Inflator

• US 20050062273A1
• Filed: 08/04/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited (Daicel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited (Daicel Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Naoki, Katsuda, Nobuyuki
• Application Number:
  US10/910,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20050062273A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/737
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2685 comprising a plurality of pressure chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/272 with means for increasing the pressure of the gas just before or during liberation, e.g. hybrid inflators

Abstract

The present invention provides an inflator with high operation reliability. A first rupturable plate 47 is broken by high temperature gas generated from a gas generating agent ignited and burnt by an igniter 43, and the high temperature gas flows into interior spaces 16a, 16b to increase an internal pressure in the interior spaces. As a result, two second rupturable plates 26, 36 are broken by pressurization, so that the pressurized gas is jetted from the gas discharge holes 25, 35.

Claims

1. An inflator comprising a cylindrical housing charged with a pressurized gas and an ignition means for discharging high temperature gas inside the cylindrical housing, wherein

the cylindrical housing has the interior formed in a single space and the gas discharge ports at both ends;

gas flow paths to respective ventilation channels are closed by rupturable plates;

the ignition means is mounted on a portion of the cylindrical housing between the end portions; and

the ignition means is separated from the interior of the cylindrical housing by a single rupturable plate.

2. The inflator according to claim 1, wherein in the ignition means, an igniter and a gas generating agent are accommodated in an ignition means housing serving as an ignition means chamber, and the rupturable plate is attached at a position exactly opposite the igniter in the ignition means chamber.

3. The inflator according to claim 2, wherein the ignition means accommodating space is mounted to divide the cylindrical housing into two portions, and a cylindrical housing interior forms a single space through a communication hole provided in the ignition means housing.

4. The inflator according to claim 1 or 2, in which the ignition means is mounted at the axial central portion of the cylindrical housing.

5. The inflator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each end of the inflator is provided with a single ventilation channel reaching the gas discharge ports, and each channel is closed by a single rupturable plate.

6. The inflator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the center of the ventilation channels reaching the gas discharge ports at both ends is coincident with the central axis of the cylindrical housing.

10. The inflator according to claim 1 or 7, wherein the pressurized gas comprises solely helium.

7. An inflator comprising:

a cylindrical housing charged with a pressurized gas and having an interior formed in a single space;

said cylindrical housing being provided with a gas discharge port, closed by a rupturable member, that is formed in both ends thereof;

an igniter means accommodating space fluidly communicating with the interior and isolated from the interior by a single rupturable plate before activating the inflator;

an igniter means provided within said igniter means accommodating space; and

said igniter means accommodating space being provided in a portion of said cylindrical housing between both ends thereof.

8. The inflator according to claim 7, wherein the igniter means accommodating space is formed by an igniter means housing provided such that the igniter means housing divides said cylindrical housing into two chambers, and the two chambers fluidly communicate with each other through a communication hole.

9. The inflator according to claim 8, wherein each end of said cylindrical housing is provided with a diffuser member defining the gas discharge port.