Dual chamber inflator

• US 6,764,096 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Systems Laboratory, Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Quioc, Eduardo L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, David R.
• Application Number:
  US10/058,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20020101068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 280/736, 280/741, 280/742, 280/737
• US Class Current: 280/736
• 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 dual chamber inflator 10 contains a housing 12 having a base 14 and a cap 16. A divider disc 18 divides the inflator 10 into a first chamber 20 and a second chamber 22. Divider 18 contains at least one aperture 60 thereby facilitating fluid communication between chambers 20 and 22 for simultaneous operation of chambers 20 and 22.

Claims

1. A dual chamber inflator for a vehicle occupant protection system comprising:

a housing comprising a base and a cap, said base further comprising a first plurality of gas exit apertures peripherally spaced therein;

a radial divider intermediate of said base and said cap for forming a first propellant chamber and a second propellant chamber within said cap and said base, respectively, said chambers operatively separated from each other, and, said divider comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one aperture providing fluid communication from the second chamber to the first propellant chamber;

a first gas generating propellant contained within said first chamber, said first propellant combusted upon activation of said inflator;

a second gas generating propellant contained within said second chamber, said second propellant optionally combusted simultaneously with said first propellant; and

a seal fixed over said at least one aperture on said bottom surface thereby preventing simultaneous operation of said first chamber and said second chamber when only said first chamber is activated upon a crash event.

2. A dual chamber inflator for a vehicle occupant protection system comprising:

a housing comprising a base and a cap, said base further comprising a first plurality of gas exit apertures peripherally spaced therein;

a radial divider intermediate of said base and said cap for forming a first propellant chamber within said cap and a second propellant chamber within said base, said chambers operatively separated from each other, and, said divider comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one aperture providing fluid communication from the second chamber to the first propellant chamber;

a first gas generating propellant contained within said first chamber, said first gas generating propellant combusted upon activation of said inflator;

a second gas generating propellant contained within said second chamber, said second gas generating propellant optionally combusted simultaneously with said first gas generating propellant; and

a seal fixed over said at least one aperture on said bottom surface thereby preventing simultaneous operation of said first chamber and said second chamber when only said first chamber is activated upon a crash event.

3. A dual chamber inflator for a vehicle occupant protection system comprising:

a housing comprising a base and a cap, said base further comprising a first plurality of gas exit apertures peripherally spaced therein;

a divider disc intermediate of said base and said cap for forming a first propellant chamber within said cap and a second propellant chamber within said base, said chambers operatively separated from each other, and, said divider disc comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one one aperture providing fluid communication from the second chamber to the first propellant chamber;

a first gas generating propellant contained within said first chamber, said first propellant combusted upon activation of said inflator;

a second gas generating propellant contained within said second chamber, said second propellant optionally combusted simultaneously with said first propellant; and

a seal fixed over said at least one aperture on said bottom surface thereby preventing simultaneous operation of said first chamber and said second chamber when only said first chamber is activated upon a crash event.