Fluid supply for occupant restraint system

• US 3,966,226 A
• Filed: 01/25/1974
• Issued: 06/29/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Roth, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Wood, Jr., M. H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/436,400
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 280/150 AB, 222/3, 222/5, 137/67, 137/68
• US Class Current: 280/737
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/08 automatically movable from an inoperative to an operative position, e.g. in a collision electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• 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: Y10T 137/1692 Rupture disc

Abstract

An occupant restraint system including a confinement with a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition for restraining movement of an occupant of a vehicle during a collision of the vehicle, a fluid supply, and a diffuser for directing gas from the fluid supply into the confinement. The fluid supply includes a pressure vessel having a chamber for housing a gas generating material and an oxidizing gas. The gas generating material is combusted upon the occurrence of the collision of the vehicle to generate gas. The oxidizing gas is pressurized and reacts with the generated gas to augment the combustion process and thereby reduce the toxicity of the generated gas, and is present in a sufficient quantity to cool the generated gas to an acceptable temperature. A shear disk, seals a passage between the chamber in the pressure vessel and the diffuser. This disk is ruptured by a shear piston propelled by the pressure increase occurring upon combustion of the gas generating material.

Claims

1. A fluid supply for an occupant restraint system having a confinement with a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition for restraining movement of an occupant of a vehicle during a collision of the vehicle and means for directing gas into the confinement to effect expansion thereof, the fluid supply comprising:

a vessel defining an elongated storage chamber adapted to hold pressurized fluid and an exit passage at one end of the vessel adapted for communication with the directing means and being generally concentric with the primary axis of the elongated storage chamber;

a tubular assembly passing through said exit passage and disposed concentrically within said elongated storage chamber substantially on said axis and defining a generating chamber concentric with said axis;

gas generating material located in the generating chamber and adapted to generate gas upon actuation;

means for providing fluid communication between the storage chamber, the gas generating chamber, and the exit passage, said means for providing fluid communication between the storage chamber and the gas generating chamber including means for providing continuous fluid communication therebetween;

a shear disk located within and sealing the exit passage;

a shear member having a cutting edge facing the shear disk for cutting an opening in the shear disk; and

means for moving the shear member through the shear disk in response to the generation of gas to cut the opening in the shear disk to allow fluid to be released from the vessel.

2. In an occupant restraint system including a confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition for restraining movement of an occupant of a vehicle during a collision of the vehicle, a fluid supply for providing gas for expanding the confinement, and means for directing gas from the fluid supply into the confinement, the improvement wherein the fluid supply comprises:

a vessel defining a storage chamber;

means defining an exit passage in the vessel adapted for fluid communication with the directing means;

means for sealing the exit passage;

means disabling said sealing means;

generator housing means located within the storage chamber and defining a generating chamber and a cavity and further defining at least one opening fluidly communicating the storage chamber with the generating chamber to equalize the pressure within the chambers;

gas generating material in the generating chamber adapted to generate gas upon ignition thereof;

pressurized gas in the storage and generating chambers;

means to ignite the gas generating material in response to the collision of the vehicle;

means to place the generating chamber in fluid communication with the cavity; and

means defining at least one transfer passage communicating with the exit passage and the cavity and sized to allow a predetermined flow of gas therethrough, the transfer passage having a cross-sectional area less than the minimum cross-sectional area of the exit passage.

3. A fluid supply for an occupant restraint system having a confinement with a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition for restraining movement of an occupant of a vehicle during a collision of the vehicle and means for directing gas into the confinement to effect expansion thereof, the fluid supply comprising;

a vessel defining a storage chamber adapted to hold pressurized fluid;

means defining an exit passage in the vessel adapted for fluid communication with the directing means and having a portion with parallel sides and a polygonal or curved cross section;

gas generating means located in the vessel and adapted to generate gase upon actuation, the gas generating means including generator housing means located within the storage chamber and defining a generating chamber containing gas generating material;

means interconnecting the storage chamber, the gas generating means, and the exit passage for fluid communication therebetween;

a shear disk located within and sealing the exit passage;

a shear member having a periphery substantially conforming to the periphery of the cross section of the portion of the exit passage for sliding engagement therewith and a cutting edge facing the shear disk for cutting a predetermined sized opening in the shear disk;

means for moving the shear member through the portion of the exit passage toward the shear disk in response to the generation of gas to cut the predetermined sized opening in the shear disk to allow fluid to be released from the vessel; and

means for equalizing the fluid pressure throughout the generating chamber, the portion of the exit passage and the storage chamber when the exit passage is sealed.

4. In an occupant restraint system including a confinement having a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition for restraining movement of an occupant of a vehicle during a collision of the vehicle, a fluid supply for providing gas for expanding the confinement, and means for directing gas from the fluid supply into the confinement, the improvement wherein the fluid supply comprises:

a vessel defining a storage chamber adapted to hold pressurized gas;

generator housing means defining a generating chamber;

gas generating material in the generating chamber adapted to generate gas in response to the collision;

means to ignite the gas generating material in response to the collision of the vehicle;

means defining an exit passage in the vessel in fluid communication with the storage chamber and adapted for fluid communication with the directing means;

means for sealing the exit passage;

means for disabling said sealing means in response to the collision;

means for providing a passage for generated gas to flow between the generating chamber and the exit passage upon ignition of the gas generating material; and

means defining at least one passage fluidly communicating the storage chamber with the generating chamber for equalizing the gas pressure between the chambers when the exit passage is sealed.

5. A fluid supply for an occupant restraint system having a confinement with a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition for restraining movement of an occupant of a vehicle during a collision of the vehicle and means for directing gas into the confinement to effect expansion thereof, the fluid supply comprising:

a cylindrical container having an opening at one end generally concentric with the axis of the cylindrical container;

a tubular assembly disposed concentrically within said cylindrical container substantially on said axis and defining a continuous passage concentric with said axis and extending substantially from end to end of said container and including a smooth walled cylindrical portion;

a frangible disc positioned generally within said opening and exposed at one face to one end of said passage;

pyrotechnic, gas generating material disposed in said passage adjacent the end thereof remote from said opening;

a piston member slideably positioned in said passage portion between said disc and said pyrotechnic material; and

means providing continuous fluid communication between said passage and the annular space between the exterior surface of said tubular assembly and the confronting interior surface of said container.