Inflator for airbag

• US 7,390,019 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2005
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited (Daicel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries Limited (Daicel Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakayasu, Masayuki, Iwai, Yasunori, Gotoh, Yuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bottorff; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Drew J.
• Application Number:
  US11/149,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20060001246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 280/741, 280/737, 280/736, 280/742
• 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 21/2644 using only solid reacting substances, e.g. pellets, powder
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/272 with means for increasing the pressure of the gas just before or during liberation, e.g. hybrid inflators

Abstract

An air bag inflator has a cylindrical housing defining an internal space therein and having a convex portion protruding towards the internal space, and a cup member provided inside the cylindrical housing and having a cylindrical wall, provided with a vent hole that communicates inside the cup member with a space defined by the cup member and an inner surface of the cylindrical housing, and an end wall closing a first end of the cylindrical wall. The cup member is supported inside the cylindrical housing by making contact with the convex portion. An inflator assembly method includes, forming the convex portion, providing the cup member, and inserting the cup member inside the internal space of the cylindrical housing, such that the cup member abuts the convex portion.

Claims

1. An air bag inflator, comprising:

a cylindrical housing defining an internal space therein and having at least one convex portion protruding towards the internal space, said cylindrical housing including a first end that is closed and a second end opposite to the first end; and

a cup member including an open end and a closed end, and being disposed in a side of the second end and separating the internal space into a first chamber and a second chamber, the cup member having a cylindrical wall, provided with a vent hole that communicates the second chamber defined inside the cup member with the first chamber defined by said cup member and an inner surface of said cylindrical housing, the cup member being provided such that the cup member is in contact with the at least one convex portion and the vent hole is located in the side of the second end with respect to the at least one convex portion.

2. The air bag inflator according to claim 1, wherein said cylindrical housing has a gas discharge port that discharges gas inside the cylindrical housing.

3. The air bag inflator according to claim 1, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are in fluid communication.

4. The air bag inflator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one convex portion makes contact with a corner between the cylindrical wall and the closed end.

5. The air bag inflator according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical wall and an inner surface of the cylindrical housing define a space.

6. The air bag inflator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a closure member attaching to the second end of the cylindrical housing, wherein the open end of the cup member abuts the closure member.

7. The air bag inflator according to claim 1, wherein said cylindrical housing is provided with a closure surface having a groove,

wherein the first end of the cup member abuts the convex portion,

wherein said cup member has a second end having an end opening, and

wherein the second end is inserted into the groove.

8. The air bag inflator according to claim 7, further comprising:

an O-ring provided inside the groove.

9. The air bag inflator according to claim 1, wherein said cylindrical housing is provided with a closure surface having a protruding portion extending along a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical housing,

wherein the first end of the cup member abuts the convex portion,

wherein said cup member has a second end having an end opening, and

wherein the protruding portion is inserted into the second end.

10. The air bag inflator bag according to claim 9, further comprising:

an O-ring provided on the closure surface and surrounding the protruding portion.

11. The air bag inflator according to claim 1, wherein said cylindrical housing is provided with a closure surface,

wherein the first end of the cup member abuts the convex portion, and

wherein a second end of said cup member has a flange portion supported by the closure surface.

12. The air bag inflator according to claim 11, further comprising:

an annular gasket provided between the flange portion and the closure surface.

13. The air bag inflator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first gas generating agent provided inside said cup member.

14. The air bag inflator according to claim 13, further comprising:

a second gas generating agent provided inside the first chamber, and

wherein said cup member is provided inside the first chamber.

15. The air bag inflator according to claim 14, wherein a combustion temperature of the first gas generating agent is higher than a combustion temperature of the second gas generating agent.

16. The air bag inflator according to claim 15, further comprising:

an igniter for igniting the first gas generating agent.

17. The air bag inflator according to claim 15, wherein the second gas generating agent includes guanidine nitrate, and the first gas generating agent includes nitroguanidine.

18. The air bag inflator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pressurized inflating medium provided inside the first chamber and the second chamber.

19. The air bag inflator according to claim 18, further comprising:

a seal tape that seals the at least one vent hole for preventing the pressurized inflating medium from entering inside said cup member.

20. The air bag inflator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one convex portion includes a plurality of convexes projecting into the internal space of the cylindrical portion.

21. The air bag inflator according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of convexes are formed independently in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical housing.

22. The air bag inflator according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical wall of the cup member is provided with a plurality of vent holes.

23. An inflator assembly method, comprising:

providing a cylindrical housing including a first end that is closed and a second end opposite to the first end;

forming at least one convex portion that protrudes toward an internal space of the cylindrical housing;

providing a cup member including an open end, a closed end, and a cylindrical wall provided with a vent hole; and

inserting the cup member inside the internal space of the cylindrical housing such that the cup member abuts the at least one convex portion and the vent hole is located in a side of the second end with respect to the at least one convex portion.

24. The inflator assembly method according to claim 23, further comprising:

providing the cylindrical housing with a closure surface in the second end thereof that supports the open end of the cup member.

25. The inflator assembly method according to claim 23, wherein the cup member providing step includes providing a plurality of vent holes in the cylindrical wall of the cup member.