Gas generator for air bag and air bag apparatus

• US 20050250350A1
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nobuyuki Katsuda, Nobuyuki Ohji, Yoshihiro Nakashima
• Original Assignee: Nobuyuki Katsuda, Nobuyuki Ohji, Yoshihiro Nakashima
• Inventors: Ohji, Nobuyuki, Katsuda, Nobuyuki, Nakashima, Yoshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,152,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/15
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26029 Ignitors
• 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 gas generator for an air bag is provided with a porous tube member, in which a portion opposing the ejecting direction of a flame and the like generated due to an activation of an ignition unit stored in an inner cylindrical member is formed as a flame-preventing annular portion having no opening, disposed in a gas generator housing. Further, a multistage type gas generating apparatus prevents an erroneous connection between a plurality of igniter stored in a gas generator 1 and outputting portions of an ignition signal outputting device. In the multistage type air bag apparatus, the gas generator includes a plurality of igniters, and a defining unit for specifying the unique connection between the respective ignition signal outputting unit and the respective igniters is provided in a connector provided in a lead wire for sending an ignition signal to each of the igniters.

Claims

1. A multistage type air bag apparatus comprising:

a multistage type air bag gas generator storing a plurality of electrical ignition type igniters in a housing thereof;

an ignition signal outputting means provided with the outputting portions for outputting the activation signal to the igniters due to then impact as many as the igniters; and

a plurality of lead wires having connectors,

wherein the igniters and the outputting portions are connected by the lead wires having the connectors, and the connectors have a defining means which specifies the unique connection of the respective igniters and the respective outputting portions, and the defining means is realized by changing at least one of a shape, the number, a size, a color and a position of the connector or of the conductive portion existing in the connector.

2. A multistage type air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive portion of the connector is of convex shape or concave shape, and is connected to the conductive portion of the connecting portion which is formed into a concave shape or convex shape.

3. A multistage type air bag apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of lead wires are converged into one connector, and the connector is provided with defining means for specifying the connecting portion which can be connected to the connector.

4. A multistage type air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of lead wires respectively include connectors, the plurality of connectors are connected to one another through a plastic member.

5. A multistage type air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a ring member interposed between the igniter and a connector of a lead wire at a time of connecting to the connector of the lead wire is arranged in the igniter, and the defining means is formed in the ring member to specify the unique connection between the respective igniters and the respective connectors.

6. A multistage type air bag apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the defining means is formed in the ring member and the connector.

7. A multistage type air bag apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the defining means specifies the unique connection between the respective ring members and the respective igniters and/or the unique connection between the respective ring members and the respective connectors of the lead wires.

8. A connector for a multistage type air bag apparatus according to claim 1, the connector being used in a plurality of lead wires connecting the outputting portions to a plurality of igniters, wherein a defining means which specifies the unique connection between the respective outputting portions and the igniters is provided.

9. A gas generator for a multistage type air bag apparatus comprising:

a plurality of igniters activated by the electric signal;

a gas generating means burning and/or expanding due to an activation of the igniters to generate an operating gas;

the igniters, and the gas generating means being stored in a housing having a gas discharge port,

wherein each of the igniters has a connecting portion for joining a connector arranged at a tip end of a lead wire transmitting an activation signal outputted from an outputting portion of an ignition signal outputting means, a defining means capable of connecting only one of the connectors of a plurality of lead wires extending from the outputting portion is provided in the connecting portion, the connectors and the igniters both have conductive portions which enable the ignition-signal outputting means and the igniter to transfer to each other by connecting and contacting the connectors and the igniters, and the defining means can be realized by changing at least one of a shape, the number, a size, a color and a position of the connector or of the conductive portion existing in the connector, at the respective igniters, and/or by a positioning means provided in a flange formed on the housing

10. A gas generator for a multistage type air bag according to claim 9, wherein the defining means comprises a connector and a connecting portion which are formed to be complementarily fitted to each other.

11. A gas generator for a multistage type air bag according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the defining means is a groove and/or a projection which are formed in the connecting portion by changing at least one of the number, a size, a color, a position and a shape at each igniter.

12. A gas generator for a multistage type air bag according to claim 9, wherein the defining means is formed in the ring member interposed between the igniter and the connector of the lead wire at a time of connecting to the connector of the lead wire, thereby specifying the unique connection between the respective igniters and the respective connectors of the lead wires.

13. A gas generator for a multistage type airbag according to claim 12, wherein the defining means defines the unique connection between the respective ring members and the igniters and/or the unique connection between the respective ring members and the connectors.

14. A connector connecting method of connecting an ignition signal outputting means which includes a control unit for sending an ignition signal to a plurality of igniters included in a gas generator, and a plurality of ignition means included in the gas generator, wherein each of the igniters is connected to an outputting portion of an ignition means outputting device through a lead wire having a connector, and connections of the respective igniters and the respective outputting portions are decided by a defining means, the connectors and the igniters have conductive portions which enable the ignition-signal outputting means and the igniter to transfer to each other by connecting and contacting the connectors and the igniters, and the defining means can be realized by changing at least one of a shape, the number, a size, a color and a position of the connector or of the conductive portion existing in the connector, at the respective igniters, and/or by a positioning means provided in a flange formed on the housing.

15. A method of connecting a connector according to claim 14, wherein the igniter includes a connecting portion for connecting to the connector, and the defining means is formed on the connecting portion of each of the igniters and the connector which connects the lead wire extending from the outputting portion to the respective igniters.

16. A method of connecting a connector according to claim 15, wherein the defining means is the connector and the connecting portions which are formed into such shapes that they can be fitted to each other complementarily.

17. A connector connecting method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the defining means is a groove and/or a projection which are formed in the connecting portion by changing at least one of the number, a size, a color, a position and a shape at each of the igniters.

18. An air bag apparatus comprising:

a gas generator for an air bag which stores at least one electrical ignition type igniter in a housing;

an ignition signal outputting means having outputting portions for outputting an activation signal to the igniters due to the impact as many as the igniters; and

lead wires as many as the electrical ignition type igniters, the lead wires having connectors,

wherein a defining means for specifying the unique connection between the respective igniters and the respective connectors of the lead wires is provided in each of the igniters.

19. An air bag apparatus according to claim 18, wherein a ring member interposed between the igniter and the connector of the lead wire at a time of connecting to the connector of the lead wire is arranged in the igniter, and the defining means is formed in the ring member to specify the unique connection between the respective igniters and the respective connectors.

20. An air bag apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the defining means is formed in the ring member and the connector.

21. An air bag apparatus according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the defining means specifies the unique connection between the respective ring members and the respective igniters and/or the unique connection between the respective ring members and the respective connectors of the lead wires.

22. A gas generator for an air bag comprising:

at least one igniter activated by the electric signal;

a gas generating means burning and/or expanding due to an activation of the igniter to generate an operating gas; and

the igniter and the gas generating means being stored in a housing having a gas discharge port,

wherein each of the igniters exposes a conductive portion, which receives the activation signal, out of the housing, and defining means for deciding unique connections between the conductive portions and the connectors of a plurality lead wires extending from the outputting portions are provided in portions from which the conductive portions are exposed.

23. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 22, wherein a ring member is interposed between the igniter and the connector of the lead wire at a time of connecting to the connector of the lead wire, and the defining means is formed in a portion in which the ring member is arranged in the gas generator to specify the unique connection between the respective igniters and the respective connectors.

24. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 23, wherein the defining member specifies the unique connection between the respective ring members and the respective igniters, thereby specifying the unique connection between the respective igniters and the respective connectors.