Gas generator

• US 7,516,983 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Kayaku Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Kayaku Company Limited
• Inventors: Saito, Tetsuo, Dosai, Takayoshi, Suehiro, Akihiko, Sato, Eishi, Kawakami, Tameo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan; Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amores; Karen
• Application Number:
  US10/502,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20050225064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 280/736, 280/741, 555/25, 422/164, 422/167
• 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: C06D 5/06 by reaction of two or more solids

Abstract

A gas generator, including a housing made of metal and including an initiator shell and a closure shell; at least one combustion chamber formed in the housing and configured to be packed with a gas generant that generates a high temperature gas by burning; at least one filter member arranged around the at least one combustion chamber; at least one igniter located in the housing and configured to ignite and burn the gas generant in the at least one combustion chamber; and a plurality of gas discharge holes formed in the housing and configured to discharge gas generated in the at least one combustion chamber.

Claims

1. A gas generator, comprising:

a housing made of metal and including an initiator shell and a closure shell;

at least one combustion chamber formed in the housing and configured to be packed with a gas generant that generates a high temperature gas by burning;

at least one filter member arranged around the at least one combustion chamber;

at least one igniter located in the housing and configured to ignite and burn the gas generant in the at least one combustion chamber; and

a plurality of gas discharge holes formed in the housing and configured to discharge gas generated in the at least one combustion chamber, wherein

at least one of the initiator shell and the closure shell forming the housing includes a head portion of a semispherical form or an oval semispherical form and a cylindrical portion having a diameter D formed continuously from the head portion,

a ratio H/D between the diameter D of the cylindrical portion and a distance H between bottoms of the head portions of the initiator shell and closure shell is in a range of 0.6-1.3, and

the at least one filter member is configured so that a portion thereof around the gas discharge holes bulges inward to make the portion thick to prevent the at least one filter member from being damaged, and the filter member is configured so that, at each position along an axial direction of the gas generator, a thickness of the filter member is substantially the same along a circumference of the filter member.

2. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein a ratio d₁/d₂ between a minor axis d₁ and a major axis d₂ of the head portion of the initiator shell or the closure shell is in a range of 1-0.02.

3. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the head portion has a cross section of a generally semicircular shape or a generally semi-elliptical shape formed with at least three continuously extending straight lines.

4. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the head portion has a semi-spherical form having a curvature radius R, and a ratio D/R between the diameter D of the cylindrical portion and the curvature radius R is in a range of 0.3-2.

5. The gas generator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the diameter D is a diameter D₁ between outside surfaces of the closure shell.

6. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical portion formed in the closure shell has a height h in a range of 5-30 mm.

7. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the gas discharge holes are arranged in a zigzag pattern on a surface of the housing.

8. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one igniter device includes an inner cylinder having a base and a plurality of enhancer holes therearound, an enhancer agent packed in the inner cylinder, and an igniter placed in contact with the enhancer agent.

9. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein

the igniter device includes an inner cylinder having a base and a plurality of enhancer holes therearound, an enhancer agent packed in the inner cylinder, and an igniter placed in contact with the enhancer agent, and

the enhancer holes are arranged in a zigzag pattern on a surface of the inner cylinder.

10. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein

the igniter device includes an inner cylinder having a base and a plurality of enhancer holes therearound, an enhancer agent packed in the inner cylinder, and an igniter placed in contact with the enhancer agent, and

each of the enhancer holes is formed on a surface of a cylindrical portion of the inner cylinder in a form of a slot long along an axial direction thereof.

11. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein

the igniter device includes an inner cylinder having a base and a plurality of enhancer holes therearound, an enhancer agent packed in the inner cylinder, and an igniter placed in contact with the enhancer agent, and

the enhancer holes are arranged in a zigzag pattern on a surface of a cylindrical portion of the inner cylinder in a form of slots along an axial direction thereof respectively.

12. The gas generator according to of claim 1, wherein the gas generant is in the form of a hollow body closed at both ends.

13. The gas generator according to of claim 1, which is designed for a passenger'"'"'s seat.

14. A passenger'"'"'s seat airbag module to which the gas generator according to of claim 1 is fixed through a flanged portion.

15. The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein a thickest portion of the filter member is opposed to an entirety of the plurality of gas discharge holes such that a portion of the filter member that is directly below and in contact with the thickest portion of the filter member, but is not opposed to the plurality of gas discharge holes, is less thick than the thickest portion.

16. A gas generator, comprising:

a housing made of metal and including an initiator shell and a closure shell;

a combustion chamber formed in the housing and configured to be packed with a gas generant that generates a high temperature gas by burning;

a partition plate configured to partition the combustion chamber into two tiered chambers;

a first filter member and a second filter member arranged around the first partitioned combustion chamber and the second partitioned combustion chamber respectively;

a first igniter device and a second igniter device located in the initiator shell and configured to ignite and burn the gas generant packed in the first partitioned combustion chamber and the second partitioned combustion chamber respectively; and

a plurality of gas discharge holes formed in the housing and configured to discharge gas generated in the first partitioned combustion chamber and the second partitioned combustion chamber, wherein

at least one of the initiator shell and the closure shell forming the housing includes a head portion of a semispherical form or an oval semispherical form and a cylindrical portion of a diameter D formed continuously from the head portion,

a ratio H/D between the diameter D of the cylindrical portion and a distance H between bottoms of the head portions of the initiator shell and closure shell is in a range of 0.6-1.3, and

at least one of the filter members is configured so that a portion thereof around the gas discharge holes bulges inward to make the portion thick to prevent the at least one filter member from being damaged, and the filter member is configured so that, at each position along an axial direction of the gas generator, a thickness of the filter member is substantially the same along a circumference of the filter member.

17. The gas generator according to claim 16, wherein a ratio d₁/d₂ between a minor axis d₁ and a major axis d₂ of the head portion of the initiator shell or closure shell is in a range of 1-0.02.

18. The gas generator according to claim 16, wherein the head portion has a cross section of a generally semicircular shape or a generally semi-elliptical shape formed with at least three continuously extending straight lines.

19. The gas generator according to claim 16, wherein the head portion has a semi-spherical form having a curvature radius R, and a ratio D/R between the diameter D of the cylindrical portion and the curvature radius R is in a range of 0.3-2.

20. The gas generator according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein the diameter D is a diameter D₁ between outer sides of the closure shell.

21. The gas generator according to claim 16, wherein the cylindrical portion has a height h in a range of 5-30 mm.

22. The gas generator according to claim 16, wherein the gas discharge holes are arranged in a zigzag pattern on a surface of the housing.

23. The gas generator according to claim 16, wherein the first igniter device and the second igniter device include first and second inner cylinders each having a base and a plurality of enhancer holes therearound, an enhancer agent packed in the first inner cylinder and the second inner cylinder, and a first igniter and a second igniter both being placed in contact with the enhancer agent, respectively.

24. The gas generator according to claim 16, wherein

the first igniter device and the second igniter device include first and second inner cylinders each having a base and a plurality of enhancer holes therearound, an enhancer agent packed in the first inner cylinder and the second inner cylinder, and a first igniter and a second igniter both being placed in contact with the enhancer agent, respectively, and

the enhancer holes are arranged in a zigzag pattern on surfaces of the first inner cylinder and the second inner cylinder respectively.

25. The gas generator according to claim 16, wherein

the first igniter device and the second igniter device include first and second inner cylinders each having a base and a plurality of enhancer holes therearound, an enhancer agent packed in the first inner cylinder and the second inner cylinder, and a first igniter and a second igniter both being placed in contact with the enhancer agent, respectively,-and

the enhancer holes are formed on surfaces of cylindrical portions of the first inner cylinder and the second inner cylinder in a form of a slot long along axial directions thereof.

26. The gas generator according to claim 16, wherein

the first igniter device and the second igniter device include first and second inner cylinders each having a base and a plurality of enhancer holes therearound, an enhancer agent packed in the first inner cylinder and the second inner cylinder, and a first igniter and a second igniter both being placed in contact with the enhancer agent, respectively,

the enhancer holes are arranged in a zigzag pattern on surfaces of the first inner cylinder and the second inner cylinder, and

the first inner cylinder or the second inner cylinder is configured to be located in the second combustion chamber which is an upper side chamber of the two partitioned chambers.

27. The gas generator according to claim 16, wherein

the first igniter device and the second igniter device include first and second inner cylinders each having a base and a plurality of enhancer holes therearound, an enhancer agent packed in the first inner cylinder and the second inner cylinder, and a first igniter and a second igniter both being placed in contact with the enhancer agent, respectively,-and

the enhancer holes, which are formed in either the first inner cylinder or the second inner cylinder in the form of a cylinder having an extended axis, are configured to open only in the second combustion chamber which is located on an upper side of the two partitioned chambers.

28. The gas generator according to claim 16, wherein the partition plate is held between the initiator shell and the closure shell.

29. The gas generator according to claim 16, wherein a thickest portion of the filter member is opposed to an entirety of the plurality of gas discharge holes such that a portion of the filter member that is directly below and in contact with the thickest portion of the filter member, but is not opposed to the palarity of gas discharge holes, is less thick than the thickest portion.

30. A gas generator, comprising:

a housing made of metal and including an initiator shell and a closure shell;

a combustion chamber formed in the housing and configured to be packed with a gas generant that generates a high temperature gas by burning;

a filter member arranged around the combustion chamber;

an igniter device located in the housing and configured to ignite and burn the gas generant in the combustion chamber; and

a plurality of gas discharge holes formed in the housing and configured to discharge gas generated in the combustion chamber, wherein

the housing has a generally spherical form, and

the filter member is configured so that a portion thereof around the gas discharge holes bulges inward to make the portion thick to prevent the at least one filter member from being damaged, and the filter member is configured so that, at each position along an axial direction of the gas generator, a thickness of the filter member is substantially the same along a circumference of the filter member.

31. The gas generator according to claim 30, wherein a thickest portion of the filter member is opposed to an entirety of the plurality of gas discharge holes such that a portion of the filter member that is directly below and in contact with the thickest portion of the filter member, but is not opposed to the plurality of gas discharge holes, is less thick than the thickest portion.

32. A gas generator, comprising:

a housing made of metal and including an initiator shell and a closure shell;

a combustion chamber formed in the housing and configured to be packed with a gas generant that generates a high temperature gas by burning;

a filter member arranged around the combustion chamber;

an igniter device located in the housing and configured to ignite and burn the gas generant in the combustion chamber; and

a plurality of gas discharge holes formed in the housing and configured to discharge gas generated in the combustion chamber, wherein

the housing has a generally oval form, and

the at least one filter member is configured so that a portion thereof around the gas discharge holes bulges inward to make the portion thick to prevent the at least one filter member from being damaged, and the filter member is configured so that, at each position along an axial direction of the gas generator, a thickness of the filter member is substantially the same along a circumference of the filter member.

33. The gas generator according to claim 32, wherein a thickest portion of the filter member is opposed to an entirety of the plurality of gas discharge holes such that a portion of the filter member that is directly below and in contact with the thickest portion of the filter member, but is not opposed to the plurality of gas discharge holes, is less thick than the thickest portion.