Air bag inflator
First Claim
1. An air bag inflator designed for the rapid generation of gas when activated for inflating an air bag associated therewith, comprising:
- a housing having an outer peripheral side wall with a plurality of spaced apart diffuser ports therein for directing gas outwardly to inflate said air bag;
said housing including a top wall and a spaced apart bottom wall joined respectively to opposite end portions of said outer peripheral side wall and a single, inner side wall extending between and joined to said top and bottom wall within said outer peripheral side wall and including a plurality of spaced apart ignition ports therein for directing hot ignition gas outwardly toward said outer peripheral side wall;
ignition means in a first ignition chamber defined within said inner side wall for generating hot ignition gases to flow out said ignition ports; and
a second chamber around said inner side wall containing gas generating material adapted to be ignited by said ignition gas for generating gas to inflate said air bag and filter means for entrapping solid contaminants from said gas flowing outwardly of said gas generating material toward said diffuser ports, said filter means extending around said gas generating material between said top and bottom walls and having an inner periphery in direct contact with said gas generating material and an outer periphery adjacent an inside surface of said peripheral side wall.
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Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
An air bag inflator for inflating an air bag includes a housing for generating gas having only two walled chambers, including a centrally disposed ignition chamber and an outer chamber in coaxial relation therewith. The outer chamber provides a dual function of containing a quantity of gas generating material in an inner portion thereof and holding a filter for cooling and collecting contaminants from the generated gas in an outer portion thereof. The filter is mounted with an inlet face of substantial area in direct contact with and surrounding a body of gas generating material and no wall is provided between the filter and the generating material.
57 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An air bag inflator designed for the rapid generation of gas when activated for inflating an air bag associated therewith, comprising:
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a housing having an outer peripheral side wall with a plurality of spaced apart diffuser ports therein for directing gas outwardly to inflate said air bag; said housing including a top wall and a spaced apart bottom wall joined respectively to opposite end portions of said outer peripheral side wall and a single, inner side wall extending between and joined to said top and bottom wall within said outer peripheral side wall and including a plurality of spaced apart ignition ports therein for directing hot ignition gas outwardly toward said outer peripheral side wall; ignition means in a first ignition chamber defined within said inner side wall for generating hot ignition gases to flow out said ignition ports; and a second chamber around said inner side wall containing gas generating material adapted to be ignited by said ignition gas for generating gas to inflate said air bag and filter means for entrapping solid contaminants from said gas flowing outwardly of said gas generating material toward said diffuser ports, said filter means extending around said gas generating material between said top and bottom walls and having an inner periphery in direct contact with said gas generating material and an outer periphery adjacent an inside surface of said peripheral side wall. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An inflator for generating gas when activated to inflate an air bag, comprising;
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a housing having a centrally disposed ignition chamber for holding ignition materials; an outer chamber in coaxial relation around said ignition chamber for containing gas generating material and a filter; said housing including an outer wall having a plurality of spaced apart diffuser ports for directing gas generated by said inflator outwardly to inflate said air bag and a single inner wall around said ignition chamber having a plurality of ports to direct hot ignition gases outwardly of said ignition chamber to ignite said gas generating material in said outer chamber; said housing further including spaced apart top and bottom walls joining opposite ends of said inner and outer walls to close said chambers; and annular filter means mounted in said outer chamber in direct contact with and surrounding said gas generating material for entrapping solid contaminants from said gas and cooling said gas flowing outwardly toward said diffuser ports. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification