Gas generator

• US 10,179,317 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2015
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daicel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Daicel Corporation
• Inventors: Noda, Akifumi, Yamashita, Haruhiko, Komine, Yusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): English, James A
• Application Number:
  US15/313,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20170151543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 7/00 Apparatus for generating gases production of inert gas mixtures B01J19/14; for generating specific gases, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. C01B, C10J ; in "air bags" on vehicles B60R21/26; for starter gas F02C7/26; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure F42B3/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26076 characterised by casing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/264 using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic B60R21/268 takes precedence

Abstract

A gas generator includes, a cylindrical housing provided with an ignition device and a diffuser, and an inner cylindrical member defining a gap with an inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing and leading to a gas discharge port. The inner cylindrical member is formed of a plurality of cylindrical members having gas inlet-outlet holes and connected in an axial direction. An opening of each of the cylindrical members has concave-convex portions for fitting the cylindrical members together. Both ends of the connected cylindrical members have a first protrusion on a side of the ignition device serving as a first abutment portion, and a second protrusion on the side of the diffuser portion serving as a second abutment portion. The first and second abutment portions abut the inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing and have a hole or a cutout to allow a gas to pass.

Claims

1. A gas generator, comprising:

a cylindrical housing in which an ignition device is disposed at a first end thereof and a diffuser portion provided with a gas discharge port is disposed at a second end thereof, axially opposite to the first end,

an inner cylindrical member being disposed inside the cylindrical housing and defining a gap with an inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing, a gas generating agent being charged inside a space defined inside of the inner cylindrical member,

the gap, defined between the inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing and the inner cylindrical member, serving as a gas discharge path leading to the gas discharge port,

the inner cylindrical member being formed of a plurality of cylindrical members which are connected to each other in an axial direction, a circumference wall of each of the cylindrical members having a plurality of gas inlet-outlet holes for communicating the space inside each of the cylindrical members with the gap,

an opening of each of the plurality of cylindrical members being provided with a concave-convex portion that serves as a connecting portion of each of the cylindrical members and the plurality of cylindrical members is connected by fitting the concave-convex portion together,

the concave-convex portion to serve as the connecting portion including,

a combination of a plurality of convex portions protruding radially outwardly and obliquely and a plurality of concave portions present between adjacent convex portions, provided at the opening of one cylindrical member to be connected, and

a combination of a plurality of convex portions protruding radially outwardly and obliquely and a plurality of concave portions present between adjacent convex portions, provided at the opening of another cylindrical member to be connected,

the connected plurality of cylindrical members having a protrusion, which protrudes outward in the radial direction, at an end portion on a side of the ignition device and at an end portion on a side of the diffuser portion,

the connecting portions of the plurality of cylindrical members being connected with each other such that the respective concave portions are fitted to and engaged with the respective convex portions,

an outer circumferential portion of a first protrusion on the side of the ignition device serving as a first abutment portion and being abutted against the inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing,

a surface of a second protrusion on the side of the diffuser portion serving as a second abutment portion and being abutted against part of the diffuser portion directly or with another member interposed therebetween,

the connecting portions of the plurality of cylindrical members being abutted against the inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing,

the connecting portions, the first abutment portion, and the second abutment portion having a hole or a cutout which allows gas to pass therethrough.

8. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cylindrical members are a combination of a plurality of cylindrical members of the same shape, the same cross-sectional shape and cross-sectional area in a width direction, and the same length or different lengths.

9. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein a cylindrical spacer or a cylindrical porous member is disposed for directly or indirectly fixing the inner cylindrical member inside the cylindrical housing.

2. A gas generator, comprising:

a cylindrical housing in which an ignition device is disposed at a first end thereof and a diffuser portion provided with a gas discharge port is disposed at a second end thereof axially opposite to the first end,

an inner cylindrical member being disposed inside the cylindrical housing and defining a gap with an inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing, a gas generating agent being charged inside a space defined inside of the inner cylindrical member,

the gap, defined between the inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing and the inner cylindrical member, serving as a gas discharge path leading to the gas discharge port,

the inner cylindrical member being formed of a plurality of cylindrical members which are connected to each other in an axial direction, a circumference wall of each of the cylindrical members having a plurality of gas inlet-outlet holes for communicating the space inside each of the cylindrical members with the gap,

an opening of each of the plurality of cylindrical members being provided with a flange that serves as a connecting portion of the respective cylindrical members and is abutted with each other,

the connected plurality of cylindrical members having a protrusion, which protrudes outward in the radial direction, at an end portion on a side of the ignition device and at an end portion on a side of the diffuser portion,

in the connecting portions of the connected plurality of cylindrical members, respective flanges being abutted against each other,

an outer circumferential portion of a first protrusion on the side of the ignition device serving as a first abutment portion and being abutted against the inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing, and a surface of a second protrusion on the side of the diffuser portion serving as a second abutment portion and being abutted against part of the diffuser portion directly or with another member interposed therebetween,

the connecting portions, the first abutment portion, and the second abutment portion having a hole or a cutout which allows gas to pass therethrough.

3. The gas generator according to claim 2, wherein

the respective flanges are abutted against each other in the connecting portions of the plurality of cylindrical members,

a flange (flange A) of the connecting portion of one cylindrical member has a plurality of through holes at equal intervals in a circumferential direction,

a flange (flange B) of the connecting portion of another cylindrical member has a plurality of through holes and a plurality of projections at equal intervals in the circumferential direction,

all of the projections of the flange B are fitted in some of the through holes of the flange A, and

a hole which allows a gas to pass therethrough is formed by the remaining through holes of the flange A and all of the through holes of the flange B which are abutted against and directly face each other in the axial direction.

4. The gas generator according to claim 2, wherein

the respective flanges are abutted against each other in the connecting portions of the plurality of cylindrical members,

a flange (flange A) of the connecting portion of one cylindrical member has a plurality of through holes and a plurality of projections at equal intervals in a circumferential direction,

a flange (flange B) of the connecting portion of another cylindrical member has a plurality of projections and a plurality of through holes at equal intervals in the circumferential direction,

the total number of the through holes in the flange A and the flange B is larger than the total number of the projections, and

the projections of the flange B are fitted in the through holes of the flange A, the projections of the flange A are fitted in the through holes of the flange B, and a hole which allows a gas to pass therethrough is formed by the remaining through holes, of the respective flanges, which are abutted against and directly face each other in the axial direction.

5. The gas generator according to claim 2, wherein

the respective flanges are abutted against each other in the connecting portions of the plurality of cylindrical members,

a flange (flange A) of the connecting portion of one cylindrical member has a plurality of through holes at equal intervals in a circumferential direction,

a flange (flange B) of the connecting portion of another cylindrical member has a plurality of projections at equal intervals in the circumferential direction,

the flange A and the flange B have a plurality of cutouts in a portion where the projections or the through holes are not present,

the projections of the flange B are fitted in the through holes of the flange A, and a gap which allows a gas to pass therethrough is formed by the plurality of cutouts of the flange A and the plurality of cutouts of the flange B which are abutted against and directly face each other in the axial direction.

6. The gas generator according to claim 2, wherein

the respective flanges are abutted against each other in the connecting portions of the plurality of cylindrical members,

a flange (flange A) of the connecting portion of one cylindrical member has a plurality of through holes and a plurality of projections at equal intervals in a circumferential direction,

a flange (flange B) of the connecting portion of another cylindrical member has a plurality of projections and a plurality of through holes at equal intervals in the circumferential direction,

the flange A and the flange B have a plurality of cutouts in a portion where the projections or the through holes are not present,

the projections of the flange B are fitted in the through holes of the flange A and the projections of the flange A are fitted in the through holes of the flange B, and a gap which allows a gas to pass therethrough is formed by the plurality of cutouts of the flange A and the plurality of cutouts of the flange B which are abutted against and directly face each other in the axial direction.

10. The gas generator according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of cylindrical members are a combination of a plurality of cylindrical members of the same shape, the same cross-sectional shape and cross-sectional area in a width direction, and the same length or different lengths.

11. The gas generator according to claim 2, wherein a cylindrical spacer or a cylindrical porous member is disposed for directly or indirectly fixing the inner cylindrical member inside the cylindrical housing.

7. A gas generator, comprising:

a cylindrical housing in which an ignition device is disposed at a first end thereof and a diffuser portion provided with a gas discharge port is disposed at a second end thereof axially opposite to the first end,

an inner cylindrical member being disposed inside the cylindrical housing and defining a gap with an inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing, a gas generating agent being charged inside a space defined inside of the inner cylindrical member,

the gap, defined between the inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing and the inner cylindrical member, serving as a gas discharge path leading to the gas discharge port,

the inner cylindrical member being formed of a plurality of cylindrical members which are connected to each other in an axial direction and whose widthwise cross-sectional shape is polygonal, and a circumference wall of each of the cylindrical members having a plurality of gas inlet-outlet holes for communicating the space inside each of the cylindrical members with the gap,

an opening of each of the plurality of cylindrical members being provided with a concave-convex portion that serves as a connecting portion of each of the cylindrical members and the plurality of cylindrical members is connected by fitting the concave-convex portion together,

the plurality of cylindrical members being supported by corner portions on outer circumferential surfaces thereof which are abutted against the inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing, and

the connecting portions having a hole or a cutout which allows a gas to pass therethrough.

12. The gas generator according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of cylindrical members are a combination of a plurality of cylindrical members of the same shape, the same cross-sectional shape and cross-sectional area in a width direction, and the same length or different lengths.

13. The gas generator according to claim 7, wherein a cylindrical spacer or a cylindrical porous member is disposed for directly or indirectly fixing the inner cylindrical member inside the cylindrical housing.