Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-08
2001-06-19
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C137S069000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247725
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an opening apparatus for a gas pressure container for inflating an airbag comprising a housing that is securely connected to the container at the discharge opening thereof. A sealing element seals the discharge opening and is supported by a pressure piece on a counterbearing against the opening forces acting on the sealing element via the gas pressure in the container. A tripping device is provided that when tripped or activated removes the support for the sealing element so that the discharge opening is opened by the gas pressure in the container and the airbag is inflated. The support of the sealing element is stable independent of the tripping element.
Such an opening apparatus is known from DE 195 40 618 A1. The discharge opening of the pressure container is closed by means of a sealing element that is supported on a counterbearing fixed in the housing for supporting the gas forces via a pressure member. The pressure member has a pyrotechnic charge that destroys the counterbearing when ignited and thus removes the support for the sealing element. The sealing element is now destroyed by the gas pressure in the container and the airbag attached to the housing is inflated by the gas flowing out.
Known from DE 197 27 047 is filling the gas pressure container with an inert gas, e.g., at least one gas from the nitrogen, argon, and helium group. The gas pressure containers thus filled are closed by a bursting disk that is joined to the gas pressure container and that is opened by the explosion pressure of a pyrotechnic charge.
The filled gas pressure containers are manufactured by suppliers and shipped to end users. The gas pressure containers ready for shipping contain operational opening apparatuses, each comprising a pyrotechnic charge, which is why cautious handling is necessary during manufacture, shipping, and final installation in order to avoid inadvertent actuation of the apparatus.
In addition, it has been determined that gases stored in the gas pressure container must be present in a particular mix in order to ensure rapid and correct inflation of the airbag without mechanical damage.
The object of the invention is to further develop an apparatus of the aforementioned type such that it is assured that the airbag will open immediately regardless of the gases used and without the inflating process causing mechanical damage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention in that the housing, which is open on opposing ends, comprises a principal member that is connected to the pressure container, wherein the open ends can be closed off by end plates, and wherein the tripping or triggering device is in the form of a separate unit that is independently mountable on the housing and is held in one of the end plates.
The throttling means is provided in the direction of discharge of the gases in front of the discharge opening in the gas pressure container, and the reason for this is two-fold. First, the discharge opening can have a large diameter, which means that the gas pressure acts on a correspondingly large surface area and large opening forces are available that provide explosion-type opening of the pressure container when the pressure piece is absent. In contrast, the discharge speed of the gas is determined by the throttling means, which is selected according to the gas filling and installed securely when the container is manufactured. Preferably the pressure container is filled with an inert gas, especially helium or a helium mix, the discharge speed of the gas being constructively pre-determined by the throttling means. Helium is not highly temperature sensitive; its flow speed is high because of its low molecular weight and the flow speed can be adapted with the throttling means to the airbag to be filled.
In a further development of the invention the tripping device embodies a unit separate from the housing that is independently mountable. Since the support for the sealing element is stable independent of the tripping device, the opening apparatus can be preassembled with the gas pressure container without the tripping device. It is useful for the housing to remain open on opposing sides so that if the sealing element is inadvertently opened the gas under pressure flows out of equivalent opening areas on opposing sides and the reaction forces are thus thrust-neutral. Thus the gas pressure container moves only slightly or does not move at all so that a high degree of safety is achieved during pre-assembly, shipping, and final assembly without additional complexity. The tripping device is pre-assembled separate from the opening apparatus and the gas pressure container. The opening apparatus for the gas pressure container is not provided the tripping device until final assembly, when the overall arrangement is made operational. By this time, however, the gas pressure container is securely mounted so that thrust forces that occur due to discharging gases are captured.
Preferably the housing embodies a principal member that is joined to the pressure container and that comprises open ends that can be closed by end plates. The principal member can be closed for shipping by temporary end plates that each have discharge openings equal in size. This can assure that the opening apparatus in the housing is not damaged. The tripping device mounted in one end plate is not attached to the principal member until final assembly, wherein the end plate opposite the tripping device can have the necessary discharge openings for the fill gas for the airbag; it is useful for the airbag to be attached to this end plate.
In order to assure that the tripping device is installed in the correct position, the open edge of the end of the principal member engages in a groove in the end plate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3788596 (1974-01-01), Maeda
patent: 4203616 (1980-05-01), Okada
patent: 4275901 (1981-06-01), Okada
patent: 4289327 (1981-09-01), Okada
patent: 4771914 (1988-09-01), Kaneda et al.
patent: 5820162 (1998-10-01), Fink
Dickson Paul N.
Robert W. Becker & Asociates
Welz Industrie-produkte GmbH
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