24 in this embodiment is fastened directly to the holder sidewall part 22, with the filter grid 24 and the holder sidewall part 22 forming a pre-assembled unit.

(28) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the filter grid 24 is made from expanded metal (see also FIG. 11) which was expanded in two dimensions starting from a blank into which the flow orifices 30 were introduced in a reduced shape.

(29) In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, the filter grid 24 is connected to the holder sidewall part 22 by welding. Alternatively, the filter grid 24 may be connected to the holder sidewall part 22 by folding, screwing, pinning, riveting, adhesive bonding and/or through-joining.

(30) In a second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the filter grid 24 is folded around the holder sidewall part 22 and the holder bottom part 20.

(31) The filter grid 24 in this case is made from a metal grid woven of metal wires (see also FIG. 10).

(32) The filter grid 24 according to FIG. 3 may optionally be fastened to the holder bottom part 20 by welding, screwing, pinning, riveting, adhesive bonding and/or through-joining (not shown).

(33) In a third embodiment which is evident from FIG. 4, the filter grid 24 is made from perforated sheet (see also FIG. 12). As in the first embodiment (see FIG. 2), it is connected to the holder sidewall part 22.

(34) In FIG. 5, a fourth embodiment of the airbag module 10 is shown.

(35) The filter grid 24 in this embodiment is pot-shaped or dome-shaped. It is inserted from a side opposite to the discharge side 28 through the inflator receiving hole 18 of the holder bottom part 20 and an edge thereof is adjacent to the holder bottom part 20.

(36) In this embodiment, the holder bottom part 20 and the holder sidewall part 22 are integrally manufactured. In addition, or as an alternative, the filter grid 24 may be manufactured integrally with the holder bottom part 20.

(37) The filter grid 24 is fastened, in the shown example configuration screwed, to the holder bottom part 20 in the area of the inflator receiving hole 18. By the same screwing also the inflator 12 is connected to the holder bottom part 20.

(38) In a fifth embodiment of the inflator holder 14 (see FIGS. 13 and 14), the holder bottom part 20, the holder sidewall part 22 and the filter grid 24 are manufactured in one piece.

(39) The filter grid 24 shown in hatched lines is in the form of an expanded metal portion which was expanded in two dimensions after introducing the flow orifices in a reduced form (cf. FIG. 11).

(40) In order to obtain the inflator holder 14 in its final three-dimensional shape (see FIG. 14), the substantially flat sheet blank shown in FIG. 13 is folded.

(41) Accordingly, the holder bottom part 20 is composed of four holder bottom segments denoted with 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d in FIG. 13. In the folded state, they complement one another to form the holder bottom part 20.

(42) This applies mutatis mutandis to the inflator receiving hole 18 the peripheral areas of which are provided on the holder bottom segments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d. They complement one another to form the inflator receiving hole 18.

(43) In addition, on each of the holder bottom segments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d two openings not specified in detail are provided. In the state of the inflator holder 14 shown in FIG. 14, pairs of openings arranged on respective adjacent holder bottom segments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d cover each other. The openings may serve for interconnecting the individual holder bottom segments 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d and/or for fastening an inflator 12 not shown in detail.

(44) The holder bottom segments 20a and 20c are formed by areas of the filter grid 24, especially of the expanded metal portion.

(45) The holder sidewall part 22, too, is composed of four holder sidewall segments 22a, 22b, 22c and 22d complementing one another to form the holder sidewall part 22 when the inflator holder 14 is provided in the folded state according to FIG. 14.

(46) The holder sidewall segments 22a and 22c are formed by areas of the filter grid 24, especially of the expanded metal portion. In this way, the filter grid extends, in the state of the inflator holder 14 shown in FIG. 13, from a first end of the sheet blank shown on the left to an end opposed to the first end and shown on the right in FIG. 13. Hence, the filter grid 24, more exactly speaking the expanded metal portion, is continuous over the sheet blank.

(47) For connecting the holder sidewall segments 22a, 22b, 22c and 22d, in addition connecting tabs 22e, 22f, 22g and 22h (cf. FIG. 13) are provided.

(48) The latter are arranged and connected to the holder sidewall segments 22a, 22b, 22c and 22d in such a manner that the inflator holder 14 can be manufactured starting from a substantially flat sheet blank (cf. FIG. 13). In other words, the geometry of the inflator holder 14 can be developed into one plane. In a first variant of a manufacturing method for an inflator holder 14 (see FIG. 6), the holder sidewall part 22 and the holder bottom part 20 are provided as a pre-assembled or one-piece unit.

(49) Then two opposed walls of the holder sidewall part 22 are unfolded and the filter grid 24 is placed onto the inflator holder 14 in such a way that it completely covers the discharge side 28 of the receiving compartment 26.

(50) After that, the walls of the holder sidewall part 22 unfolded before are folded back again and the filter grid 24 is connected to the holder sidewall part 22 by screwing, pinning or riveting.

(51) In a second variant of a manufacturing method for an inflator holder 14 (see FIG. 7), likewise the holder bottom part 20 and the holder sidewall part 22 are provided as a pre-assembled unit.

(52) The filter grid 24 which is pot-shaped or dome-shaped in the shown embodiment (see also FIG. 5) is inserted into the inflator receiving hole 18 from a side opposed to the discharge side 28. The filter grid 24 comprises an edge by means of which it is connected to the holder bottom part 20. For this purpose, e.g. welding, folding, screwing, pinning, riveting, adhesive bonding and/or through-joining may be utilized.

(53) In a third variant of a manufacturing method (see FIG. 8) for an inflator holder 14, again the holder bottom part 20 and the holder sidewall part 22 are provided as a pre-assembled unit.

(54) Then the filter grid 24 is attached to the pre-assembled unit.

(55) In the shown embodiment, subsequently the filter grid 24 is folded around the holder sidewall part 22 and the holder bottom part 20. Already in this way, a positive connection is formed between the filter grid 24, the holder sidewall part 22 and the holder bottom part 20.

(56) In addition, the filter grid 24 may be connected to the holder bottom part 20 and/or the holder sidewall part 22 by welding, screwing, pinning, riveting, adhesive bonding and/or through-joining.

(57) In an additional fourth variant of a manufacturing method (see FIG. 9), which is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the holder bottom part 20 and the holder sidewall part 22 are provided as a unit as before. Then the filter grid 24 is put onto the holder sidewall part 22 on the discharge side 28. After that, the filter grid 24 is welded to the holder sidewall part 22.

(58) All embodiments have in common that the filter grid 24 is manufactured by deep-drawing, folding and/or beveling of a flat blank.