Regenerative monopropellant airbag inflator
First Claim
1. A regenerative monopropellant airbag inflator, comprising:
- a housing having a longitudinal axis and defining an interior, said interior including at least one exit port extending through said housing;
an piston within said interior, said piston dividing said interior into a fuel supply chamber and a combustion chamber, said exit port communicating with said combustion chamber, and said piston being mounted for movement along said longitudinal axis;
a quantity of fluid monopropellant housed within said fuel supply chamber;
an initiator operatively associated with said combustion chamber;
a plurality of injection ports extending through said piston for flow of said fluid monopropellant from said fuel supply chamber to said combustion chamber, said injection ports being oriented to focus said fluid monopropellant to a localized area within said combustion chamber; and
an isolation cup mounted within said combustion chamber, said isolation cup including a concavity facing said piston, and wherein said localized area is located within said concavity.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A regenerative monopropellant inflator having improved initiation of the regenerative cycle and improve operating efficiency. The inflator may direct the flow of the monopropellant into a localized volume to create a "hot spot" to increase combustion. This serves to ensure that the regenerative cycle is initiated. Various arrangements are provided to increase the residence time of the combusting monopropellant within the inflator, to ensure complete combustion of the monopropellant, and thus increased efficiency. These arrangements include inducing a helical gas flow to increase the length of the path traveled by the gas. Various barriers may also be placed within the gas flow to force direction changes, which reduce the velocity of the gas.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A regenerative monopropellant airbag inflator, comprising:
-
a housing having a longitudinal axis and defining an interior, said interior including at least one exit port extending through said housing; an piston within said interior, said piston dividing said interior into a fuel supply chamber and a combustion chamber, said exit port communicating with said combustion chamber, and said piston being mounted for movement along said longitudinal axis; a quantity of fluid monopropellant housed within said fuel supply chamber; an initiator operatively associated with said combustion chamber; a plurality of injection ports extending through said piston for flow of said fluid monopropellant from said fuel supply chamber to said combustion chamber, said injection ports being oriented to focus said fluid monopropellant to a localized area within said combustion chamber; and an isolation cup mounted within said combustion chamber, said isolation cup including a concavity facing said piston, and wherein said localized area is located within said concavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A regenerative monopropellant airbag inflator, comprising:
-
a housing having a longitudinal axis and defining an interior, said interior including at least one exit port extending through said housing; an piston within said interior, said piston dividing said interior into a fuel supply chamber and a combustion chamber, said exit port communicating with said combustion chamber, and said piston being mounted for movement along said longitudinal axis; a quantity of fluid monopropellant housed within said fuel supply chamber; an initiator operatively associated with said combustion chamber; and a plurality of injection ports extending through said piston for flow of said fluid monopropellant from said fuel supply chamber to said combustion chamber, said injection ports being oriented to focus said fluid monopropellant to a localized area within said combustion chamber wherein said injection ports each include an inlet and an outlet, and said inlets are angularly offset, about said longitudinal axis, with respect to said outlets, to cause a helical flow within said combustion chamber. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
-
-
12. A regenerative monopropellant airbag inflator, comprising:
-
a housing having a longitudinal axis an defining an interior, said interior including at least one exit port extending through said housing; a piston within said interior, said piston dividing said interior into a fuel supply chamber and a combustion chamber, said exit port communicating with said combustion chamber, and said piston being mounted for movement along said longitudinal axis; a quantity of fluid monopropellant housed within said fuel supply chamber; an initiator operatively associated with said combustion chamber; and a plurality of injection ports extending through said piston for flow of said fluid monopropellant fuel from said fuel supply chamber to said combustion chamber, each of said injection ports having an inlet and an outlet, said inlets being angularly offset, about said longitudinal axis, with respect to said outlets, to cause a helical flow within said combustion chamber. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
-
Specification