Patent Application
20060006632
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas generator suitable for use in an air bag system installed in an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Arts
An air bag system is known as a device for protecting passengers from impact when a vehicle collides. In an air bag system, a gas is introduced into an air bag instantaneously so that the air bag inflates, and hence the air bag system functions as buffering means between the passenger and the constitutional components of the vehicle (the steering wheel, for example).
In recent years, air bag systems for the driver side, the front passenger side, side collisions, a vehicle roll, and so on have been proposed with the aim of improving passenger safety against the impact that is generated during a vehicle collision. A gas generator used in these air bag systems should satisfy a condition of being able to generate gas instantaneously, but with respect to the system for side collisions in particular, the gap between the constitutional components of the vehicle and the passenger is narrow, and hence the period from perception of the impact to the start of gas discharge into the air bag has to be short. Moreover, the gas generator should have a thin structure in the width direction due to problems regarding the mounting space for the gas generator. Likewise in air bag systems for use during vehicle roll (curtain air bags), the gas generator requires a thin structure in the width direction due to problems regarding mounting space.
U.S.-A No. 2002/0109339 may be cited as background art relating to the present invention.
To solve these problems, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a gas generator for an air bag, in particular a gas generator for a side (side collision protection) air bag, a gas generator for a curtain air bag, or another small gas generator or the like, which has a simple structure and is suitable for mounting in particularly small spaces.
The present invention is described as being used in a gas generator for an air bag for side collisions or a gas generator for a curtain air bag, in which the period from perception of the collision to the start of gas discharge should be short. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and may be used in gas generators for air bags for a driver side, a front passenger side, or a knee-bolster.
An aspect of the present invention is to provide a gas generator for an air bag wherein, in an inflator housing comprising a bottle portion storing a pressurized medium and a diffuser attached to one end portion of the bottle portion and formed, in an axial direction thereof, with a gas outlet being closed by a rupturable plate, an ignition means for rupturing the rupturable plate is fixed to an igniter collar to face the rupturable plate, and attached to the diffuser, a first gas discharge hole is formed in the igniter collar such that the pressurized medium discharged through the gas outlet is discharged in a substantially axial direction of the inflator housing, and the ignition means and first gas discharge hole are off-center respectively from the center of the igniter collar.
Gas generators include those using only pressurized gas (stored gas generators), those using a solid gas generating agent (pyrotechnic gas generators), and those using both pressurized gas and a solid gas generating agent (hybrid gas generators). Stored gas generators and hybrid gas generators comprise a rupturable plate for sealing the pressurized medium in the interior of the housing. When the rupturable plate is ruptured, discharge of the gas (ejection of the gas into the air bag) begins. By means of this mechanism, the period from perception of an impact to the start of gas discharge is short, which is advantageous for the aforementioned hybrid gas generator or stored gas generator. It is therefore assumed that the present invention relates to stored gas generators and hybrid gas generators.
The pressurized medium is sealed inside the bottle portion. One end of the bottle portion is closed, and the diffuser is attached to the opposite end portion, thus forming the inflator housing. Here, the term “one end side of the bottle is closed” signifies that a component which is open prior to assembly of the gas generator is closed by a spinning method or Mannesmann method, or by attaching a separate member. Alternatively, a commercially available component having one closed end portion prior to assembly of the gas generator may be used.
The opposite end portion of the bottle is open, and in this case, the diffuser is attached thereto. A gas outlet for discharging the pressurized medium in the bottle is formed in the diffuser, and preferably disposed to open in the axial direction of the bottle. The gas outlet is blocked by the rupturable plate prior to an operation of the gas generator. Instead of blocking the gas outlet in the diffuser with the rupturable plate, a part of the opposite end portion of the bottle may be opened and then closed by the rupturable plate.
Further, the igniter collar to which the ignition means for rupturing the rupturable plate are attached is incorporated into the diffuser. At this time, the ignition means is disposed to face the rupturable plate. The first gas discharge hole is formed in the igniter collar. The first gas discharge hole is formed in the igniter collar such that when the igniter collar is attached to the diffuser, the pressurized medium is discharged in the substantially axial direction of the housing. The first gas discharge hole may be formed in the thickness direction of the igniter collar, for example. Note that the ignition means and the first gas discharge hole are off-center from the center of the igniter collar. By disposing the ignition means and first gas discharge hole in this manner, the width of the gas generator in the radial direction can be reduced, and hence the gas generator can be mounted even in the narrow spaces of the vehicle. Here, the term “substantially axial direction” indicates that the axis of the housing and the axial direction of the first gas discharge hole are essentially parallel, but as long as the pressurized medium flows substantially in the axial direction of the housing, these two axes may intersect and still be included in the term “substantially axial direction” in the present invention.
Hence, the gas outlet is formed to open in the axial direction of the housing and closed by the rupturable plate, while the ignition means is disposed to face the rupturable plate, and therefore the ignition means is attached from the substantially axial direction of the housing. As a result, no components protrude in the width direction (radial direction) of the gas generator, and hence the gas generator is released from mounting space restrictions.
Moreover, since the first gas discharge hole is formed in the igniter collar and opened such that the gas is discharged in the substantially axial direction of the housing, no components in the gas discharging part protrude in the width direction of the housing, and therefore the gas generator can be mounted easily in a comparatively narrow mounting space.
Note that the attachment orientation of the ignition means facing the rupturable plate is preferably set such that the central axis of the ignition means is parallel to the axial direction of the inflator housing. However, there are no particular limitations on the orientation of the ignition means as long as the ignition means is capable of rupturing the rupturable plate, and as long as no protrusions are formed in the width direction of the housing.
Further, in the gas generator of the present invention, the ignition means is preferably constituted only by an electric igniter which activates upon reception of an ignition signal, the electric igniter is preferably formed integrally with the igniter collar using a resin, and the igniter collar is preferably attached to the diffuser by crimping.
By constituting the ignition means only by an electric igniter, the constitution of the gas generator is simplified. Further, by fixing the igniter to the igniter collar with resin, the igniter assembly (a combination of the igniter collar and igniter) can be produced easily.
Moreover, by fixing the igniter collar to the diffuser by crimping, welding heat and the like are not used, and hence construction can be performed safely. Particularly in cases where the electric igniter and the joining locations are in close proximity, welding heat may cause inadvertent ignition or melting of the resin. With a crimping method, however, such problems do not arise.
Also in the gas generator of the present invention, positioning means is preferably formed on at least one of the igniter collar and the diffuser so that the electric igniter and the rupturable plate are oriented to face each other.
In so doing, the igniter collar and diffuser can be assembled and positioned easily. The positioning means may be constituted by forming a convex portion (or concave portion) in the igniter collar and forming a corresponding concave portion (or convex portion) in the diffuser such that the igniter collar can be set in only one orientation in relation to the diffuser, or by forming the entire igniter collar in a gourd shape, a deformed elliptical shape, a non-symmetrical shape, and so on, and forming the diffuser in a corresponding shape.
Further, in the gas generator of the present invention, a tubular gas discharge port having one closed end portion is preferably also attached to the part of the igniter collar in which the first gas discharge hole is formed, and a large number of second gas discharge holes is preferably formed in the peripheral wall surface of the gas discharge port near to this closed end portion at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.
By using the tubular gas discharge port, connection to the air bag is simplified. The second gas discharge holes formed in the peripheral wall surface of one end portion of the gas discharge port are preferably disposed to counterbalance thrust. In so doing, the gas generator can be prevented from shooting forward like a rocket even when operated unintentionally during conveyance. Note that when the gas discharge port is fixed to the igniter collar, this fixing operation may be performed using welding (a well-known welding method such as resistance welding), a method of forming a screw on the gas discharge port and screwing the gas discharge port to the igniter collar, or a method of providing an outward-facing flange on the open end portion of the gas discharge port, providing an annular protrusion on the igniter collar, and fixing the two together by crimping.
The entirety or part of the gas discharge port and the igniter collar may be formed from an integral component. For example, such a structure may be employed that the peripheral wall portion including an open tip end is provided in the igniter collar such that the peripheral wall portion surrounds the first gas discharge hole, and the gas discharge port which has one end closed portion and formed with second gas discharge holes on the peripheral wall portion is fixed to it by using the method described above.
Alternatively, such a structure may be employed that the tip end of the peripheral wall portion thereof, extending from the first gas discharge hole, is open, the second gas discharge holes are formed in the peripheral wall portion toward this open end portion, and the open end is blocked at the closure of a separate member.
Also in the gas generator of the present invention, a preferable structure of the electric igniter is that an ignition charge is disposed in the electric igniter on a header portion carrying a heat generating portion which is caused to generate heat by an ignition current, the ignition charge being disposed in contact with the heat generating portion, and that the electric igniter is preferably closed tightly by a bottomed cup attached to the header portion, the bottom of the bottomed cup serving as a fragile site.
The heat generating portion that is caused to generate heat by an ignition current is formed in the header portion of the igniter, and the ignition charge is disposed on the header portion in contact with the heat generating portion and sealed tightly by the bottomed cup. The fragile portion ruptures and breaks at least initially during an activation of the electric igniter, but it is preferable that parts other than the fragile portion do not rupture and break even after the igniter activation. To form the fragile site, at least part of the bottom of the cup may be formed more thinly than the peripheral wall part so that only the bottom part breaks easily, or a notch may be formed in the bottom of a cup having a constant thickness. Substantially identical effects to those of a cup having a thicker peripheral wall part are exhibited when the cup thickness is constant and an annular reinforcement is disposed on the inside of the cup (on the header).
By providing the fragile site on at least part, or the entirety, of the cup bottom, the generation direction of the flame, impact wave, and high-temperature gas produced when the ignition charge is ignited can be restricted. By placing the rupturable plate in this direction, the energy generated by the igniter can be concentrated on the rupturable plate, and therefore the inflator can be operated reliably.
By means of the present invention, problems relating to the mounting space of a gas generator can be solved effectively. Even when mounting space is restricted, particularly in the case of a gas generator for a side collision or curtain air bag system, the gas generator can be mounted and fixed securely.
The present invention will be described in detail below using the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the present invention.
In the gas generator 100 of the present invention, a bottle 10 storing a pressurized medium 11 for inflating an air bag has an opening portion 12 on one end, the other end thereof is closed, and the pressurized medium, constituted by an inert gas such as argon or helium, nitrogen gas, or carbon dioxide, is charged into an interior space 16 at a charging pressure of approximately 30,000 to 70,000 kPa. The bottle 10 has a circular cross section in the width direction, and the opening portion 12 takes a similar circle form. However, there are no particular limitations on the forms thereof, and hence these cross sectional forms may be polygonal. The shape of the housing is preferably symmetrical with respect to a central axis 13.
A known gas cylinder may be used as the bottle 10, or the bottle 10 may be produced by subjecting a pipe to swaging, spinning, or Mannesmann processing to close one end (the end portion on the left side of
A diffuser 20 is attached to the opening portion 12 of the bottle 10. In the diffuser 20, a gas outlet 21 for discharging the pressurized medium in the interior of the bottle 10 is blocked by a rupturable plate 22. The rupturable plate 22 is fixed to an inwardly protruding part 23 formed on the gas outlet 21 of the diffuser 20 by a welding method such as resistance welding, and a central portion of the rupturable plate 22 is caused to expand outward by the pressure of the pressurized medium 11 in the interior of the bottle 10.
Further, a charging nozzle 24 for charging the pressurized medium into the interior of the bottle is formed in the diffuser 20. Following charging of the pressurized medium, the charging nozzle 24 is sealed with a pin 25. The pin 25 is fixed to the diffuser 20 by welding. As a result, the pressurized medium 11 is tightly sealed in the interior (interior space 16) of the bottle 10.
Alternatively, the charging nozzle 24 may be provided on the bottle 10 and sealed by the pin 25 in the same manner. Alternatively, a structure is possible in which the charging nozzle 24 is not provided in either the bottle 10 or the diffuser 20 and the pressurized medium is charged through the opening portion 12 of the bottle 10. In this case, the gas outlet 21 is sealed in advance by the rupturable plate 22, the diffuser 20 is placed in the vicinity of the opening portion 12, the pressurized medium 11 is charged, and once a predetermined amount of the pressurized medium 11 has been charged, the opening portion 12 is closed by the diffuser 20. In the gas generator 100 of
The bottle 10 and diffuser 20 may be connected by welding, or by providing a male screw portion on the outer peripheral surface of the end portion of the bottle 10, providing a female screw portion on the inner peripheral surface of the end portion of the diffuser portion 20, and screwing the male screw portion and female screw portion together.
An igniter 26 having an ignition charge is provided in the diffuser portion 20 as rupturing means for rupturing the rupturable plate 22. The igniter 26 is fitted into and attached to the diffuser 20. When attaching the igniter 26 to the diffuser 20, the igniter 26 is first attached to an igniter collar 27, and then the igniter collar 27 is attached to an opening portion 28 formed in the diffuser 20. At this time, the igniter 26 is attached to face the rupturable plate 22. An annular protruding portion 29 is formed on a peripheral wall portion of the igniter collar 27. The annular protruding portion 29 is disposed to abut against a stepped portion 31 of the diffuser 20, and then fixed thereto by crimping 30. In
When the igniter collar 27 is attached to the diffuser 20, the attachment operation should be performed such that the igniter 26 faces the rupturable plate 22, and it is therefore preferable that positioning means be formed. The positioning means serve to restrict the attachment orientation of the igniter collar 27 to the diffuser 20, and is obtained, for example, by forming a convex portion (or concave portion) on the periphery of the igniter collar 27 and forming a corresponding concave portion (or convex portion) on the diffuser 20. Alternatively, by forming the entire igniter collar 27 in a non-symmetrical shape and forming the opening portion 28 of the diffuser 20 in a corresponding shape, the igniter collar 27 can be attached to the diffuser 20 in a fixed orientation. These positioning means will be described later.
A first gas discharge hole 32 is also formed in the igniter collar 27 to discharge the pressurized medium that passes through the gas outlet 21 to the exterior of the gas generator. The first gas discharge hole 32 is also disposed in an off-center position from the center of the igniter collar 27. More specifically, the igniter collar 27 is attached with the igniter 26 for rupturing the rupturable plate 22, and formed with the first gas discharge hole 32 for discharging the pressurized medium from the interior of the bottle 10 to the outside, and by disposing the igniter 26 and first gas discharge hole 32 in this manner, the dimension of the gas generator 100 in the height direction (the vertical direction in
Due to the disposal relationships of the gas outlet 21 and rupturable plate 22 with the first gas discharge hole 32, the flow of pressurized medium through the interior of the diffuser 20 is complicated (zigzag). Hence, even if fragments of the rupturable plate or the like flow together with the pressurized medium, these fragments can be trapped easily in the interior of the diffuser 20.
Further, a gas discharge port 40 having one closed end 41 is connected to the igniter collar 27, and a plurality of second gas discharge holes 42 is formed on the peripheral wall portion on the end portion side of the closed end 41. By connecting the air bag (not shown) to this part, the pressurized medium can be discharged from the gas generator 100 into the interior of the air bag. The gas discharge port 40 is fixed and connected to the igniter collar 27 at an open end portion 43 thereof by a welding method such as resistance welding. Note that a convex portion 44 is formed on the gas discharge port 40, and by attaching the air bag to engage with this convex portion 44 and fixing the air bag around the peripheral wall portion of the gas discharge port 40 using a band, the air bag can be prevented from become disengaged from the gas discharge port during an operation.
Note that a sealing member such as an O-ring may be disposed on the contact surface between the igniter collar 27 and diffuser 20 (between the protruding portion 29 and stepped portion 31), for example, to ensure that all of the pressurized medium inside the bottle 10 is discharged through the first gas discharge hole 32 (and supplied only to the air bag) during an operation of the gas generator 100.
The gas discharge port 40 is attached such that the central axis of the bottle 10 (shown by the dot/dash line in
The gas discharge port 40 also functions as a filter for removing foreign matter (for example, fragments of the rupturable plate 22) by means of the second gas discharge holes 42 formed on the other end side thereof. Alternatively, the opening diameter of the second gas discharge holes 42 may be formed to be larger, and punched metal, expanded metal, wire mesh, or the like formed with a large amount of small holes may be disposed on the inside of the second gas discharge holes 42 to serve as a filter. There are no particular limitations on the location of the filter as long as foreign matter in the flowing pressurized medium can be removed.
The second gas discharge holes 42 are preferably provided uniformly around the peripheral wall portion of the gas discharge port 40. In so doing, thrust generated when the gas generator 100 is operated unintentionally during transport or conveyance is counterbalanced, and hence the gas generator can be prevented from shooting forward like a rocket.
Note that in the embodiment shown in
Also in the embodiment of
To enhance the rupturability of the rupturable plate 22 in the gas generator 100 of this embodiment, an annular portion 37 is provided to envelop the ignition charge 36 from the periphery thereof as shown in
In the structure shown in
In
In
Next, an operation of the gas generator 100 of the present invention will be described. When installed in a vehicle, the gas generator 100 is installed as a system combining operating signal output means constituted by an impact sensor, a control unit, a module case accommodating the gas generator 100 and an air bag, and so on. The air bag is connected at the second gas discharge holes 42 part of the gas discharge port 40.
First, when the vehicle receives an impact, an impact sensor receives the signal from the system, thereby operating the igniter 26 to ignite and burn the ignition charge such that the rupturable plate 22 is ruptured.
When the rupturable plate 22 ruptures, the gas outlet 21 opens, and hence the pressurized medium in the interior space 16 flows out through the first gas discharge hole 32, into the gas discharge port 40, and through the second gas discharge holes 42 to inflate the air bag.
The gas generator of the present invention may be used as a gas generator in an air bag system for use in side collisions, a curtain air bag system, and so on, or as a gas generator for a driver side air bag system, a front passenger side air bag system, a knee-bolster system, or an inflatable seat belt.
Note that the gas generator shown in
The invention thus being described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-166306 | Jun 2004 | JP | national |
This application claims priority on U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/579,681 filed on Jun. 16, 2004, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-166306 filed in Japan on Jun. 3, 2004, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60579681 | Jun 2004 | US |
