Actuator which has an operating pin

• US 7,762,584 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Morita, Bunpei, Asaoka, Michihisa, Ito, Shun, Ishiguro, Naohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US12/230,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 280/741, 280/739, 280/737, 280/736, 280/806, 280/743.2, 102/530, 102/531, 297/480
• US Class Current: 280/739
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23388 having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2395 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An actuator which has an operating pin of the invention includes a piston which has an operating pin, a squib, and a cylinder case for holding the piston, in which the piston is moved rearward along with the operating pin by a driving gas generated injected from the squib into the cylinder case. A cap portion for covering the side of the squib with a gas injection port comprises a cylindrical side portion and a front end wall portion, and the operating pin is projected from the center of this front end wall portion. The cap portion is arranged with injection holes through which the driving gas is injected. Forward movement of the piston before the actuator is operated is restricted by the front end wall portion of the cylinder case coming into contact with the ceiling wall portion of the cylinder case.

Claims

1. An actuator which has an operating pin, which has the following structure:

the actuator includes a piston which has an operating pin, a squib which is ignited then generates a driving gas when the actuator is operated, and a cylinder case for holding the piston;

wherein the piston is connected to the squib and its operating pin projects from its front end;

wherein the cylinder case includes a side wall portion substantially in a cylindrical shape surrounding the piston, and a ceiling wall portion that closes the front end side of the side wall portion but also allows the operating pin to project outward;

wherein the piston is configured so that it is moved rearward along with its operating pin by the driving gas generated from the squib and injected into the cylinder case when the actuator is operated;

wherein the piston comprises a cap portion capable of covering the side of the squib where the squib has a gas injection port;

wherein the cap portion comprises a cylindrical side portion capable of covering the sides of the squib in all directions orthogonal to the axis of the squib, and a front end wall portion formed to close the front end side of the cylindrical side portion;

wherein the operating pin which is configured to have a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the front end wall portion is made to project from the center of the front end wall portion of the cylindrical case;

wherein a plurality of injection holes capable of injecting the driving gas from the gas injection port to the space between the front end wall portion and the ceiling wall portion inside of the cylinder case are provided in the cap portion around the operating pin; and

wherein the forward movement of the piston before the actuator is operated is restricted by the front end wall portion of the piston coming into contact with the ceiling wall portion of the cylinder case.

2. The actuator which has an operating pin according to claim 1, wherein the injection holes are formed in the front end wall portion.

3. The actuator which has an operating pin according to claim 2, wherein the injection holes are configured to inject the driving gas in the axial direction of the operating pin.

4. The actuator which has an operating pin according to claim 1, wherein the operating pin and the cap portion are formed into an integral unit formed by pressing a metal material.

5. The actuator which has an operating pin according to claim 4, wherein the cap portion is connected to the squib by being crimped to the squib.

6. The actuator which has an operating pin according to claim 4, wherein the operating pin is formed to be hollow up to its front end face, its wall being continuous with the cap portion.

7. The actuator which has an operating pin according to claim 4, wherein the cylindrical side wall portion of the cap portion includes a large diameter portion toward the rear and around the side of the squib, and a small diameter portion toward the front whose outer diameter is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the large diameter portion;

wherein the small diameter portion has an outer diameter dimension sufficiently smaller than the outer diameter of the side wall portion of the cylinder case that a gap between the small diameter portion and the side wall portion of the cylinder case is provided; and

wherein a seal ring is interposed between the small diameter portion and the side wall portion.

8. The actuator which has an operating pin according to claim 1, wherein the inner face side of the ceiling wall portion is provided with a seal ring for sealing the gap between the operating pin and an inserting hole in which the operating pin is inserted;

and

wherein the piston brings the front end wall portion into contact with the ceiling wall portion by interposing the seal ring.

9. The actuator which has an operating pin according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is utilized for controlling the inner pressure of an airbag of an airbag apparatus mounted to a vehicle.