Gas generator and method of manufacturing the same

• US 7,850,201 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2006
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Kayaku Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Kayaku Company Limited
• Inventors: Tamura, Kazuhisa, Kubo, Dairi
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Toan C
• Application Number:
  US11/814,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20080143089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• Field of Search: 280/741, 280/742
• US Class Current: 280/741
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2644 using only solid reacting substances, e.g. pellets, powder
• CPC Class Codes: C06D 5/06 by reaction of two or more solids
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/04 for producing gas under pressure generators of inflation fluid especially adapted for vehicle air bags B60R21/26
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A gas generator that eliminates work for welding-fixing a holder to a housing and subjecting the holder to an excess processing, which can be easily manufactured at low cost, and a method for manufacturing the gas generator. The gas generator includes an approximately short cylindrical housing including a bottomed member and a lid member, gas generants arranged in the housing to generate a high-temperature gas by combustion, a filter arranged in an inner circumference part of the housing so as to surround the gas generants in a diameter direction of the housing, an igniter energized from the outside to ignite, and a holder to which the igniter is fixed and that is fixed to the bottomed member so that the igniter is arranged coaxially with the housing. At least one of the holder and the bottomed member is clamped, and pressed and deformed in an axial direction of a hole so that the holder is fixed to the bottomed member.

Claims

1. A gas generator which has a short cylindrical external shape, comprising:

a holder which fixes an igniter; and

a housing which contains gas generants therein, the housing including a bottomed member provided with a hole on the bottom, into which hole the holder is fitted,

wherein the holder is fitted in the hole, the holder and the bottomed member are pressed against each other in a diameter direction of the hole, and thus the holder is fixed to the housing, thus providing airtightness in a fixed contact part between the holder and the bottomed member, and

wherein the holder includes a first material and the bottomed member includes a second material, a tensile strength of the first material is different from a tensile strength of the second material, and one that includes the material with a lower tensile strength is deformed.

2. The gas generator as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the holder includes an approximately columnar external shape, and

the holder is deformed in a diameter expansion direction, or the bottomed member is deformed in a diameter reduction direction of the hole.

3. The gas generator as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the holder and the bottomed member is clamped and pressurized in an axial direction of the hole to be deformed.

4. The gas generator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the holder includes a first outer diameter and a second outer diameter, the first and second outer diameters are different from each other, and an inequality,

A ≦

an inner diameter C of the hole provided in the bottomed member ≦

B

is established where A represents the first smaller outer diameter and B represents the second larger outer diameter.

5. The gas generator as set forth in claim 4, wherein the first outer diameter of the holder is constant in the fixed contact part between the holder and the bottomed member.

6. The gas generator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the igniter and an enhancer holder are fixed to the holder, and an upper part of the igniter is covered by the enhancer holder.

7. The gas generator as set forth in claim 6, wherein a space between the igniter and the enhancer holder is filled with powder.

8. A gas generator which has a short cylindrical external shape, comprising:

a holder which fixes an igniter; and

a housing which contains gas generants therein, the housing including a bottomed member provided with a hole on the bottom, into which hole the holder is fitted,

wherein the holder is fitted in the hole, the holder and the bottomed member are pressed against each other in a diameter direction of the hole, and thus the holder is fixed to the housing, thus providing airtightness in a fixed contact part between the holder and the bottomed member, and

wherein the bottomed member includes an iron-based material, and the holder includes an aluminum-based material.

9. The gas generator as set forth in claim 8, wherein

the holder includes an approximately columnar external shape, and

the holder is deformed in a diameter expansion direction, or the bottomed member is deformed in a diameter reduction direction of the hole.

10. The gas generator as set forth in claim 8, wherein at least one of the holder and the bottomed member is clamped and pressurized in an axial direction of the hole to be deformed.

11. The gas generator as set forth in claim 8, wherein the holder includes a first outer diameter and a second outer diameter, the first and second outer diameters are different from each other, and an inequality,

A ≦

an inner diameter C of the hole provided in the bottomed member ≦

B

is established where A represents the first smaller outer diameter and B represents the second larger outer diameter.

12. The gas generator as set forth in claim 11, wherein the first outer diameter of the holder is constant in the fixed contact part between the holder and the bottomed member.

13. The gas generator as set forth in claim 8, wherein the igniter and an enhancer holder are fixed to the holder, and an upper part of the igniter is covered by the enhancer holder.

14. The gas generator as set forth in claim 13, wherein a space between the igniter and the enhancer holder is filled with powder.