Inflating device for an air bag of a vehicle

• US 7,367,585 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GSK Intek Company Limited
• Original Assignee: GSK Intek Company Limited
• Inventors: Yu, Ming-Chang, Kuo, Shih-Ju, Hsieh, Chien-Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng; Joe H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US11/230,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20070063496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 280/736, 280/742, 280/740, 280/728.2, 280/741, 280/738, 280/732
• US Class Current: 280/738
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26094 characterised by fluid flow controlling valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid

Abstract

An inflating device has a casing, an air bag tray, an gas generating device and a check valve. The gas generating device is mounted on the casing and has a tube, an gas generator and a guiding plate. The tube extends into the casing and has an air channel and vents. The gas generator is attached to one end of the tube and has a housing, a chemical holder and an igniting device. The chemical holder is mounted inside the housing to contain chemicals. The igniting device is attached to housing and extends into the chemical holder to ignite the chemicals. The guide plate is mounted inside the casing and corresponds to the vents. The check valve is mounted in the casing and corresponds with and closes an inlet of the casing.

Claims

1. An inflating device for an air bag of a vehicle comprising:

a casing having an inlet, an outlet, two sides and an inner surface;

an air bag tray attached to the outlet in the casing for supporting the air bag;

an gas generating device mounted on the casing and comprising

a tube extending into the casing and having an air channel defined in the tube and multiple vents communicating with the air channel;

an gas generator attached to one end of the tube and comprising

a housing attached to the end of the tube;

a chemical holder mounted inside the housing to contain chemicals and having multiple exhausting bores communicating with the air channel in the tube; and

an igniting device attached to housing and extending into the chemical holder to ignite the chemicals in the chemical holder; and

a guide plate mounted inside the casing and corresponding to the vents in the tube, wherein a gap is defined between the tube and the guide plate to define a guiding channel between the tube and the guide plate and communicating with the vents in the tube; and

a check valve mounted in the casing and corresponding and closing the inlet of the casing.

2. The inflating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each side of the casing has a mounting hole defined through the side;

and

the tube is mounted between the mounting holes in the casing.

3. The inflating device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the casing further has two L-shaped brackets for mounting the casing to the vehicle.

4. The inflating device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the vents are defined in the tube at a side opposite to the outlet in the casing.

5. The inflating device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tube has two open ends including a first open end and a second open end;

the gas generator is mounted on the first open end of the tube; and

a plug is attached to and seals the second open end of the tube.

6. The inflating device as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the gas generator further has a hollow filter holder attached to the housing, extending into the air channel in the tube and having multiple through holes defined through the filter holder and communicating with the air channel;

and

a filter is mounted around the filter holder and covers the through holes in the filter holder.

7. The inflating device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the gas generator further has a turbulence plate mounted inside the housing and having multiple turbulence holes.

8. The inflating device as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the housing comprises

a base attached to the tube and having a bore communicating with the air channel in the tube;

and

a cover detachably attached to the base with threads and having a threaded mounting hole;

the chemical holder is attached to the threaded mounting hole;

the igniting device is mounted in the threaded mounting hole in the cover with a collar; and

the filter holder is attached to the bore in the base.

9. The inflating device as claimed in claim 8, wherein

the guide plate is U-shaped and mounted around the tube;

and

the guiding channel is U-shaped.

10. The inflating device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the check valve comprises a V-shaped resilient sheet mounted in the casing and having two ends attached to the sides of the casing and two sides abutting with the inner surface of the casing to close the inlet in the casing.

11. The inflating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casing further has two L-shaped brackets for mounting the casing to the vehicle.

12. The inflating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vents are defined in the tube at a side opposite to the outlet in the casing.

13. The inflating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tube has two open ends including a first open end and a second open end;

the gas generator is mounted on the first open end of the tube; and

a plug is attached to and seals the second open end of the tube.

14. The inflating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the gas generator further has a hollow filter holder attached to the housing, extending into the air channel in the tube and having multiple through holes defined through the filter holder and communicating with the air channel;

and

a filter is mounted around the filter holder and covers the through holes in the filter holder.

15. The inflating device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the gas generator further has a turbulence plate mounted inside the housing and having multiple turbulence holes.

16. The inflating device as claimed in claim 15, wherein

the housing comprises

a base attached to the tube and having a bore communicating with the air channel in the tube;

and

a cover detachably attached to the base with threads and having a threaded mounting hole;

the chemical holder is attached to the threaded mounting hole;

the igniting device is mounted in the threaded mounting hole in the cover with a collar; and

the filter holder is attached to the bore in the base.

17. The inflating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the guide plate is U-shaped and mounted around the tube;

and

the guiding channel is U-shaped.

18. The inflating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the check valve comprises a V-shaped resilient sheet mounted in the casing and having two ends attached to the sides of the casing and two sides abutting with the inner surface of the casing to close the inlet in the casing.