Air bag inflator
First Claim
1. Apparatus for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint, said apparatus comprising:
- gas generating material;
an enclosure having an end wall portion defining an enclosure chamber;
said gas generating material being within said enclosure chamber and spaced a distance from said end wall portion; and
yieldable means located adjacent to said end wall portion and said gas generating material, said yieldable means providing a force acting on said gas generating material and on said end wall portion to inhibit movement of said gas generating material relative to said enclosure and relative to said end wall portion, said force being constant and unrelated to the distance between said gas generating material and said end wall portion.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, an air bag inflator (10) includes a canister (74) which has a lower canister section (76) and a canister cover (78). Disks (110) of gas generating material are located within a chamber (75) defined by the canister (74). A cushion (120) is located in the space between the uppermost disk (110U) and the canister cover (78). A wall (122) of the cushion (120) has a frustum shape prior to assembly of the inflator (10) and defines a cushion chamber (124). During assembly, the wall (122) of the cushion (120) is elastically bent into the cushion chamber (124). In another embodiment, an air bag inflator (160) includes a housing (176). Grains (212, 216) of gas generating material are located within a chamber (182) in the housing (176). A cushion (260) is located in a space between the last grain (216R) and the end cap (226). A wall (262) of the cushion (260) has a frustum shape prior to assembly of the inflator (160) and defines a cushion chamber (264). During assembly, the wall (262) of the cushion (260) is elastically bent into the cushion chamber (264). In both embodiments, the cushion (120 or 260) inhibits movement of the gas generating material with a force which is substantially constant and unrelated to the distance (D1 or D2) between the gas generating material (110U, 216R) and the canister cover (78) or end cap (226).
30 Citations
16 Claims
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1. Apparatus for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint, said apparatus comprising:
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gas generating material; an enclosure having an end wall portion defining an enclosure chamber; said gas generating material being within said enclosure chamber and spaced a distance from said end wall portion; and yieldable means located adjacent to said end wall portion and said gas generating material, said yieldable means providing a force acting on said gas generating material and on said end wall portion to inhibit movement of said gas generating material relative to said enclosure and relative to said end wall portion, said force being constant and unrelated to the distance between said gas generating material and said end wall portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. Apparatus for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint, said apparatus comprising:
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gas generating material; an enclosure having an end wall portion defining an enclosure chamber; said gas generating material being within said enclosure chamber and spaced a distance from said end wall portion; and a member located in said chamber adjacent to said end wall portion and said gas generating material, said member providing a force acting on said gas generating material and on said end wall portion to inhibit movement of said gas generating material relative to said enclosure and relative to said end wall portion, said force being constant and unrelated to the distance between said gas generating material and said end wall portion, said member having a frustoconical-shaped chamber extending through said member, said chamber in said member being defined by a wall encircling an axis of said member, said wall tapering radially inward toward the axis along an extent of said wall, said wall being bent into said chamber in said member at one end of said chamber in said wall due to a force applied to said wall. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. Apparatus for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint, said apparatus comprising:
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gas generating material; an enclosure having an end wall portion defining an enclosure chamber; said gas generating material being within said enclosure chamber and spaced a distance from said end wall portion; and a member located within said enclosure chamber adjacent to said end wall portion and said gas generating material, said member providing a force acting on said gas generating material and on said end wall portion to inhibit movement of said gas generating material relative to said enclosure and relative to said end wall portion, said force being constant and unrelated to the distance between said end wall portion and said gas generating material, said member having an initial hollow frustum shape prior to location in said enclosure chamber, said member having a wall defining a chamber in said member and an open end exposing said chamber in said member to the exterior of said member, said wall having a non-bent section and a bent section due to a force applied to said wall. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification