Inflator and airbag device

• US 8,740,245 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukawatase, Osamu, Fujiwara, Yusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Verley, Nicole
• Application Number:
  US13/821,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20140054881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 780/741, 780/736
• 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 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/264 using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic B60R21/268 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2644 using only solid reacting substances, e.g. pellets, powder
• CPC Class Codes: C06D 5/00 Generation of pressure gas, e.g. for blasting cartridges, starting cartridges, rockets explosive compositions containing an oxidizer, fuels for rocket engines intended for reaction with an oxidant other than air C06B

Abstract

An inflator includes: an inflator case configured from a bottomed cylindrical upper case and lower case, with the inflator case having an upper combustion chamber and a lower combustion chamber in which gas generants are accommodated, the upper combustion chamber and the lower combustion chamber being partitioned by a partition wall, and with the inflator case having a peripheral wall in which upper gas discharge holes and lower gas discharge holes are formed; a first inner cylinder member in which a transfer charge for combusting the gas generant inside the lower combustion chamber is accommodated; a second inner cylinder member whose upper end portion penetrates the partition wall and is positioned in a lower portion of the upper combustion chamber, with a transfer charge for combusting the gas generant inside the upper combustion chamber being accommodated inside the second inner cylinder member; a first igniter and a second igniter.

Claims

1. An inflator comprising:

an inflator case that is configured from a bottomed cylindrical upper case and a bottomed cylindrical lower case that closes an opening in an end portion of the upper case, with the inflator case having an upper combustion chamber, in which a gas generant that generates gas by combustion is accommodated and which is positioned on the upper case side, and a lower combustion chamber, in which a gas generant that generates gas by combustion is accommodated and which is positioned on the lower case side, the upper combustion chamber and the lower combustion chamber being partitioned by a partition wall, and with the inflator case having a peripheral wall in which a plurality of upper gas discharge holes corresponding to the upper combustion chamber and a plurality of lower gas discharge holes corresponding to the lower combustion chamber are formed;

a first inner cylinder member that is disposed on a bottom wall portion side of the lower case inside the inflator case, with flash holes communicated with the lower combustion chamber being formed in the first inner cylinder member, and with a transfer charge for combusting the gas generant inside the lower combustion chamber being accommodated inside the first inner cylinder member;

a second inner cylinder member that is disposed on the bottom wall portion side of the lower case inside the inflator case, the second inner cylinder member having an upper end portion that penetrates the partition wall and is positioned in a lower portion of the upper combustion chamber, with flash holes communicated with the upper combustion chamber being formed in the upper end portion, and with a transfer charge for combusting the gas generant inside the upper combustion chamber being accommodated inside the second inner cylinder member;

a first igniter that is disposed on the bottom wall portion side of the lower case and is configured to be capable of igniting the transfer charge inside the first inner cylinder member;

a second igniter that is disposed on the bottom wall portion side of the lower case and is configured to be capable of igniting the transfer charge inside the second inner cylinder member; and

a cylindrical heat-insulating material that is disposed on a radial direction outer side of the second inner cylinder member.

2. The inflator according to claim 1, wherein the inflator is provided with a configuration:

that has an upper cooling space, which is disposed adjacent to the upper combustion chamber on the inner side of the inflator case and is communicated with the upper combustion chamber, and an upper gas flow path, which is communicated with the upper cooling space and is communicated with the upper gas discharge holes, and

that does not use a filter for cooling and filtration with respect to the gas generated inside the upper combustion chamber.

3. The inflator according to claim 1, wherein the inflator is provided with a configuration:

that has a lower cooling space, which is disposed adjacent to the lower combustion chamber on the inner side of the inflator case and is communicated with the lower combustion chamber, and a lower gas flow path, which is communicated with the lower cooling space and is communicated with the lower gas discharge holes, and

that does not use a filter for cooling and filtration with respect to the gas generated inside the lower combustion chamber.

4. The inflator according to claim 1, wherein the upper combustion chamber is set to a lower output than the lower combustion chamber.

5. The inflator according to claim 4, wherein the upper gas discharge holes are offset toward the bottom wall portion side of the upper case with respect to a central position of the upper combustion chamber in an axial direction of the inflator case.

6. The inflator according to claim 4, wherein the outer diameter of the site of the peripheral wall of the inflator case where the upper gas discharge holes are formed is smaller than the outer diameter of the site of the peripheral wall of the inflator case where the lower gas discharge holes are formed.

7. An airbag device comprising:

the inflator according to claim 4 where the upper case is placed on a vehicle occupant side; and

an airbag that is normally folded and stored and is supplied with the gas from the inflator to thereby inflate and deploy in front of the vehicle occupant,

wherein the second igniter is actuated when the vehicle occupant is in a state close to a storage position of the airbag.