Dual chamber inflator

• US 20020101068A1
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC
• Original Assignee: Automotive Systems Laboratory, Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Quioc, Eduardo L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,764,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/741
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2633 with a plurality of inflation levels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2648 comprising a plurality of combustion chambers or sub-chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2644 using only solid reacting substances, e.g. pellets, powder

Abstract

A dual chamber inflator 10 contains a housing 12 having a base 14 and a cap 16. A divider disc 18 divides the inflator 10 into a first chamber 20 and a second chamber 22. Divider 18 contains at least one aperture 60 thereby facilitating fluid communication between chambers 20 and 22 for simultaneous operation of chambers 20 and 22.

Claims

1. A dual chamber inflator for a vehicle occupant protection system comprising:

a housing comprising a base and a cap, said base further comprising a first plurality of gas exit apertures peripherally spaced therein;

a divider intermediate of said base and said cap for forming a first propellant chamber and a second propellant chamber within said base and said cap, respectively, said chambers operatively separated from each other, and, said divider comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one aperture providing fluid communication from the second chamber to the first propellant chamber;

a first propellant contained within said first chamber, said first propellant combusted upon activation of said gas generator;

a second propellant contained within said second chamber, said second propellant optionally combusted simultaneously with said first propellant; and

a seal fixed over said at least one aperture on said bottom surface thereby preventing simultaneous operation of said first chamber and said second chamber when only said first chamber is activated upon a crash event.