Abstract:
An adapter comprises a peripheral wall incorporating a plurality of apertures adapted to cooperate with a corresponding plurality of hooks depending from side walls of an airbag retainer. A flange projecting from the peripheral wall provides for attaching the adapter and airbag retainer to a vehicle instrument panel. The adapter incorporates an opening therethrough defined by the peripheral wall, through which the airbag is deployed. In one aspect, the peripheral wall is discontinuous.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates generally to airbag systems and housings for airbag systems, and more particularly relates to an adapter for facilitating attachment between an airbag retainer and a vehicle instrument panel. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Passenger side inflatable restraint systems have become standard equipment on most motor vehicles. In a typical system, an airbag housing is provided, within which a folded airbag cushion is positioned. A gas generator or inflator is positioned such that it may supply an inflation fluid to an interior of the airbag in the event of a crash or other sudden vehicle deceleration. Various designs are known for mounting the housing within the vehicle. For example, the housing may be mounted to the vehicle cross car beam, and/or to various portions of the instrument panel. Engineers have experimented with various designs for different mounting arrangements; however, a continual challenge has been developing mounting arrangements that are suitable for use in different vehicle models. Similarly, variations among the actual dimensions of vehicles of the same make and model can provide challenges to successfully mounting airbag housings therein during assembly or service. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In one aspect, the present invention provides an adapter for attaching an airbag retainer to an instrument panel in a vehicle. The adapter preferably includes a molded plastic body having a plurality of integral wall portions adapted to attach with a substantially rectangular airbag retainer, and a substantially planar flange projecting outwardly from the wall portions, the flange being adapted to attach with a vehicle instrument panel. A plurality of apertures are preferably formed along at least one of the wall portions and are adapted to receive hooks projecting from the airbag retainer. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an airbag housing according to a known design; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an airbag housing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of an airbag housing according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic representation of an inflatable restraint system according to an embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The present invention broadly comprises an adapter for facilitating mounting of a retainer for an inflatable safety restraint device in a motor vehicle. In other, related aspects the invention includes an airbag housing and inflatable restraint system. Referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a housing comprising an airbag retainer  10  and adapter  14  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Retainer  10  is preferably constructed from a plurality of panels, designated in  FIG. 2  as  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c  and  12   d , attached to form a substantially rectangular receptacle for receipt and storage of an inflatable restraint device. Various mounting members, fasteners, etc. may be attached to, or formed integrally with retainer  10  to facilitate attachment with, for example, the vehicle cross car beam. For example, a mounting member  17  may be positioned on panel  12   a , allowing fasteners attached thereto to be engaged with a vehicle cross car beam. The panels comprising retainer  10  are preferably further adapted to facilitate attachment with a gas generator device or inflator. Embodiments are contemplated wherein a plurality of panels, for example two end panels and two side panels, are attached to form a substantially rectangular retainer body. Alternative embodiments are also contemplated wherein the retainer is manufactured from a lesser number of panels, formed integrally from one or more pieces of stock, as well as embodiments wherein the retainer comprises a non-rectangular shape. All the component parts of the present invention are manufactured from known materials and by known processes. 
   Adapter  14  is preferably injection molded plastic, and includes a plurality of wall portions, preferably forming a discontinuous rectangular shape, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Although in the preferred embodiments described herein, adapter  14  is substantially rectangular, alternative embodiments are contemplated wherein adapter is non-rectangular. Most broadly, adapter  14  comprises a first peripheral wall adapted to attach with mounting members in a vehicle, and an attached second peripheral wall that depends from the first peripheral wall and is adapted to attach with an airbag housing or retainer. Adapter  14  preferably comprises a first side wall  14   a , two end walls  14   b  and  14   c , and second and third side walls  14   d  and  14   e , substantially opposite first side wall  14   a . Adapter  14  is preferably discontinuous about a periphery thereof. As used herein, the term “discontinuous” refers to a gap along one of the sides of the shape, preferably a rectangle, defined by adapter  14 . In  FIG. 2 , this gap is denoted “G.” This gap facilitates flexing of adapter  14  to allow engagement with retainer  10 , as described herein. Although gap G is shown separating second and third sidewalls  14   d  and  14   e , a similar gap could be positioned along any edge of adapter  14 . Further, gap G is not critical at all; rather, adapter  14  could be constructed from a sufficiently flexible plastic that it could be fitted over retainer  10 , in spite of being continuous around its periphery. Further still, adapter  14  need not be flexed at all to engage with an airbag retainer. For example, adapter  14  might be formed having dimensions sufficient that the airbag retainer fits inside or outside the periphery of adapter  14  without any necessary flexure of adapter  14 . 
   A substantially planar first peripheral wall or flange  15  preferably projects outwardly from walls  14   a – 14   e , and may include holes  16  for receipt of mounting fasteners or some other means whereby it is attachable with mounting members in a vehicle. Alternative embodiments are contemplated wherein flange  15  projects inwardly relative to walls  14   a–e . In a preferred embodiment, bolts, screws, etc. can be used to attach adapter  14  (and the associated retainer) to portions of a vehicle instrument panel. Wall  14   a  is a first sidewall, and preferably has a height that is substantially constant along a length thereof. Walls  14   b  and  14   c , second and third sidewalls, respectively, preferably have heights that decrease in a direction away from first sidewall  14   a . Thus, a plane defined by flange  15  slopes relative to planes defined by walls  14   a–e . Walls  14   d  and  14   e  preferably have substantially constant heights. 
   A plurality of apertures  20  are preferably formed along sidewall  14   a , and receive mounting hooks  22  preferably projecting from panel  12   a . Sidewalls  14   d  and  14   e  further are preferably formed having apertures  24  adapted to receive hooks  26  projecting from another panel  12   c  of retainer  10 . In a preferred embodiment, hooks  22  and  26 , and apertures  20  and  24  are spaced and sized such that adapter  14  can “float” relative to retainer  10 , for example, by forming apertures  24  with widths greater than hooks  22  and  26 . By fashioning retainer  10  and adapter  14  such that adapter  14  has this relative float, greater mounting flexibility is possible. For example, there is a degree of variability in the actual dimensions of the instrument panel and various other vehicle features that are involved in mounting of retainer  10  and adapter  14 , and consequently, there is some inevitable variation in the optimal positions and dimensions of the various components among vehicles. Allowing relative movement between adapter  14  and retainer  10  lets one or the other of the respective components accommodate a mounting arrangement that might otherwise not be possible. A further advantage relating to relative float between the housing and the mounting apparatus is the increased ease with which the module can be disengaged from mounts on the underside of the instrument panel. 
   Turning to  FIG. 3 , there is shown an exploded view of an airbag retainer  10  and adapter  14 , similar to the components shown in  FIG. 2 . In the  FIG. 3  embodiment, a metallic plate  18  is shown. Plate  18  is preferably molded integrally during injection molding of adapter  14 , and provides enhanced stiffness for maintaining structural rigidity during airbag deployment. Thus, plate  18  assists in keeping the inflatable safety apparatus relatively fixed during deployment. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an airbag housing  100  in accordance with a known design. Housing  100  includes a retainer  110  similar to retainer  10  of the present invention but differs, among other things, in that housing  100  provides a plurality of mounting panels  119 . In a typical known system, mounting panels  119  are specially manufactured to mount a particular retainer in a vehicle. Due to variation in vehicle designs, the mounting panels  119  must be specially manufactured to accommodate a particular mounting arrangement. 
   Utilizing the presently disclosed plastic adapter provides for molding single piece plastic units for mounting a variety of retainers in a variety of vehicles. The excess parts and labor of manufacturing a specific mounting assembly for specific vehicles is eliminated. Moreover, various bolt hale patterns can be easily formed in flange  15 , allowing the adapter to be easily changed to adapt to various mounting arrangements, either by altering the molded adapter design itself or by retrofitting existing adapters. Further still, the shape of the adapter can be varied by molding adapters having different structures, to conform, for example, with a shape of the underside of an instrument panel. The plastic adapter/metal retainer configuration can be designed to closely fit around obstructions, complex surfaces, or nearby parts, and reduces the weight of the assembly by substituting plastic for parts formerly constructed from metal. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , a housing  100 ′ for an inflatable restraint system  30  comprises a plurality of retainer panels  12   a–d  attachable to form a substantially rectangular retainer body  12  for receipt of a folded inflatable restraint cushion  28 , wherein at least one of the panels  12   a  includes a plurality of projecting hooks  22 ; a plastic adapter  14  comprising wall portions  14   a–e positionable around the retainer body  10 , and a flange  15  projecting substantially perpendicular to the wall portions  14   a–e ; wherein at least one of the wall portions  14   a  includes a plurality of apertures  20  for receipt of the hooks  22 , the apertures  20  having widths greater than a width of the hooks  22  to allow relative movement therebetween. 
   Furtherrmore, an inflatable restraint system  30  for a motor vehicle  32  comprises a retainer  10  with a plurality of attachable panels  12   a–d  and a plurality of attachment hooks  22  projecting from at least one of the panels  12   a ; an inflatable restraint device  28  positioned in the retainer  10 ; a gas generator  34  operable to provide an inflation gas to the inflatable restraint device  28 ; and an adapter  14  for attaching the retainer  10  to a vehicle instrument panel  36 , the adapter  14  comprising a peripheral wall  14   a  with a plurality of apertures  20  for receipt of the hooks  22 , and a flange  15  projecting substantially perpendicular to the peripheral wall  14   a.    
   A method of mounting an airbag retainer  10  for an inflatable occupant restraint system  30  in a motor vehicle  32  comprises the steps of: molding a plastic adapter  14  having a mounting flange  15  and at least one sidewall  14   a–e  depending from the flange  15 , wherein the sidewall  14   a–e  is adapted to attach with an airbag retainer  10 ; attaching the molded plastic adapter  14  to an airbag retainer  10  for housing a folded airbag  28 ; and mounting the airbag retainer  10  in a vehicle  36  via an engagement of the mounting flange  15  with mounting members in an instrument panel  32  in the vehicle  36 . 
   The present description is for illustrative purposes only, and should not be construed to narrow the breadth of the present invention in any way. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications might be made to the presently disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in any way. Other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent upon an examination of the attached drawing Figures and appended claims.