Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-05
2001-11-13
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S741000, C280S742000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315322
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, such as an air bag, is deployed upon the occurrence of a vehicle crash. The air bag is part of a vehicle occupant protection apparatus which further includes a crash sensor and an inflator. The inflator includes a housing and an inflation fluid source, such as a solid propellant, in the housing. When the crash sensor senses a crash-indicating condition of at least a predetermined threshold level, the inflator is actuated and produces inflation fluid under pressure in the inflator housing. The pressurized inflation fluid is directed out of the inflator housing and inflates the air bag into the vehicle occupant compartment. When the air bag is deployed in this manner, it helps to protect an occupant of the vehicle from a forceful impact with parts of the vehicle as a result of the crash.
When the inflator is actuated at an elevated ambient temperature, the pressure of the inflation fluid in the inflator housing increases. An inflator must be strong enough structurally to contain these elevated pressures. If the pressure in the inflator housing is thus increased, the mass flow rate of the inflation fluid flowing into the air bag can increase above the desired flow rate. Also, the possibility of such increased pressures may make it unfeasible to use a solid propellant which has a high burn rate exponent, that is, a high sensitivity to pressure variation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an inflator for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The inflator comprises an inflator housing, and an inflation fluid source in the inflator housing actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device. The inflator also comprises an ignitable material in the inflator housing for, when ignited, actuating the inflation fluid source, and an actuatable initiator in the inflator housing for igniting the ignitable material. The inflator comprises a first cap over the ignitable material in the inflator housing for containing the ignitable material adjacent the actuatable initiator. The first cap is movable away from the initiator upon ignition of the ignitable material. The inflator comprises a second cap in the inflator housing, for limiting movement of the first cap away from the initiator upon ignition of the ignitable material. The inflator housing deforms due to the pressure of inflation fluid in the inflator housing upon actuation of the inflation fluid source to provide a fluid passage for directing inflation fluid out of the inflator housing to the inflatable device. The flow area of the fluid passage varies in accordance with the pressure of inflation fluid in the inflator housing.
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Presentation to Chrylser, Dated Jan. 28, 1997, “AD19.0/9.2 Driver Inflator”.
Presentation to GM, dated Dec. 8, 1997, “TRW Driver Inflator, AD19.0/AD19.2”.
Dickson Paul N.
Fleming Faye M.
Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
TRW Inc.
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