Gas generator

• US 6,929,284 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2000
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Kayaku Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Kayaku Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Koji, Saso, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Toan C
• Application Number:
  US09/890,765
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/736, 280/740, 280/741, 280/742
• US Class Current: 280/741
• 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 slowly inflating an air bag at the early stage of the inflation and then rapidly inflating it or discharge a clean gas evenly around a housing. The gas generator includes a gas generating agent (6) and an squib (8,9) in the housing (1). The squib (9) is disposed eccentrically to the axis (a) of the housing (1). A high temperature gas is generated in a combustion chamber (4) because of the combustion of the gas generating agent (6) ignited by the squib (9). The permeability of the high temperature gas through inner cylindrical member (2) closest to the squib (9) is lower than that through the part other than the inner cylindrical member (2).

Claims

1. A gas generator comprising a short cylindrical housing, wherein an airtight space in said housing is partitioned into a plurality of combustion chambers, a gas generating agent for generating a high-temperature gas when it burns is loaded in each of said combustion chambers, a plurality of squibs for individually firing and burning said gas generating agents in said respective combustion chambers are mounted in said housing, one or more of said respective squibs are disposed eccentrically to an axis of said housing, and firing flames of said respective eccentric squibs are controlled to spout around said axis of said housing, wherein said eccentric squibs are covered with cup-shaped firing lids having a plurality of firing holes for allowing their firing flames to spout into said respective combustion chambers and said respective firing holes are formed to spout said firing flames around said axis of said housing, wherein the plurality of combustion chambers include an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the upper chamber and the lower chamber having generally coextensive outer boundaries, at least one squib being provided in the upper chamber and at least one squib being provided in the lower chamber.

2. A gas generator comprising a cylindrical housing, wherein a gas generating agent for generating a high-temperature gas when it burns is loaded in each of a plurality of combustion chambers in said housing, a plurality of squibs for firing and burning said gas generating agent are loaded in said housing, one or more of said respective squibs are disposed eccentrically to an axis of said housing, and the one or more squibs are covered with firing lids having firing holes each being provided in a direction that does not extend through the axis of the housing whereby flames of said eccentric squibs are controlled to spout around said axis of said housing, wherein the plurality of combustion chambers include an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the upper chamber and the lower chamber having generally coextensive outer boundaries, at least one squib being provided in the upper chamber and at least one squib being provided in the lower chamber.