Conductive actuator housings and related airbag assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12109971-B2
Application number	US-202217852329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2022
Priority date	Jun 28, 2022
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

Actuator housings for airbag modules and related assemblies. In some embodiments, an airbag assembly may comprise an electrically conductive piece and an electro-explosive device coupled with the electrically conductive piece and positioned adjacent to the electrically conductive piece. The assembly may further comprise a housing for the electro-explosive device. The housing may be at least partially defined by a conductive plastic material having an electrical conductivity less than that of the electrically conductive piece.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An airbag assembly, comprising:
an electrically conductive piece;
an electro-explosive device coupled with the electrically conductive piece and positioned adjacent to the electrically conductive piece; and
a housing for the electro-explosive device, wherein the housing is at least partially defined by a conductive plastic material having an electrical conductivity less than that of the electrically conductive piece, and wherein the housing is configured to receive the electro-explosive device so as to maintain a spark gap between a portion of the electro-explosive device and the housing.

2. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electro-explosive device is configured to release a tether.

3. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing is wholly defined by the conductive plastic material.

4. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive piece comprises a plate.

5. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive piece comprises a metallic piece.

6. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the electro-explosive device comprises an initiator cup.

7. An actuator module for an airbag assembly, comprising:
an electro-explosive device comprising an initiator cup;
a housing for the electro-explosive device, the housing configured to receive the electro-explosive device so as to maintain a spark gap between the initiator cup and the housing, wherein at least a portion of the housing defining the spark gap comprises a conductive plastic material; and
a metallic portion, wherein the conductive plastic material extends from the at least a portion of the housing defining the spark gap to the metallic portion.

8. The actuator module of claim 7 , wherein the housing is wholly defined by the conductive plastic material.

9. The actuator module of claim 7 , wherein the conductive plastic material has a lower electrical conductivity than the metallic portion.

10. The actuator module of claim 7 , wherein the electro-explosive device is configured to release an airbag cushion tether.

11. The actuator module of claim 7 , wherein the metallic portion comprises a metallic plate.

12. The actuator module of claim 11 , wherein the metallic plate is part of a module body of the actuator module.

13. The actuator module of claim 12 , wherein the housing is configured to lower a break-over voltage associated with the module body.

Assignees

• Autoliv Asp Inc

Inventors

• Gordon Scott
• Larsen Alan

Classifications

• B60R2021/26029

  Ignitors · CPC title

• B60R2021/23388

  having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment · CPC title

• F42B3/04

  for producing gas under pressure {(generators of inflation fluid especially adapted for vehicle air bags B60R21/26)} · CPC title

• F42B3/18

  Safety initiators resistant to premature firing by static electricity or stray currents · CPC title

• H01R13/6485

  Electrostatic discharge protection (in general H05F1/00, for electric apparatus H05K9/0067) · CPC title