Side-impact airbag module assembly incorporating combination airbag inflator and module housing

A side impact airbag module assembly having a combination airbag inflator and module housing and an airbag cushion. The combination airbag inflator and module housing has an extruded unitary one-piece hollow elongated longitudinal body having an outer surface, an inner surface, a first open end, a second open end, and a plurality of gas exhaust ports extending from the inner surface to the outer surface. Two airbag receiving channels, each channel having a slot running along the channel, are respectively located on the outer surface of the longitudinal body, parallel with the body on opposite sides of the plurality of gas exhaust ports. A first endplug seals the first open end and a second endplug seals the second open end with the inner surface of the longitudinal body and the endplugs defining a gas generant chamber containing a gas generant. A first endplate is secured to the first open end of the longitudinal body and a second endplate is secured to the second open end, the endplates closing ends of the airbag receiving channels. Each endplate has a mounting bracket extending therefrom. The airbag cushion is folded and bundled in a tearable or breakable wrapper and has an open mouth partly formed by opposed mouth sides that are secured within the airbag receiving channels between the endplates. The endplates also retain opposed mouth ends of the airbag cushion.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an airbag module. More particularly, the 
present invention relates to a side-impact airbag module incorporating a 
combination airbag inflator and module housing and a soft-pack airbag 
cushion. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Providing a relatively compact side-impact airbag module requiring fewer 
parts than previous airbag modules and that includes an airbag cushion 
attachment that does not produce point loading in the airbag cushion would 
be useful. 
An airbag module is part of an inflatable restraint system that is employed 
in an automobile for protecting an occupant against injury by physically 
restraining the occupant's body when the automobile encounters a 
collision. As its name implies, a side impact airbag module protects an 
occupant against an impact to the side of the automobile and is normally 
positioned somewhere between the occupant and the side of the automobile 
closest to the occupant. Because the side-impact airbag module is mounted 
within the seat, on the exterior of the seat, on a side door or on a side 
pillar of the automobile, the size of a side-impact airbag module must be 
kept to a minimum. 
The airbag module normally includes an airbag cushion and an inflator 
contained within a reaction canister. The inflator includes an inflator 
housing having gas exhaust ports and containing gas generant that, once 
triggered by a remote collision sensor, provides the inflation gas for 
inflating the airbag cushion. The airbag cushion has an open mouth and is 
secured to the canister adjacent the inflator so that the open mouth is 
positioned over the gas exhaust ports. The airbag cushion is secured using 
fasteners such as bolts, for example. 
A typical airbag module has some drawbacks which may not make it suitable 
for use as a side-impact airbag module. First, using bolts as a bag 
retention method causes high stresses where the bag comes in contact with 
the fasteners, causing unwanted point loading on the bag. In addition, 
because the module includes a separate reaction canister and inflator 
housing, the module requires more parts and may be larger than preferred 
for a side-impact airbag module. 
One prior art airbag module eliminates the need for airbag fasteners such 
as bolts or the like in order to reduce point loading on the airbags. U.S. 
Pat. No. 5,344,182 discloses a fastenerless airbag attachment system for 
use in a passenger side airbag module. A thickened gas inlet opening of 
the airbag is secured by a bead material within a channel portion of a 
cushion retainer which is secured in an attachment sleeve portion of a 
reaction housing. This slide-in method of attachment reduces or eliminates 
point loading on the airbag cushion as well as reducing parts, assembly 
time and making the module more conducive to automated assembly. 
Other prior art airbag modules reduce the number of parts by combining 
components. U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,009 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,705 disclose 
passenger side airbag modules incorporating extruded, one-piece, inflator 
housing and reaction canisters. Also U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,227 discloses an 
extruded reaction canister having integral channels extending along its 
length that receive integral rails of an extruded inflator chamber to mate 
the reaction canister and inflator chamber. These airbag modules reduce 
parts, assembly time and are more conducive to automated assembly. 
Providing a side-impact airbag module assembly of relatively compact size, 
requiring fewer parts, less assembly time, that is conducive to automated 
assembly, and has an airbag cushion attachment that reduces unwanted point 
loading in the airbag would be useful. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a side-impact 
airbag module having a relatively compact size. Another object of the 
present invention is to provide a side-impact airbag module requiring 
fewer parts. An additional object of the present invention is to provide a 
side-impact airbag module requiring less assembly time. A further object 
of the present invention is to provide a side impact airbag module that is 
more conducive to automated assembly. Yet another object of the present 
invention is to provide a side-impact airbag module having an airbag 
cushion attachment that reduces point loading in the airbag cushion. 
In carrying out this invention, there is provided a combination airbag 
inflator and module housing that includes a unitary one-piece hollow 
elongated longitudinal body. The longitudinal body has an outer surface, 
an inner surface, a first open end, a second open end, a plurality of gas 
exhaust ports extending from the inner surface to the outer surface, and 
two airbag receiving channels parallel with the longitudinal body and 
located on the outer surface on opposite sides of the plurality of gas 
exhaust ports. A first endplug seals the first open end and a second 
endplug seals the second open end, the second endplug having an access 
opening. A first endplate is secured over the first open end of the 
longitudinal body and a second endplate is secured over the second open 
end and has an aperture located adjacent the access opening in the second 
endplug. The endplates close ends of the airbag receiving channels and 
each endplate has a mounting bracket extending therefrom. 
According to one aspect of the present invention, the unitary one-piece 
elongated longitudinal body of the combination airbag inflator and module 
housing further includes a plurality of spaced-apart fastener receiving 
channels parallel with the longitudinal body and located on the outer 
surface. A plurality of fasteners engage the fastener receiving channels 
to secure the endplates to the longitudinal body. According to another 
aspect of the present invention, the unitary one-piece elongated 
longitudinal body is a one-piece extrusion. 
According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the combination 
airbag inflator and module housing is incorporated in an airbag module 
assembly. The airbag module assembly further includes a gas generant 
contained within a gas generant chamber defined by the inner surface of 
the longitudinal body and the first and second endplugs, an ignitor 
connectable to a remote collision sensor and contained within the access 
opening in the second endplug for igniting the gas generant, and an airbag 
cushion. The airbag cushion is contained in a tearable or breakable 
wrapper and has an open mouth partly formed by opposed mouth sides that 
are secured within the airbag receiving channels between the endplates. 
The mouth is additionally formed by opposed mouth ends that are retained 
between the endplates and the opposing ends of the longitudinal body. 
The present invention, therefore, provides a side-impact airbag module 
assembly that eliminates the need for a reaction canister for containing 
the airbag cushion. The airbag module assembly has a relatively compact 
size, requires fewer parts, less assembly time, is conducive to automated 
assembly, and has an airbag cushion attachment that reduces point loading 
in the airbag and helps eliminate flow of inflation gas around the airbag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention is directed to a 
side-impact airbag module assembly, generally represented by the reference 
numeral 10, that substantially eliminates the need for a reaction 
canister. The airbag module assembly 10 comprises a combination airbag 
inflator and module housing, generally represented by the reference 
numeral 12, and an airbag cushion 14. 
The combination airbag inflator and module housing 12 includes a unitary 
one-piece hollow elongated longitudinal body 16 having an outer surface 
18, an inner surface 20, a first open end 22, a second open end 24, and a 
plurality of gas exhaust ports 26 extending from the inner surface 20 to 
the outer surface 18. The longitudinal body 16 also includes two airbag 
receiving channels 28,29 parallel with the longitudinal body 16 and 
located on the outer surface 18 on opposite sides of the plurality of gas 
exhaust ports 26. A plurality of spaced-apart fastener receiving channels 
32,33,34,35 are located on the outer surface 18 parallel with the 
longitudinal body 16. 
It is important to note that the longitudinal body 16, airbag receiving 
channels 28,29 and fastener receiving channels 32,33,34,35 are joined as a 
single member which is preferably extruded and cut to the desired length. 
The material employed may be, for example, aluminum, and the body 16 is 
drilled or pierced to form the plurality of gas exhaust ports 26. 
The combination airbag inflator and module housing 12 also includes a first 
endplug 36 sealing the first open end 22 and a second endplug 38 sealing 
the second open end 24, the second endplug 38 having an access opening 39. 
A first endplate 40 is secured over the first open end 22 of the 
longitudinal body 16 and the first endplug 36, and a second endplate 42 is 
secured over the second open end 24 and second endplug 38 and the second 
endplate 42 has an aperture 43 located adjacent the access opening 39 in 
the second endplug 38. (As shown, each endplate 40, 42 has an aperture 43 
so that the endplates are interchangeable.) Each endplate 40,42 has an 
integral, generally unitary, mounting bracket 44,46 extending from a 
peripheral edge thereof for mounting the airbag module 10 within an 
automobile, and the mounting brackets 44,46 include mounting holes 47. A 
plurality of fasteners 48 extend through fastener receiving holes 49 in 
the endplates 40,42 to engage the fastener receiving channels 32,33,34,35, 
securing the endplates 40,42 to the longitudinal body 16. The endplates 
40,42 retain the endplugs 36,38 within the open ends 22,24 of the 
longitudinal body 16, are generally circular and sized so that they close 
ends 30 of the airbag receiving channels 28,29. 
The airbag module assembly 10 further includes a gas generant 50 contained 
within a gas generant chamber 52 defined by the inner surface 20 of the 
longitudinal body 16 and the first and second endplugs 36,38. The gas 
generant 50 or filter pack, which is known in the art, generally comprises 
a gas generant material or assembly 54 surrounded by a filter material 56 
such as a screen mesh, for example. An ignitor or initiator 58 is 
contained within the access opening 39 in the second endplug 38, and is 
connectable to a remote collision sensor for igniting the gas generant 50. 
The airbag cushion 14 is folded and bundled in a tearable or breakable 
wrapper 60 comprising a TYVEK fiber reinforced paper cover or plastic 
shrink wrap, and has an open mouth 62 partly formed by two opposed mouth 
sides 64,65. The two opposed mouth sides 64,65 of the airbag cushion 14 
form airbag tubes 66,67 that are located within the airbag receiving 
channels 28,29 of the longitudinal body 16. A pair of airbag retainer rods 
68,69 are located within the airbag tubes 66,67. The rods 68,69 are wider 
than slots 70,71 in the channels 28,29 so that the retainer rods 68,69 and 
airbag tubes 66,67 are secured within the channels 28,29. The rods 68,69 
and airbag tubes 66,67 are also contained between the endplates 40,42 
whereby the airbag cushion 14 is secured to the combination airbag 
inflator and module housing 12 with the open mouth 62 of the airbag 
cushion 14 positioned above the gas exhaust ports 26 on the longitudinal 
body 16. The present invention, therefore, provides a slide-in airbag 
cushion attachment. The open mouth 62 of the airbag cushion 14 is 
additionally formed by two opposed mouth ends 73,74 that are retained 
between the endplates 40,42 and the opposing ends 22,24 of the 
longitudinal body 16. 
As shown in FIG. 1, the endplates 40,42 extend above the airbag receiving 
channels 28,29 to substantially cover opposed ends 75,76 of the folded and 
bundled airbag cushion 14 thus retaining the opposed mouth ends 73,74 
between the endplates and the opposed ends 22,24 of the longitudinal body 
16. This type of airbag cushion mounting and packing is referred to as a 
"soft pack" since the endplates 40,42, the wrapper 60 and the slide-in 
method of attaching the airbag cushion 14 to the combination airbag 
inflator and module housing 12 eliminate the need for a reaction canister 
normally used with an airbag module assembly, and substantially reduce the 
size of the airbag module assembly 10. In addition, this type of airbag 
mounting reduces parts, simplifies assembly and reduces or eliminates 
unwanted point loading in the airbag cushion 14. 
The present invention, therefore, provides a side-impact airbag module 
assembly 10 having a relatively compact size, that requires fewer parts, 
less assembly time, is conducive to automated assembly, and has an airbag 
cushion attachment that reduces point loading in the airbag cushion 14. 
Since other requirements and environments varied to fit particular 
operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled 
in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the examples chosen 
for purposes of illustration, and includes all changes and modifications 
which do not constitute a departure from the true spirit and scope of this 
invention as claimed in the following claims and equivalents thereto.