Gas generating apparatus for air bag apparatus and method for inflating air bag

• US 6,168,201 B1
• Filed: 01/02/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Miyata Industry Co., Ltd. (Morita Holdings Corporation), Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Miyata Industry Co., Ltd. (Morita Holdings Corporation), Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuyuki, Mitsugu, Takahashi, Hiroyuki, Kawauchi, Yoshikazu, Takeyama, Shigeru, Usui, Yasushi, Eto, Norimasa, Yamamori, Kiyoshi, Ono, Takuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/930,252
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 280/737, 280/741, 280/736, 280/739, 280/740, 280/742
• US Class Current: 280/737
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26094 characterised by fluid flow controlling valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/264 using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic B60R21/268 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus mounted in a vehicle or the like for protecting a passenger of the vehicle by charging a gas into an air bag interposed between the passenger and an interior member of the vehicle chamber so as to inflate the air bag at the time of collision of the vehicle. The gas generating apparatus for the air bag apparatus includes a first chamber 9 which accommodates a combustible fluid 7 and which is provided with a first vent opening 8 leading to the air bag 3; a second chamber 5 larger than the first chamber 9; a first occluding member 13 for occluding the first vent opening 8; and an ignition device 14 for igniting the combustible fluid in the first chamber 9. By burning at least a portion of the combustible fluid 7 within the first chamber 9, the fluid in the first and second chambers 9 and 5 is discharged through the first vent opening 8 to inflate the air bag 3. Since, the first occluding member is swiftly broken to discharge a mixture of the combustible fluid in the first chamber, it is possible to shorten the initial responding time period required to start inflating the air bag.

Claims

1. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus, comprising:

a first chamber accommodating a combustible fluid and provided with a first vent opening which is in communication with an air bag;

a second chamber which is larger than said first chamber and which accommodates at least one of a combustible fluid and an inert fluid;

a first occluding member for occluding said first vent opening; and

ignition means for igniting the combustible fluid in said first chamber;

wherein

at least a portion of the combustible fluid in said first chamber is burnt, thereby discharging the fluid in said first and second chambers through said first vent opening to inflate said air bag.

2. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 1, further including a second vent opening for bringing said first and second chambers into communication with each other, and a second occluding member for occluding said second vent opening, wherein when the combustible fluid in said first chamber is burnt, said first chamber is substantially closed.

3. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said second occluding member is provided outside said first chamber.

4. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said second occluding member is provided inside said first chamber.

5. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said second occluding member is formed to be broken easier by a pressure from said second chamber than by a pressure from said first chamber.

6. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein said first chamber includes a third vent opening which is in communication with said second chamber, said third vent opening having at least one of an opening area smaller than that of said second vent opening and a length longer than that of said second vent opening.

7. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said third vent opening is formed in a side wall of said first chamber.

8. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said third vent opening is formed in said second occluding member.

9. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said first occluding member is broken by an increase in pressure within said first chamber.

10. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein said second occluding member is broken by a difference between a pressure within said first chamber and a pressure within said second chamber.

11. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first chamber is provided at one end thereof with said first vent opening, and the other end of said first chamber is formed into a narrow cylindrical shape and is opened within said second chamber.

12. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or 11, wherein said first chamber is provided, at an end surface thereof to which said first vent opening is provided, with a gas diffusing member having a plurality of fluid diffusing holes directed in a radical direction.

13. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or 11, wherein at least one of said first chamber and said second chamber includes an oxidizer, or the oxidizer and an inert gas.

14. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 1, further including a third vent opening for bringing said first and second chambers into communication with each other, and control means for controlling a communication state of said third vent opening and an inflation state of said air bag.

15. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said control means includes a shutter member for closing said third vent opening between a fully opened state and a minium opening area, said shutter member maintains said third vent opening in the fully opened state in a normal state, closes said third vent opening such as to assume said minimum opening area upon a collision at high speed, and in other cases, operates to bring said third vent opening to assume a predetermined opening area between said fully opened state and said minimum opening area in accordance with a degree of the collision.

16. A gas operating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said control means includes an inertially moving member mounted within said first chamber, said inertially moving member decreasing a volume of said first chamber in accordance with a degree of collision at the time of collision.

17. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said inertially moving member is biased in a direction to maximize the volume of said first chamber.

18. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 16 or 17, wherein said first chamber is provided such as to extend into said second chamber in an axial direction thereof.

19. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 16 or 17, wherein said first chamber is provided to extend in said second chamber in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of said second chamber.

20. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to any one of claims 16 or 17, wherein said third vent opening comprises a plurality of openings in a side wall of said first chamber at a predetermined distance from one another in a longitudinal direction of said first chamber, said inertially moving member occludes a predetermined number of said plurality of openings in accordance with a degree of collision.

21. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said inertially moving member maximizes the volume of said first chamber, and is biased in a position to open all of said third vent openings.

22. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said third vent opening comprises a slit portion formed such as to extend in a longitudinal direction of said first chamber.

23. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 1, further including a discharging means provided between said first vent opening and said air bag or discharging gas to an exterior, and a control means for controlling a communication state between said discharging means and said exterior in accordance with a predetermined condition, wherein said control means controls the inflation state of said air bag.

24. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said discharging means includes a discharge port, wherein said control means includes a shutter member for adjusting said discharge port between a fully opened state and fully closed state, said shutter member maintains the fully opened state of said discharge port in a normal state, closes said discharge port completely upon a collision at high speed, and in other cases, adjusts to bring said discharge port into a predetermined opened state between said fully opened state and said fully closed state in accordance with a degree of the collision.

25. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ignition means includes an igniting portion extending into said first chamber.

26. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus, comprising:

a first chamber accommodating a combustible fluid and provided with a first vent opening which is in communication with an air bag;

a second chamber which is larger than said first chamber and which accommodates at least one of a combustible fluid and an inert fluid;

a first occluding member for occluding said first vent opening,

a second vent opening for bringing said first chamber and said second chamber into communication with each other;

a second occluding member for occluding said second vent opening;

a third vent opening for bringing said first chamber and said second chamber into communication with each other said third vent opening having at least one of a sectional area smaller than that of said second vent opening and a length longer than that of said second vent opening; and

ignition means for igniting the combustible fluid in said first chamber;

wherein

at least a portion of the combustible fluid in said first chamber is burnt by said ignition means, a fluid in said second chamber is at least one of burnt and expanded in said third vent opening, a fluid in said first chamber is discharged from said first vent opening, and the fluid in said second chamber is discharged from said first vent opening through at least said second vent opening, thereby inflating said air bag.

27. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said third vent opening is formed on a center axis of said second chamber.

28. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said third vent opening is formed at a location deviated from a center axis of said second chamber.

29. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 26, wherein a longitudinal axis of said third vent opening is in parallel to a center axis of said second chamber.

30. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 26, wherein a longitudinal axis of said third vent opening is directed in a direction intersecting a center axis of said second chamber.

31. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said second chamber is formed into a cylindrical shape, and a longitudinal axis of said third vent opening is directed in a circumferential direction of said second chamber.

32. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said third vent opening comprises a plurality of openings, longitudinal axes of said third vent openings are regularly directed, or irregularly directed in multiple directions.

33. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 32, further including flow path deviating means for deviating a direction of the outflow of a fluid ejecting from said first chamber to said second chamber through said third vent opening.

34. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said flow path deviating means is selected from at least one of a plate, a mesh and a metal mesh provided in at least one of said first chamber and said second chamber.

35. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 32, wherein a sum of sectional areas of said third vent openings is set in a range of 0.10 mm² to 20 mm².

36. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 32, wherein a length of said third vent opening is set in a range of 0.2 mm to 100 mm.

37. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 26, further including combustion gas cooling means for cooling a fluid ejected from said first chamber to said second chamber through said third vent opening.

38. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said combustion gas cooling means is selected from at least one of a plate, a mesh and a metal mesh provided in at least one of said first chamber and said second chamber.

39. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 38, wherein said second vent opening is set to be opened when a predetermined time period is elapsed after said ignition means operates.

40. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said second occluding member is broken when a pressure within said first chamber reaches a predetermined value.

41. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said second occluding member is mechanically broken.

42. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus, comprising:

a first chamber accommodating a combustible fuel and having a first vent opening; and

a second chamber including a partition wall having a second vent opening and a third vent opening;

wherein

a portion of combustion product created in said first chamber is passed through said third vent opening and introduced into said second chamber, a combustion product created in said second chamber is introduced from said second vent opening into said first chamber, and the combustion products created in said first and second chambers are discharged from said first vent opening.

43. A gas generating apparatus for an air bag apparatus, comprising:

at least two chambers capable of communicating with each other; and

a fluid accommodated in each of said chambers;

wherein one of said two chambers includes an ignition member, the fluid accommodated in at least said one chamber is combustible fluid, the combustible fluid is ignited in said one chamber, and both said fluids are discharged from said one chamber where the combustible fluid is ignited.

44. A method of inflating an air bag, wherein the bag is inflated by a gas generating apparatus comprising a first chamber having an ignition member, a second chamber, and a combustible fluid accommodated in at least the first chamber, said method comprising the steps of:

igniting the combustible fluid in said first chamber by the ignition member;

introducing, into said second chamber, at least a portion of a combustion fluid mixture created in said igniting step;

introducing, into the air bag, at least a portion of said combustion fluid mixture created in said igniting step; and

introducing at least a portion of said combustion fluid mixture within said second chamber from said second chamber through said first chamber into the air bag.