Gas generator for air bag and air bag apparatus

• US 6,598,901 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2002
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited
• Inventors: Ohji, Nobuyuki, Nakashima, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DRAPER, DEANN L
• Application Number:
  US10/036,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20020056976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 280/736, 280/740, 280/741, 280/742
• 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 2021/26064 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 small in size and which can be produced easily with a simple structure is provided. The output of a gas generator is equalized so that an occupant can be safely restrained, and the combustion performance can be stably adjusted. The gas generator comprises a housing forming an outer shell container and accommodating two or more ignition units to ignite upon an impact and two or more gas generating agents which are independently ignited and burnt by the ignition units to generate a combustion gas for inflating an air bag, and a plurality of gas discharge ports which are formed in the housing, wherein the gas discharge ports are closed by sealing units for maintaining an internal pressure of the housing to the given pressure, a breaking pressure for breaking the sealing units is adjusted in multiple stages by controlling gas discharge ports and/or sealing units, and a difference of the maximum internal pressures in the housing at activation of the respective igniters is suppressed.

Claims

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

a housing forming an outer shell container and having first and second gas discharge ports;

a first combustion chamber provided within said housing for accommodating first gas generating means;

a second combustion chamber provided within said housing for accommodating second gas generating means;

first ignition means ignited, upon an impact, to burn the first gas generating means to inflate the air bag;

second ignition means being selectively ignited, upon the impact, to burn the second gas generating means to inflate the air bag;

sealing means for closing the first and second gas discharge ports to maintain an internal pressure of the housing to a given pressure;

a wall partitioning the first combustion chamber and the second combustion chamber, said wall having a communication hole that communicates said first combustion chamber with said second combustion chamber; and

flame-transfer-preventing means opposing said wall at a side of the first combustion chamber and covering only the communication hole and vicinity thereof while exposing other portions of said wall such that the first gas generating means makes a direct contact with said flame-transfer-preventing means and said wall, said flame-transfer-preventing means preventing the second gas generating means in the second combustion chamber from burning due to the combustion of the first gas generating means in the first combustion chamber.

2. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 1, wherein the flame-transfer-preventing means is a sealing member.

3. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 2, wherein the sealing member seals the communication hole at the side of the first combustion chamber.

4. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the flame-transfer-preventing means is a seal tape which seals the communication hole at the side of the first combustion chamber.

5. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the flame-transfer-preventing means is a sealing plate.

6. A gas generator for an air, bag according to claim 1, wherein said sealing means includes first and second sealing means for closing the first and second gas discharge ports, respectively.

7. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 1, wherein said first combustion chamber and said second combustion chamber are provided within said housing such that said second combustion chamber is surrounded by said first combustion chamber.

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

a housing forming an outer shell container and having a gas discharge port;

a first combustion chamber provided within said housing for accommodating first gas generating means adapted to generate a first combustion gas that exits said housing through the gas discharge port;

a second combustion chamber isolated from said first combustion chamber and provided within said housing for accommodating second gas generating means adapted to generate a second combustion gas that exits said housing through the gas discharge port;

first ignition means ignited, upon an impact, to burn the first gas generating means to inflate the air bag;

second ignition means selectively ignited, upon the impact, to burn the second gas generating means to inflate the air bag;

a coolant member provided inside said housing and adapted to pass the first combustion gas and the second combustion gas therethrough; and

a flow passage forming member that forms, within said housing, a passage that passes only the second combustion gas until the second combustion gas enters said coolant member.

9. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 8, wherein the housing is formed with a plurality of gas discharge ports through which both the first combustion gas and the second combustion gas pass.

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

a housing forming an outer shell container;

a first combustion chamber provided within said housing for accommodating first gas generating means;

a second combustion chamber for accommodating second gas generating means that starts burning later than the first gas generating means, said second combustion chamber being provided within said housing and partitioned from said first combustion chamber;

first ignition means ignited, upon an impact, to burn the first gas generating means to inflate the air bag;

second ignition means selectively ignited, upon the impact, to burn the second gas generating means to inflate the air bag;

sealing means attached to a gas discharge port for maintaining an internal pressure of the housing to a given pressure; and

a passage forming member provided within said housing and forming a first passage that passes a first combustion gas generated in the first combustion chamber and a second passage that passes a second combustion gas generated in the second combustion chamber, the first combustion gas and the second combustion gas exit the housing through the gas discharge port common to the first combustion gas and the second combustion gas,

wherein the first combustion chamber surrounds the second combustion chamber with respect to a radial direction of said housing, and said passage forming members are provided such that a first side of the passage forming members define said first combustion chamber and a second side of the passage forming members define a passage for the second combustion gas.

11. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 10, further comprising:

a single filter provided in said housing,

wherein the first combustion gas and the second combustion gas pass through said single filter after passing through the different passages.

12. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 11, wherein said single filter surrounds said first combustion chamber with respect to the radial direction of said housing, and said passage forming members are provided between the second combustion chamber and said filter.

13. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 10, wherein the passage forming members have a supporting wall that abuts an inner surface of said housing for maintaining the passage for the second combustion gas.

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

a housing forming an outer shell container including a top plate and a circumferential outer wall connected to the top plate and provided with first and second gas discharge ports, said housing including therein a first combustion chamber and a second combustion chamber provided with first gas generating means and second gas generating means, respectively;

first ignition means ignited, upon an impact, to burn the first gas generating means to generate a first combustion gas;

second ignition means being selectively ignited, upon the impact, to burn the second gas generating means to generate a second combustion gas;

sealing means for closing the first and second gas discharge ports to maintain an internal pressure of the housing to a given pressure;

a wall partitioning the first combustion chamber and the second combustion chamber, said wall having a communication hole that communicates said first combustion chamber with said second combustion chamber; and

a cover opposing only the communication hole and vicinity thereof at the side of the first combustion chamber while exposing other portions of said wall such that the first gas generating means make a direct contact with the other portions of said wall and for deflecting the second combustion gas discharged from the second combustion chamber through the communication hole towards the top plate.

15. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 14, wherein the cover prevents the second gas generating means from burning due to the combustion of the first gas generating means.

16. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 14, wherein the communication hole communicates between the first combustion chamber and the second combustion chamber.

17. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 14, wherein the first and second gas discharge ports are different from each other in at least one of diameters and total open areas thereof.

18. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 14, wherein said housing includes the first combustion chamber and the second combustion chamber such that the second combustion chamber is surrounded by the first combustion chamber.

19. A gas generator for an air bag according to claim 14, wherein the second combustion gas discharged through the communication hole into the first combustion chamber impinges against the cover and the cover deflects the second combustion gas towards the inner side of the top plate.