Inflator

• US 7,651,128 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited
• Inventors: Nakayasu, Masayuki, Ohji, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US11/740,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20070257477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 280/741, 280/740, 280/742, 280/736
• 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 21/264 using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic B60R21/268 takes precedence

Abstract

An inflator includes,

• • a housing having a gas discharge port,
  • an ignition device and a gas generating agent accommodated inside the housing, and
  • a collision member for receiving collision of a combustion product(s) which is generated by the activation of the ignition device, the collision member being provided in a position directly facing an ejecting direction of the combustion products.

Claims

1. An inflator, comprising:

a housing having a gas discharge port;

a first combustion chamber and a second combustion chamber, being defined inside the housing;

a first ignition device and a first gas generating agent accommodated inside the first combustion chamber, a combustion products generated by an activation of the first ignition device being ejected only in one direction; and

a combustion cup member disposed inside the housing and separating the second combustion chamber from the first combustion chamber, the combustion chamber cup member accommodating a second gas generating agent and a second ignition device, the combustion chamber cup member being disposed in a position directly facing the ejecting direction of the combustion products, and a circumferential surface of the combustion chamber cup member serving as a collision member for receiving collision of the combustion products.

2. The inflator according to claim 1, wherein at least an ignition portion of the ignition device is surrounded by an ignition device cup member defining the first combustion chamber therein, and the ignition device cup member has a gas ejection opening that is open only in said one direction to discharge the combustion products.

3. The inflator according to claim 1, wherein the second combustion cup member has a curved surface that directly opposes the discharge direction of the combustion products.

4. The inflator according to claim 2, wherein the second combustion cup member has a curved surface that directly opposes the gas ejection opening.

5. The inflator according to claim 2, further comprising:

a third combustion chamber defined inside the housing and outside the combustion cup member and the ignition device cup member.

6. The inflator according to claim 2, wherein the gas ejection opening is a slit formed in a circumferential surface of the ignition device cup member.

7. The inflator according to claim 4, wherein the gas ejection opening includes a plurality of slits formed in a circumferential surface of the ignition device cup member.