Dual stage air bag inflator
First Claim
1. An apparatus for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
a first inflation fluid source in said housing actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device;
a first actuatable initiator in said housing for, when energized, effecting actuation of said first inflation fluid source;
a second inflation fluid source in said housing actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device; and
a second actuatable initiator in said housing for, when energized, effecting actuation of said second inflation fluid source;
said housing having a fluid passage for directing flow of inflation fluid out of said housing to the inflatable device;
said housing further having a first combustion chamber extending completely around a second combustion chamber, said first inflation fluid source being located in said first combustion chamber and said second inflation fluid source being located in said second combustion chamber, said first combustion chamber being generally ring-shaped and said second combustion chamber being generally kidney-shaped;
said housing deforming due to the pressure of inflation fluid in said housing upon actuation of one or both of said inflation fluid sources;
the flow area of said fluid passage increasing due to deformation of said housing and varying in accordance with the pressure of inflation fluid in said housing.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inflator (10) includes a housing (20). A first inflation fluid source (240) in the housing (20) is actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate an inflatable device. A first actuatable initiator (130) in the housing (20), when energized, effects actuation of the first inflation fluid source (240). A second inflation fluid source (250) in the housing (20) is actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device. A second actuatable initiator (152) in the housing (20), when energized, effects actuation of the second inflation fluid source (250). The housing (20) has a fluid passage (90) for directing flow of inflation fluid out of the housing (20) to the inflatable device. The housing (20) deforms due to the pressure of inflation fluid in the housing upon actuation of one or both of the inflation fluid sources (240, 250). The flow area of the fluid passage (90) increases due to deformation of the housing (20) and varies in accordance with the pressure of inflation fluid in the housing.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said apparatus comprising:
-
a housing;
a first inflation fluid source in said housing actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device;
a first actuatable initiator in said housing for, when energized, effecting actuation of said first inflation fluid source;
a second inflation fluid source in said housing actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device; and
a second actuatable initiator in said housing for, when energized, effecting actuation of said second inflation fluid source;
said housing having a fluid passage for directing flow of inflation fluid out of said housing to the inflatable device;
said housing further having a first combustion chamber extending completely around a second combustion chamber, said first inflation fluid source being located in said first combustion chamber and said second inflation fluid source being located in said second combustion chamber, said first combustion chamber being generally ring-shaped and said second combustion chamber being generally kidney-shaped;
said housing deforming due to the pressure of inflation fluid in said housing upon actuation of one or both of said inflation fluid sources;
the flow area of said fluid passage increasing due to deformation of said housing and varying in accordance with the pressure of inflation fluid in said housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. An apparatus for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said apparatus comprising:
-
a housing having a first combustion chamber extending completely around a second combustion chamber, said first combustion chamber being generally ring-shaped and said second combustion chamber being generally kidney-shaped;
a first inflation fluid source in said first combustion chamber actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device;
a first actuatable initiator for, when energized, effecting actuation of said first inflation fluid source;
a second inflation fluid source in said second combustion chamber actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device; and
a second actuatable initiator for, when energized, effecting actuation of said second inflation fluid source. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. An apparatus for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said apparatus comprising:
-
a housing;
a first inflation fluid source in said housing actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device;
a first actuatable initiator in said housing for, when energized, effecting actuation of said first inflation fluid source;
a second inflation fluid source in said housing actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device;
a second actuatable initiator in said housing for, when energized, effecting actuation of said second inflation fluid source;
said housing having a fluid passage for directing flow of inflation fluid out of said housing to the inflatable device;
said housing deforming due to the pressure of inflation fluid in said housing upon actuation of one or both of said inflation fluid sources;
the flow area of said fluid passage increasing due to deformation of said housing and varying in accordance with the pressure of inflation fluid in said housing;
a heat sink being located in said housing between said first inflation fluid source and said fluid passage; and
a retainer for preventing material of said heat sink from being forced toward said fluid passage upon actuation of one or both of said inflation fluid sources, said retainer being located between said heat sink and said fluid passage.
-
-
12. An apparatus for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said apparatus comprising:
-
a housing;
a first inflation fluid source in said housing actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device;
a first actuatable initiator in said housing for, when energized, effecting actuation of said first inflation fluid source;
a second inflation fluid source in said housing actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device; and
a second actuatable initiator in said housing for, when energized, effecting actuation of said second inflation fluid source;
said housing having exit openings and a fluid passage for directing flow of inflation fluid to said exit openings from which the inflation fluid flows out of said housing to the inflatable device;
said housing further having a first combustion chamber extending completely around a second combustion chamber, said first inflation fluid source being located in said first combustion chamber and said second inflation fluid source being located in said second combustion chamber;
said housing deforming due to the pressure of inflation fluid in said housing upon actuation of one or both of said inflation fluid sources;
the flow area of said fluid passage increasing due to deformation of said housing and varying in accordance with the pressure of inflation fluid in said housing; and
a filter located downstream of said fluid passage and upstream of said exit openings.
-
-
13. An apparatus for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said apparatus comprising:
-
a housing;
a first inflation fluid source in said housing actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device;
a first actuatable initiator in said housing for, when energized, effecting actuation of said first inflation fluid source;
a second inflation fluid source in said housing actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device; and
a second actuatable initiator in said housing for, when energized, effecting actuation of said second inflation fluid source;
said housing having exit openings and structure in the housing to direct flow of inflation fluid to said exit openings from which the inflation fluid flows out of said housing to the inflatable device;
said housing further having a first combustion chamber extending completely around a second combustion chamber, said first inflation fluid source being located in said first combustion chamber and said second inflation fluid source being located in said second combustion chamber; and
a filter located downstream of said first and second inflation fluid sources and upstream of said exit openings.
-
-
14. An air bag inflator comprising:
-
a housing, a plurality of inflation fluid outlets extending through the housing for enabling inflation fluid to exit the inflator;
primary and secondary propellant chambers located within the housing, the primary propellant chamber including a first solid propellant that is ignitable to provide inflation fluid and the secondary propellant chamber including a second solid propellant that is ignitable to provide inflation fluid;
a primary ignition device for igniting the first propellant and a secondary ignition device for actuating the second propellant; and
a filter encircling the primary ignition device and the secondary propellant chamber, the filter contacting the first propellant to block movement of the first propellant within the primary propellant chamber, ignition of the first propellant providing inflation fluid which flows through the filter prior to exiting the inflator through the plurality of inflation fluid outlets and ignition of the second propellant providing inflation fluid which flows through the primary propellant chamber and through the filter prior to exiting the inflator through the plurality of inflation fluid outlets. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. An air bag inflator comprising:
-
a housing, a plurality of inflation fluid outlets extending through the housing for enabling inflation fluid to exit the inflator;
primary and secondary propellant chambers located within the housing, the primary propellant chamber including a first solid propellant that is ignitable to provide inflation fluid and the secondary propellant chamber including a second solid propellant that is ignitable to provide inflation fluid;
primary and secondary ignition chambers located within the housing and laterally adjacent one another, the primary propellant chamber being located laterally outward of and encircling the primary and second ignition chambers, the primary ignition chamber including a first ignitable material and means for igniting the first ignitable material, combustion products resulting from ignition of the first ignitable material igniting the first propellant, the secondary ignition chamber including means for igniting the second propellant, the primary ignition chamber including a plurality of ports for directing combustion products resulting from ignition of the first ignitable material toward the first propellant; and
structure covering the plurality of ports in the primary ignition chamber prior to ignition of the first ignitable material, the structure being removed from covering the plurality of ports by the combustion products of the first ignitable material to enable flow of the combustion products resulting from ignition of the first ignitable material through the plurality of ports toward the first propellant. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. An air bag inflator comprising:
-
a housing having a plurality of exit openings for enabling inflation fluid out of the inflator;
primary and secondary propellant chambers located within the housing, a first inflation fluid source located in the primary propellant chamber and actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid through the plurality of exit openings, a second inflation fluid source located in the secondary propellant chamber and actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid through the primary propellant chamber and through the plurality of exit openings;
the first inflation fluid source and the second inflation fluid source comprising solid pyrotechnic material which, when ignited, generates inflation fluid;
a first initiator associated with the primary propellant chamber for, when energized, actuating the first inflation fluid source;
a second initiator associated with the secondary propellant chamber, for when energized, actuating the second inflation fluid source;
a filter in the housing through which inflation fluid generated by at least the first inflation fluid source flows, and a cap in the housing extending completely over the primary propellant chamber and at least partially over the filter and having a portion to help position the filter. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
-
-
29. An air bag inflator comprising:
-
a housing having a plurality of exit openings for enabling flow of inflation fluid out of the inflator, said housing having a form of a flattened cylinder and being sized for driver side placement within a vehicle, said housing including upper and lower cup-shaped housing parts which have annular side walls welded together and end walls opposite each other, said exit openings being in one of said side walls and being spaced apart from other around said one of said side walls;
primary and secondary propellant chambers located within the housing, a first solid pyrotechnic material located in the primary propellant chamber and ignitable to generate inflation fluid which flows through the plurality of exit openings, a second solid pyrotechnic material located in the secondary propellant chamber and ignitable to generate inflation fluid which flows through the primary propellant chamber and through the plurality of exit openings;
a first initiator associated with the primary propellant chamber for, when energized, actuating the first solid pyrotechnic material;
a second initiator associated with the secondary propellant chamber for, when energized, igniting the second solid pyrotechnic material;
an annular filter in the housing, located inside the annular side walls that are welded together, and through which inflation fluid generated by at least one of the first and second pyrotechnic materials flows; and
structure interposed between the end wall of said lower cup-shaped housing part and said first and second initiators and supporting said first and second initiators. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
-
Specification