Side curtain assembly including fill tube

A vehicle occupant protection apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, said occupant protection apparatus comprising:

• an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and having an inflated condition;
• an inflator for providing inflation fluid for said inflatable device, said inflator having an inflation fluid outlet at one end covered with a burst disk;
• a conduit for receiving inflation fluid from said inflator, said conduit including a funnel portion and a fill tube portion, said funnel portion directing inflation fluid from said inflator to said fill tube portion, said fill tube portion extending into said inflatable device,
• a first part of said funnel portion having a relatively large diameter and being fixed to said inflator and defining a fluid chamber around said inflation fluid outlet of said inflator to connect an interior of said funnel portion in fluid communication with said inflation fluid outlet of said inflator,
• a second part of said funnel portion extending from said first part and tapering in diameter in a frustoconical configuration to said fill tube portion of said conduit, said first and second parts of said funnel portion being centered on an axis of said funnel portion, said igniter upon igniting, effecting bursting of said burst disk to open said inflation fluid opening, and
• a filter located in said frustoconical portion of said conduit and for filtering inflation fluid flowing through said conduit and for preventing said burst disk from flowing through said conduit.

A vehicle occupant protection apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, said occupant protection apparatus comprising:

• an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and having an inflated condition;
• an inflator for providing inflation fluid for said inflatable device, said inflator having a relatively large diameter body portion and a relatively small diameter neck portion extending from said body portion, said neck portion having an inflation fluid outlet;
• and
• a two-piece plastic conduit for directing inflation fluid from said inflator into said protection device,
• said conduit having a relatively large diameter main body portion, portions of said main body portion of said conduit and said body portion of said inflator non-releasably securing said conduit and said inflator together, said portions comprising a portion of said inflator defining a recess and a deformed portion of said conduit that is deformed into said recess of said inflator, said main body portion of said conduit defining a fluid chamber around said neck portion of said inflator,
• said conduit having a relatively small diameter fill tube portion for location in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device,
• said conduit having a neck portion extending between said main body portion and said fill tube portion, said neck portion of said conduit being conical in shape and reducing in diameter as said neck portion extends from said main body portion to said fill tube portion, said fill tube portion and said neck portion being secured together by a threaded union.

A vehicle occupant protection apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, said occupant protection apparatus comprising:

• an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and having an inflated condition;
• an inflator for providing inflation fluid for said inflatable device, said inflator having an inflation fluid outlet at one end covered with a burst disk and an igniter at another end;
• a conduit for receiving inflation fluid from said inflator, said conduit including a funnel portion and a fill tube portion, said funnel portion directing inflation fluid from said inflator to said fill tube portion, said fill tube portion extending into said inflatable device,
• a first part of said funnel portion having a relatively large diameter and being fixed to said inflator and defining a fluid chamber around said inflation fluid outlet of said inflator to connect an interior of said funnel portion in fluid communication with said inflation fluid outlet of said inflator,
• a second part of said funnel portion extending from said first part and tapering in diameter in a frustoconical configuration to said fill tube portion of said conduit,
• said first and second parts of said funnel portion being centered on an axis of said funnel portion, said igniter igniting said inflation fluid in said inflator upon a vehicle collision, said burst disk bursting upon an increase in pressure in said inflator to open said inflation fluid opening, and
• a filter located in said frustoconical portion of said conduit and for filtering inflation fluid flowing through said conduit and for preventing said burst disk from flowing through said conduit, said conduit having a lip portion engaging said filter and for holding said filter in position in said frustoconical portion of said conduit.

A vehicle occupant protection apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, said occupant protection apparatus comprising:

• an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a deflated condition and having an inflated condition;
• a source of inflation fluid for said inflatable device, said source of inflation fluid having a relatively large diameter body portion and a relatively small diameter first neck portion extending from said body portion, said first neck portion having an inflation fluid outlet, said body portion defining an annular recess;
• a structure enclosing said inflation fluid source and defining an inflation fluid chamber, said structure having a radially inwardly projecting lip in an interfitting connection with said annular recess of said inflation fluid source to secure said structure and said inflation fluid source together;
• and
• a seal and an annular groove in said structure for said seal for preventing inflation fluid from escaping said inflation fluid chamber between said interfitting connection between said inflation fluid source and said structure when said inflation fluid source inflates said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device into said inflated condition,
• said structure having a relatively large diameter main body portion, said lip being located on said main body portion of said structure and said recess being located on said body portion of said inflation fluid source,
• said structure having a relatively small diameter fill tube portion for location in said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device,
• said structure having a second neck portion extending between said main body portion and said fill tube portion, said second neck portion of said structure being conical in shape and reducing in diameter as said second neck portion extends from said main body portion to said fill tube portion, said second neck portion being downstream of said inflation fluid outlet and having inflation fluid act thereon as the inflation fluid flows from said inflation fluid outlet into said fill tube portion.