Inflator assembly
First Claim
1. Apparatus for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint, said apparatus comprising:
- an ignitable gas generating material which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating the restraint; and
a cylindrical inflator having a tubular part with a longitudinal central axis and axially opposite end portions, said tubular part of said inflator including means for defining a combustion chamber containing said gas generating material, said tubular part of said inflator further including cylindrical filter means for filtering said gas as said gas flows radially outward of said combustion chamber;
said inflator being free of a tubular body wall defining gas flow openings at a location radially outward of said means for defining said combustion chamber;
said inflator including constraining means for constraining said filter means from being deflected radially outward by the pressure of said gas, said constraining means extending over said filter means axially between said opposite end portions of said tubular part and circumferentially around said tubular part.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle occupant restraint apparatus (10) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint (12) and an inflator (14) for providing gas for inflating the restraint (12). The inflator (14) contains an ignitable gas generating material (70) which, when ignited, generates the gas. The inflator has a structure (72) which defines a combustion chamber (78) containing the gas generating material (70). The inflator (14) further has an axis (66), and directs the gas to flow from the combustion chamber (78) outward through the inflator (14) and outward from the inflator (14) in a direction transverse to the axis (66). The inflator (14) is free of a tubular body wall defining gas flow openings at a location outward of the structure (72) defining the combustion chamber (78).
23 Citations
25 Claims
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1. Apparatus for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint, said apparatus comprising:
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an ignitable gas generating material which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating the restraint; and a cylindrical inflator having a tubular part with a longitudinal central axis and axially opposite end portions, said tubular part of said inflator including means for defining a combustion chamber containing said gas generating material, said tubular part of said inflator further including cylindrical filter means for filtering said gas as said gas flows radially outward of said combustion chamber; said inflator being free of a tubular body wall defining gas flow openings at a location radially outward of said means for defining said combustion chamber; said inflator including constraining means for constraining said filter means from being deflected radially outward by the pressure of said gas, said constraining means extending over said filter means axially between said opposite end portions of said tubular part and circumferentially around said tubular part. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. Apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint; and an inflator for providing gas for inflating said restraint, said inflator containing an ignitable gas generating material which, when ignited, generates said gas; said inflator having means for defining a combustion chamber containing said gas generating material, said inflator further having an axis and means for directing said gas to flow from said combustion chamber outward through said inflator and outward from said inflator in a direction transverse to said axis; said inflator being free of a tubular body wall defining gas flow openings at a location outward of said means for defining said combustion chamber; said inflator including a pressurizing means for increasing the pressure of said gas flowing outward through said inflator by blocking said gas from flowing past said pressurizing means until said pressure reaches a predetermined elevated level, said inflator having a generally cylindrical shape and further including means for constraining said inflator from deflecting out of said generally cylindrical shape under the influence of said pressure, said constraining means comprising a circumferentially endless wire structure located radially outward of said pressurizing means; said pressurizing means including a rupturable pressure controlling structure which bursts radially outward when said pressure reaches said predetermined elevated level, said wire structure providing clearance for said pressure controlling structure to burst radially outward at any number of locations spaced from each other around the circumference of said wire structure.
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9. Apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint; and an inflator for providing gas for inflating said restraint, said inflator containing an ignitable gas generating material which, when ignited, generates said gas; said inflator having means for defining a combustion chamber containing said gas generating material, said inflator further having an axis and means for directing said gas to flow from said combustion chamber outward through said inflator and outward from said inflator in a direction transverse to said axis; said inflator being free of a tubular body wall defining gas flow openings at a location outward of said means for defining said combustion chamber; said inflator including a pressurizing means for increasing the pressure of said gas flowing outward through said inflator by blocking said gas from flowing past said pressurizing means until said pressure reaches a predetermined elevated level, said inflator having a generally cylindrical shape and further including means for constraining said inflator from deflecting out of said generally cylindrical shape under the influence of said pressure, said constraining means comprising a circumferentially endless wire structure located radially outward of said pressurizing means; said constraining means defining a gap in said wire structure, said gap being open around the entire circumference of said wire structure, said gap comprising a passage through which said gas can flow radially outward past said wire structure around the entire circumference of said wire structure.
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10. Apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint; and an inflator for providing gas for inflating said restraint, said inflator containing an ignitable gas generating material which, when ignited, generates said gas; said inflator having means for defining a combustion chamber containing said gas generating material, said inflator further having an axis and means for directing said gas to flow from said combustion chamber outward through said inflator and outward from said inflator in a direction transverse to said axis; said inflator being free of a tubular body wall defining gas flow openings at a location outward of said means for defining said combustion chamber; said inflator including a pressurizing means for increasing the pressure of said gas flowing outward through said inflator by blocking said gas from flowing past said pressurizing means until said pressure reaches a predetermined elevated level, said inflator having a generally cylindrical shape and further including means for constraining said inflator from deflecting out of said generally cylindrical shape under the influence of said pressure, said constraining means comprising a circumferentially endless wire structure located radially outward of said pressurizing means; said wire structure comprises a braided sleeve of wire.
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11. Apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint; and a generally cylindrical inflator for providing gas for inflating said restraint, said inflator containing an ignitable gas generating material which, when ignited, generates said gas; said inflator including a tubular filter extending circumferentially around said gas generating material, said filter including means for filtering said gas as said gas flows radially outward through said filter; said inflator further including a pressurizing means for increasing the pressure of said gas flowing through said filter by blocking said gas from flowing past said pressurizing means until said pressure reaches a predetermined elevated level, said pressurizing means including a rupturable pressure controlling structure extending circumferentially around said filter; said inflator being free of a tubular body wall having gas flow openings at a location radially outward of said rupturable pressure controlling structure. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. Apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint; an ignitable gas generating material which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating said restraint; a tubular structure having a longitudinal central axis and means for defining a combustion chamber containing said gas generating material; and first and second end caps, each of said end caps being located at a respective axial end of said tubular structure, said end caps blocking said gas from flowing axially outward from said combustion chamber; said tubular structure having a peripheral surface portion between said end caps, said peripheral surface portion of said tubular structure being defined at least in part by wire extending circumferentially around said axis; said peripheral surface portion of said tubular structure being defined by helical sections of wire which extend circumferentially entirely around said axis; said helical sections of wire having axially opposed helical surface portions defining a helical gap extending circumferentially entirely around said axis, said gap comprising an unobstructed gas flow passage extending radially outward past said helical sections of wire around the entire circumference of said helical sections of wire.
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23. Apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint; an ignitable gas generating material which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating said restraint; a tubular structure having a longitudinal central axis and means for defining a combustion chamber containing said gas generating material; and first and second end caps, each of said end caps being located at a respective axial end of said tubular structure, said end caps blocking said gas from flowing axially outward from said combustion chamber; said tubular structure having a peripheral surface portion between said end caps, said peripheral surface portion of said tubular structure being defined at least in part by wire extending circumferentially around said axis; said peripheral surface portion of said tubular structure being defined by helical sections of wire which extend circumferentially entirely around said axis; said helical sections of wire being defined by first and second wire strands, said first wire strand having a plurality of first helical sections which extend from one axial end of said tubular structure toward the other axial end of said tubular structure in a first circumferential direction, said second wire strand having a plurality of second helical sections which extend from said one axial end toward said other axial end in a second circumferential direction opposite to said first circumferential direction, said second wire strand defining a plurality of intersections with said first wire strand and crossing over said first wire strand at each intersection of said wire strands.
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24. Apparatus comprising:
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an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint; an ignitable gas generating material which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating said restraint; a tubular structure having a longitudinal central axis and means for defining a combustion chamber containing said gas generating material; and first and second end caps, each of said end caps being located at a respective axial end of said tubular structure, said end caps blocking said gas from flowing axially outward from said combustion chamber; said tubular structure having a peripheral surface portion between said end caps, said peripheral surface portion of said tubular structure being defined at least in part by wire extending circumferentially around said axis; said peripheral surface portion of said tubular structure being defined by a braided wire sleeve structure. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification