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EP-4739548-A1 - METHOD FOR ASSEMBLY OF AN ASPIRATING AIRBAG CUSHION ASSEMBLY

EP4739548A1EP 4739548 A1EP4739548 A1EP 4739548A1EP-4739548-A1

Abstract

Methods for assembling airbag cushion assemblies for aspirating ambient air. An inflator module (330, 430) may be crimped onto an inflator hub (338,438) in some cases without the use of any fasteners and/or releasable coupling features.

Inventors

  • WILLIAMS, JEFFREY D.

Assignees

  • Autoliv ASP, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240805

Claims (15)

  1. 1 . A method for assembly of an aspirating airbag cushion assembly [300, 400], the method comprising inserting at least a portion of an inflator module [330, 430] into an inflator hub [338, 438] of the aspirating airbag cushion assembly [300, 400], characterized in that the inflator module [330, 430] comprises: an inflator [332, 432] and an inflator flange [334, 434]; and wherein the method comprises crimping the inflator flange [334, 434] onto the inflator hub [338, 438],
  2. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inflator flange [334, 434] comprises a cylindrical plate [334, 434] coupled with the inflator [332, 432],
  3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the inflator hub [338] comprises a cylindrical recess [337], and wherein the step of inserting at least a portion of the inflator module [330] into the inflator hub [338] further comprises: extending the inflator [332] into the cylindrical recess [337]; and extending the inflator flange [334] about an exterior surface of the inflator hub [338],
  4. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of crimping the inflator flange [334] onto the inflator hub [338] comprises crimping the cylindrical plate [334] about an entire perimeter of the cylindrical plate [334] onto the exterior surface of the inflator hub [338],
  5. 5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of crimping the inflator flange [334, 434] onto the inflator hub [338, 438] comprises fixedly coupling the inflator module [330, 430] to the inflator hub [338, 438] without using any fasteners.
  6. 6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling a crimping facilitator element [470] to the inflator hub [438], wherein the step of crimping the inflator flange [434] onto the inflator hub [438] comprises crimping the inflator flange [434] onto a portion of the crimping facilitator element [470],
  7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the crimping facilitator element [470] comprises a ring [470],
  8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the ring [470] comprises a metallic ring [470], wherein the inflator flange [434] comprises a metallic inflator flange [434],
  9. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the ring [470] comprises a plurality of holes [474], and further comprising a step of overmolding a plastic material into at least a subset of the plurality of holes [474] to fixedly couple the ring [470] with the inflator hub [438],
  10. 10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coupling a metallic ring [470] with the inflator hub [438],
  11. 11 . The method of claim 10, wherein the step of coupling the metallic ring [470] with the inflator hub [438] comprises inserting the metallic ring [470] over an exterior surface of the inflator hub [438],
  12. 12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of coupling the metallic ring [470] with the inflator hub [438] further comprises overmolding the metallic ring [470] to the inflator hub [438],
  13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the metallic ring [470] comprises a plurality of holes [474], and wherein the step of overmolding the metallic ring [470] to the inflator hub [438] comprises melting a thermoplastic material within at least a subset of the plurality of holes [474],
  14. 14. The method of claim 11 , wherein metallic ring [470] comprises a protruding collar [472],
  15. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of crimping the inflator flange [434] onto the inflator hub [438] comprises deforming the inflator flange [434] to the protruding collar [472] of the metallic ring [470],

Description

METHOD FOR ASSEMBLY OF AN ASPIRATING AIRBAG CUSHION ASSEMBLY CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending Application Serial No. 18/207,123 filed on June 7, 2023, and titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED AIRBAG ASPIRATION,” which is a continuation of Application Serial No. 17/453,178 filed on November 1 , 2021 , also titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED AIRBAG ASPIRATION.” Each of the aforementioned applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. SUMMARY [0002] Various improvements in vehicle technologies, such as autonomous vehicles, may require changes in the way airbag assemblies operate. For example, in some autonomous vehicles, or other newer vehicles, larger airbags may be used. This may be needed, for example, due to a larger distance between the airbag module and the vehicle occupant. In some systems, it is even contemplated that a single cushion may be used to provide protection to multiple occupants. [0003] However, existing aspirating airbag assemblies suffer from many drawbacks, such as being large, bulky, and/or complicated, often requiring many different components and valve mechanisms. Such existing assemblies are often complicated and/or unnecessarily difficult to assemble, adding further to costs. [0004] Moreover, although other aspiration systems have been used, they often are less efficient than they could be and have aspiration ratios that can be improved. [0005] The present inventors have therefore determined that it would be desirable to provide systems and methods that overcome one or more of the foregoing limitations and/or other limitations of the prior art. In some embodiments, the inventive concepts disclosed herein may allow for providing an assembly that improves aspiration efficiency by, for example, presenting inflation ports to generate the aspiration in multiple rows on each inflation conduit and/or forming the ports with one or more features to improve efficiency. For example, some embodiments, may comprise inflation ports having expansion angle and/or Prandtl-Meyer features to direct the supersonic plumes in regions designed to improve the velocity of the gas, generate lower pressures, and/or improve aspiration efficiency. [0006] In a more specific example of an aspirating airbag cushion assembly according to some embodiments, the assembly may comprise an airbag cushion, which may be part of a housing and/or airbag package comprising an airbag cushion. An aspiration housing may be fluidly coupled to the airbag cushion and/or airbag cushion housing. The aspiration housing may comprise an aspiration inlet configured to allow for receipt of ambient air into the airbag cushion during inflation of the airbag cushion. The assembly may further comprise an inflation module comprising an inflator and an inflation conduit fluidly coupled with the inflator. The inflation conduit may comprise an elongated axis and may be configured to deliver inflation gas from the inflator into the airbag cushion through a plurality of aspiration ports. One or more (in some embodiments, each) of the inflation conduits may comprise at least two rows of aspiration ports. [0007] In some embodiments, each of the aspiration ports in a first row of the at least two rows of aspiration ports is offset from a center of the inflation conduit, wherein the center is measured perpendicular to the elongated axis, towards a first side of the inflation conduit adjacent to a first aspiration opening of the aspiration inlet. In some such embodiments, each of the aspiration ports in a second row of the at least two rows of aspiration ports is offset from the center towards a second side of the inflation conduit opposite from the first side and adjacent to a second aspiration opening of the aspiration inlet. [0008] In some embodiments, each of the aspiration ports in the first row may be angled towards the first side of the inflation conduit and/or each of the aspiration ports in the second row may be angled towards the second side of the inflation conduit. [0009] In some embodiments, each of the aspiration ports of the plurality of aspiration ports may comprise an expanded distal portion. In some such embodiments, the expanded distal portion may comprise an angled surface angled towards a vertical direction at least substantially corresponding with an incoming direction of ambient air through the aspiration inlet during deployment. In some such embodiments, the angled surface may be parallel, or at least substantially parallel, with the vertical direction. [0010] In some embodiments, the angled surface may define an angle of about 25 degrees relative to an adjacent proximal portion of each of the aspiration ports. [0011] In some embodiments, the at least two rows of aspiration ports may comprise a first row and a second row. In some such embodiments, the first row may comprise aspiration ports that are offset from aspiration