Air bag gas generator and air bag apparatus

• US 6,460,883 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited
• Inventors: Ohji, Nobuyuki, Iwai, Yasunori, Katsuda, Nobuyuki, Nakashima, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris, Joselynn Y
• Application Number:
  US09/620,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20020063420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 280/736, 280/741, 280/737, 102/530, 102/531
• 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: B01D 46/2403 characterised by the physical shape or structure of the filtering element
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01006 Mounting of electrical components in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26029 Ignitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26064 characterised by auto-ignition means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2633 with a plurality of inflation levels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2648 comprising a plurality of combustion chambers or sub-chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2644 using only solid reacting substances, e.g. pellets, powder

Abstract

A gas generator for an air bag system has, in a housing provided with a gas discharge port, ignition means activated upon an impact, and gas generating means ignited and burnt by the ignition means and generate a combustion gas for inflating an air bag, and two combustion chambers storing the gas generating means. The combustion chambers are concentrically provided so as to be adjacent to each other in the radial direction of the housing, and a communicating hole which allows communication between the combustion chambers is provided, in the housing. The gas generator also has two igniters, two different gas generating means, a connector having a lead wire, a combustion chamber, ignition means provided in an inner cylindrical member, and an automatic ignition member, which can effectively restrain an occupant.

Claims

1. A gas generator for an air bag, comprising:

a housing having a combustion chamber for containing gas generating agents therein;

a first igniter attached to said housing for igniting the gas generating agents stored in said combustion chamber, said first igniter having a first electric terminal and a first connector receiving portion having a first external appearance;

a second igniter attached to said housing for igniting the gas generating agents stored in said combustion chamber, said second igniter having a second electric terminal and a second connector receiving portion having a second external appearance different from the first external appearance;

a first connector having a first connecting portion that engages the first connector receiving portion, the first connecting portion having a third external appearance that corresponds to the first external appearance, the first connector also having a first lead wire extending therefrom, said first lead wire extending substantially on an imaginary plane perpendicular to the axial direction of said housing when said first connector is electrically connected to said first electric terminal; and

a second connector having a second connecting portion that engages the second connector receiving portion, the second connecting portion having a fourth external appearance that corresponds to the second external appearance, the second connector also having a second lead wire extending therefrom, said second lead wire also extending substantially on the imaginary plane perpendicular to the axial direction of said housing when said second connector is electrically connected to said second electric terminal.

2. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 1, wherein said first igniter and said second igniter are attached to a single initiator collar, and said first igniter and said second igniter are arranged eccentrically with respect to a center axis of the housing.

3. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 1, wherein said housing includes a first end wall substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of said housing, and said first igniter and said second igniter are provided on said first end wall.

4. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 3, wherein said first igniter and said second igniter are provided on said first end wall such that the first electric terminal and the second electric terminal extend in an axial direction of said housing and the first lead wire and the second lead wire extends in the same direction on the imaginary plane by connecting said first connector and said second connector with the first connector receiving portion and the second connector receiving portion.

5. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 1, wherein the first connector and said second connectors are formed integrally.

6. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 1, wherein said first lead wire is parallel to said second lead wire.

7. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 6, wherein said first connector and said second connector have the third external appearance and the fourth external appearance, respectively, such that the first lead wire and the second lead wire extend in the same direction by selectively connecting said first connector and said second connector with the first connector receiving portion and the second connector receiving portion, respectively.

8. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 1, wherein said combustion chamber includes a first combustion chamber and a second combustion chamber, and the first igniter and the second igniter are attached to said housing to ignite gas generating agents stored in said first combustion chamber and said second combustion chamber, respectively.

9. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 8, wherein said first and second combustion chambers are provided concentrically with respect to a center axis of said housing and adjacent to each other in a radial direction of the housing.

10. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 8, wherein the housing is cylindrical in shape, having an axial core length longer than an outermost diameter thereof, and having a plurality of gas discharge ports on a peripheral wall thereof, wherein, said first combustion chamber and said second combustion chamber are concentrically provided adjacent to each other in one of axial and radial directions of the housing, and provided with a communicating hole which allows fluid communication between said first combustion chamber and said second combustion chamber.

11. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 8, wherein said housing includes a communication hole that allows a fluid communication between said first combustion chamber and said second combustion chamber.

12. The gas generator for an airbag according to claim 1, wherein said first connector has a shape formed in an outer circumference thereof corresponding to a shape of an inner circumference of the first connector receiving portion, and said second connector has a shape formed in an outer circumference thereof corresponding to a shape of an inner circumference of the second connector receiving portion.

13. A gas generator for an air bag, comprising:

a housing having a combustion chamber for containing gas generating agents therein;

a first igniter attached to said housing for igniting the gas generating agents stored in said combustion chamber, said first igniter having a first electric terminal;

a second igniter attached to said housing for igniting the gas generating agents stored in said combustion chamber, said second igniter having a second electric terminal;

a first connector having a first lead wire extending therefrom, said first lead wire extending substantially on an imaginary plane perpendicular to the axial direction of said housing when said first connector is electrically connected to said first electric terminal; and

a second connector having a second lead wire extending therefrom, said second lead wire also extending substantially on the imaginary plane perpendicular to the axial direction of said housing when said second connector is electrically connected to said second electric terminal,

wherein said combustion chamber includes a first combustion chamber and a second combustion chamber, and the first igniter and the second igniter are attached to said housing to ignite gas generating agents stored in said first combustion chamber and said second combustion chamber, respectively, and

wherein the housing is cylindrical in shape, having an axial core length longer than an outermost diameter thereof, and having a plurality of gas discharge ports on a peripheral wall thereof, wherein, said first combustion chamber and said second combustion chamber are concentrically provided adjacent to each other in one of axial and radial directions of the housing, and provided with a communicating hole which allows fluid communication between said first combustion chamber and said second combustion chamber.

14. A gas generator for an air bag, comprising:

a housing having a combustion chamber for containing gas generating agents therein;

a first igniter attached to said housing for igniting the gas generating agents stored in said combustion chamber, said first igniter having a first electric terminal and a first connector receiving portion having a first external appearance; and

a second igniter attached to said housing for igniting the gas generating agents stored in said combustion chamber, said second igniter having a second electric terminal and a second connector receiving portion having a second external appearance different from the first external appearance.