Gas generator for vehicle occupant restraint system
First Claim
1. A gas generator for a vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising:
- a housing having a plurality of gas outlet openings formed therethrough and deployed to provide substantially neutral thrust;
multiple units of solid pyrotechnic gas generant material contained within the housing;
an igniter capsule mounted to the housing and containing igniter material and having means for igniting the igniter material, the igniter capsule defining an exit opening adjacent to the gas generant material; and
a nozzle surrounding the exit opening and extending therefrom for directing hot combustion products from the igniter capsule toward the gas generant material, said nozzle having length greater than diameter and providing a restricted outlet opening,whereby ignition and burning of the igniter material creates an expulsion of hot combustion products through the nozzle of the igniter capsule into the gas generant material, thereby igniting it for producing and releasing gas through the plurality of gas outlet openings.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gas generator for vehicle occupant restraint systems comprises an elongated housing having gas outlet openings, a sealed, rupturable gas generant cartridge positioned within the housing, and pyrotechnic gas generant contained in the cartridge. An igniter capsule mounted at one end of the housing has an exit opening juxtaposed the sealed gas generant cartridge. The igniter capsule contains ignitor material, and an initiator and initiator charge. The initiator ignites the ignitor material which expels a fireball of hot combustion products from the opening, capsules exit rupturing the sealed cartridge and igniting the gas generant charge to produce gas for inflating an air bag. A rupturable seal is provided over the exit opening of the ignitor capsule and a nozzle directs hot combustion products to the gas generant cartridge. The initiator charge is auto ignitor material for operating the gas generator if it is exposed to fire. The ignitor capsule comprises overlapping metal parts, and is mounted as a closure of the elongated housing. The gas generant cartridge is placed in the housing surrounded by filtering and cooling screens. One end of the rupturable gas generant cartridge adjacent the ignitor capsule outlet is scored for rupturing inwardly to admit the ignitor fireball. The cartridge contains wraps of filter screen to provide structural rigidity, and additional filter and cooling materials surround the cartridge.
54 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A gas generator for a vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising:
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a housing having a plurality of gas outlet openings formed therethrough and deployed to provide substantially neutral thrust; multiple units of solid pyrotechnic gas generant material contained within the housing; an igniter capsule mounted to the housing and containing igniter material and having means for igniting the igniter material, the igniter capsule defining an exit opening adjacent to the gas generant material; and a nozzle surrounding the exit opening and extending therefrom for directing hot combustion products from the igniter capsule toward the gas generant material, said nozzle having length greater than diameter and providing a restricted outlet opening, whereby ignition and burning of the igniter material creates an expulsion of hot combustion products through the nozzle of the igniter capsule into the gas generant material, thereby igniting it for producing and releasing gas through the plurality of gas outlet openings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A gas generator for a vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising:
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an elongated housing having gas outlet openings defined therethrough, the housing having a tubular side wall, a first end and end wall, and a second end; pyrotechnic gas generant material contained within the housing and extending from the first end and end wall toward the second end; and an igniter capsule mounted at the second end of the housing, the igniter capsule including a rigid base and rigid, generally hemispherical cap secured together and together containing igniter material therein, the base of the igniter capsule forming a second end wall extending across the second end of the elongated housing and secured therein, the igniter capsule having an initiator and associated initiator charge directed toward the igniter material and the cap of the igniter capsule defining a single restricted outlet opening from the igniter capsule juxtaposed the pyrotechnic gas generant material contained within the housing, whereby, when operated, the initiator sets off the initiator charge and resultingly the igniter material, and the igniter material thereafter causes an expulsion of hot combustion products from the igniter capsule into the pyrotechnic gas generant material for igniting it. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A gas generator for a vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising:
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an elongated cylindrical housing having gas outlet openings defined therein; a metal sealed cylindrical cartridge containing pyrotechnic gas generant material, the cartridge having a tubular side wall rupturable to release gas produced by the pyrotechnic gas generant material, when ignited, the cartridge further having end walls with one of the end walls being thicker than the tubular side wall and including a rupturable entry portion structurally weaker than the surrounding portion of the end wall, the sealed gas generant cartridge being received within the elongated cylindrical housing; and an igniter charge deployed adjacent the rupturable entry end wall portion of the sealed gas generant cartridge and means for igniting the igniter charge; whereby, when ignited, the igniter material produces hot combustion products which rupture the entry portion of the cartridge end wall, enter the cartridge and ignite the pyrotechnic gas generant material therein. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A gas generator for a vehicle occupant restrain system, comprising:
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an elongated cylindrical housing having a tubular side wall, a first end and end wall and a second end; a plurality of gas outlet opening defined in the tubular wall of the cylindrical housing, the gas outlet openings being deployed in diametrically opposed groups; a tubular filter and cooling assembly received in the housing extending from the first end wall and position adjacent tubular side wall, the tubular filter and cooling assembly having plural layers of filter material including screening; a cylindrical sealed gas generant cartridge received in the housing within the tubular filter and cooling assembly, the gas generant cartridge having a rupturable tubular side wall and a end cap stronger than the tubular side wall and having a rupturable entry wall portion facing the second end of the housing, the gas generant cartridge containing a pyrotechnic gas generant material; an igniter capsule including a base mounted at and closing the second end of the housing; the igniter capsule base defining an opening receiving and mounting an electrically operable initiator with terminals thereof exposed on the exterior of the housing; an initiator charge mounted adjacent the initiator for ignition thereby; igniter powder contained within the igniter capsule adjacent the initiator charge for ignition thereby; the initiator capsule further including a cap cooperating with the base to contain the igniter material, the cap having a rupturably sealed exit opening defined by a nozzle directed at the rupturable entry wall portion of the gas generant cartridge.
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Specification