Gas generating material for a vehicle occupant protection apparatus

• US 6,635,131 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TRW Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation), TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Campbell, Douglas P., Staudhammer, Peter, Blomquist, Harold R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Peter A.
• Application Number:
  US09/817,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20020135169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 102/288, 102/289, 149/45, 149/92, 149/99
• US Class Current: 149/99
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 25/36 the compound being a nitroparaffin
• CPC Class Codes: C06D 5/06 by reaction of two or more solids

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a vehicle occupant protection device and a gas generating material, which, when ignited, produces gas to actuate the vehicle occupant protection device. The gas generating material comprises a cubane compound having the general formula:

wherein R is selected from the group consisting of H and NO₂.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a vehicle occupant protection device and a gas generating material which when ignited produces gas to actuate said vehicle occupant protection device, said gas generating material comprising an oxidizer and a cubane compound having the general formula:

wherein at least one R is NO₂, the remaining Rs being selected from the group consisting of H and NO₂.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal nitrates, alkaline earth metal nitrates, transition metal nitrates, ammonium nitrate, alkali metal chlorates, alkaline earth metal chlorates, alkali metal perchlorates, alkaline earth metal perchlorates, ammonium perchlorate, and mixtures thereof.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cubane compound comprises 1,4-dinitrocubane or 1,3,5,7-tetranitrocubane.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the amount of oxidizer in the gas generating material is that amount of oxidizer necessary to oxygen balance the gas generating material and produce, upon combustion with the cubane compound, a combustion product that is substantially free of carbon monoxide.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the gas generating material further comprises a binder.

2. An apparatus comprising an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device and a gas generating material which when ignited produces gas to inflate said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said gas generating material comprising by weight of the gas generating material about 15% to about 45% of a cubane compound having the general formula:

wherein at least one R is NO₂, the remaining Rs being selected from the group consisting of H and NO₂ and about 55% to about 85% of an oxidizer.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal nitrates, alkaline earth metal nitrates, transition metal nitrates, ammonium nitrate, alkali metal chlorates, alkaline earth metal chlorates, alkali metal perchlorates, alkaline earth metal perchlorates, ammonium perchlorate, and mixtures thereof.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said cubane compound comprises 1,4-dinitrocubane or 1,3,5,7-tetranitrocubane.