초록 ▼

A generally cylindrical housing construction for a light weight gas generator of minimum bulk includes two subassemblies, each of which have first and second concentric cylinders depending from a flat wall and which are joined together by inertia welding to form a central igniter chamber and an oute

A generally cylindrical housing construction for a light weight gas generator of minimum bulk includes two subassemblies, each of which have first and second concentric cylinders depending from a flat wall and which are joined together by inertia welding to form a central igniter chamber and an outer annular chamber. The outer chamber is divided into three axially extending annular chambers by two flat annular barriers. Solid fuel is contained in a first annular chamber. Communication between the three annular chambers is provided by openings in the barriers, the openings in the barrier adjacent the solid fuel being disposed on a circle adjacent the outer edge thereof while the openings in the other barrier are disposed on a circle adjacent the inner edge. A cooling and filtering means is provided in each of the second and third annular chambers, with an air space between the two subassemblies for clearance during welding. Upon ignition, flame flows through openings in the wall of the igniter chamber into the solid fuel and ignites it. Pressure developed in the first annular chamber moves the adjacent barrier and cooling and filtering means against the second barrier, closing the clearance space and forcing the generated gas to flows radially inwardly through the first cooling and filtering means before passing through the inwardly located openings in the second barrier into the second cooling and filtering means. Gas flows radially outwardly through the second cooling and filtering means to the exit openings of the generator.

대표청구항 ▼

A light weight housing construction of minimum bulk for gas generators using solid fuel for the generation of gas to inflate vehicle passive restraint inflatable crash protection bags comprising, first, second, third and fourth structural components, said first structural component forming a first g

A light weight housing construction of minimum bulk for gas generators using solid fuel for the generation of gas to inflate vehicle passive restraint inflatable crash protection bags comprising, first, second, third and fourth structural components, said first structural component forming a first generally cylindrical subassembly and including first and second concentric cylinders, each of which has an end, that extend from a first common substantially flat wall means integral therewith to form structural walls of the generator and at least one of which has exit holes for the passage of gas, said second structural component forming a second generally cylindrical subassembly and including third and fourth concentric cylinders, each of which has an end, that extend from a second common substantially flat wall means integral therewith to form structural walls of the generator, and at least one of which has exit holes for the passages of gas, the ends of said first and third and said second and fourth concentric cylinders providing mating surfaces to form therebetween, in cooperation with said first and second common wall means, inner and outer concentric chambers, said third and fourth structural components being annular and substantially flat in form and positioned in said outer concentric chamber to form therein three separate annular chambers that are concentric with all of said concentric cylinders with a first annular chamber located adjacent said second common wall means, a third annular chamber located adjacent said first common wall means and a second annular chamber located between said first and third annular chambers, with said first and second annular chambers extending between said third and fourth concentric cylinders and said third annular chamber extending between said first and second concentric cylinders, said third and fourth structural components having exit holes for the passages of gas from one to another of said first, second and third annular chambers, said first annular chamber containing a solid gas generant composition for the generation of gas and said second and third annular chambers each containing an individually associated cooling and filtering means, and means to join said first and second structural components together at the mating surfaces of said first and third and said second and fourth concentric cylinders, wherein said first and second subassemblies are structured so that for a given height and diameter of said first and second subassemblies there is provided in said first annular chamber a volume that extends out to the full inner diameter thereof, thus providing maximum volume for the containment therein of said solid gas generant composition and thereby enabling a reduction in the bulk and the weight of the gas generator housing construction for a given material from which the housing construction is fabricated.