Air bag gas generator and air bag apparatus

• US 6,491,320 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2000
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited (Daicel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited (Daicel Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohji, Nobuyuki, Iwai, Yasunori, Katsuda, Nobuyuki, Nakashima, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris, Joselynn Y
• Application Number:
  US09/639,802
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 280/736, 280/741, 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. An ignition unit for a gas generator for an air bag, comprising:

a single collar having only a single recessed portion, formed in a first side thereof, for accommodating a first igniter and a second igniter therein, said first igniter and said second igniter being integrally molded with the single collar by providing resin into said single recessed portion.

2. An ignition unit according to claim 1, wherein said first igniter and said second igniter are provided such that a central axis of said first igniter and said second igniter are parallel to one another.

3. An ignition unit according to claim 1, wherein an operating output of said first igniter is different from an operating output of said second igniter.

4. An ignition unit according to claim 1, wherein a shape said first igniter is different from a shape of said second igniter.

5. An ignition unit according to claim 1, wherein the single recessed portion is provided with a first opening for receiving at least a portion of electric terminals of said first igniter, and a second opening for receiving at least a portion of electric terminals of said second igniter.

6. An ignition unit according to claim 5, wherein said first opening and said second opening penetrate through said single collar to a second side of said single collar opposite the first side.

7. An ignition unit according to claim 6, wherein the second side is provided with a first concave portion having a first bottom face that defines the first opening and a second concave portion having a second bottom face that defines the second opening, wherein said first igniter and said second igniter are molded with said single collar such that the electrical terminals of said first igniter and the electric terminals of said second igniter are projected from the first bottom face and the second bottom face, respectively.

8. An ignition unit for an air bag gas generator, comprising:

a single collar having only a single recessed portion;

a first igniter disposed in said single recessed portion;

a second igniter disposed in said single recessed portion; and

resin provided in said single recessed portion to mold said first igniter and said second igniter integrally with said single collar.

9. An ignition unit according to claim 8, wherein a central axis of said first igniter is parallel to a central axis of said second igniter.

10. An ignition unit according to claim 8, wherein an operating output of said first igniter is different from an operating output of said second igniter.

11. A method of manufacturing an ignition unit for an air bag gas generator, comprising:

providing a single collar having only a single recessed portion formed in a first side of the single collar;

providing a first igniter in said single recessed portion;

providing a second igniter in said single recessed portion; and

providing resin in said single recessed portion to mold said first igniter and said second igniter integrally with said single collar.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first igniter providing step includes the step of providing said first igniter having a first output performance, and said second igniter providing step includes the step of providing said second igniter having a second output performance different from said first output performance.

13. The method of claims 11, wherein

said first igniter providing step includes the step of providing said first igniter having a first shape, and

said second igniter providing step includes the step of providing said second igniter having a second shape different from said first shape.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said resin providing step includes the step of integrally molding said first igniter and said second igniter such that a central axis of said first igniter is parallel to a central axis of said second igniter.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said collar providing step includes the step of providing said recess portion larger than said first igniter and said second igniter.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

providing a first opening in said single recessed portion, the first opening penetrating through said single collar and in communication with a second side of said single collar opposite the first side; and

providing a second opening in said single recessed portion, the second opening penetrating through said single collar and in communication with the second side,

wherein the first igniter providing step includes the step of inserting the first igniter in said single recessed portion by inserting at least a portion of electric terminals of the first igniter into the first opening, and

wherein the second igniter providing step includes the step of inserting the second igniter in said single recessed portion by inserting at least a portion of electric terminals of the second igniter into the second opening.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing, in the second side, a first concave portion having a first end face defining the first opening; and

providing, in the second side, a second concave portion having a second end face defining the second opening,

wherein the first igniter providing step includes the step of inserting the electric terminals of the first igniter such that the electric terminals project from the first end face, and

wherein the second igniter providing step includes the step of inserting the electric terminals of the second igniter such that the electric terminals project from the second end face.