GAS GENERATOR

• US 20110179967A1
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited
• Inventors: YAMAZAKI, Masayuki, MATSUDA, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 8,342,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 102/530
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26029 Ignitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2644 using only solid reacting substances, e.g. pellets, powder

Abstract

The present invention provides a gas generator including a combustion chamber formed inside a housing having a gas discharge port, a disk-shaped gas generating agent stacked and loaded or a single tubular gas generating agent loaded in the combustion chamber in the axial direction of the housing, an igniter disposed inside the combustion chamber to enclose the igniter and fixed to a bottom surface of the housing by a fixing member,

• • the fixing member including a fixing portion for the igniter and a plurality of elastic rod-like gas generating agent support portions extending in the radial direction of the housing from the fixing portion,
  • the gas generating agent support portions abutting against a surface of the gas generating agent opposing the bottom surface of the housing, and
  • the gas generating agent being pressed and fixed between the gas generating agent support portions and a top surface of the housing.

Claims

1. A gas generator, comprising:

a housing having a gas discharge port;

a combustion chamber formed inside the housing;

a disk-shaped gas generating agent stacked and loaded in the combustion chamber in an axial direction of the housing or a single tubular gas generating agent loaded in the combustion chamber aligned in the axial direction of the housing;

an igniter disposed inside the combustion chamber and fixed to a bottom surface of the housing,

the gas generating agent loaded to enclose the igniter, the igniter fixed with respect to the bottom surface of the housing by a fixing member,

the fixing member including a fixing portion for the igniter and a plurality of elastic rod-like gas generating agent support portions that extend in the radial direction of the housing from the fixing portion,

the gas generating agent support portions abutting against a surface of the gas generating agent opposing the bottom surface of the housing, and

the gas generating agent being pressed and fixed between the gas generating agent support portions and a top surface of the housing.

2. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein

each of the rod-like gas generating agent support portions of the fixing member has a first arm portion extending from the fixing portion for the igniter and a second arm portion extending from the first arm portion, and also has a bent portion between the first arm portion and the second arm portion,

only a corner portion of the bent portion abuts against the bottom surface of the housing, and

only the second arm portion abuts against the surface of the gas generating agent opposing the bottom surface of the housing.

3. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein

each of the rod-like gas generating agent support portions of the fixing member has a first arm portion extending from the fixing portion for the igniter, a second arm portion extending from the first arm portion, a bent portion between the first arm portion and the second arm portion, and also has a third arm portion extending axially from the second arm portion,

only a corner portion of the bent portion abuts against the bottom surface of the housing,

the second arm portion abuts against the surface of the gas generating agent opposing the bottom surface of the housing, and

the third arm portion abuts against an outer side surface of the gas generating agent in the radial direction of the housing.

4. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein

each of the rod-like gas generating agent support portions of the fixing member has a first arm portion extending from the fixing portion for the igniter, a second arm portion extending from the first arm portion, a bent portion between the first arm portion and the second arm portion, a third arm portion extending axially from the second arm portion, and a fourth (a) arm portion extending from the third arm portion inward in the radial direction of the housing,

only a corner portion of the bent portion abuts against the bottom surface of the housing,

the second arm portion abuts against the surface of the gas generating agent opposing the bottom surface of the housing,

the third arm portion abuts against the outer side surface of the gas generating agent in the radial direction of the housing, and

the fourth (a) arm portion abuts against a surface of the gas generating agent opposing the top surface of the housing.

5. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein

each of the rod-like gas generating agent support portions of the fixing member has a first arm portion extending from the fixing portion for the igniter, a second arm portion extending from the first arm portion, a bent portion between the first arm portion and the second arm portion, a third arm portion extending axially from the second arm portion, and a fourth (b) arm portion extending from the third arm portion outward in the radial direction of the housing,

only a corner portion of the bent portion abuts against the bottom surface of the housing,

the second arm portion abuts against the surface of the gas generating agent opposing the bottom surface of the housing,

the third arm portion abuts against an outer side surface of the gas generating agent in the radial direction of the housing, and

the fourth (b) arm portion abuts against the top surface of the housing.

6. The gas generator according to claim 5, wherein a tubular filter is disposed inside the housing, the combustion chamber is formed inside the tubular filter, the fourth (b) arm portion of each of the gas generating agent support portions is disposed in contact with both one end surface of the tubular filter and the top surface of the housing.

7. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein

each of the rod-like gas generating agent support portions of the fixing member has a first arm portion extending from the fixing portion for the igniter, a second arm portion extending from the first arm portion, and a curved portion between the first arm portion and the second arm portion,

the first arm portion and the second arm portion abut against the bottom surface of the housing, and

only a curved surface of the curved portion abuts against the surface of the gas generating agent opposing the bottom surface of the housing.

8. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein

each of the rod-like gas generating agent support portions of the fixing member has a first arm portion extending from the fixing portion for the igniter, a second arm portion extending from the first arm portion, a curved portion between the first arm portion and the second arm portion, and a third arm portion extending axially from the second arm portion,

the first arm portion and the second arm portion abut against the bottom surface of the housing,

only a curved surface of the curved portion abuts against the surface of the gas generating agent opposing the bottom surface of the housing, and

the third arm portion abuts against an outer side surface of the gas generating agent in the radial direction of the housing.

9. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein

each of the rod-like gas generating agent support portions of the fixing member has a first arm portion extending from the fixing portion for the igniter, a second arm portion extending from the first arm portion, a curved portion between the first arm portion and the second arm portion, a third arm portion extending axially from the second arm portion, and a fourth (a) arm portion extending outward in the radial direction of the housing from part of the third arm portion on the side of the bottom surface of the housing,

the first arm portion and the second arm portion abut against the bottom surface of the housing,

only a curved surface of the curved portion abuts against the surface of the gas generating agent opposing the bottom surface of the housing,

the third arm portion abuts against an outer side surface of the gas generating agent in the radial direction of the housing, and

the fourth (a) arm portion abuts against the bottom surface of the housing.

10. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein

a tubular filter is disposed inside the housing, the combustion chamber is formed inside the tubular filter,

each of the rod-like gas generating agent support portions of the fixing member has a first arm portion extending from the fixing portion for the igniter, a second arm portion extending from the first arm portion, a curved portion between the first arm portion and the second arm portion, a third arm portion extending axially from the second arm portion, a fourth (a) arm portion extending outward in the radial direction of the housing from part of the third arm portion on the side of the bottom surface of the housing, and a fourth (b) arm portion extending from the fourth (a) arm portion in the axial direction of the housing,

the first arm portion and the second arm portion abut against the bottom surface of the housing,

only a curved surface of the curved portion abuts against the surface of the gas generating agent opposing the bottom surface of the housing,

the third arm portion abuts against an outer side surface of the gas generating agent in the radial direction of the housing, and

an end surface and a circumferential surface of the tubular filter on the side of the bottom surface of the housing are supported by the third arm portion, the fourth (a) arm portion, and the fourth (b) arm portion.