Gas generator for air bag and air bag apparatus

• US 7,152,874 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited (Daicel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited (Daicel Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohji, Nobuyuki, Katsuda, Nobuyuki, Nakashima, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Drew J.
• Application Number:
  US11/182,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20050250350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/741, 102/530, 102/531, 102/202.9, 439/488, 439/489, 439/955
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26029 Ignitors
• 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 an air bag is provided with a porous tube member, in which a portion opposing the ejecting direction of a flame and the like generated due to an activation of an ignition unit stored in an inner cylindrical member is formed as a flame-preventing annular portion having no opening, disposed in a gas generator housing. Further, a multistage gas generating apparatus prevents an erroneous connection between a plurality of igniters stored in a gas generator and outputting portions of an ignition signal outputting device. In the multistage air bag apparatus, the gas generator includes a plurality of igniters, and a defining unit for specifying the unique connection between the respective ignition signal outputting unit and the respective igniters is provided in a connector provided in a lead wire for sending an ignition signal to each of the igniters.

Claims

1. A multistage air bag apparatus, comprising:

a multistage air bag gas generator storing a plurality of igniters in a housing thereof;

ignition signal outputting means provided with outputting portions for outputting activation signals to the igniters;

a plurality of lead wires having connectors adapted to be connected to the outputting portions,

defining means which specifies a unique connection between respective igniters and respective outputting portions, the defining means being provided by changing at least one of a shape, number, size, color, and position of the connector or of a conductive portion in the connector; and

a ring member formed separately from a connector of a lead wire and the igniter, and adapted to be provided outside the connector and interposed between the igniter and the connector, the defining means being formed in the ring member to allow a connection only between a specified igniter and a specified connector.

2. A multistage air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the defining means is formed in the ring member and the connector.

3. A multistage air bag apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the defining means allows connection only between the ring member and the igniter and/or allows connection between the ring member and the connector.

4. A multistage air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ring member is equipped in the multistage air bag gas generator.

5. A multistage air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connector is connected with the multistage air bag gas generator.