Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-07
2004-12-21
Dunn, David R. (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S741000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06832777
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to a gas generator suitable for an airbag device.
An airbag device installed in a vehicle such as an automobile comprises an airbag, a gas generator normally called as an inflator, and a module cover for covering the airbag. When the automobile is in an emergency such as a collision, the gas generator is activated to inflate the airbag, thereby supporting and protecting an occupant.
FIG. 6
is a side view showing an example of a conventional steering wheel.
FIG. 7
is a front view of the same.
FIG. 8
is a sectional view taken along line
8
—
8
in FIG.
7
.
FIG. 9
is a sectional view of a gas generator built in an airbag device installed in the steering wheel.
As shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7
, an airbag device
14
is installed inside a steering wheel
10
. Numeral reference
12
denotes a spoke portion.
As shown in
FIG. 8
, the airbag device
14
comprises a retainer
20
securely fixed to a steering wheel by a bracket
18
, an airbag
22
attached to the retainer
20
along a periphery of an gas inlet thereof, a gas generator (inflator)
24
fixed to the retainer
20
for ejecting gas into the airbag
22
, and a module cover
26
for covering the airbag
22
. A base end of the module cover
26
is connected to the retainer
20
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the gas generator
24
has an outer shell comprising an upper housing
27
and a lower housing
28
, and a cylindrical partition
29
disposed inside the outer shell. One end of the cylindrical partition
29
extends through an opening formed at the bottom of the lower housing
28
to project downwardly. The inner periphery of the opening and the outer periphery of the partition
29
are welded by laser beam welding. An igniting agent (booster propellant)
30
is housed inside the partition
29
and a gas initiator (main propellant)
32
is housed in a space outside the partition
29
.
A squib (igniter)
34
is inserted in a portion near the one end of the cylindrical partition
29
. The squib
34
is energized via a squib connector
36
and a squib lead
38
so as to ignite the igniting agent
30
. When the igniting agent
30
is ignited, gas is ejected through gas ports of the partition
29
so as to ignite the gas initiator
32
, thereby rapidly generating gas in large quantity. The gas blows out outside the gas generator
24
through holes
44
after passing through a filter
42
such as a mesh, thereby inflating the airbag
22
. As the airbag
22
is inflated, the module cover
26
is broken along a tear line so that the airbag
22
deploys into a vehicle cabin. The steering wheel is secured to a steering shaft by an external thread
46
formed at an upper end portion of the steering shaft and a nut
48
.
In the aforementioned gas generator
24
, since the position of the squib
34
is difficult to be defined in the inserting direction, the squib
34
may be sometimes inserted too deep into the partition
29
when the squib connector
36
is connected.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas generator in which the position of a squib (igniter) can be easily defined in the inserting direction.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A gas generator of the present invention comprises a container, a gas initiator in the container, and an igniter for igniting the gas initiator. The container comprises an outer shell and a partition at least partially disposed in the outer shell. The container is divided into a plurality of gas initiator chambers by the partition. The igniter is disposed inside the partition by insertion. The partition is provided with a positioning member for positioning the igniter in the inserting direction.
According to the gas generator, the positioning member easily defines a position of the igniter in the inserting direction.
In the gas generator of the present invention, it is preferable that the partition has a cylindrical shape and the positioning member is composed of projections projecting from the inner peripheral surface of the partition. According to this structure, the positioning member can be easily formed by an operation such as pressing, resulting in cost reduction.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4530516 (1985-07-01), Adams et al.
patent: 4561675 (1985-12-01), Adams et al.
patent: 5104466 (1992-04-01), Allard et al.
patent: 5501152 (1996-03-01), Zeuner et al.
patent: 5613705 (1997-03-01), Hock et al.
patent: 5613706 (1997-03-01), Parker et al.
patent: 5753852 (1998-05-01), Bernau et al.
patent: 5779267 (1998-07-01), Jordan et al.
patent: 5829785 (1998-11-01), Jordan et al.
patent: 5834679 (1998-11-01), Seeger
patent: 6527297 (2003-03-01), Parkinson et al.
Dunn David R.
Kanesaka Manabu
Rosenberg Laura B.
Takata Corporation
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