Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1995-11-08
1998-04-28
Dickson, Paul N.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
102202, 102288, B60R 2128, C06C 700
Patent
active
057435596
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an inflator for an air bag which protects an occupant of a vehicle against an impact, and more particularly to an ignition means for the inflator.
The present invention provides a novel inflator for air bags which solves the problems encountered in the conventional techniques.
The inflator for air bags according to the present invention has a cylindrical housing provided with a gas outlet port, an inner cylindrical member provided in the housing and extending in the axial direction thereof so as to define a combustion chamber, a central cylindrical member provided in the inner cylindrical member and extending in the axial direction of the housing, a gas generant packed in an annular space formed between the central cylindrical member and inner cylindrical member, and an ignition means for igniting the gas generant, as generated by the gas generant on receiving an impact, the gas being introduced into an air bag to protect an occupant of a vehicle against the impact.
The invention is characterized in that the ignition means comprises a booster charge provided in one end portion of the central cylindrical member, an igniter for igniting the booster charge, and a booster member provided in the part of a central portion of the central cylindrical member which is close to the booster charge, the booster member being made of a nonexplosive material so as to constitute a rod type member extending over substantially the whole length of the central cylindrical member.
The ignition means in the inflator according to the present invention includes a booster member comprising a rod type member extending over substantially the whole length of the central cylindrical member. This booster member can be made of, for example, magnesium, polyfluorethylene such as TEFLON.RTM., and a nonexplosive material containing VITON.RTM. as a main component. VITON.RTM. is the name of a commercial product of the E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. VITON.RTM. is a rubber-like copolymer containing fluorine atoms in the molecules. According to the present invention, ignition energy is generated by this booster member. Since this booster member is provided in the central portion of the central cylindrical member, an annular clearance is formed around the booster member. The flames of the booster charge pass through this clearance, whereby a circumferential portion of the booster member can be ignited over the whole length thereof substantially at the same time. Consequently, the booster member is burnt, and lengthwise uniform ignition energy is generated.
Since the inflator according to the present invention is constructed as described above, the effect which will be described below is obtained.
The booster member provided in this inflator can generate lengthwise uniform ignition energy. Therefore, the ignition of the gas generant is not limited to a certain region thereof but it is possible that the ignition thereof occurs in a wide region thereof at once. This enables the inflator to always display a stable gas generating capability.
Although the heating value of the booster member provided in this inflator is substantially equal to that of a generally used booster charge, the sensitivity of the former to heat and impacts is lower than that of the latter. Accordingly, the safety of the inflator with respect to the handling and manufacturing of the same is improved.
According to the present invention, an operation for manufacturing a tubular container which is difficult to manufacture due to its thin-walled elongated structure, and which is used to pack a booster charge therein, and an assembling operation for setting a booster charge and a detonating powder cord in the tubular container, which is very difficult and requires care, is not necessary to use. The inflator according to the present invention can be obtained by inserting a rod type booster member in a simply-formed central cylindrical member, and, the manufacturing and assembling of the parts of the inflator are carried out easil
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Ishida Hidetoshi
Nakajima Yoshihiro
Sakamoto Satoshi
Daicel Chemical Industries Ltd.
Dickson Paul N.
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