Inflatable restraint system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for generating gas, said apparatus comprising:
- a cylindrically shaped grain having a central longitudinal axis and opposite, radially extending end faces spaced apart along the longitudinal axis;
said grain being made of a material which generates gas upon combustion;
said grain having a plurality of parallel passages extending therethrough and intersecting said opposite end faces each of the passages having a circular cross-section in a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said grain and having a uniform cross-section throughout its length;
said passages having central longitudinal axes located on concentric circles which have their centers on the longitudinal axis of said grain;
the axis of each of the passages on the first one of said concentric circles being circumferentially spaced around said grain from the axes of adjacent passages on the second one of said concentric circles so that the axis of each of the passages on the first one of said concentric circles is disposed in a radial plane angularly offset from a radial plane containing the axis of any of the adjacent passages on the second one of said concentric circles, said anular offset being five degrees (5°
) to fifteen degrees (15°
);
the circumferential distance between axes of adjacent passages disposed on the first concentric circle being equal to the circumferential distance between the axes of adjacent passages disposed on the second concentric circle.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inflatable restraint system includes an airbag which is expanded by an inflator assembly to restrain movement of an occupant of a vehicle in the event of a collision. The inflator assembly includes a plurality of grains or bodies of gas generating material which are disposed in a longitudinally extending array and are enclosed by a filter assembly and a housing. To promote a rapid and uniform combustion of the grains to quickly generate a large volume of gas, passages extend through the grains between spaces at opposite ends of the grains. Uniform combustion of the grains is promoted by having the passages located on concentric circles with the longitudinal axes of the passages spaced apart by equal distances along the circles. The axes of the passages on one concentric circle are circumferentially spaced from the axes of the passages on another concentric circle. The grains positioned with the passages in axial alignment and are cushioned by resilient retainer tubes which engage the outside of the grains. When the airbag has become inflated, a pressure control valve system is opened to exhaust excess gas generated by the combustion of the grains.
-
Citations
14 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for generating gas, said apparatus comprising:
-
a cylindrically shaped grain having a central longitudinal axis and opposite, radially extending end faces spaced apart along the longitudinal axis; said grain being made of a material which generates gas upon combustion; said grain having a plurality of parallel passages extending therethrough and intersecting said opposite end faces each of the passages having a circular cross-section in a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said grain and having a uniform cross-section throughout its length; said passages having central longitudinal axes located on concentric circles which have their centers on the longitudinal axis of said grain; the axis of each of the passages on the first one of said concentric circles being circumferentially spaced around said grain from the axes of adjacent passages on the second one of said concentric circles so that the axis of each of the passages on the first one of said concentric circles is disposed in a radial plane angularly offset from a radial plane containing the axis of any of the adjacent passages on the second one of said concentric circles, said anular offset being five degrees (5°
) to fifteen degrees (15°
);the circumferential distance between axes of adjacent passages disposed on the first concentric circle being equal to the circumferential distance between the axes of adjacent passages disposed on the second concentric circle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. Apparatus for generating gas, said apparatus comprising:
-
a cylindrically shaped grain having a central longitudinal axis and opposite, radially extending end faces spaced apart along the longitudinal axis; said grain being made of a material which generates gas upon combustion; said grain having a plurality of parallel passages extending therethrough and intersecting said opposite end faces each of the passages having a circular cross-section in a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said grain and having a uniform cross-section throughout its length, said passages all having substantially the same diameter; said passages having central longitudinal axes located on concentric circles which have their centers on the longitudinal axis of said grain and each passage being defined by an inner surface of said grain; the axis of each of the passages on the first one of said concentric circles being circumferentially spaced around said grain from the axes of adjacent passages on the second one of said concentric circles so that the axis of each of the passages on the first one of said concentric circles is disposed in a radial plane which passes through the longitudinal axis of said grain and is angularly offset from a radial plane which contains the axis of any of the adjacent passages on the second one of said concentric circles and passes through the longitudinal axis of said grain; the circumferential distance between axes of adjacent passages disposed on the first concentric circle being equal to the circumferential distance between the axes of adjacent passages disposed on the second concentric circle; and the shortest distance between the inner surface defining a passage having its axis located on the first concentric circle and the inner surface defining the most adjacent passage having its axis located on the second concentric circle being substantiallty equal to the shortest distance between the inner surfaces defining adjacent passages having their axes located on the same concentric circle.
-
-
11. Apparatus for generating gas, said apparatus comprising:
-
a cylindrically shaped grain having a central longitudinal axis and opposite, radially extending end faces spaced apart along the longitudinal axis; said grain being made of a material which generates gas upon combustion; said grain having a plurality of parallel passages extending therethrough and intersecting said opposite end faces each of the passages having a circular cross-section in a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said grain and having a uniform cross-section throughout its length, said passages all having substantially the same diameter; said passages having central longitudinal axes located on concentric circles which have their centers on the longitudinal axis of said grain and each passage being defined by an inner surface of said grain; the axis of each of the passages on the first one of said concentric circles being circumferentially spaced around said grain from the axes of adjacent passages on the second one of said concentric circles so that the axis of each of the passages on the first one of said concentric circles is disposed in a radial plane angularly offset from a radial plane containing the axis of any of the adjacent passages on the second one of said concentric circles; the circuferential distance between axes of adjacent passages disposed on the first concentric circle being equal to the circumferential distance between the axes of adjacent passages disposed on the second concentric circle; and the shortest distance between the inner surface defining a passage having its axis located on the first concentric circle and the inner surface defining the most adjacent passage having its axis located on the second concentric circle being substantially equal to the shortest distance between the inner surfaces defining adjacent passages having their axes located on the same concentric circle; and said angular offset being five degrees (5°
) to fifteen degrees (15°
). - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
-
-
14. Apparatus for generating gas, said apparatus comprising:
-
a cylindrically shaped grain having a central longitudinal axis and opposite, radially extending end faces spaced apart along the longitudinal axis; said grain being made of a material which generates gas upon combustion; said grain having a plurality of parallel passages extending therethrough and intersecting said opposite end faces each of the passages having a circular cross-section in a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said grain and having a uniform cross-section throughout its length, said passages all having substantially the same diameter; said passages having central longitudinal axes located on concentric circles which have their centers on the longitudinal axis of said grain and each passage being defined by an inner surface of said grain; the axis of each of the passages on the first one of said concentric circles being circumferentially spaced around said grain from the axes of adjacent passages on the second one of said concentric circles so that the axis of each of the passages on the first one of said concentric circles is disposed in a radial plane angularly offset from a radial plane containing the axis of any of the adjacent passages on the second one of said concentric circles; the circumferential distance between axes of adjacent passages disposed on the first concentric circle being equal to the circumferential distance between the axes of adjacent passages disposed on the second concentric circle; and the shortest distance between the inner surface defining a passage having its axis located on the first concentric circle and the inner surface defining the most adjacent passage having its axis located on the second concentric circle being substantially equal to the shortest distance between the inner surfaces defining adjacent passages having their axes located on the same concentric circle; said grain including surface means for defining a plurality of recesses extending axially along an outer side surface of said grain, and the shortest distance from a radially innermost portion of each of said recesses and the inner surface defining an adjacent passage located on the radially outermost of said first and second concentric circles is substantially equal to the shortest distance between the inner surfaces defining adjacent passages located on said radially outermost of said first and second concentric circles.
-
Specification