Linear bilateral inflator module
First Claim
1. A motor vehicle passenger passive restraint module comprising:
- (a) means for mounting a pyrotechnic gas inflator device within a dashboard portion of said vehicle, said inflator device capable of producing a sufficient amount of a gaseous combustion product within a sufficient time to substantially deploy an inflatable passenger air cushion located in contact relation therewith within an interval between a primary collision involving said motor vehicle and an object external thereto and a secondary collision between at least one passenger within said motor vehicle and an interior portion thereof;
(b) a pyrotechnic gas inflator device installed within said mounting means and secured thereto by a first structural seal formed therebetween, said inflator device comprisingi) first and second combustion chambers positioned substantially horizontally at, respectively, a first end and a second end of said inflator; and
ii) a T-shaped central support member located between said first and said second combustion chambers and secured, at a first side thereof, to said first combustion chamber and, at a second side thereof, to said second combustion chamber, by structural seals formed between said support member and a corresponding first inner end of each said combustion chamber, said support member further comprising a tubular stem portion projecting substantially perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of said first and said second combustion chambers, said stem portion containing ignition means for initiating combustion of a pyrotechnic gas-generating composition stored in both said first and said second combustion chambers; and
(c) an expandable passenger air bag positioned in surrounding relation to said inflator device, said air bag secured, at a mouth portion thereof, between said inflator device and said mounting means,wherein said first and said second combustion chambers are each adapted to supply differing amounts of a gaseous product, produced due to the combustion of said pyrotechnic gas-generating composition stored therein, so as to create at least two zones of differential pressure within said expandable passenger air bag.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A linear bilateral inflator module in which the inflator component of the module has two opposed cylindrical combustion chambers mounted in a horizontal plane at either end of the inflator. These chambers are joined to and supported by a central T-shaped inflator housing containing an ignitor for initiating combustion of the propellant within the inflator. The lower leg of this central section is configured as a tubular extension which may optionally be joined to a separate conduit member adapted for permitting a reciprocal fluid flow into and out of the air bag through the inflator. The extension also serves as a point of attachment for an outer surrounding base plate assembly. A bead, located within the mouth portion of the air bag, is trapped between the inflator and the base plate during formation of the structural seal between these components such that the inflator is completely enclosed within the bag. The inflator is adapted to provide differing amounts of a gaseous combustion product from each of the combustion chambers by varying the amount or type of propellant stored therein. This arrangement permits the development within the air bag component of the module of two different inflation zones.
57 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A motor vehicle passenger passive restraint module comprising:
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(a) means for mounting a pyrotechnic gas inflator device within a dashboard portion of said vehicle, said inflator device capable of producing a sufficient amount of a gaseous combustion product within a sufficient time to substantially deploy an inflatable passenger air cushion located in contact relation therewith within an interval between a primary collision involving said motor vehicle and an object external thereto and a secondary collision between at least one passenger within said motor vehicle and an interior portion thereof; (b) a pyrotechnic gas inflator device installed within said mounting means and secured thereto by a first structural seal formed therebetween, said inflator device comprising i) first and second combustion chambers positioned substantially horizontally at, respectively, a first end and a second end of said inflator; and ii) a T-shaped central support member located between said first and said second combustion chambers and secured, at a first side thereof, to said first combustion chamber and, at a second side thereof, to said second combustion chamber, by structural seals formed between said support member and a corresponding first inner end of each said combustion chamber, said support member further comprising a tubular stem portion projecting substantially perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of said first and said second combustion chambers, said stem portion containing ignition means for initiating combustion of a pyrotechnic gas-generating composition stored in both said first and said second combustion chambers; and (c) an expandable passenger air bag positioned in surrounding relation to said inflator device, said air bag secured, at a mouth portion thereof, between said inflator device and said mounting means, wherein said first and said second combustion chambers are each adapted to supply differing amounts of a gaseous product, produced due to the combustion of said pyrotechnic gas-generating composition stored therein, so as to create at least two zones of differential pressure within said expandable passenger air bag. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12)
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- 9. The module of claim I wherein said ignition means comprises an electrically actuated squib.
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13. A motor vehicle passenger passive restraint module for preventing, in the event of a primary collision involving said vehicle, the occurrence of a secondary impact between a passenger within said vehicle and a solid interior surface thereof, said module comprising:
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(a) a base plate member adapted for installation within an aperture defined by a dashboard portion of said vehicle by fastener means for securing said base plate within said aperture, said base plate comprising a skirt formed integral with a lower portion thereof, said skirt extending substantially perpendicularly from said lower portion and defining an aperture within said base plate member; (b) a pyrotechnic inflator device installed within said base plate and secured thereto by a first structural seal formed therebetween, said inflator device comprising 1) first and second combustion chambers positioned substantially horizontally at, respectively, a first end and a second end of said inflator, each said combustion chamber comprising i) a cylindrically shaped propellant chamber extending along substantially an entire inner longitudinal axis of said combustion chamber and communicating, through a first inner end of said chamber in contact relation with a central support member of said inflator device, with a similarly disposed propellant chamber in an other one of said combustion chambers such that, upon actuation of ignition means for initiating combustion of a pyrotechnic gas-generating composition stored therein, said pyrotechnic gas-generating composition in both said first and said second combustion chambers is ignited substantially simultaneously; ii) an anularly shaped filtration chamber disposed outwardly adjacent said cylindrical propellant chamber and positioned in substantially circumjacent relation thereto, said filtration chamber comprising a plurality of means for cooling and filtering said gaseous combustion products produced upon ignition of said pyrotechnic gas-generating composition; iii) a cylindrical outer wall portion, substantially surrounding said annular filtration chamber along a longitudinal axis thereof, said wall portion being adapted to form an outer housing of said combustion chamber; and iv) an end cap member for sealing a second outer peripheral end of said combustion chamber, said cap member being secured within said cylindrical outer wall portion by a second structural seal formed therebetween, said second structural seal created by magnaforming a portion of said cylindrical outer wall into a grooved outer surface of said end cap member; 2) a T-shaped central support member located between said first and said second combustion chambers, said support member having first and second opposed grooved sides and secured, at said first side thereof, to said first inner end of said first combustion chamber and, at said second side thereof, to said first inner end of said second combustion chamber by, respectively, a third and a fourth gas-tight structural seal formed therebetween, said third and fourth gas-tight seals created by magnaforming a portion of said cylindrical outer wall of, respectively, said first and said second combustion chamber into a corresponding one of said first and second grooved sides of said inflator support member, said support member further comprising a tubular stem portion projecting at least partially through said aperture in said base plate member and aligned substantially perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of said first and said second combustion chambers, said stem portion being grooved along an outer wall surface thereof to facilitate formation of said first structural seal between said base plate member and said inflator device and having installed therein an electrically activated squib for initiating combustion of said pyrotechnic gas-generating composition stored in both said first and said second combustion chambers, said first structural seal being created by magnaforming at least a portion of said skirt upon said base plate member into said groove on said tubular stem portion of said inflator device, and (c) an expandable passenger air bag positioned in surrounding relation to said inflator device, said air bag secured, at a mouth portion thereof, between said inflator device and said base plate member; wherein a first one of said first and said second combustion chambers contains a greater amount of said pyrotechnic gas-generating composition relative to a second one of said chambers and wherein the gaseous combustion products produced by said combustion chamber having said greater amount of said composition are directed towards an upper portion of said expandable passenger air bag while the combustion products produced by the remaining combustion chamber, containing a relatively lesser amount of said composition, are directed towards a lower portion of said bag, so as to provide at least two zones of differential gas pressure within said bag upon actuation of said inflator device, wherein a lower portion of said bag is relatively less pressurized than an upper portion thereof. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for differentially inflating an expandable passenger air bag, said method comprising:
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constructing a motor vehicle passenger passive restraint module comprising 1) a base plate member adapted for installation within an aperture defined by a dashboard portion of said vehicle by fastener means for securing said base plate within said aperture, said base plate comprising a skirt formed integral with a lower portion thereof, said skirt extending substantially perpendicularly from said lower portion and defining an aperture within said base plate member; 2) a linear bilateral inflator device installed within said base plate and secured thereto by a first structural seal formed therebetween, said inflator device comprising (i) first and second combustion chambers substantially horizontally positioned at, respectively, a first end and a second end of said inflator, each said combustion chamber comprising (i)(a) a cylindrically shaped propellant chamber extending along substantially an entire inner longitudinal axis of said combustion chamber and communicating, through a first inner end of said chamber in contact relation with a central support member of said inflator device, with a similarly disposed propellant chamber in an other one of said combustion chambers such that, upon actuation of ignition means for initiating combustion of a pyrotechnic gas-generating composition stored therein, said pyrotechnic gas-generating composition in both said first and said second combustion chambers is ignited substantially simultaneously; (i)(b) an anularly shaped filtration chamber disposed outwardly adjacent said cylindrical propellant chamber and positioned in substantially circumjacent relation thereto, said filtration chamber comprising a plurality of means for cooling and filtering said gaseous combustion products produced upon ignition of said pyrotechnic gas- generating composition; (i)(c) a cylindrical outer wall portion, substantially surrounding said annular filtration chamber along a longitudinal axis thereof, said wall portion being adapted to form an outer housing of said combustion chamber; and (i)(d) an end cap member for sealing a second outer peripheral end of said combustion chamber, said cap member being secured within said cylindrical outer wall portion by a second structural seal formed therebetween, said second structural seal created by magnaforming a portion of said cylindrical outer wall into a grooved outer surface of said end cap member, (ii) a T-shaped central support member interposed between said first and said second combustion chambers, said support member having first and second opposed grooved sides and secured, at said first side thereof, to said first inner end of said first combustion chamber and, at said second side thereof, to said first inner end of said second combustion chamber by, respectively, a third and fourth gas-tight structural seal formed therebetween, said third and fourth gas-tight seals created by mangnaforming a portion of said cylindrical outer wall of respectively, said first and said second combustion chamber into a corresponding one of said first and second grooved sides of said inflator support member, said support member further comprising a tubular stem portion projecting at least partially through said aperture in said base plate member and aligned substantially perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of said first and said second combustion chambers, said stem portion being grooved along an outer wall surface thereof to facilitate formation of said first structural seal between said base plate member and said inflator device and having installed therein an electrically activated squib for initiating combustion of said pyrotechnic gas-generating composition stored in both said first and said second combustion chambers, said first structural seal between said base plate member and said inflator device being created by magnaforming at least a portion of said skirt upon said base plate member into said groove on said tubular stem portion of said inflator device, and 3) an expandable passenger air bag positioned in surrounding relation to said inflator device, said air bag secured, at a mouth portion thereof, between said inflator device and said base plate member, B. supplying a first one of said first and said second combustion chambers with a greater amount of said pyrotechnic gas-generating composition relative to a second one of said chambers; C. installing said module within a dashboard portion of a motor vehicle and orienting said first and said second combustion chambers such that, upon ignition of said pyrotechnic gas-generating composition, the gaseous combustion products produced by said combustion chamber having said greater amount of said gas-generating composition are directed towards an upper portion of said expandable passenger air bag while the combustion products produced by the remaining combustion chamber, containing a relatively lesser amount of said gas-generating composition, are directed towards a lower portion of said bag, so as to provide at least two zones of differential gas pressure within said bag, wherein a lower portion of said bag is relatively less pressurized than an upper portion thereof; and D. igniting said pyrotechnic gas generating composition stored within said inflator device.
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Specification