Biaxial flow inflator with independently adjusted gas orifices
First Claim
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1. An inflator for a vehicular airbag system, the inflator comprising:
- a gas chamber having an open state and a sealed state;
a first orifice fluidly coupled to the gas chamber such that gas is able to flow along a substantially straight path to reach the first orifice from the gas chamber, wherein the first orifice has a first effective cross-sectional area;
a second orifice fluidly coupled to the gas chamber, wherein the second orifice has a second effective cross-sectional area, and wherein the first effective cross-sectional area is different from the second effective cross-sectional area, wherein the gas chamber is disposed between the first orifice and the second orifice.
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Abstract
An airbag or inflatable curtain inflator for producing two differing gas flows is disposed. The inflator has a gas chamber, a first orifice, and a second orifice. The first orifice has a different effective cross-sectional area than the second orifice. The two different cross-sectional areas allow the first orifice to produce a mass flow rate of gas that is different from the second orifice. The mass flow rates of gas may be related to the volume of an inflatable curtain into which the gas is ejected. Thus, two differently sized volumes of an inflatable curtain may be simultaneously inflated with a single inflator.
45 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An inflator for a vehicular airbag system, the inflator comprising:
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a gas chamber having an open state and a sealed state;
a first orifice fluidly coupled to the gas chamber such that gas is able to flow along a substantially straight path to reach the first orifice from the gas chamber, wherein the first orifice has a first effective cross-sectional area;
a second orifice fluidly coupled to the gas chamber, wherein the second orifice has a second effective cross-sectional area, and wherein the first effective cross-sectional area is different from the second effective cross-sectional area, wherein the gas chamber is disposed between the first orifice and the second orifice. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An inflator for a vehicular airbag system, the inflator comprising:
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a gas supply;
a first orifice fluidly coupled to the gas supply such that gas is able to flow along a substantially straight path to reach the first orifice from the gas supply;
a second orifice fluidly coupled to the gas supply; and
at least one initiator coupled to the gas supply, wherein the at least one initiator is configured to initiate delivery of gas at a pressure above ambient within the gas supply at an initiation moment, such that after the initiation moment the first orifice ejects gas at a first mass flow rate and the second orifice ejects gas at a second mass flow rate, wherein the first mass flow rate is different than the second mass flow rate, wherein the gas supply is disposed between the first orifice and the second orifice. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification