Gas generator for restraining device of vehicle

• US 8,434,783 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited (Daicel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited (Daicel Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Tomoharu, Matsuda, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Toan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker, Robert A
• Application Number:
  US13/059,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20110221175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 280/736, 280/741, 102/530, 102/531
• 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 a circumferential wall portion defining a gas discharge port, a first end, and a second end, the first and second ends being closed, a cup-shaped inner tube member disposed in the housing, an inside thereof accommodating an ignition device, an outside thereof being a combustion chamber charged with a gas generating agent, a bottom surface of the inner tube member being located in a bottom plate of the first end of the housing, an opening end portion of the inner tube member being provided with a ventilating portion for allowing a combustion product to pass therethrough, an igniter attached to an igniter attaching portion formed at the second end of the housing, and a passage for the combustion product formed between an inner wall surface of the inner tube member and the igniter attaching portion, and reaching the ventilating portion.

Claims

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

a housing forming an outer shell container of the gas generator, having a circumferential wall portion which is provided with a gas discharge port, a first end, and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end and the second end being both closed;

a cup-shaped inner tube member disposed in the housing, an inside thereof being an ignition chamber accommodating an ignition device, an outside thereof being a combustion chamber charged with a gas generating agent, the cup-shaped inner tube member including,

a bottom surface located in a bottom plate of the first end of the housing, and

an opening end portion provided with a ventilating portion for allowing a combustion product of the ignition device to pass therethrough; and

an igniter of the ignition device attached to an igniter attaching portion formed at the second end of the housing,

a passage for the combustion product defined between an inner wall surface of the cup-shaped inner tube member and the igniter attaching portion, and reaching the ventilating portion, such that the combustion product is released to a side of the second end in the combustion chamber thereby combustion of the gas generating agent proceeds from the second end to the first end.

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 end portion and an enlarged diameter portion formed in a vicinity of the opening end portion and has a diameter larger than that of other portion, and

the passage for the combustion product that reaches the ventilating portion is defined between an inner wall surface of the enlarged diameter portion and the igniter attaching portion.

3. The gas generator for a restraining device of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the ventilating portion is defined by a bottom plate of the second end of the housing and a circumferential wall surface forming the opening end portion of the cup-shaped inner tube member.

4. The gas generator for a restraining device of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the ventilating portion is a hole that is in on a circumferential wall surface in the vicinity of the opening end portion of the cup-shaped inner tube member.

5. 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 formed circumferentially with intervals to support the cup-shaped inner tube member, and

the passage for the combustion product that reaches the ventilating portion is defined by the inner wall surface of the cup-shaped inner tube member and the base circumferential surface.

6. The gas generator for a restraining device of a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of supporting portions of the igniter attaching portion further have a second supporting portion for supporting the opening end portion of the cup-shaped inner tube member,

the opening end portion of the cup-shaped inner tube member abuts against the second supporting portion, and

the ventilating portion is defined by a gap between the opening end portion of the cup-shaped inner tube member and a bottom plate of the second end of the housing.

7. The gas generator for a restraining device of vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall surface of the cup-shaped inner tube member has a protruding portion projecting inward, and the protruding portion abuts against an outer circumferential surface of the igniter attaching portion, and

the passage for the combustion product that reaches the ventilating portion is defined by a section of the inner wall surface of the cup-shaped inner tube member, that is not in contact with the igniter attaching portion, and the outer circumferential surface of the igniter attaching portion.

8. The gas generator for a restraining device of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

an outer circumference cylindrical member provided within the housing for defining an outer circumferential surface of the combustion chamber, such that one end opening thereof abuts against a bottom plate of the second end of the housing; and

an annular porous member defining an upper surface of the combustion chamber and being provided between the outer circumference cylindrical member and the cup-shaped inner tube member such that a space is formed between the annular porous member and the bottom plate of the first end of the housing, the annular porous member including a plurality of holes,

wherein gas discharge path is formed between the outer circumference cylindrical member and the circumferential wall portion of the housing, and

the space and the gas discharge path are communicated with each other by a communication portion defined by the other end opening of the outer circumference cylindrical member and the bottom plate of the first end of the housing.

9. The gas generator for a restraining device of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the gas generator has no filter for cooling and filtering gas generated by combustion of the gas generating agent.