Air bag inflation gas generator

• US 5,645,296 A
• Filed: 11/01/1995
• Issued: 07/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Koki Co., Ltd. (NOF Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Koki Co., Ltd. (NOF Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Takeshi, Sioda, Michio, Minamizawa, Takasi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US08/551,679
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 280/736, 280/741, 280/742
• US Class Current: 280/736
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2279/10 for air bags, e.g. inflators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/24 Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using rigid hollow filter bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2644 using only solid reacting substances, e.g. pellets, powder
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/04 for producing gas under pressure generators of inflation fluid especially adapted for vehicle air bags B60R21/26

Abstract

This invention relates to an air bag inflation gas generator used to inflate air bags such as air bags for impact safety devices, life jackets, rafts, and escape chutes, and aims to simplify its structure extensively as compared with prior art and to make the device compact easily. Combustion gas produced when gas generating agents are burnt passes through a gas filter which is disposed inside the outer wall of a combustion chamber and flows from gas outlets of the outer wall directly into an air bag. When the combustion gas passes through the gas filter, residues contained in the combustion gas is collected by the gas filter to purify the combustion gas. And, the combustion gas produced when gas generating agents are burnt is changed its passage by gas passage changing means, and the residues contained in the combustion gas are collected between a partition member and the gas passage changing means before the combustion gas enters the gas filter. Then, the combustion gas is purified by the gas filter and goes out of the gas outlets.

Claims

1. An air bag inflation gas generator comprising gas outlets to an air bag which are directly formed on an outer wall of a combustion chamber accommodating gas generating agents, and an annular gas filter which is disposed inside said outer wall.

2. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 1, further comprising said gas outlets to said air bag which are directly formed on said outer wall of said combustion chamber accommodating said gas generating agents, and said annular gas filter which is disposed inside said outer wall, said gas generating agents being disposed next to the inner periphery of said gas filter.

3. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 2, wherein said gas passage changing means is made of plate-shaped passage changing members, and wound into a filter member.

4. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 3 wherein said filter member is made of wire gauze.

5. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 3, wherein said filter member is made of wire gauze and ceramics paper or wire gauze and metallic fabrics.

6. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 3, wherein said gas flow openings comprise many small holes.

7. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 3, wherein said inner and outer plates are made of one of aluminum, stainless steel and copper.

8. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 3, wherein said inner and outer plates have a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

9. An air bag inflation gas generator comprising gas outlets which are formed on an outer wall of a combustion chamber accommodating gas generating agents, a gas filter which is disposed inside said outer wall, and gas passage changing means for changing the passage of the gas from said gas generating agents, which is disposed between said gas outlets and said gas filter.

10. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 9, further comprising said gas outlets to said air bag which are directly formed on said outer wall of said combustion chamber accommodating said gas generating agents, said annular gas filter which is disposed inside said outer wall, and gas passage changing means for changing the passage of the gas from said gas generating agents, said gas passage changing means being disposed within said gas filter.

11. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 10, wherein said gas passage changing member comprises inner and outer plates which are disposed in a radial direction within said gas filter with a prescribed space therebetween, and said inner and outer plates have gas flow openings formed at different positions respectively.

12. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 11, wherein said inner and outer plates have a length enough to make one turn within said gas filter.

13. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 11, wherein said outer plate has its gas flow openings formed so as not to align with the gas flow opening of said inner plate.

14. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 11, wherein said gas flow openings are rectangular.

15. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 9, wherein said gas passage changing means changes the passage of the gas from said gas generating agents at an angle of 30 to 90 degrees.

16. An air bag inflation gas generator comprising gas outlets which are formed on an outer wall of a combustion chamber accommodating gas generating agents, a gas filter which is disposed inside said outer wall, a partition member having small holes which is disposed between said gas generating agents and said gas filter, and gas passage changing means which changes the passage of the gas from said gas generating agents gushing out of said small holes of said partition member, said gas passage changing means being disposed between said partition member and said gas filter.

17. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 16, wherein said gas passage changing means comprises a gas passage changing member which has gas passage changing small holes positioned different from the small holes of said partition member.

18. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 16, wherein said gas passage changing means comprises a gas passage changing member which is positioned to cover the gas gushing side of the small holes of said partition member with a prescribed space therebetween.

19. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 16, wherein said gas filter, said gas passage changing means and said partition member are held between a pair of supporting members.

20. An air bag inflation gas generator comprising gas outlets to an air bag which are directly formed on an outer wall of a combustion chamber accommodating gas generating agents, and an annular gas filter which is disposed inside said outer wall, said gas generating agents being disposed next to the inner periphery of said gas filter, and gas passage changing means for changing the passage of the gas from said gas generating agents, said gas passage changing means being disposed within said gas filter.

21. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 20, wherein said gas passage changing means changes the passage of the gas from said gas generating agents at an angle of 30 to 90 degrees.

22. An air bag according claim 20, wherein said passage changing means is made of plate-shaped passage changing members, and wound into a filter member.

23. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 22, wherein said gas flow openings comprise many small holes.

24. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 22, wherein said inner and outer plates are made of aluminum, stainless steel or copper.

25. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 22, wherein said inner and outer plates have a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

26. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 20, wherein said gas passage changing member comprises inner and outer plate, which are disposed in a radial direction within said gas filter with a prescribed space therebetween, and said inner and outer plates have gas flow openings formed at different positions respectively.

27. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 26, wherein said inner and outer plates have a length enough to mae one turn within said gas filter.

28. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 26, wherein said outer plate has its gas flow openings formed so as not to align with the gas flow opening of said inner plate.

29. An air bag inflation gas generator according to claim 26, wherein said gas flow openings are rectangular.