Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C06—EXPLOSIVES; MATCHES
  • C06D—MEANS FOR GENERATING SMOKE OR MIST; GAS-ATTACK COMPOSITIONS; GENERATION OF GAS FOR BLASTING OR PROPULSION (CHEMICAL PART)
  • C06D5/00—Generation of pressure gas, e.g. for blasting cartridges, starting cartridges, rockets
  • C06D5/06—Generation of pressure gas, e.g. for blasting cartridges, starting cartridges, rockets by reaction of two or more solids
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
  • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
  • B60R21/26—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow
  • B60R21/264—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C06—EXPLOSIVES; MATCHES
  • C06B—EXPLOSIVES OR THERMIC COMPOSITIONS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS EXPLOSIVES
  • C06B25/00—Compositions containing a nitrated organic compound
  • C06B25/34—Compositions containing a nitrated organic compound the compound being a nitrated acyclic, alicyclic or heterocyclic amine

Definitions

• This invention relates to vehicle occupant restraint systems which arc
• composition is required to inflate the bag, and in the case of a scat belt
• pre-tensioner it provides the motive force to operate the pre-tensioning
• compositions arc generally of a pyrotechnic nature and arc
• sodium azide-bascd compositions single or
• propcllants in stability and to sodium azidc in toxicity are propcllants in stability and to sodium azidc in toxicity.
• the percentage conversion to gas is approximately 60 - 70% by weight, of which most is nitrogen and very little is carbon monoxide, although up to 10% is carbon
• compositions generate a smaller weight of solid particulatc products
• aminotctrazolcs is, however, relatively high and their advantages arc not
• composition of low toxicity having combustion products also of low toxicity
• a stable gas generating composition comprising
• the present invention provides a vehicle occupant restraint system which
• compositions of the invention is aluminium, or a silicate.
• nitroguanidinc component (i) of the compositions of the invention is
• invention is also preferably of low toxicity and has combustion products of low
• Suitable oxidising agents include, for example, nitrates, and particularly
• nitrates of metals more particularly alkali and alkaline earth metals, especially
• oxidising agents such as potassium pcrchlorate may also be used, cither
• Oxidising agents comprising bismuth, barium, vanadium and chromium
• salts arc not preferred because of the toxicity of the compounds themselves, or of
• Component (iii) of the composition comprises an oxide of silicon or
• aluminium aluminium, a mixed oxide of silicon and aluminium, or a silicate.
• silica silica, alumina, silicoaluminatcs. diatomaccous solids and
• the third component is preferably present in a
• compositions of the present invention preferably comprise from 50 to
• compositions according to the invention arc relatively
• temperatures for example up to 200°C.
• the vehicle occupant restraint system according to the invention can be an
• a solid gas generating composition according to the invention is prepared
• composition I sodium nitrate, and 4% by weight of silica in a blender.
• composition is found to be stable at 105°C for a period of 6 months.
• Figure 1 shows, in side elevation, an embodiment of a vehicle occupant
• restraint system in the form of a scat belt pretensioner
• Figure 2 shows the pretensioner of Figure 1 in top elevation
• Figure 3 shows the pretensioner of Figures 1 and 2 in side elevation in
• FIG 4 shows the pretensioner of Figures 1 to 3 in end elevation again
• Figure 5 shows a scrap view in section of the gas-gencrating
• Figure 6 shows another embodiment of a vehicle occupant restraint
• the pressure tube 2 is mounted eccentrically of the axis of
• the drive wheel 3 and has a diameter of curvature slightly greater than the wheel.
• the tube 2 has a closed end, at which there is situated a cap enclosing a gas- generating mechanism 5, and an open end which is cut back, as illustrated by
• curved pressure tube 2 describes approximately ⁇ V ⁇ turns about the drive wheel 3.
• the pretensioner is enclosed in a collection chamber 9, which may comprise the
• the balls 1 1 have a diameter slightly less than the internal diameter of the
• the drive wheel 3 is provided with a
• Figure 4 which also shows the drive shaft 4 which is attached to the take-up reel of a scat belt retractor (not shown).
• Figure 5 shows a detail of the gas-generating mechanism 5.
• Example Composition I is packed into a pressure -resistant plug 14 firmly
• the pyrotechnic composition 13 is ignited by an electronic igniter (not shown) which is activated by a deceleration
• a felt plug 16 is positioned at the end 15 of the pressure tube
• the plug 16 prevents the foam from reacting the
• the ball retaining means may alternatively comprise, for example, a
• frangible plug or a spring means, which is compressed as the balls arc ejected
• the deceleration sensor activates
• composition 13 The volume of gas generated by the composition 13 is sufficient
• the path of the balls is tangential to the circumference of the drive
• pretensioner is preferably enclosed within the housing of the scat belt retractor
• pretensioner has been activated. After use. they can be recovered and reused
• retractor lock is released and the scat belt can again be used normally.
• Figure 6 shows an inflator assembly for an
• the inflator assembly illustrated generally at 21, comprises a generally
• the flange 23 has
• the air bag is
• cap member 29 mounted on the housing 22. is a cap member 29 provided with an annular
• control unit (not shown) which, when a rapid deceleration is detected, electrically
• the igniter and booster 25 ignites the pellets
• This invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Air Bags (AREA)
• Automotive Seat Belt Assembly (AREA)
• Feeding, Discharge, Calcimining, Fusing, And Gas-Generation Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10769729

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (11)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1995
  • 1995-02-16 GB GBGB9503066.4A patent/GB9503066D0/en active Pending
• 1996
  • 1996-02-15 EP EP96902368A patent/EP0809617A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1996-02-15 JP JP8524758A patent/JPH11503398A/ja active Pending
  • 1996-02-15 WO PCT/GB1996/000328 patent/WO1996025375A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1996-02-15 KR KR1019970705562A patent/KR19980702167A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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