Gas generator

• US 20040250542A1
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nishina, Takuma
• Application Number:
  US10/650,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20040250542A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/632
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26029 Ignitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2644 using only solid reacting substances, e.g. pellets, powder
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/4628 characterised by fluid actuators, e.g. pyrotechnic gas generators actuating a cable B60R22/4619
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/103 Mounting initiator heads in initiators; Sealing-plugs

Abstract

A gas generator includes an initiator having a cup filled with a reactive agent, a header for closing the cup, and electrode pins. A resin mold is formed to surround the header and the base of the electrode pins. The part of the mold remote from the header forms a plug-in section of elliptical cross section. A substantially ring-shaped holder has an initiator-holding hole of elliptical cross section on its inner periphery. The plug-in section is inserted in the holding hole to be held therein. The ratio S₁/S₂ between the opening area S₁ of the holding hole and the cross-sectional area S₂ of the header is 0.5 or less. The gas generator is capable of reliably preventing a header from coming off during the operation of the gas generator.

Claims

1. A gas generator, comprising

an initiator having an ignition reactor section;

a holder for holding the initiator;

a gas-generating agent arranged outside the ignition reactor section of the initiator; and

an outer shell surrounding the gas-generating agent and secured to the holder, the holder having an initiator-holding hole in which the initiator is inserted and held therein,

wherein the ratio S₁/S₂ between the opening area S₁ of the initiator-holding hole and the cross-sectional area S₂ of the ignition reactor section perpendicular to the direction in which the initiator is inserted is 0.5 or less.

2. A gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the ratio S₁/S₂ is from 0.2 to 0.5.

3. A gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the initiator comprises a disk-shaped header, a current-carrying pin extending from one surface of the header, a casing surrounding the other surface of the header, a reactive agent filling between the header and the casing, and a bridge wire energized through the pin to start the reaction of the reactive agent,

wherein the cross-sectional area S₂ is the cross-sectional area of the header.

4. A gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the ignition reactor section perpendicular to the direction in which the initiator is inserted and the cross section of the initiator-holding hole perpendicular to the direction in which the initiator is inserted are different from each other.