Gas generator for restraining device of vehicle

• US 8,424,909 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited, Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited, Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Tomoharu, Matsuda, Naoki, Fukawatase, Osamu, Ozaki, Toru, Kurata, Tomoko, Nonoyama, Yuki, Yamada, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Troy, Daniel J
• Application Number:
  US13/059,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20110253000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 102/530, 280/736, 280/741
• US Class Current: 280/741
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2644 using only solid reacting substances, e.g. pellets, powder
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/04 for producing gas under pressure generators of inflation fluid especially adapted for vehicle air bags B60R21/26

Abstract

A gas generator includes: a housing having closure and diffuser shells; an inner tube member accommodating an igniter, an opening end of the inner tube member being located opposing a bottom plate of the closure shell and defining a ventilating portion formed at the opening end,

• • the inner tube member being fixed to an igniter attaching portion, and having a cylindrical portion projecting inwardly in the closure shell, and a passage being formed between the inner tube member and the igniter attaching portion to reach the ventilating portion;
  • an outer circumference cylindrical member provided in the combustion chamber and one end opening thereof being located at the bottom plate; and
  • an annular porous member defining a space above the combustion chamber,
  • the space being communicated to a gas discharge path defined between the outer circumference cylindrical member and a side surface of the diffuser shell through a communicating portion.

Claims

1. A gas generator for a restraining device of a vehicle, comprising:

a housing formed by a cup-shaped closure shell, a cup-shaped diffuser shell having a plurality of gas discharge ports on a side surface portion thereof, and a flange portion having a hole for fixing the gas generator;

a cup-shaped inner tube member disposed inside the housing, defining therein an ignition device chamber for accommodating an igniter coaxially with a central axis of the housing, and defining, in an outside thereof, a combustion chamber charged with a gas generating agent;

the cup-shaped inner tube member having a bottom surface located adjacent to a bottom plate side of the diffuser shell, an opening portion located adjacent to a bottom plate of the closure shell and a first cutout portion formed at an end portion of the opening portion, for allowing a combustion product generated in the ignition device chamber to pass therethrough;

the igniter attached to the closure shell such that the igniter projects inside from a hole formed in the bottom plate of the closure shell;

the cup-shaped inner tube member fixed to an igniter attaching portion which is a cylindrical portion projecting inwardly, and a passage for a combustion product formed between the cup-shaped inner tube member and the igniter attaching portion to reach the first cutout portion;

the combustion chamber having an outer circumferential surface formed by an outer circumference cylindrical member, an inner circumferential surface formed by the inner tube member, a bottom surface formed by the bottom plate of the closure shell, and a top surface formed by an annular porous member provided between the outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential surface and including an annular bottom plate having a plurality of holes and an inside wall formed at an inner circumferential rim of the annular bottom plate;

a gas discharge path formed between the outer circumference cylindrical member and a side surface of the diffuser shell;

one end of an opening portion of the outer circumference cylindrical member being located at the bottom plate of the closure shell, a rim of the other end opening portion of the outer circumference cylindrical member having a second cutout portion for communicating the combustion chamber with the gas discharge path and a section having no openings; and

the annular porous member disposed such that a space is formed between the annular porous member and the bottom plate of the diffuser shell;

wherein no means for cooling and filtering a gas generated by combustion of the gas generating agent is provided other than the annular porous member.

2. The gas generator for a restraining device of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the cup-shaped inner tube member has the opening portion and an enlarged diameter portion that is formed in the vicinity of the opening portion and has a diameter larger than that of other portion,

an inner wall surface of the enlarged diameter portion has a groove formed in the axial direction, and an annular groove formed so as to communicate with an end portion on an opening portion side of the groove, and

the passage for the combustion product that reaches the first cutout portion is formed by a combination of the groove and the annular groove and an outer circumferential surface of the igniter attaching portion.

3. The gas generator for a restraining device of a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein an inner wall surface of the cup-shaped inner tube member has a protruding portion projecting inward, and the protruding portion abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the igniter attaching portion, and

the passage for the combustion product that reaches the first cutout portion is formed by an inner wall surface of the inner tube member in the section where the projecting portion is not formed and the outer circumferential surface of the igniter attaching portion.

4. The gas generator for a restraining device of a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the igniter attaching portion has a base circumferential surface and a plurality of supporting portions that project from the base circumferential surface and are provided circumferentially at intervals to support the cup-shaped inner tube member in the radial direction and the axial direction, and

the passage for the combustion product that reaches the first cutout portion is formed by the base circumferential surface when the inner wall surface and the opening portion of the cup-shaped inner tube member abuts against the plurality of supporting portions.