Gas generator for air bag, deflecting member, coolant/filter means supporting member, coolant and housing

• US 20060151978A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atsushi Hatomoto, Katsuhito Miyaji, Masayuki Yamazaki, Yasunori Wai, Yoshihiro Nakashima
• Original Assignee: Atsushi Hatomoto, Katsuhito Miyaji, Masayuki Yamazaki, Yasunori Wai, Yoshihiro Nakashima
• Inventors: Wai, Yasunori, Yamazaki, Masayuki, Nakashima, Yoshihiro, Miyaji, Katsuhito, Hatomoto, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,441,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/736
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2644 using only solid reacting substances, e.g. pellets, powder

Abstract

Gas generator for air bag having any of the following members: deflecting member formed as tube portion capable of shielding gas discharge port formed on circumferential wall of housing from inside; coolant/filter means supporting member comprising annular portion arranged to face end surface of housing and wall portion contacting with inner periphery of coolant/filter means; coolant/filter means formed in cylindrical shape obtained by laminating wire mesh; housing securely fixing igniter included in ignition means, having opening portion for inserting and fixing igniter or igniter supporting member, wherein the opening portion is provided with connecting portion for fixing inserted igniter or igniter supporting member, and connecting portion is provided in inner side of housing rather than end surface having the opening portion.

Claims

1. A gas generator for an air bag comprising:

in a cylindrical housing with a gas discharge port, a gas generating means to generate an operating gas for inflating an air bag; and

a cylindrical coolant means to cool and/or purify the operating gas in a cylindrical housing having a gas discharge port;

wherein

an outer peripheral edge of an end portion in the coolant means is adhered to and/or supported on a bent portion or a step portion formed on an inner surface of the upper end portion and/or an inner surface of the lower end portion of the cylindrical housing formed to adhere to and/or support the outer peripheral edge of one or both end portions in the coolant means and prevent the operating gas from passing between the end surface of the coolant means and the inner surface of the housing in contact therewith, at a time of assembling the gas generator and/or activating the gas generator.

2. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral edge of the end portion in the coolant means is adhered and/or supported to the inner surface of the bent portion between the end portion and the circumferential wall portion in the cylindrical housing at a time of assembling the gas generator and/or activating the gas generator.

3. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner surfaces of the circumferential wall portion in the upper end and/or the lower end in the cylindrical housing are formed to be inclined from the end portion to spread outwardly and radially.

4. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical housing is formed by a diffuser shell having a cylindrical shape with a top and the gas discharge port, and a closure shell having a cylindrical shape with a bottom closing an open end of the diffuser shell, and at least one shell is formed so that the inner surface of the circumferential wall portion is inclined from the end portion to spread outwardly and radially.

5. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical housing is formed by the diffuser shell having a cylindrical shape with a top and the gas discharge port, and the closure shell having a cylindrical shape with a bottom closing an open end of the diffuser shell, and the closure shell is formed so that the inner surface of the circumferential wall portion spreads outwardly to the open end from the bottom surface in the radial direction.

6. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical housing is formed by the diffuser shell having a cylindrical shape with a top and the gas discharge port, and the closure shell having a cylindrical shape with a bottom closing an open end of the diffuser shell, and the inner surface of the circumferential wall portion of the closure shell is formed in an inverted conical trapezoidal shape.

7. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the cylindrical housing, an interior angle between the inner surface of the circumferential wall portion and the inner surface of the upper end portion and/or the inner surface of the lower end portion is 90 to 150 degrees.

8. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gap forming a flow-path of the operating gas is secured between the outer periphery of the cylindrical coolant means and the inner surface of the circumferential wall portion of the cylindrical housing.

9. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical coolant means is formed to have a strength capable of preventing the coolant means from being expanded radially and outwardly at a time of cooling and/or purifying the operating gas.

10. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical coolant means is formed to have at least a tensile strength in the radial direction between 2450 and 19600 N.

11. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical coolant means is formed to expand radially and outwardly at a time of cooling and/or purifying the operating gas, and the outer peripheral edge of the end portion of the coolant means expanding outwardly and radially is adhered and/or supported to a bent portion or a step portion formed on the inner surface of the upper end portion and/or the inner surface of the lower end portion in the cylindrical housing.

31. An air bag apparatus comprising:

a gas generator for an air bag;

an impact sensor for detecting an impact to activate the gas generator;

an air bag to introduce a gas generated in the gas generator for inflating; and

a module case accommodating the air bag,

wherein the gas generator for the air bag is the gas generator for the air bag as claimed in claim 1.

12. A gas generator for an air bag comprising:

a gas generating means to generate an operating gas for inflating an air bag; and

a cylindrical coolant means for cooling and/or purifying the operating gas in a cylindrical housing having a gas discharge port in the housing;

wherein

inner surfaces of a circumferential wall portion in an upper end side and/or a lower end side of the housing are inclined from the end portion to spread outwardly and radially.

13. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 12, wherein the cylindrical housing comprises a diffuser shell having a cylindrical shape with a top and the gas discharge port, and a closure shell having a cylindrical shape with a bottom closing an open end of the diffuser shell, and at least one shell is formed so that the inner surface of the circumferential wall portion is inclined from the end portion to spread outwardly and radially.

14. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 12, wherein, in the cylindrical housing, an interior angle between the inner surface of the circumferential wall portion and the inner surface of the upper end portion and/or the inner surface of the lower end portion is 90 to 150 degrees.

15. A housing of a gas generator for an air bag which is a cylindrical housing used in a gas generator for an air bag generating an operating gas for inflating the air bag upon the impact, wherein a bent portion or a step portion adhering and/or supporting an outer peripheral edge of either end portion or both end portions of coolant means disposed in the housing at a time of assembling the gas generator and/or at a time of activating the gas generator is formed on an inner surface of the upper end portion and/or an inner surface of the lower end portion in the cylindrical housing.

16. A housing as claimed in claim 15, wherein the bent portion or the step portion formed on the inner surface of the upper end portion and/or the inner surface of the lower end portion in the cylindrical housing is formed to adhere and/or support to the outer peripheral edge of one end portion or both end portions in the coolant means disposed in the housing and prevent the combustion gas from passing between the end surface of the coolant means and the inner surface of the housing which contacts therewith.

17. A housing as claimed in claim 15, wherein the inner surfaces of the circumferential wall portion in the upper end side and/or the lower end side in the cylindrical housing are inclined from the end portion to spread outwardly and radially.

18. A housing as claimed in claim 15, wherein the inner surface of the bent portion between the upper end portion and the circumferential wall portion and/or the inner surface of the bent portion between the lower end portion and the circumferential wall portion in the cylindrical housing is formed to prevent the operating gas from passing between the end surface of the coolant means disposed in the housing and the inner surface of the housing which contacts therewith.

19. A housing as claimed in claim 15, wherein the housing is formed by the diffuser shell having a cylindrical shape with a top and the gas discharge port, and the closure shell having a cylindrical shape with a bottom closing an open end of the diffuser shell, and the closure shell spreads outwardly and radially from the bottom surface thereof to the opening end.

20. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 15, wherein the housing is formed by the diffuser shell having a cylindrical shape with a top and the gas discharge port, and the closure shell having a cylindrical shape with a bottom closing the open end of the diffuser shell, and the inner surface of the circumferential wall portion of the closure shell is formed in an inverted conical trapezoidal shape.

21. A gas generator for an air bag as claimed in claim 15, wherein, in the housing, an interior angle between the inner surface of the circumferential wall portion and the inner surface of the upper end portion and/or the inner surface of the lower end portion is 90 to 150 degrees.

22. A housing of a gas generator for an air bag, which is a cylindrical housing used in a gas generator for an air bag generating an operating gas for inflating the air bag upon the impact, wherein

the cylindrical housing has an opening portion for inserting and fixing an igniter or an igniter supporting member disposed in the housing,

the opening portion is provided with a connecting portion for fixing the inserted igniter or igniter supporting member, and the connecting portion is provided in inner side of the housing rather than on the end surface having the opening portion.

23. A housing as claimed in claim 22, wherein an opening portion provided on either end surface of the cylindrical housing is provided with a tubular portion bent inside the housing.

25. A housing as claimed in claim 23, wherein the opening portion is formed so that the igniter or the igniter supporting member disposed in the housing is stored, and the tubular portion formed in the opening portion is formed to be in inner contact with the outer periphery of the igniter or the igniter supporting member.

26. A housing as claimed in claim 23, wherein the tubular portion provided in the opening portion is formed to be 10 to 100% of the axial length of the housing.

27. A housing as claimed in claim 23, wherein the tubular portion provided in the opening portion is formed to have the axial length of 4 to 37 mm.

28. A housing as claimed in claim 23, wherein the housing is formed so that the periphery of the opening portion provided on either end surface is inclined inside of the housing toward the center of the opening portion.

29. A housing as claimed in claim 23, wherein the housing is formed by a diffuser shell having a cylindrical shape with a top having a gas discharge port, and a closure shell having a cylindrical shape with a bottom forming an inner space of the housing together with the diffuser shell, and the opening portion is formed in the closure shell.

30. A gas generator for an air bag comprising:

an ignition means including an igniter to be activated by the activating signal;

a gas generating means to generate an operating gas for inflating the air bag; and

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

wherein the housing as claimed in claim 23 is used as the cylindrical housing.

24. A housing of a gas generator for an air bag, which is a cylindrical housing used in a gas generator for an air bag generating an operating gas for inflating an air bag upon the impact, wherein

an opening portion provided with a tubular portion bent inside the housing is formed on either end surface of the cylindrical housing.