Gas generator

• US 9,994,190 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2015
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daicel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Daicel Corporation
• Inventors: Izuma, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M
• Application Number:
  US15/323,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20170166160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 7/00 Apparatus for generating gases production of inert gas mixtures B01J19/14; for generating specific gases, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. C01B, C10J ; in "air bags" on vehicles B60R21/26; for starter gas F02C7/26; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure F42B3/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26029 Ignitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2642 comprising a plurality of combustion chambers or sub-chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2648 comprising a plurality of combustion chambers or sub-chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a gas generator including a combustion chamber cup which is disposed in the housing provided with a gas discharge port and includes a combination of a cup member and a cylindrical member, a combustion chamber being separated by the combustion chamber cup into an inner combustion chamber and an outer combustion chamber, the cup member having, in a circumferential wall surface thereof, a dropout-preventing slit formed in an axial direction from a first end on the side of a bottom surface to a second end on the side of an opening and a plurality of through holes formed in a circumferential direction, the cylindrical member having a first end opening fixed to a bottom plate of the housing and a protrusion protruding radially outward in a circumferential wall surface thereof, the cup member covering a second end opening of the cylindrical member, and the bottom surface of the cup member being positioned on the side of a top plate of the housing, the plurality of the through holes being closed when the protrusion of the cylindrical member is fitted at the first end of the dropout-preventing slit, at the time of actuation, the plurality of the through holes of the cup member being opened when the cup member moves until the protrusion, which has located at the first end of the dropout-preventing slit, abuts against the second end.

Claims

1. A gas generator comprising:

two combustion chambers in a housing provided with a gas discharge port,

the two combustion chambers being separated into an inner combustion chamber which is inside a combustion chamber cup disposed in the housing, and an outer combustion chamber which is outside the combustion chamber cup,

the combustion chamber cup including a combination of a cup member and a cylindrical member,

the cup member having, in a circumferential wall surface thereof, a dropout-preventing slit formed in an axial direction from a first end on the side of a bottom surface to a second end on the side of an opening,

the cylindrical member having a first end opening fixed to a bottom plate of the housing and a protrusion protruding radially outward in a circumferential wall surface thereof,

the circumferential wall surface of the cup member having a plurality of through holes formed in a circumferential direction, and

the cup member covering a second end opening of the cylindrical member, and the bottom surface of the cup member being positioned on the side of a top plate of the housing;

the plurality of the through holes of the cup member being closed due to the circumferential wall surface of the cup member being radially opposite to and in contact with the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member when the protrusion of the cylindrical member is fitted at the first end of the dropout-preventing slit,

at the time of actuation, the plurality of through holes of the cup member being opened when the cup member moves in an axial direction and stops with the protrusion abutting against the second end, shifted from the first end of the dropout-prevention slit.

4. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion, which protrudes radially outward from the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member, is obtained by cutting axially the circumferential wall surface of the second end opening in two circumferentially spaced locations and bending outwardly.

5. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion, which protrudes radially outward from the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member, is obtained by cutting axially the circumferential wall surface of the second end opening, further cutting in the circumferential direction, and bending outwardly.

6. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion, which protrudes radially outward from the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member, is a separate member fixed to the circumferential wall surface.

7. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the cup member has, in addition to the dropout-preventing slit formed in the axial direction from the first end on the side of the bottom surface to the second end on the side of the opening,

a connection slit formed in the circumferential direction from the second end of the dropout-preventing slit, and

an introducing slit formed from the connection slit to the opening of the cup member.

8. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein

the dropout-preventing slit of the cup member is formed in the axial direction from the first end on the side of the bottom surface to the second end on the side of the opening in the circumferential wall surface, and the second end does not reach the opening of the cup member,

the circumferential wall surface of the cup member has a cut-out portion which is obtained by cutting out a part of the circumferential wall surface where the dropout-preventing slit and the through holes are not present, and

the cut-out portion is a combination of a first cut-out portion obtained by cutting out the part of the circumferential wall surface including the opening of the cup member and a second cut-out portion obtained by cutting out the part of the circumferential wall surface which is radially opposite to the first cut-out portion.

2. A gas generator comprising:

two combustion chambers in a housing provided with a gas discharge port,

the two combustion chambers being separated into an inner combustion chamber which is inside a combustion chamber cup disposed in the housing, and an outer combustion chamber which is outside the combustion chamber cup,

the combustion chamber cup including a combination of a cup member and a cylindrical member,

the cup member having, in a circumferential wall surface thereof, a dropout-preventing slit formed in an axial direction from a first end on the side of a bottom surface to a second end on the side of an opening,

the cylindrical member having a first end opening fixed to a bottom plate of the housing and a protrusion protruding radially outward in a circumferential wall surface thereof,

the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member having a plurality of through holes formed in a circumferential direction, and

the cup member covering a second end opening of the cylindrical member, and the bottom surface of the cup member being positioned on the side of a top plate of the housing;

the plurality of the through holes of the cylindrical member being closed due to the circumferential wall surface of the cup member being radially opposite to and in contact with the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member when the protrusion of the cylindrical member is fitted at the first end of the dropout-preventing slit,

at the time of actuation, the plurality of through holes of the cylindrical member being opened when the cup member moves in an axial direction and stops with the protrusion abutting against the second end, shifted from the first end of the dropout-prevention slit.

9. The gas generator according to claim 2, wherein

at least the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member has the plurality of the through holes formed in the circumferential direction,

the circumferential wall surface of the cup member has a cut-out portion in one or not less than two locations, the cut-out portion being obtained by cutting out a part of the circumferential wall surface of the cup member, which is not opposite, in the thickness direction, to the plurality of the through holes of the cylindrical member, and

the cut-out portion is obtained by cutting out part of the circumferential wall surface including the opening of the cup member.

10. The gas generator according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion, which protrudes radially outward from the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member, is obtained by cutting axially the circumferential wall surface of the second end opening in two circumferentially spaced locations and bending outwardly.

11. The gas generator according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion, which protrudes radially outward from the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member, is obtained by cutting axially the circumferential wall surface of the second end opening, further cutting in the circumferential direction, and bending outwardly.

12. The gas generator according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion, which protrudes radially outward from the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member, is a separate member fixed to the circumferential wall surface.

3. A gas generator comprising:

two combustion chambers in a housing provided with a gas discharge port,

the two combustion chambers being separated into an inner combustion chamber which is inside a combustion chamber cup disposed in the housing, and an outer combustion chamber which is outside the combustion chamber cup,

the combustion chamber cup including a combination of a cup member and a cylindrical member,

the cup member having, in a circumferential wall surface thereof, a dropout-preventing slit formed in an axial direction from a first end on the side of a bottom surface to a second end on the side of an opening,

the cylindrical member having a first end opening fixed to a bottom plate of the housing and a protrusion protruding radially outward in a circumferential wall surface thereof,

both the circumferential wall surface of the cup member and the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member having a plurality of through holes formed in a circumferential direction, and

the cup member covering a second end opening of the cylindrical member, and the bottom surface of the cup member being positioned on the side of a top plate of the housing;

both the plurality of the through holes of the cup member and the plurality of the through holes of the cylindrical member being closed due to the circumferential wall surface of the cup member being radially opposite to and in contact with the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member when the protrusion of the cylindrical member is fitted at the first end of the dropout-preventing slit,

at the time of actuation, both the plurality of through holes of the cup member and the plurality of the through holes of the cylindrical member being opened when the cup member moves in an axial direction and stops with the protrusion abutting against the second end, shifted from the first end of the dropout-prevention slit.

13. The gas generator according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion, which protrudes radially outward from the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member, is obtained by cutting axially the circumferential wall surface of the second end opening in two circumferentially spaced locations and bending outwardly.

14. The gas generator according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion, which protrudes radially outward from the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member, is obtained by cutting axially the circumferential wall surface of the second end opening, further cutting in the circumferential direction, and bending outwardly.

15. The gas generator according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion, which protrudes radially outward from the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member, is a separate member fixed to the circumferential wall surface.

16. The gas generator according to claim 3, wherein

the dropout-preventing slit of the cup member is formed in the axial direction from the first end on the side of the bottom surface to the second end on the side of the opening in the circumferential wall surface, and the second end does not reach the opening of the cup member,

the circumferential wall surface of the cup member has a cut-out portion which is obtained by cutting out a part of the circumferential wall surface where the dropout-preventing slit and the through holes are not present, and

the cut-out portion is a combination of a first cut-out portion obtained by cutting out the part of the circumferential wall surface including the opening of the cup member and a second cut-out portion obtained by cutting out the part of the circumferential wall surface which is radially opposite to the first cut-out portion.

17. The gas generator according to claim 3, wherein

at least the circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical member has the plurality of the through holes formed in the circumferential direction,

the circumferential wall surface of the cup member has a cut-out portion in one or not less than two locations, the cut-out portion being obtained by cutting out a part of the circumferential wall surface of the cup member, which is not opposite, in the thickness direction, to the plurality of the through holes of the cylindrical member, and

the cut-out portion is obtained by cutting out part of the circumferential wall surface including the opening of the cup member.