Inflator

• US 7,052,039 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited
• Inventors: Iwai, Yasunori, Tokuda, Masakazu, Shioji, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US10/454,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20040066024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 280/737, 280/736, 280/740, 280/741, 280/742, 554/10, 555/23, 555/25, 422/167, 422/305
• US Class Current: 280/736
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/272 with means for increasing the pressure of the gas just before or during liberation, e.g. hybrid inflators

Abstract

An inflator, includes: an inflator housing which has an opening portion and charged with a pressurized gas; a diffuser portion provided in an opening portion side of the inflator housing and having a gas discharging port for discharging outside a pressurized gas flowing from the opening portion at activation; a first rupturable plate closing a pressurized gas flow path between the inflator housing and the diffuser portion; and a filter disposed between the first rupturable plate and the gas discharging port, the filter including one of a flat plate with a plurality of holes or a wire mesh and a surface of the filter in a first rupturable plate side having a concave portion and a convex portion.

Claims

1. An inflator, comprising:

an inflator housing which has an opening portion and is charged with a pressurized gas;

a diffuser portion provided in an opening portion side of the inflator housing and having a gas discharging port for discharging outside a pressurized gas flowing from the opening portion at activation;

a first rupturable plate closing a pressurized gas flow path between the inflator housing and the diffuser portion; and

a filter disposed between the first rupturable plate and the gas discharging port, the filter including a flat plate with a plurality of holes and a surface of the filter in a first rupturable plate side having a concave portion and a convex portion.

2. The inflator according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion of the filter is formed continuously and the concave portion thereof forms a groove.

3. The inflator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the convex portion of the filter is formed continuously and the concave portion thereof forms a single or double or more concentric grooves.

4. The inflator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a flow amount of the pressurized gas is determined by the plurality of holes formed in the filter.

5. An inflator according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion of the filter includes plural independent projections.

6. A filter for an inflator using a pressurized gas to inflate a body to be inflated and preventing foreign matter from entering the body to be inflated, comprising:

a porous flat plate; and

a surface facing a pressurized gas flow having a concave portion and a convex portion.