Percussion igniter assembly

• US 5,226,667 A
• Filed: 09/30/1991
• Issued: 07/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Coultas, Terrance J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US07/769,202
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728, 280/731, 280/732, 280/734, 280/736, 280/741, 102/204
• US Class Current: 280/734
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/272 with means for increasing the pressure of the gas just before or during liberation, e.g. hybrid inflators

Abstract

An igniter assembly for a vehicle occupant safety apparatus includes an ignitable material, a plurality of primer elements, and a single impact member. A housing having a hermetic seal contains the ignitable material, the primer elements, and the impact member. The ignitable material initiates burning of a combustible material in the safety apparatus when the ignitable material is ignited. The primer elements are actuatable to ignite the ignitable material in response to the application of force against the primer elements. The impact member is movable to apply force against the primer element to actuate the primer elements in response to an impact force applied to the housing.

Claims

1. An igniter assembly for initiating burning of a combustible material, said igniter assembly comprising:

an ignitable material for initiating burning of the combustible material when said ignitable material is ignited;

a plurality of primer elements which are actuatable to ignite said ignitable material in response to the application of force against said primer elements;

an impact member which is movable to apply force against said primer elements to actuate said primer elements, said impact member having an annular surface for applying force to each of said primer elements simultaneously;

a base structure for supporting said primer elements, said base structure having a base surface means including a recess into which said annular surface of said impact member is movable; and

said recess having first portions and second portions, said first portions of said recess being arranged in a circular array and containing said primer elements, said second portions of said recess having arcuate shapes and extending circumferentially between said first portions.

2. An igniter assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said annular surface of said impact member has circumferentially spaced first surface portions movable against said primer elements and circumferentially spaced second surface portions movable into said second portions of said recess.

3. An igniter assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said annular surface of said impact member is movable into said recess into a position abutting surfaces of said base structure in said second portions of said recess.

4. An igniter assembly for a vehicle occupant safety apparatus including a containing means for receiving gas and a combustible material which burns to heat the gas, said igniter assembly comprising:

an ignitable material for initiating burning of the combustible material when said ignitable material is ignited;

a plurality of primer elements which are actuatable to ignite said ignitable material in response to the application of force against said primer elements;

a base means for supporting said primer elements, said base means including a base surface and a recess extending from said base surface, said recess containing said primer elements;

an impact member which is movable to apply force against said primer elements to actuate said primer elements, said impact member having an impact surface facing said base surface and having a projection extending from said impact surface toward said primer elements, said impact member being movable into a position in which said projection extends into said recess and said impact surface abuts said base surface, whereby said base surface limits movement of said impact member against said primer elements;

said base surface and said impact surface facing said base surface having first portions and second portions, said first portions of said recess being arranged in a circular array and containing said primer elements, said second portions of said recess having arcuate shapes and extending circumferentially between said first portions, said projection on said impact member being an annular projection with first surface portions movable against said primer elements and second surface portions movable into said second portions of said recess.

5. An igniter assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said second portions of said recess have a depth measured from said base surface which is equal to the height of said annular projection measured from said impact surface, whereby said second portions of said recess receive said annular projection to limit movement of said impact member.

6. An assembly for use in a vehicle occupant safety apparatus including a containing means for containing gas and a combustible material which burns to heat the gas, said assembly comprising:

a housing having a movable exterior wall portion and a rupturable exterior wall portion, said housing being closed by a hermetic seal;

initiating means for initiating burning of the combustible material, said initiating means including an ignitable material contained within said housing, said ignitable material, when burning, producing combustion products which rupture said rupturable exterior wall portion of said housing to open said housing;

a plurality of primer elements contained within said housing, said primer elements being actuatable to ignite said ignitable material in response to the application of force against said primer elements;

a impact member contained within said housing, said impact member being movable against each of said plurality of primer elements simultaneously to actuate said plurality of primer elements simultaneously in response to movement of said movable exterior wall portion of said housing against said impact member; and

actuator means including an actuator member located outside said housing, said actuator member being movable against said housing to move said movable exterior wall portion of said housing against said impact member.

7. An assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein said impact member is movable against said primer elements in a first direction, and further comprising a base member contained within said housing, said base member supporting said primer elements in positions adjacent to said impact member and having a first blocking surface means facing said impact member, said impact member having a second blocking surface means facing said first blocking surface means, said second blocking surface means being movable into contact with said first blocking surface means upon movement of said impact member against said primer elements, said first and second blocking surface means blocking a flow of the gas from said primer elements in a second direction opposite to said first direction when in contact with each other.

8. An assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said first blocking surface means comprises a planar surface of said base member which surrounds said plurality of primer elements.

9. An assembly as defined in claim 8 wherein said second blocking surface means comprises a planar surface of said impact member.