Air bag gas generator and air bag apparatus

• US 6,557,888 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2000
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited
• Inventors: Iwai, Yasunori, Ohji, Nobuyuki, Katsuda, Nobuyuki, Nakashima, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): LERNER, AVRAHAM H
• Application Number:
  US09/620,915
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/741
• US Class Current: 280/735
• 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;

an inner cylindrical member provided inside said housing; and

a single collar directly attached to said inner cylindrical member and having only a single recessed portion formed in a first side thereof, said single recessed portion accommodating both 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.

4. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a central axis of said first igniter is parallel to a central axis of said second igniter.

5. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 4, wherein the central axis of said first igniter and the central axis of the second igniter are parallel to a central axis of said housing.

6. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an operating output of said first igniter is different from an operating output of said second igniter.

7. A gas generator for an air bag according to any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein a shape of said first igniter is different from a shape of said second igniter.

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

a housing defining a first combustion chamber;

an inner cylindrical member provided inside said housing and defining a second combustion chamber therein;

gas generating means provided in said first combustion chamber and said second combustion chamber;

a first igniter for igniting the gas generating means provided in said first combustion chamber;

a second igniter for igniting the gas generating means provided in said second combustion chamber; and

a single collar directly attached to said inner cylindrical member and having only a single recessed portion formed in a first side thereof, said single recessed portion accommodating both said first igniter and said 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.

3. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 2, wherein said first igniter ignites the gas generating means provided in said first combustion chamber independently from the gas generating means provided in said second combustion chamber.

8. An air bag apparatus, comprising:

a gas generator including,

a housing,

an inner cylindrical member provided inside said housing, and

a single collar directly attached to said inner cylindrical member and having only a single recessed portion, said single recessed portion accommodating both 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;

an impact sensor for detecting an impact and activating the gas generator;

an air bag to which a gas generated in the gas generator is introduced; and

a module case for storing the air bag.

9. A method of manufacturing an air bag gas generator, comprising:

providing a housing;

providing an inner cylinder inside the housing;

providing a single collar having, at a first side thereof, only a single recessed portion;

inserting, from the first side, both a first igniter and a second igniter into the single recessed portion;

providing resin into said single recessed portion; and

directly attaching the single collar to the inner cylinder.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of providing a single collar includes the step of,

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.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of attaching said single collar includes the step of,

attaching said single collar to said housing such that a central axis of said housing is parallel to the central axis of said first igniter and the central axis of said second igniter.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of inserting a first igniter and a second igniter includes the steps of,

providing said first igniter and said second igniter having a different operating output performance from one another.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of inserting a first igniter and a second igniter includes the steps of,

providing said first igniter and said second igniter having a different shape from one another.

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

a housing; and

a single collar attached to said housing and having only a single recessed portion, formed in a first side thereof, for accommodating 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,

wherein the single recessed portion is provided with a first opening communicating with a second side of said single collar, opposite to the first side, and for receiving at least a terminal portion of the first igniter, and a second opening communicating with the second side and for receiving at least a terminal portion of the second igniter.

15. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 14, wherein said single collar has, in the second side, a first concave portion having a first end face that defines the first opening and a second concave portion having a second end face that defines the second opening, wherein said first igniter and said second igniter are molded integrally 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 end face and the second end face, respectively.

16. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 15, wherein a first connector and a second connector for conducting electric signal to the electric terminals of said first igniter and said second igniter are connected to said first igniter and said second igniter, respectively, such that the first connector and the second connector are inserted into the first concave portion and the second concave portion.

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

a housing including a first combustion chamber and a second combustion chamber therein;

gas generating means provided in said first combustion chamber and said second combustion chamber;

a first igniter for igniting the gas generating means provided in said first combustion chamber;

a second igniter for igniting the gas generating means provided in said second combustion chamber; and

a single collar attached to said housing and having only a single recessed portion formed in a first side thereof, for accommodating said first igniter and said 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,

wherein the single recessed portion is provided with a first opening and a second opening respectively communicating with a second side of said single collar, opposite to the first side, for receiving at least electric terminals of said first igniter and said second igniter.

18. A gas generator for and air bag according to claim 17, wherein said single collar includes, in said second side, a first concave portion having a first end face, and a second concave portion having a second end face, said first end face and said second .end face defining the first opening and the second opening, respectively, and said first igniter and said second igniter are molded integrally with said single collars such that the electric terminals of said first igniter and said second igniter are projected from the first end face and the second end face, respectively.

19. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 18, wherein a first connector and a second connector for conducing electric signal to the electric terminals such that the first connector and the second connectors are inserted into the first concave portion and the second concave portion, respectively.

20. A method of manufacturing an air bag gas generator, comprising:

providing a housing;

providing a single collar having, at a first side thereof, only a single recessed portion;

inserting, from the first side, a first igniter and a second igniter into the single recessed portion;

providing resin into said single recessed portion;

attaching said single collar to said housing; and

providing, in the single recessed portion, a first opening and a second opening respectively in communication with a second side of the single collar, opposite to the first side,

wherein the step of inserting the first igniter and the second igniter further includes the steps of,

inserting the first igniter and the second igniter such that the first opening and the second opening receive electric terminals of the first igniter and the second igniter, respectively.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

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

wherein the step of inserting the first igniter and the second igniter further includes the step of,

inserting said first igniter and said second igniter such that the electric terminals of said first igniter and said second igniter are projected from the first end face and the second end face, respectively.