PRESSURE VESSEL

• US 20190323662A1
• Filed: 04/19/2018
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Norman, III, Kent, McLeod, William F., Seitzman, Markell
• Granted Patent: US 11,052,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26029 Ignitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26076 characterised by casing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/272 with means for increasing the pressure of the gas just before or during liberation, e.g. hybrid inflators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/274 characterised by means to rupture or open the fluid source
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 1/14 constructed of aluminium; constructed of non-magnetic steel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0104 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0123 with variable thickness or diameter
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/056 Small (<1 m3)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0617 with one layer
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0636 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0329 manually actuated
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2209/234 of closing end pieces, e.g. caps
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/031 Air
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0123 gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/035 High pressure (>10 bar)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0563 Pneumatic applications
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0754 Fire extinguishers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0781 Diving equipments

Abstract

A pressure vessel formed by either by: a) mating a first end or closure to a second end or closure or b) mating a first end to an intermediate body member and mating the intermediate body member to a second end; the first end comprising a hollowed thin walled dome (14) having an exterior surface (15a) and an interior surface (15b) and the dome terminating in an edge surface (14a), the dome (14) having an axis Y extending through its geometric center of the exterior surface, the dome supporting at least one thin hollow walled projection (16, 18, 20) having an exterior (19a) and interior surface (19b), the at least one projection extending outwardly from the dome outer surface (15a), and terminating in a top surface (16a, 23).

Claims

1. A pressure vessel formed by either by:

a) mating a first end or closure to a second end or closure or b) mating a first end to an intermediate body member and mating the intermediate body member to a second end;

the first end comprising a hollowed thin walled dome (14) having an exterior surface (15a) and an interior surface (15b) and the dome terminating in an edge surface (14a), the dome (14) having an axis Y extending through its geometric center of the exterior surface, the dome supporting at least one thin hollow walled projection (16, 18, 20) having an exterior (19a) and interior surface (19b), the at least one projection extending outwardly from the dome outer surface (15a), and terminating in a top surface (16a, 23).

2. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 1 wherein the top surface is:

a) continuous convex surface, b) a flat surface, c) a flat surface (23) with a small opening or passage (133) therethrough which functions as a fill port for introducing gas into the pressure vessel, d) a flat surface (23) with a threaded opening (123, 124).

3. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 1 wherein the dome portion is provided with preferably an odd number of protrusions.

4. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 6 wherein each flat surface or flat portion (23) is arranged coplanar to each of the others.

5. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 2 wherein through hole (133) functions as a fill hole or port to introduce pressurized gas into the pressure vessel which is closed by a ball or similar form which is welded thereon.

6. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 5 wherein a control element is fitted to one or both of the threaded openings (123 and 124).

7. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 6 wherein the first end of the closure is a high pressure device is an airbag inflator and the control element is an ignitor welded to the smooth hole (122) to achieve a gas tight configuration.

8. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 7 wherein the control element is a manually operated valve (125) and nozzle (304) screwed into the threaded opening (123).

9. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 8 wherein closure (30) is part of an air bag inflator and an ignitor (350) is inserted into one or both of openings (123 or 124).

10. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 9 wherein the closure (30) is the control end of a fire extinguisher having a single threaded opening (123) with opening (124) closed with a hand actuated open/closed valve (125) secured to opening (123).

11. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 10 wherein closure 40 is part of an air bag inflator, closure (40) additionally provides an exit orifice closed by a rupturable burst disk (47) which is broken to release the pressurized gas stored in the pressure vessel.

12. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 11 wherein closure 40 has a structure to support a burst disk, the structure being a flange surrounding a circular through hole 45, the circular peripheral edge of the disk being welded to the flange.

13. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 12 wherein the through hole or exit hole or exit port (45) is formed in a recessed portion (14d) of the center of the dome (14) generally at the intersection of the valleys (17).

14. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 13 wherein the pressure vessel comprises an air bag inflator formed by utilizing closure 40 and closure 30 which are butt welded together.

15. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 14 wherein closure (30) utilizes two igniters (350), each ignitor has a set of electrical contacts (352) and each ignitor (350) includes a variety of pyrotechnic chemicals which upon ignition create products of combustion including heat and gas.

16. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 14 further comprises a housing/diffuser (390) which is part of inflator (400).

17. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 16 wherein the housing/diffuser (390) comprises an open cylindrical basket (392) having a circular wall (394) and a bottom of the wall closed by an integral plate (396) wherein a mounting flange (398) having a plurality of mounting holes (402) is secured to the top of the basket or to the top of the wall (394).

18. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 17 wherein the basket is securely attached to the pressure vessel by welding or by a press fit to closure (40).

19. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 18 wherein the air bag inflator (500) utilizes closure (30) and closure (40) with an intermediary hollow cylindrical body (420) inserted between closures (30 and 42) increasing the internal volume of inflator (500), the cylindrical portions (12) of each of the closures (10 and 40) being butted up against the respective ends (428 and 430) of the cylindrical body (420) and butt welded.

20. The pressure vessel closure (10) according to claim 19 wherein inflator 520 utilizes closure 30 utilizing one or more igniters 350, inflator 520 further includes a generic hollow closure 530 with walls 532 and an end 534 that supports an exit opening 45 with a burst disk 47, each closure 30 and 530 includes a central axis Y generally perpendicular to the respective closure and each respective axis Y2 is angularly offset relative the other by an angle A, the intermediate hollow body member 540 with cylindrical wall 542 is inserted between closures 30 and 530, the respective ends 544 of end wall 542 being cut to the proper angle to achieve the overall angular displacement of angle A.