Flow-through heat-enhanced hybrid inflator
First Claim
1. A heat-augmented inflator for a vehicle airbag, the inflator comprising:
- A) a housing defining a storage chamber having a compressed inflation gas therein;
B) a heating cup mounted to said housing and defining at least a portion of a gas delivery passage from the storage chamber to an outlet for delivering inflation gas to the vehicle airbag;
C) heat-producing material contained in the heating cup and deployed in the gas delivery passage, the heat-producing material and gas delivery passage cooperative to permit the heat-producing material to react to depletion upon being initiated;
D) a rupturable diaphragm preventing flow of inflation gas through the gas delivery passage; and
E) initiator means for initiating heat production by the heat-producing means;
wherein upon operation of the initiator means, operation of the heat-producing means is initiated and the diaphragm ruptures to permit a flow of inflation gas through the gas delivery passage and the operative heat-producing material therein, providing heat-expanded inflation gas to the vehicle airbag.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A heat-enhanced boosted inflator for a vehicle airbag includes a housing defining a storage chamber having compressed inflation gas therein and a heating cup mounted to the housing and defining a portion of a gas delivery path to the airbag. The heating cup contains a heat-producing material and the gas flows through the heat-producing material to heat-expand it. One heat-producing material is thermite (Al+FeO3) and ignitor means initiate its reaction. A cylindrical heating cup provides an annular heating chamber containing the heat-producing material and further defines an outlet plenum containing inflation gas which is released initially for a "soft" onset of inflation.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A heat-augmented inflator for a vehicle airbag, the inflator comprising:
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A) a housing defining a storage chamber having a compressed inflation gas therein; B) a heating cup mounted to said housing and defining at least a portion of a gas delivery passage from the storage chamber to an outlet for delivering inflation gas to the vehicle airbag; C) heat-producing material contained in the heating cup and deployed in the gas delivery passage, the heat-producing material and gas delivery passage cooperative to permit the heat-producing material to react to depletion upon being initiated; D) a rupturable diaphragm preventing flow of inflation gas through the gas delivery passage; and E) initiator means for initiating heat production by the heat-producing means; wherein upon operation of the initiator means, operation of the heat-producing means is initiated and the diaphragm ruptures to permit a flow of inflation gas through the gas delivery passage and the operative heat-producing material therein, providing heat-expanded inflation gas to the vehicle airbag. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A heat-enhanced inflator for a vehicle airbag, the inflator comprising:
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A) a housing having a cylindrical sidewall, a first end wall, and an open end; B) a generally cylindrical heating cup mounted in the open end of the housing, the heating cup including a cylindrical outer wall closely received in the cylindrical sidewall of the housing, a bottom wall and an inner wall extending from the bottom wall concentric with the outer wall; C) a second end wall extending across the open end of the housing between the concentric outer and inner walls of the heating cup, and defining an outlet opening circumscribed by the inner wall of the heating cup; D) a rupturable diaphragm sealing the outlet opening defined by the second end wall; E) a storage chamber defined by the cylindrical sidewall and end wall of the housing and the bottom wall of the heating cup; F) an outlet plenum defined by the bottom and inner wall of the heating cup and by the rupturable diaphragm; G) an annular heating chamber defined between the inner and outer sidewalls of the heating cup, the bottom wall of the heating cup defining a plurality of inlet openings to the heating chamber and the inner wall of the heating cup defining a plurality of exit orifices from the heating chamber to the outlet plenum; H) a diffuser secured to the inflator housing over the outlet opening, the diffuser defining a plurality of outlet ports; I) a gas delivery passage extending from the gas storage chamber through the inlet openings to the annular booster chamber, through the heating chamber and the exit orifices therefrom to the outlet plenum, from the outlet plenum through the outlet opening to the diffuser, and out the outlet ports of the diffuser, the gas delivery passage blocked by the rupturable diaphragm until operation of the inflator; J) heat-producing material in the portion of the gas delivery chamber formed by the annular heating chamber; K) an inert gas stored under pressure within the storage chamber of the cylindrical housing, the annular booster chamber and the outlet plenum, the gas sealed therein by the rupturable diaphragm until operation of the inflator; and L) means for initiating heat production by the heat-producing material; wherein after initiation of the heat-producing material, the diaphragm ruptures to permit an initial flow of inflation gasses from the outlet plenum and a flow of inflation gasses along the gas delivery passage, the gasses being heated and expanded by the heat-producing material in the annular heating chamber. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A heat-enhanced inflator for a vehicle airbag, the inflator comprising:
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A) a housing; B) a heating cup mounted to the housing, the housing and heating cup together defining a storage chamber containing compressed inflation gas; C) the heating cup defining an outlet orifice from the gas storage chamber covered by a rupturable diaphragm and the heating cup containing an essentially non gas-producing heating composition positioned in a gas delivery passage of stored gas through the heating cup; and D) initiator means including a squib and a pyrotechnic material, the initiator adapted to apply the pyrotechnic material, upon ignition thereof by the squib, to the heating composition for initiating a heat-producing reaction thereof; wherein, after operation of the squib, the diaphragm ruptures to permit a flow of inflation gas through the heating cup and the reacting heating composition therein, and the gas delivery passage and heating cup are configured to permit the heating composition to react to depletion, thereby delivering heat-expanded inflation gas for inflating the vehicle airbag. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification