Vehicle occupant protection system having a dual stage inflator

• US 6,106,010 A
• Filed: 03/31/1998
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Faigle, Ernst M., Forbes, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US09/052,705
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 280/736, 280/741, 280/742, 280/735, 280/734
• US Class Current: 280/741
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/017 including arrangements for providing electric power to safety arrangements or their actuating means, e.g. to pyrotechnic fuses or electro-mechanic valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/264 using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic B60R21/268 takes precedence

Abstract

An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device system (10, 110) for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in a crash event includes a module (12, 112), which may be mounted in a vehicle and includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (24, 124). A mechanism controls flow of inflation fluid from an inflator (26, 126) to the protection device (24, 124). The mechanism also includes a first igniter (30, 130) and a second igniter (32, 132), which provide for inflation fluid flow from the inflator (26, 126) to the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (24, 124). The system (10, 110) also includes a crash sensor (14, 114) for sensing a vehicle crash event and providing an activation signal. The igniters (30, 130 and 32, 132) are responsive to the crash sensor (14, 114) over a shared signal path (16, 116 and 18, 118) between the module (12, 112) and the crash sensor (14, 114). A delay device (46, 146) delays actuation of the second igniter (32, 132) for a predetermined time period after actuation of the first igniter (30, 130).

Claims

1. An inflatable vehicle occupant protection system for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in a collision, said system comprising:

a module for mounting in a vehicle and comprising an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device which, when inflated, helps to protect a vehicle occupant, and

an inflator for providing inflation fluid to inflate said vehicle occupant protection device, said inflator including a diffuser and a chamber containing combustible gasses; and

a mechanism for controlling flow of inflation fluid from said inflator, said mechanism comprising;

a first electrically actuated igniter located outside of said chamber for, when actuated, providing for inflation fluid flow from said chamber to said vehicle occupant protection device without igniting said combustible gasses;

a second electrically actuated igniter located inside of said chamber for, when actuated, igniting said combustible gasses and providing for increased inflation fluid flow from said inflator to said vehicle occupant protection device;

a crash sensor for sensing a vehicle crash for which inflation of said occupant protection device is desired, said crash sensor comprising a delay device as an integral part of said crash sensor, said crash sensor providing a first signal to actuate said first igniter and a second signal to actuate said second igniter at a predetermined time period after actuation of said first igniter; and

an electrical circuit extending between said crash sensor and said module for providing a signal path from said crash sensor to said module, said electrical circuit providing a shared signal path for said first and second signals.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said second signal has a substantially opposite polarity from said first signal.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said predetermined time period ranges from about 10 milliseconds to about 20 milliseconds.

4. An inflatable vehicle occupant protection system for helping to protect a vehicle occupant comprising:

a module for mounting in a vehicle including an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device which, when inflated, helps to protect a vehicle occupant;

an inflator for providing inflation fluid to inflate said vehicle occupant protection device, said inflator including a diffuser and a chamber containing combustible gases;

a mechanism for controlling flow of inflation fluid from said inflator, said mechanism comprising;

a first electrically actuated igniter located outside of said chamber, said igniter, when actuated, providing for inflation fluid flow from said chamber to said vehicle occupant protection device without igniting said combustible gases;

a second electrically actuated igniter located inside of said chamber, said igniter, when actuated, providing for increased inflation fluid flow from said chamber to said vehicle occupant protection device;

a crash sensor for sensing a vehicle crash for which inflation of said occupant protection device is desired and for providing an activation signal to activate said first and second igniters, said first and second igniters being responsive to said crash sensor over a shared signal path;

an electrical circuit extending between said crash sensor and said module for providing said shared signal path to said first and said second igniters;

a delay device responsive to said activation signal for delaying actuation of said second igniter for a time period after actuation of said first igniter; and

wherein said mechanism further comprises an electrical connector on said module for distributing said activation signal to said first and second igniters, said electrical circuit extending from said crash sensor to said electrical connector and said delay device comprising an electrical delay circuit in said connector.