JP2005520734A - Dual-flow inflator for vehicle airbag systems - Google Patents

Abstract

The airbag double flow inflator (24) has a gas chamber (54) comprising a first (70) orifice and a second end having a second outlet orifice (72) at the second end. . Outflow orifices (70, 72) are directed into the inlet ports (60, 62) of the inflatable curtain. Outflow orifices (70, 72) provide axial gas flow in the opposite direction. The outflow orifice can be composed of a fragile structure such as a burst disk (78), a scored surface, and a compression closure. The use of a piston ensures that the outlet orifice can be opened completely simultaneously.

Description

  The present invention relates to a system and method for protecting vehicle occupants from injury. More particularly, the present invention relates to a double flow inflator that injects multiple gas streams into an airbag system, such as an inflatable curtain.

  Equipped with an inflatable safety restraint device, ie an airbag, is now a legal requirement for many new vehicles. Airbags are typically installed in the steering wheel and in the dashboard on the passenger side of the vehicle. In the event of an accident, an accelerometer inside the vehicle measures abnormal deceleration and triggers a rapidly expanding gas from the inflator. The inflating gas fills the airbag and the airbag immediately inflates in front of the driver and occupant, protecting them from crashing into the windshield. Side impact airbags known as inflatable curtains have also been developed depending on the need for lateral protection or protection to the side of the vehicle. The inflatable curtain has one or more separate inflatable cushions.

  Side impact cushions are often designed so that a person does not strike a door or window during a lateral impact by expanding or unwinding downward and inflating beside the person. Since a vehicle occupant may have embarked forward, leaned against a seat, or somewhere in between, such cushions are often made somewhat longer, ensuring that the occupant is in the cushion. It is trying to hit. When supplying multiple cushions with a single inflator located either in front of or behind the cushion, a particularly long gas flow path exists between the inflator and the cushion farthest from the inflator. For this reason, the outermost end of the inflatable curtain may receive only an inflating gas pressure that is insufficient to expand to the optimum protective pressure.

  Even a somewhat shortened cushion can be difficult to achieve rapid and uniform inflation with known inflator designs. Many of the existing inflators release inflated gas radially outward so that the inflated gas is not propelled along the length of the cushion and is fed into the cushion close to the inflator. The outer area of the cushion only expands later than the area closest to the inflator.

  In addition, some inflatable curtain systems are rather expensive because they require a large number of inflators, mounting mechanisms, and the like. Many inflatable curtain systems require the use of a gas conduit that carries gas from the inflator to the inflatable curtain. Some known inflators require the use of a large number of inflators, which increases manufacturing costs and also requires the timing of the inflator to be set.

  Furthermore, if there are many inflators, thrust is generated during operation. As a result, it is often necessary to use a somewhat complex attachment mechanism to secure the inflator to the vehicle and ensure that the inflator itself does not slip during deployment. Such additional components not only increase the cost of the inflatable curtain system, but also increase the time and cost required to install the inflatable curtain system in the vehicle.

Thus, there is a need for inflators and related methods that overcome the problems found in the prior art. Such an inflator should preferably inflate the associated inflatable curtain relatively uniformly and rapidly, and preferably does not require multiple inflators in a single curtain. Such inflators should also preferably be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

  The device of the present invention has been developed in response to the current state of the art and, in particular, in response to problems and desires that are not fully solved by currently available inflators. The invention embodied here and described broadly is a double flow inflator. According to one configuration, the inflator has a first end disposed within the first inlet port of the inflatable curtain and a second end disposed within the second inlet port of the inflatable curtain. A gas chamber can be provided. The gas chamber can be composed of one single body. The first and second inlet ports may be tightly attached to the gas chamber so that no gas can escape from the inflatable curtain between the inlet port and the gas chamber.

  The gas chamber can have a first outlet orifice positioned at the first end and a second outlet orifice positioned at the second end. Each outflow orifice may have a sealed configuration that does not allow gas flow and an open configuration in which inflation gas flows out of the gas chamber through the outflow orifice relatively freely. Each outflow orifice may take the form of a diffuser. The diffuser forms an inner wall having an opening covered by a burst disk. The burst disk can be removed from the opening by pressure strikes induced by combustion inside the gas chamber. Placing the burst disk retaining member outside the aperture can capture the burst disks and ensure that they do not damage the inflatable curtain.

  Each outlet orifice may also have a gas induction diffuser that is located outside the opening and controls the expanded gas flow from the outlet orifice. The gas induction diffuser may be aligned with the longitudinal axis of the inflator so that inflation gas is released along the longitudinal axis. The gas guide diffusers of the first and second orifices are oriented opposite each other such that the thrust from the first outlet orifice substantially cancels the thrust from the second outlet orifice, or vice versa. obtain.

  The inflator has an initiator disposed near or partially within the gas chamber and activates the gas generating material to pass a first gas flow and a second gas flow through the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice, respectively. Two gas streams can be generated. The gas generating material may be a liquid / gas mixture and is inserted into the gas chamber in a solid form at a cryogenic temperature. Regardless of whether cryogenic or standard gas generating materials are used, the gas generating material is inserted into the inflator via a sealable fill port prior to assembly of the inflator components, or It can be inserted inside the inflator. The initiator can transition the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice to the open configuration by heating the liquid / gas mixture to create a pressure strike and removing the burst disk from the opening.

  According to one alternative embodiment, the inflator can comprise a gas chamber composed of a number of parts. The gas chamber can have two containers and a septum. Each of the containers has an inner end and an outer end, and may have a generally tubular shape. The septum can also have a tubular shape and further have two openings designed to be in line with the inner end of the container. The container can be fixed to the partition wall by a method such as welding. The first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice can be disposed at the outer ends of the first and second containers, respectively.

  Instead of the opening and burst disk of the first embodiment, the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice of the second embodiment can take the form of a scored surface or a notched surface, Such a surface opens when the pressure in the gas chamber exceeds the tensile strength of the second region. The scored surface can be opened to form a suitable outflow nozzle.

  Similar to the previous embodiment, a gas generating material, such as a mixture of compressed gas and liquid, is thermally activated by the initiator, and the first gas stream and the second gas flow through the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice, respectively. A gas flow can be supplied. To ensure that both scored surfaces rupture completely and simultaneously, the two pistons may be positioned on either side of the initiator in the gas chamber. As the gas generant material between the pistons expands, the rising pressure drives the pistons outward and toward the outflow orifice. As a result, the pressure between the piston and the outflow orifice increases, and this increase in pressure induces the breaking of the scored area and opens the first outflow orifice and the second outflow orifice.

  According to another alternative, the inflator can comprise a gas chamber having two containers fixed to a generally spherical septum. Each container may have an outflow orifice in the form of a compression closure, such as a crimp opening. The crimping opening can have two lips that are flattened together and bonded together in a manner such as welding. Similar to the scored area, the crimp opening opens in response to a pressure increase in the gas chamber. Alternatively, some physical puncture mechanism can be used to open the crimp opening when actuated by the initiator.

  More specifically, the inflator can have a piston similar to that described with respect to the previous embodiments. Each of the pistons can have a piercing member designed to open the lip and allow leakage of pressurized inflation gas by impacting the associated outlet orifice.

  In yet another embodiment, the entire gas chamber can have a generally spherical shape. The gas chamber can be formed of two hemispherical parts bonded together. Each hemispherical portion has an outflow orifice, which are positioned on opposite sides of each other, allowing inflation gas to flow out of the gas chamber in the opposite direction. The outflow orifice can be in the form of an opening with a burst disk, as in the first embodiment.

  The use of the inflator of the present invention eliminates the need for gas conduits, complex mounting structures, and redundant inflators and initiators, thereby reducing costs. In addition, more rapid and uniform expansion of the inflatable curtain can be obtained. As a result, the availability and effectiveness of the vehicle airbag system can be increased.

  The present invention also includes a double flow inflator with a gas chamber coupled to the first discharge orifice and the second discharge orifice. The first orifice has a first effective area and is fluidly coupled to the gas chamber. The second orifice likewise has a second effective area and is fluidly coupled to the gas chamber. The cross-sectional areas of these orifices are different.

  As the inflator releases the inflation gas, the difference between the two effective cross-sectional areas generates two different mass flow rates that exit the inflator. The mass flow rate of the gas is a function of the size of the orifice from which the gas is released. By controlling the size of the orifice, an inflator having two orifices can release gas at two different mass flow rates. Other mechanisms for controlling mass flow can also be used, such as by placing obstacles in the orifice to limit the cross-sectional area or diverting the gas flow away from the inflatable curtain.

  The gas chamber can also have a first holding orifice and a second holding orifice. The first and second holding orifices are configured to have an open state and a closed state. To obtain a closed state, a burst disk or other sealing mechanism may be placed in front of each holding orifice. The open state occurs when the burst disk is pushed through the holding orifice, allowing gas to flow out of the inflator. The holding orifice can also function like a discharge orifice by controlling the mass flow rate out of the inflator. The effective cross-sectional area of each of the holding orifices can be adjusted so that the two holding orifices release gas at different mass flow rates.

  The first and second discharge orifices or the first and second holding orifices can also be configured to provide a gas flow in substantially opposite directions. Such a configuration can be achieved by a substantially elongated inflator having openings at opposite ends on the opposite side. When the inflator is activated, the first discharge orifice or holding orifice discharges gas in a first direction, while the second discharge orifice or holding orifice discharges gas in a second direction, substantially the opposite direction.

  Also, the two gas flows released from the inflator in opposite directions minimize the thrust generated by the inflator. However, because different mass flow rates produce different magnitudes of thrust, the inflator cannot be perfectly balanced. Even if two gas streams of different mass flow rates exit the inflator at the same time, a thrust balance configuration can be created along a single axis. This can be obtained by angling one of the discharge orifices that emits the gas. By angling the discharge orifice, the thrust is divided into a longitudinal component and a transverse component. The angle of the discharge orifice can be defined such that the longitudinal component of the angled discharge orifice is substantially equal to and opposite the non-angled discharge orifice. In this way, the inflator can be thrust balanced in a single direction.

  By using two different gas flows with different mass flow rates from a single inflator, a high degree of control can be provided when deploying the inflatable curtain. Setting different gas flows can inflate two different sized volumes, such as two different sized sections in an inflatable curtain. The gas flow with the larger mass flow rate can expand the larger volume portion, and the gas flow with the smaller mass flow rate can expand the smaller volume portion. Alternatively, two different gas streams can be used to expand two substantially different volumes at different times or at different pressures.

  The present invention can also be achieved by combining two inflators, each having a gas flow with a different mass flow rate. By coupling the inflators together, the module functions similarly to an inflator having two discharge orifices for two different gas streams. The inflator module can be substantially thrust balanced by orienting the discharge orifice in a substantially opposite direction.

The present invention also includes and is disclosed a two-stage biaxial inflator having a main gas chamber, a flow restrictor, and a secondary gas chamber. The inflator includes a main gas chamber having a first end disposed within the first inlet port of the inflatable curtain and a second end disposed within the second inlet port of the inflatable curtain. be able to. The main gas chamber can be composed of one single body. The first and second inlet ports may be tightly attached to the gas chamber to prevent gas from leaking from the inflatable curtain between the inlet port and the gas chamber. The secondary gas chamber can be in gas communication with the main gas chamber via a flow restrictor. The flow restrictor is positioned between the main gas chamber and the secondary gas chamber. In addition, the inflator can also include an initiator that communicates with at least one of the gas chambers and induces a gas flow through the outlet orifice.

  The main gas chamber may have a first outlet orifice located at the first end and a second outlet orifice located at the second end. Each outflow orifice can have a sealed configuration that does not allow gas flow and an open configuration in which significantly gas flows out of the gas chamber through the outflow orifice relatively freely. Each outflow orifice can be in the form of an inner cap whose opening is covered by a burst disk. The burst disk can be removed from the opening by a pressure strike induced by combustion in the gas chamber. Placing the burst disk retaining member outside the aperture can capture the burst disks and ensure that they do not damage the inflatable curtain.

  Each outlet orifice can also have a discharge nozzle that controls the flow of expanded gas from the outlet orifice. When the discharge nozzle is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the inflator, the inflation gas can be discharged along the longitudinal axis. The discharge nozzles of the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice are oriented to face each other so that the thrust from the first outlet orifice substantially cancels the thrust from the second outlet orifice, or vice versa. It is good to be. As a result, the inflation gas is released in substantially opposite directions.

  The secondary gas chamber is positioned in gas communication with the main gas chamber via a flow restrictor. The flow restrictor has a flow restricting orifice, and the flow restricting orifice has a sealed form and an open form depending on the inflator. In an inflator in which the flow restrictor only has an open configuration, the expansion charge disposed in the main gas chamber and the sub gas chamber can be mixed. In an inflator that includes a flow restrictor having a sealing configuration, the seal can be formed by a fragile seal such as a burst disk, a scored surface, or a compression closure. If the inflator having a burst disk also has a burst disk holding member, it can hold the burst disk after the inflator is started.

  The flow restrictor connecting the main gas chamber and the sub gas chamber may simply include a throttle channel. The flow path is defined to be narrow enough to measure the flow rate of the expansion gas produced by the expansion charge of the secondary gas chamber using methods known in the art, and the gas flow is determined for a predetermined period of time. To extend. This period can be selected by adjusting the diameter of the throttle channel.

  The inflator can have an initiator disposed within the assembly that activates the gas generating material through the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice of the main gas chamber, respectively. Two main gas streams are generated. The initiator assembly can be positioned in the main gas chamber, the secondary gas chamber, or both.

  The inflator of the present invention can also include a gas generator, ie, a gas generating material in the form of a solid, liquid, gas, or liquid / gas mixture, which is charged into a gas chamber at a cryogenic temperature and is a solid. It has a form. The inflator initiator is positioned to heat the liquid / gas mixture, generating gas and inducing a pressure rise or pressure blow. This pressure increase or pressure blow removes the burst disk from the opening or transitions the outlet orifice to its open configuration. This form of transition can initiate a gas flow from the outlet orifice.

  The inflator of the present invention can supply main and sub-gas flows to inflate an airbag or inflatable curtain and then maintain that inflation. The main gas stream is primarily supplied by an expansion charge that is contained in one or more main gas chambers. This main gas stream is divided into a first and second main gas stream and proceeds from a first outlet orifice and a second outlet orifice of the main chamber, respectively. This main gas flow is primarily responsible for the initial inflation of the airbag or inflatable curtain. The side gas stream is generated primarily from an expansion charge that is contained within one or more gas chambers. This secondary gas flow is initiated passively as the pressure in the main gas chamber decreases or is actively initiated by a pressure gradient that can be formed by an initiator associated with the secondary gas chamber. The secondary gas stream travels from the secondary gas chamber and enters the main gas chamber, and then is divided into first and second holding gas streams that exit from the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice, respectively. This side gas stream can be used to maintain the inflation of the airbag or inflatable curtain and, in some cases, to inflate it again. In addition, in so-called “smart” airbag systems, the secondary gas flow can be induced in response to a crash of a particular nature or severity, or a vehicle occupant to be protected by an inflatable curtain It can only be triggered when it is height or weight.

  According to one alternative, the inflator can include a number of secondary gas chambers and a main gas chamber to provide a controllable and customizable gas flow. The gas chamber can be a vessel having a generally tubular shape. As discussed briefly above, these chambers have a notched or notched surface that opens when the pressure inside the opening or burst disk or gas chamber exceeds the strength of the scored area. It may have a weak sealing body like. The score surface can be opened to form a suitable outflow nozzle. In addition, the fragile seal can be a compression closure such as a crimp opening. The crimping opening can have two lips that are flattened together and bonded together in a manner such as welding. Similar to the scored area, the crimp opening can be configured to open in response to pressure strikes and / or pressure increases in the gas chamber, thereby forming a suitable outflow nozzle. In each of these alternatives, some physical puncture mechanism may be used to ensure that the fragile seal is opened when actuated by the initiator.

  Similar to the inflator described above, a gas generating material, such as compressed gas and liquid mixture, is thermally activated by the initiator, and the first and second main and second, respectively, via the first outflow orifice and the second outflow orifice. A side gas stream can be supplied. To ensure that the fragile seals on both outlet orifices rupture completely and simultaneously, the tolerances of the burst disk, the scored surface, or the compression closure can be tightened.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, a two-stage biaxial inflator for a vehicle airbag system is configured to supply a first longitudinal axis and a first main gas flow substantially longitudinally. And a first main gas chamber having a first outlet orifice that is open, the first outlet orifice having an open configuration and a closed configuration. In addition, the inflator includes a second main gas chamber having a second longitudinal axis and a second outlet orifice configured to provide a second main gas flow substantially longitudinally directed. And the second outlet orifice has an open configuration and a closed configuration. In addition, an inflator is positioned between each of the main gas chambers and the sub gas chambers in gas communication with the first and second main gas chambers and configured to supply a sub gas flow. Flow rate restrictor. The inflator also includes an initiator in communication with the interior of one of the gas chambers, the initiator configured to selectively induce a gas flow through the outflow orifice.

  In this inflator, the secondary gas chamber can be disposed between the first and second main gas chambers. The first and second outlet orifices of the first and second main gas chambers can be configured to provide first and second main gas streams having substantially equivalent amounts of gas. Further, the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice may be configured to supply first and second main gas streams having different amounts of gas. In addition, the inflator can be configured such that the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are equivalent. An inflator having the same first and second main gas flows and an inflator having the same first and second longitudinal axes provide an inflator having substantially no thrust. Such an inflator having no thrust can be similarly provided under the first embodiment. In this inflator, each main gas chamber can have its own initiator. In addition, the secondary gas chamber can also have its own initiator.

  The use of the inflator of the present invention eliminates the need for gas conduits, complex mounting structures, and redundant inflators and initiators, thereby reducing costs. In addition, more rapid and uniform expansion of the inflatable curtain can be obtained. As a result, the availability and effectiveness of the vehicle airbag system can be increased.

  These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and appended claims, and may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

  To facilitate an understanding of the manner in which the foregoing and other advantages and objects of the invention are obtained, the invention described above will be further described with reference to specific embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Identify and explain. It is understood that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be construed as limiting its scope, and the invention is described in more detail and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Describe and explain.

  The presently preferred embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings. In the drawings, similar parts are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout. It will be readily appreciated that the components of the present invention that are schematically described and shown in the drawings can be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Accordingly, the following more detailed description of the apparatus, system, and method embodiments of the present invention represented in FIGS. 1-18 is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but is merely a book of the present It represents only a preferred embodiment of the invention.

  The present invention provides an apparatus and method that can solve the problems associated with previously known inflators. More specifically, by using a balanced flow in the axial direction, a design that is not affected by thrust can be obtained, thereby eliminating the complexity of mounting an inflator supported in the axial direction. Furthermore, a single inflator configuration results in simplified manufacturing and operation.

  Furthermore, inflation gas can be injected into multiple inlet ports in the inflatable curtain at the same time to increase the speed of curtain deployment. Through the use of axial flow, the inflation gas can be injected away from the inflator exit orifice. Thus, the inflatable curtain deploys more uniformly and further enhances occupant protection. Embodiments utilizing these principles in the present invention will be shown and described in further detail in the following discussion.

  Referring to FIG. 1, an inflatable curtain 10 according to one possible embodiment of the present invention is shown installed on a vehicle 12. The inflatable curtain 10 forms part of an airbag system that is configured to protect one or more vehicle occupants against lateral impacts by forming a protective curtain next to the occupant. Can be made.

  The vehicle 12 has a longitudinal direction 13, a transverse direction 14, and a transverse direction 15. Furthermore, the vehicle 12 has a front seat 16 that is displaced laterally from the first side surface 17 or the front door 17 as shown in the vehicle 12 of FIG. The vehicle 12 also has a rear seat 18 that is displaced laterally from the second side surface 19 or the rear door 19 as shown. As shown, two such inflatable curtains 10 can be used, one on the driver side of the vehicle 12 and another on the occupant side.

  One or more accelerometers 20 or similar impact sensing devices detect abrupt lateral acceleration (or deceleration) of the vehicle 12 and transmit electrical signals through the wires 22 to one or more inflators 24. The inflator 24 supplies pressurized gas to inflate the inflatable curtain 10. As shown in FIG. 1, a single inflator 24 can be used to inflate the inflatable curtain 10. The inflator 24 can be secured to the vehicle 24 through the use of a relatively simple mounting bracket 26.

  The inflator 24 is located approximately in the center along the longitudinal direction of the inflatable curtain 10 and can be inflated relatively quickly and uniformly. This aspect will be described in more detail below. Of course, the position and attachment of the inflator 24 can be performed in many ways different from the configuration shown in FIG.

  Each of the inflators 24 can be in the form of a hollow pressure vessel containing a chemically reactive substance and / or compressed gas, which can be activated or released upon application of electricity to cause inflation gas to flow out. it can. In the exemplary configuration of FIG. 1, the inflator 24 is partially enclosed within the inflatable curtain 10 so that the inflation gas flowing out of the inflator 24 flows directly into the inflatable curtain 10. Because the inflator can operate very quickly, the inflatable curtain 10 has finished inflating before the vehicle 12 fully reacts to the impact, protecting the vehicle occupant from the impact.

  Optionally, the accelerometer 20 can be stored in the engine compartment 30 or dashboard 32 of the vehicle 12. A controller (not shown) can also be used to process the output from the acceleration watch 20 and control various other aspects of the vehicle safety system of the vehicle 12. In the case where the accelerating watch 20 is placed apart, in order to reach the inflator 24, the electric wire 22 and / or other control wiring is arranged on either side of the windshield along the A pillar 23 of the vehicle 12. do it. Alternatively, each acceleration timepiece 20 may be disposed near one of the inflators 24 as shown in FIG.

  The inflator 24 and the inflatable curtain 10 can also be attached to the roof rail 36 of the vehicle 12. Depending on the type of vehicle 12 and the desired configuration of the inflatable curtain 10, the airbag components may be located along the B pillar 37, the C pillar 38, and / or the D pillar 39.

The inflatable curtain 10 shown in FIG. 1 is configured to protect not only the occupant of the front seat 15 but also the occupant of the rear seat 18. Thus, each inflatable curtain 10 has a first protective zone 40 configured to expand between the front seat 16 and one of the front doors 17, one of the rear seat 18 and the rear door 19. And a second protective zone configured to expand between the two. The first and second protection zones 40, 42 are essentially separate and can communicate with each other so that fluid flows only through the inflator 24. Alternatively, even if the first and second protection zones 40, 42 have alternative flow paths and gas cannot pass between the first and second protection zones 40, 42 through the inflator 24, Through this, the fluid may be allowed to pass between the first and second protection zones 40, 42.

  The first and second protection zones 40, 42 of each inflatable curtain 10 can be attached to each other through the use of a connection zone 44 located between the protection zones 40, 42. The connection zone 44 may provide a flow path through which gas can flow between the first and second protection zones 40, 42, or simply between the first and second protection zones 40, 42. Tension may be transmitted to hold the first and second protection zones 40, 42 in place.

  Each of the inflatable curtains 10 can have a front tie chain 46 attached to the A-pillar 34 and a rear restraint chain 48 attached to the roof rail 36 to tension the inflatable curtain 10. Over time, the inflatable curtain 10 can be held in place during expansion and impact. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the tie chains 46, 48 may be attached to other parts of the vehicle 12, such as the B pillar 37, the C pillar 38, and / or the D pillar 39. The binding chains 46 and 48 can be formed of a standard belt strap or the like.

  Although each inflatable curtain 10 in FIG. 1 has two protective zones 40, 42, the present invention contemplates the use of inflatable curtains having any number of protective zones. That is, if desired, each of the inflatable curtains 10 is arranged with one or more protective zones arranged to protect the occupant of the auxiliary seat 50 behind the rear seat 18 from impact on the third side 52 of the vehicle 12. It can also be extended to have With the additional inflator 24, such additional protective zone can be inflated.

  The inflator 24 can be uniquely configured to allow rapid and uniform expansion, as well as simple and inexpensive manufacture and installation. The configuration of the inflator 24 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 2, a side sectional view of the inflator 24 is shown. The inflator 24 can have a gas chamber 54 formed of a material having a relatively high tensile strength, such as steel. The gas chamber 54 can be formed as one single body. Alternatively, the gas chamber 54 may be formed from multiple pieces that are bonded together by welding or other methods to provide the structure shown in FIG. The gas chamber 54 may be substantially tubular.

  The inflator 24 is disposed in the first inlet port 60 of the first protection zone 40 and the second inlet port 62 of the second protection zone 42 so that the inflation gas flows out of the gas chamber 54 and directly into the first and second ports. It is preferable to enter the protection zones 40 and 42. This eliminates the need for a gas conduit to guide the inflation gas from the inflator 24 to the inflatable curtain 10. The inflator 24 may simply be fixed in an airtight manner in the first and second inlet ports 60, 62 by pressing the fabric of the inlet ports 60, 62 strongly against the surface of the inflator 24 by using, for example, an annular clamp. .

The dimensions of the gas chamber 54 can be changed according to the volume of the place where the gas chamber 54 is installed. For example, the gas chamber 54 is longer in the longitudinal direction 13 and thinner in the lateral and transverse directions 14 and 15 than those shown, and is easy to install in a long and narrow space such as the space beside the roof rail 36. It can also be made possible. If the gas chamber 54 to be installed is lengthened, the gas chamber 54 can reach the inside of each of the protection zones 40 and 42 considerably deeply. Such an installation has the advantage that the inflated gas stream enters the inflatable curtain at approximately the middle point through each protective zone 40, 42 and the expansion can be made more uniform.

  The gas chamber 54 can have a first end 66 disposed proximate to the first inlet port 60 and a second end 68 disposed proximate to the second inlet port 62. The first end 66 can have a first outlet orifice 70 and the second end 68 can have a second outlet orifice 72. Each of the first and second outlet orifices 70, 72 has an open configuration that allows gas to pass through the outlet orifices 70, 72 relatively freely, and substantially all of the inflation gas is in the gas chamber 54. Having a sealed form to be captured. Therefore, in this application, the “outflow orifice” refers to more than a simple passage, and includes a structure that selectively closes the passage.

  More precisely, each of the outlet orifices 70, 72 can include a diffuser 74, which is in the form of a cap that seals the corresponding end 66 or end 68 of the gas chamber 54. Each of the diffusers 74 may be integrated with the tubular body of the inflator 24, or may be a separate cap and welded or otherwise secured to the body of the inflator 24. Each diffuser 74 can have an opening 76 against which a burst disc 78 is pressed by the pressure in the gas chamber 54. The burst disk 78 can have a wide variety of configurations. If desired, each of the burst disks 78 may have a slightly domed shape and may be tightly sealed with the associated aperture 76 circle.

  The burst disk 78 is preferably shaped to flex under increased pressure and release the opening 76. For example, if the burst disk 78 is formed so as to pass through the opening 76 when sufficiently bent, the burst disk 78 is ejected from the opening 76 due to an increase in pressure. The burst disk 78 simply has a pressure threshold above which deformation sufficient to push the burst disk 78 through the opening 76 occurs. Alternatively, the burst disk 78 may be deformed primarily in response to a blow within the gas chamber 54 or a sudden pressure change.

  Each of the openings 76 may have a counterbore shape, with a wider portion disposed inwardly toward the burst disk 78 and a narrower portion disposed outward. The wider portion may be sized to facilitate deflecting the burst disk 78 through the opening 76 when an appropriate pressure or blow is reached within the gas chamber 54. The narrower portion can function as a flow restrictor for measuring the flow rate of the expanded gas from the opening 76. Depending on the outer shape of the burst disk 78, the desired flow rate of the expanded gas during deployment, and other factors, the wide and narrow portions are switched and the wide portion is placed inwardly; It is also possible to arrange the narrower part facing outward. Alternatively, the edge may be completely eliminated in favor of making the diameter of the opening 76 uniform.

Inflator 24 may also have a pair of burst disk holding members 90 to prevent the ejected burst disk from damaging inflatable curtain 10. Each is located outside the outflow orifices 70, 72. The burst disk holding member 90 can have a wide variety of configurations. As shown, the burst disk retaining member 90 may be in the form of a cylindrical screen, with the inflation gas passing relatively freely through the screen. The screen can be formed of a mesh material, which can be obtained, for example, from Metex Corporation, Edison, NJ. The burst disk 78 has an opening 76
Is simply captured by the burst disk holding member 90. The burst disk 78 may remain in front of the opening 76, but in this case the inflation gas will naturally flow around the periphery of the burst disk 78 and exit the inflator 24.

  The inflator 24 may also include a pair of gas induction diffusers 92 disposed outside the outflow orifices 70, 72 and the burst disk holding member 90. During deployment of the inflator 24, the first gas stream 94 can exit the gas chamber 54 through the first outlet orifice 70, and the second gas stream 96 can exit the gas chamber 54 through the second outlet orifice 72. can do. Each of the gas streams 94, 96 then travels through the associated gas induction diffuser 92 to reach the corresponding inlet ports 60, 62 of the inflatable curtain 10.

  Each of the gas induction diffusers 92 can have a throat 93 that acts to hold an associated burst disk holding member. The throat 93 can also act as an outflow nozzle that adjusts the flow rate of the expansion gas from the inflator 24. In order to form the throat 93, for example, the substantially tubular shape of the gas induction diffuser 92 may be compressed by crimping or other methods.

  As shown, the first gas flow and the second gas flow 94, 96 move in the longitudinal direction 13 along the longitudinal axis of the inflator 24. If the momentum of the first gas stream 94 and the second gas stream 94 96 is equal, that is, if the gas streams 94 96 have equal mass flux and equal outlet velocity, the thrust produced by each of the gas streams 94 96 Balances with that of the other. Accordingly, the thrust in the longitudinal direction 13 hardly acts on the inflator 24.

  As a result, when attaching the inflator 24 to the vehicle 12, minimal support is required for axial movement or longitudinal movement of the inflator 24. For example, the mounting bracket 26 shown in FIG. 1 directly interferes with the movement of the inflator 24 in the lateral direction 14 and the transverse direction 15, but merely provides frictional support for movement in the longitudinal direction 13. Such friction support may be sufficient when using a substantially thrust balance design such as that of FIG.

  The inflator 24 can be installed in the vehicle 12 relatively easily to obtain the configuration shown in FIG. For example, a gas induction diffuser 92 near the first end 66 of the gas chamber 54 can be inserted into the first inlet port 60, and the gas induction diffuser 92 near the second end 68 can be inserted into the second inlet port 62. Can be inserted. The inflatable curtain 10 can then be attached to the roof rail 36 at the position shown in FIG. 1 and the inflator 24 can be attached to the roof rail 36 using the mounting bracket 26. The steps described above may be reordered in a number of ways to suit the individual configuration of the vehicle 12. For example, the inflator 24 can first be attached to the roof rail 36 using the mounting bracket 26, and then the inlet ports 60, 62 can be fitted around the gas induction diffuser 92. The inflatable curtain 10 can then be fixed in place.

  Alternatively, the double flow inflator according to the present invention may be formed such that the thrust is not balanced. For example, the openings 76 and / or gas induction diffusers 92 at the first and second ends 66, 68 need not be equal in size, but can be sized differently to vary the amount of inflation gas supplied. It can also be. Such unequal flow may be desirable, for example, when the first and second protection zones 40, 42 are formed with different sizes. In such a case, thrust from one of the gas streams 94, 96 can only partially cancel that of the gas stream 94 or the other of the gas stream 96. Changing the degree of longitudinal support can address this thrust mismatch.

  The gas induction diffuser 92 is optional and the inflation gas may simply leak freely from the inflator 24 after passing through the burst disk holding member 90. However, the gas induction diffuser 92 has the effect of increasing the directional accuracy of the first gas flow and the second gas flow 94, 96, and thus the directional accuracy of the thrust exerted by the leaking expansion gas on the inflator 24. is there. Also, the gas induction diffuser 92 can increase the rate at which the first gas flow and the second gas flow 94, 96 leak from the inflator 24, so that the gas flow 94, 96 can reach further inside the inflatable curtain 24. Has the driving force to reach. Such rapid release is believed to help ensure that the portion of the inflatable curtain 24 furthest away from the inflator 24 is properly inflated prior to a human impact on the inflatable curtain 10.

  The double flow inflator can be actuated in various ways to inflate the inflatable curtain 10. According to one embodiment, both the first gas flow and the second gas flow 94, 96 can be induced by a single detonation assembly 100. The initiation assembly 100 may be secured to one side of the inflator 24 and communicate with the gas chamber 54 through the initiator aperture 102 of the gas chamber 54. The detonation assembly 100 can be disposed substantially entirely outside the gas chamber 54.

  The initiation assembly 100 can be, for example, laser welded in place to prevent inflation gas from leaking through the initiator aperture 102 or the initiation assembly 100 from popping out during deployment of the inflator 24. The detonation assembly 100 is positioned intermediate the first and second outlet orifices 70, 72 to ensure that the first and second gas streams 94, 96 are generated and released substantially simultaneously.

  The detonation assembly 100 can have an initiator 104, which is an electrically activated pyrotechnic device. Initiator 104 may have, for example, a head 106 containing pyrotechnic material, a body 108, and an electrical prong 110 that receives actuation signals. The body 108 can be placed in the initiator receptacle 111 and can be held in place by use of the initiator holding member 112. With the O-ring 113, a substantial seal can be formed between the initiator 104 and the initiator receptacle 111. The prong 110 can be inserted into the plug 114 of the wire 22 leading to the accelerometer 20.

  If the burst disk 115 is disposed on the initiator receptacle 111 inside the gas chamber 54, the initiator 104 can be sealed from the inside of the gas chamber 54 until the inflator 24 has been deployed. When the initiator 104 is deployed, the burst disk 115 can be removed to expose the initiator 104 to the interior of the gas chamber 54.

  Inflator 24 may have a fill port 116. Through this fill port 116, even a gas, liquid or even solid substance can be inserted into the gas chamber 54. The fill port can be made sealable through the use of a stopper 118. Stopper 118 may take the form of a metal bead that is press fit into fill port 116 and welded in place.

The inflator 24 can be of any type and includes a pyrotechnic mold, a compressed gas mold, or a hybrid mold. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the inflator 24 may include a gas generating material 121 in a compressed state. The gas generating material 121 may be substantially inert, i.e. non-reactive, at the temperature and pressure generated during operation of the inflator 24. Gas generating material 1 for compression
A part of 21 may be in a liquid state in the gas chamber 54.

  Alternatively, the inflator 24 may be a pyrotechnic inflator so that the gas generating material 121 is in the form of a combustible solid, gas, or liquid rather than an inert compressed liquid, gas, or mixture. Eggplant. The inflator 24 may be a mixed inflator. In that case, the gas generating material 121 may include both an inert component and a pyrotechnic component.

  When the inert compressed gas generating material 121 of FIG. 2 is used, the detonation assembly 100 deploys within a few milliseconds to generate heat, which causes the gas generating material 121 to expand. As a result, a sudden pressure increase occurs in the gas chamber 54. A simple shock wave induced by a pressure increase, or perhaps the deployment of the initiator 104, removes the burst disk 78 and opens the first and second outlet orifices 70,72. As the gas portion of the gas generating material 121 flows out of the inflator 24, the liquid vaporizes and joins the volumes of the first gas flow and the second gas flow 94,96. Thus, a considerable amount of gas can be generated by the inflator 24 even though the size is not too large.

  Furthermore, it can be said that the fact that a part of the gas generating material 121 exists in a liquid form is effective because it absorbs heat when the liquid is vaporized. That is, the first gas flow and the second gas flow 94, 96 are relatively cold and therefore less likely to damage the inflatable curtain 10. Accordingly, the inflatable curtain 10 can be formed of a material having a relatively low thermal resistance. Such materials are probably very cheap. For example, a thin silicone coating may be sufficient for the fabric of the inflatable curtain 10 to protect the fabric from thermal damage.

  The inflator 24 is relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture. According to one manufacturing method, first, the gas chamber 24 can be formed by a known method. If desired, the gas chamber 24 can be provided as a single unit as shown in FIG. Prior to installation of the stopper 118, the gas generating material 121 can be inserted through the fill port 116. Alternatively, the gas generant material may be processed at cryogenic temperatures, i.e., frozen and compressed into a solid form and inserted through the initiator aperture 102 prior to installation of the detonation assembly 100. The detonation assembly 100 may be rigidly secured in place by welding or other methods to avoid leakage of the gas generant material 121 from the gas chamber 54.

  Instead of a unitary structure, the gas chamber 54 may be formed as two separate bodies to facilitate insertion of the burst disk 78, the detonation assembly 100, and the gas generating material 121. For example, the first end 66 is separated from the remainder of the gas chamber 54 by a radial seam (not shown), and each of the first end 66 and the remaining portion 54 of the gas chamber 54 has a circular opening. A tube can be formed. Burst disc 78, detonation assembly 100, and / or cryogenic material can be easily inserted into such a circular opening and secured in place. The first end 66 can then be attached to the remainder of the gas chamber 54, for example, by welding.

  Many other aspects of the inflator 24 can be variously modified to match the vehicle 12 geometry, the size and shape of the inflatable curtain 10, and the available manufacturing equipment. 3-5 present an alternative embodiment of a double flow inflator. Each of them incorporates a number of variations from the inflator of FIG. These variations may be combined with or used in conjunction with other variations recognized by those skilled in the art, and more of the present invention than those illustrated and specifically described herein. Embodiments can be created.

  Referring to FIG. 3, an inflator 24 is shown according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The inflator 24 can have a gas chamber 154 and can be designed to be installed in the expansion port of the inflatable curtain, just like the gas chamber 54 of FIG. The inflation port and mounting structure are omitted from FIG. 3 for clarity.

  The gas chamber 154 of FIG. 3 can have a multi-part configuration designed to be easily manufactured and installed. More specifically, the gas chamber 154 can have a first container 156 and a second container 158. Each has a generally tubular outer shape. In addition, the gas chamber 154 can have a septum 159, which also has a generally tubular configuration. Each of the containers 156 and 158 has an inner end 160 and an outer end 161. The outer end 16 can be closed in a flat circle, hemisphere, or other dome shape. In contrast, the inner end 160 of the first container 156 can have a first inner opening 162 and the inner end 160 of the second container 158 can have a second inner opening 163.

  The partition wall 159 includes a first aperture 164 formed to match the inner end 160 of the first container 156 and a second aperture 165 formed to match the inner end 160 of the second container 158. Can have. Preferably, the first and second apertures 164, 165 are aligned with the inner end 160 to allow fluid to pass between the first container 156, the second container 158, and the septum 159 relatively freely. Can do. For example, if the first and second apertures 164 and 165 are formed to have substantially the same size as the inner diameter of the inner end portion 160, the inner end portion 160 abuts against the apertures 164 and 165 to form a continuous tube shape. it can.

  As shown in FIG. 3, inertia welding can be used to fix the inner end portion 160 to the partition wall 169. More specifically, the first and second containers 156, 158 are rotated with a desired rotational inertia, pressed against the partition wall 159, and the inner end portion 160 is welded to the partition wall 169 by friction. Can be curled slightly. If desired, the apertures 164 and 165 can also be sized to accommodate the inner end 160. In that case, the inner end 160 can be stably seated and held in the apertures 164 and 165 using welding, interference fitting, or the like.

  When assembled, the first and second containers 156, 158 and the partition 159 form a gas chamber 154. The gas chamber 154 can have a first end 166 located on the first container 156 and a second end 168 located on the second container 158. The first outlet orifice 170 can be positioned at the first end 166 and the second outlet orifice 172 can be positioned at the second end 168.

  Similar to the outflow orifices 70, 72 of FIG. 2, each of the outflow orifices 170, 172 has an open configuration that allows gas outflow and a sealing structure that prevents gas from leaking through the outflow orifices 170, 172. However, instead of the burst disk 78 and opening 76 of the inflator 24 of FIG. 1, each of the outlet orifices 170, 172 can also take the form of a weak surface, such as a cut surface 170, 172. Each of the cut surfaces 170, 172 has a first deformable portion 174, a second deformable portion 176, and a weakened region 178.

  The weakened region 178 can take the form of a score 178 formed in the surface of the first end 166. The score 178 can be formed by carving the first end 166 using a sharp tool made of, for example, hard steel, tungsten carbide, diamond or the like. The tool may be shaped to peel the layer of material at the first end, and multiple operations may be used to remove the desired amount of material.

  The notch 178 can have a wide variety of configurations. For example, each indentation 178 can simply consist of a single line placed in a plane perpendicular to the transverse direction 15. Alternatively, a star shape having a number of intersecting notches (not shown) may be used. In the following description, it is assumed that a single line is used for each notch 178 as shown in FIG. In the case of a star shape, the action of the notches is similar to that of the notches 178 in FIG. A large number of wedge-shaped deformable portions exist between intersecting indentations. Each deformable part bends outward when the score breaks, i.e. "blooms".

  The depth of the notch 178 must be selected so that the notch 178 will break when the pressure in the gas chamber 154 reaches a predetermined threshold or when the pressure shock in the gas chamber 154 reaches a predetermined threshold. I must. As the score increases, the outlet orifice 166 or outlet orifice 168 opens in response to low pressure or blow. The notches 178 in the first and second cut surfaces 170, 172 are of equal depth to ensure that the first and second cut surfaces 170, 172 open at the same time and maintain thrust balance. Good. Alternatively, the notches 178 in the first and second cut surfaces 170, 172 may be varied in depth, length, width, or profile to provide different timing and / or gas flow characteristics.

  The first and second deformable portions 174, 176 may be first and second lips 174, 176 that are integrally formed with each other or formed on either side of the score 178. As the score 178 breaks, the lips 174, 176 can flex somewhat outward to reach the deformed profile 180, shown in broken lines. In the deformed profile 180, the lips 174, 176 are somewhat separated and open, through which inflation gas can leak.

  Indeed, in the deformed profile 180, the lips 174, 176 perform the functions performed by the opening 76 and the gas induction diffuser 92 of FIG. Lips 174 and 176 can be configured to provide a desired size opening when bent. For example, in order to form a larger opening, the lips 174 and 176 may be formed somewhat thinner than the portions around the containers 156 and 158. Alternatively, the lips 174, 176 can be cut, heat treated, or otherwise processed to control the amount of deflection that occurs in the deformed profile 180 and hence the size of the opening through which the inflation gas flows.

  In order to ensure that the first and second cut surfaces 170, 172 open completely and simultaneously, the first piston 190 can be disposed in the first container 156 and the second piston can be disposed in the second container 158. Each of the pistons 190 and 192 has a substantially cylindrical shape that meshes with the inner diameter of the corresponding container 156 or 158, and can restrict the fluid passage across the pistons 190 and 192. Pistons 190 and 192 need not form a hermetic seal with containers 156 and 158. Rather, the pistons 190, 192 simply restrict fluid flow through the space between the pistons 190, 192 and the containers 156, 158.

  The inflator 124 can have a detonation assembly 200 installed similar to the detonation assembly 100 of FIG. The detonation assembly 200 can be seated within the initiator aperture 102 formed in the septum 159 and can be disposed substantially entirely outside the septum 159. The gas generating material 121 can be stored in the gas chamber 154 as in FIG. Of course, the gas generating material 121 may include gas and / or liquid components, or alternatively may include pyrotechnic materials.

If desired, the detonation assembly 200 may be configured slightly differently than the detonation assembly 100 of the previous embodiment. That is, the detonation assembly 200 may have an initiator 204 with a head 206, a body 108, and a prong 110 that receives an ignition signal. The initiator 204 can be held by the initiator receptacle 211 and the initiator holding member 212. The O-ring 213 can form a substantially hermetic seal between the initiator receptacle 211 and the initiator holding member 212.

  Initiator receptacle 211 may have an enlarged internal cavity to accommodate a quantity of booster material and may be located around head 206. A dome 218 encloses the boosting material 216 and holds the boosting material 216 in a relatively tight manner around the head 206. When the initiator 204 is activated, the pressurizing material 216 is also ignited to enhance the thermal energy provided by the initiator 204. The dome 218 can be designed to break or even collapse when the initiator 204 is activated.

  When the detonation assembly 200 is deployed, the gas generating material 121 between the pistons 190, 192 expands and pushes the pistons 190, 192 outward in the direction indicated by the arrow 194. The gas generating material 121 between the first piston 190 and the first cut surface 170 and between the second piston 192 and the second cut surface 172 initially draws a relatively small amount of heat from the initiation assembly 200. receive. As a result, the pistons 190 and 192 are driven outward toward the cut surfaces 170 and 172. As the pistons 190 and 192 move, the gas generating material 121 outside the pistons 190 and 182 is compressed. The rise in pressure and / or impact breaks the cut 178 and presses the lips 174, 176 to form the deformed outer shape 180, thereby opening the cut surfaces 170, 172.

  When one of the entry surfaces 170, 172 opens earlier than the other, the piston 190, 192 ensures that sufficient pressure remains in the gas chamber 154 to open the remaining cut surface 170 or 172. . That is, since the pistons 190 and 192 are closely fitted to the containers 156 and 158, the speed at which the expanded gas can leak from between the pistons 190 and 192 is suppressed. Thus, even if the pressure on the outside of one of the pistons 190, 192 decreases in response to the breakage of the adjacent cut surface 170 or 172, the gas continues to push the pistons 190, 192 outward and the remaining cut surface 170. Or 172 is destroyed reliably.

  Further, the pistons 190, 192 can roughly limit the rate at which the expanded gas can be dispensed from the gas chamber 154. For this reason, the pistons 190 and 192 can also perform a part of the function performed by the gas induction diffuser 92. Limiting the flow rate of the inflation gas can help to prevent “bag hits” or injury to vehicle occupants as a result of excessively fast inflation of the inflatable curtain 10. Further, the pistons 190 and 192 can reliably supply the inflatable gas to the inflatable curtain 10 for a long time so that the inflatable curtain 10 can be continuously inflated during a prolonged accident such as a fall accident. It becomes.

  The use of pistons 190, 192 is an optional option. The inflator 124 is configured to operate with high reliability without these. For example, the first and second cut surfaces 170, 172 can be reliably opened to a maximum and substantially simultaneously by making the dimensional tolerances of the cut somewhat tighter or by using other pressure regulating mechanisms.

The inflator 124 can be manufactured relatively easily. The containers 156 and 158 may be separated from the partition wall 159 in the initial state. Outer ends 161 of the containers 156 and 158
Can be scored by using an appropriate tool, as described above. Indentation 178 is formed on the outside of containers 156, 158 in FIG. 3, but indentations may be formed on the inner surface of containers 156, 158 instead of or in addition to outer indentation 178.

  The pistons 190, 192 and gas generating material 121 can then be easily inserted into the internal openings 162, 163 of the containers 156, 158. Also in this case, the gas generating material 121 can be condensed by using the cryogenic method. Similarly, the apertures 164 and 165 can facilitate the positioning of the detonation assembly 200 within the initiator aperture 102 of the septum 159. After installing the gas generating material 121, the pistons 190, 192, and the initiation assembly 200, the inner ends 160 of the first and second containers 156, 158 are aligned with the first and second apertures 164, 165. , And can be fixed to the partition wall 159.

  The containers 156, 158 can be fixed in place inside the septum 159, for example, by using a method such as inertia welding. That is, as described above, the containers 156 and 158 can be rotated at high speed about the longitudinal axis 13 and pressed against the partition wall 159 in a straight line with the apertures 164 and 165 to correct the rotation. Heat generated by frictional engagement between the inner end 160 and the partition 159 forms a weld between the containers 156, 158 and the bulkhead 159.

  Referring to FIG. 4, an inflator 224 is shown according to another alternative embodiment of the present invention. The inflator 224 can have a gas chamber 254 and can be designed to be installed within the inflatable port of the inflatable curtain, just like the inflator 24 of FIG. The inflation port and mounting structure are omitted from FIG. 4 for clarity.

  Similar to the gas chamber 154 of FIG. 3, the gas chamber 254 of FIG. 4 may have a multi-port configuration. The gas chamber 254 can have a first container 256 and a second container 258, each having a generally tubular outer shape. In addition, the gas chamber 154 can have a septum 259, which has a generally spherical shape rather than a tubular shape.

  Due to the spherical shape, the septum 259 can hold a greater amount of the gas generating material 121. Accordingly, the inflator 224 can be used to supply extra inflation gas, or the containers 256 and 258 can be made somewhat smaller because they do not need to hold the same amount of gas generating material. . Thus, the choice of whether a spherical or tubular septum is desirable will depend on the amount of inflation gas required and the space available for the inflator.

  Similar to containers 156 and 158 of FIG. 3, each of containers 256 and 258 can have an inner end 260 and an outer end 261. The outer end 261 can be closed with a flat circular, hemispherical or other dome shape. The inner end 260 of the first container 256 can have a first inner opening 262, and the inner end 260 of the second container 258 can have a second inner opening 263.

Similarly, the septum 259 can have a first aperture 264 that receives the inner end 260 of the first container 256 and a second aperture 265 that receives the inner end 260 of the second container 258. The gas chamber 254 can have a first end 266 and a second end 268. The first outlet orifice 270 can be positioned at the first end 266 and the second outlet orifice 272 can be positioned at the second end 268. Similar to the outflow orifices 70, 72 of FIG. 2 and the outflow orifices 170, 172 of FIG.
272 may have a fragile structure. However, instead of a burst disk or incision surface, the outflow orifices 270, 272 can also take the form of a compression closure.

  A “compression closure” may be defined as an opening that is closed or nearly closed by mechanical deformation of the material surrounding the opening. Thus, a compression closure includes an opening that is crimped, swaged, twisted, bent, or otherwise deformed to a closed state.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifices 270, 272 are in the shape of the crimp openings 270, 272, that is, the closed shape formed by applying mechanical compression perpendicular to the axis of the openings. I am doing. That is, each of the crimp openings 270, 272 can have a first deformable portion 274, a second deformable portion 276, and a weakened region 278.

  The first and second deformable portions 274, 276 may take the form of lips 274, 276 that are somewhat similar to the lips 174, 176 of the previous embodiment. However, instead of being integrally formed in the closed position, the lips 274, 276 may more specifically press against each other in the transverse direction 15. The weakened region 278 can hold the lip 274 and lip 276 together and form the weld 278 that is used to ensure that they are sealed.

  Similar to the previous embodiment, the weld 278 can be ruptured in response to high pressure and / or pressure strikes in the gas chamber 254. Then, the lips 274 and 276 are opened to form a deformed outer shape 280 indicated by a broken line, and the inflation gas can be leaked from the gas chamber 254. The compressive force applied to close the lips 274, 276 and the weld strength of the weld 278 may be selected to provide the desired threshold pressure or strike. To ensure that the first and second crimp openings 270, 272 open at about the same time, the tolerances on compressive force and weld strength can be somewhat tighter.

  The inflator 224 may have a first piston 290 and a second piston 292 disposed in the first and second containers 256 and 258, similar to the pistons 190 and 192 of the previous embodiment. The detonation assembly 300 is somewhat similar to that of FIG. 2 and can be disposed within the initiator aperture 102 of the septum 259 to induce a sudden pressure increase between the pistons 290, 292. The initiation assembly 300 is different from the initiation assembly 100 in that the initiator receptacle 311 of the initiation assembly 300 is shaped so as to partially fit into the partition wall 259. Thus, the detonation assembly 300 protrudes from the septum 259 at a shorter distance by comparison.

  Similar to pistons 190 and 192, pistons 290 and 292 move outward, ie, in the direction indicated by arrow 294, when actuation assembly 300 is activated. However, the pistons 290, 292 may be configured somewhat differently than the pistons 190, 192. That is, the first piston 290 can have the first puncture member 296, and the second piston 292 can have the second puncture member 298. The puncture members 296, 298 may be designed to physically contact the crimp openings 270, 272 when the pistons 290, 292 move and the crimp openings 270, 282 are fully opened.

Puncturing members 296, 298 each have a sharp tip 299. The sharp tip 299 is inserted between the lip 274 and the lip 276 and is pushed into the lips 274 and 276 to cause the weld 278 to break. When the sharp tip 299 is further moved through the crimp openings 270, 272, the lips 274, 276 are widened to a distance selected to allow the desired flow rate of inflation gas to flow through the crimp openings 270, 272. Can do. Similar to the previous embodiment, the inflation gas can flow out between the pistons 290, 292 at a somewhat slower rate and out of the gas chamber 254 via the crimp openings 270, 272.

  The inflator 224 can be manufactured in the same manner as the inflator 124. That is, the containers 256 and 258 can be manufactured separately from the partition wall 259. The outer ends 261 of the containers 256 and 258 are initially open and can be pressed together by a crimping process performed with the aid of a hydraulic press or the like.

  Next, pistons 290 and 292 and gas generating material 121 can be inserted into internal openings 262 and 263 of containers 256 and 258. Also in this case, the gas generating material 121 can be condensed by using the polar refrigeration method. The detonation assembly 300 can be installed in the initiator aperture 102 of the septum 259. According to one example, the detonation assembly 300 can be welded in place by a weld 317 as shown in FIG.

  After installing the gas generating material 121, the pistons 290, 292, and the initiation assembly 400, the inner ends 260 of the first and second containers 256, 258 are inserted into the first and second apertures 264, 265 of the partition wall 259, It can be fixed in place by methods such as welding or interference fit. In the example embodiment of FIG. 4, the inner end 260 of the containers 256 and 258 can be fixed in place in the partition wall 259 using the weld 319.

  Referring to FIG. 5, an initiator 324 is shown according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention. The initiator 324 may have a gas chamber 354 that has a generally spherical shape. The gas chamber 354 can be installed in the expansion port of the inflatable curtain, just like the inflators 54, 154, 254 of the previous embodiment. Instead of the clamp 64, any attachment mechanism (not shown) designed to connect the inlet ports 60, 62 to a spherical object rather than cylindrical may be used. Alternatively, the inflator 324 may be attached at a position completely different from the position of the inflator 24 in FIG. For example, the inflator 324 can be easily used for a front impact airbag disposed on the driver side or the passenger side.

  The gas chamber 453 can have a first hemisphere portion 356 and a second hemisphere portion 358. The first and second hemispherical portions 356, 358 can adhere to each other in the equator region 360. The first and second hemispherical portions 356 and 358 may be bonded by, for example, fixing, welding, or the like. A mounting flange 362 may extend outward from the equator region 362. The mounting flange 362 can be integrally formed with the second hemispherical portion 358, as shown, or can be disposed on both hemispherical portions 356, 358, or as a separate piece, the equator region 360. It can also be adhered to the hemispherical portions 356 and 358.

  The mounting flange 362 can be used in place of the mounting bracket 26 to attach the inflator 324 to the vehicle 12. The mounting flange 362 has a plurality of mounting holes 364 and is arranged along the circumference of the mounting flange 362, and a fixture (not shown) is inserted through the mounting hole 364 and is also in the vehicle 12. It is possible to pass through the aligned holes of the flange. Additionally or alternatively, the inlet ports 60, 62 can be secured to the inflator 324 using mounting flanges 362. When an external annular clamp or the like is used, such attachment can be easily performed. As another alternative, the mounting flange 362 may be omitted entirely for mounting other vehicle shapes and / or inlet ports.

Similar to the previous embodiment, the gas chamber 354 can have a first end 366 and a second end 368 disposed on the opposite side of the first end 366. Of course, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the first and second ends 366, 368 are not located at the end of any tubular structure and are located on the opposite side of the spherical shape of the gas chamber 354. ing. The first end 366 can have a first outlet orifice 370 and the second end 368 can have a second outlet orifice 372. The first and second outlet orifices 370, 372 may each have an open configuration that allows gas outflow and a closed configuration that does not allow gas to escape from the gas chamber 354.

The first and second outlet orifices 370, 372 may be configured in a manner somewhat similar to the outlet orifices 70, 72 of FIG. That is, the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifices 370, 372 can each have an opening 376 and a burst disk 378 that blocks the opening 376 in the closed configuration. Similar to the burst disk 78, the burst disk 378 can deflect in response to high pressure and / or pressure strikes and can then be ejected from the opening 376.

In order to capture the burst disk 378, a burst disk holding member 390 can be placed outside the opening 376 to prevent damage to the inflatable curtain 10. The burst disk holding member 390 may be in the form of a dome or plateau-like flange with a hole to allow gas to pass through the burst disk holding member 390. Alternatively, the burst disk holding member 390 may have a mesh structure like the burst disk holding member 90 of FIG.

  Similar to the previous embodiment, the inflator 324 may have an initiator assembly 300 similar to that of the previous embodiment. The initiator assembly 300 can be positioned in the equator region 360, or can be arranged offset from the center as shown in FIG. 4 to avoid interference with the attachment of the first and second hemispheres 356, 358. it can. In such a case, the detonation assembly 300 can be installed within the initiator aperture 102 of the first hemisphere 356. If desired, the initiator receptacle 311 of the detonation assembly 300 is somewhat extended so that the initiator 104 is positioned near the center of the gas chamber 354 so that the deployment of the initiator 104 causes the first and second outlet ports 370, 372 to be substantially simultaneously It is also possible to ensure that the release of is performed.

  Similar to the previous embodiment, the gas generating material 121 is contained in the inflator 324 and can include a gas and / or a liquid. Alternatively, pyrotechnic materials can be used. The detonation assembly 300 can heat the gas generating material 121 to increase the pressure inside the gas chamber 354. The first and second outflow ports 370, 372 open in response to a pressure increase, thereby allowing the inflatable curtain 10 to expand, similar to that of the inflator 24 of FIG.

  The inflator 324 can be manufactured relatively easily. First, the first and second hemispherical portions 356, 358 can be formed by methods known in the art. The burst disk retaining member 390 can be attached to the first and second ends 366, 368, for example, by welding. The burst disk 378, detonation assembly 300, and gas generating material 121 can then be placed through the open ends of the hemispheres 356,358. If desired, the gas generating material 121 can be inserted in a cryogenic form.

  Similar to the previous embodiment, the detonation assembly 300 can be attached to the first hemisphere by a weld 317. The first and second hemispherical portions 356, 358 can then be adhered to each other, such as by welding, brazing, or mechanical fixation.

  Referring to FIG. 6, an inflatable curtain 410 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown installed in a vehicle 412. The inflatable curtain 410 can form part of an airbag system that is configured to protect one or more vehicle occupants from lateral impacts by the formation of a protective curtain beside the occupant. .

  The vehicle 412 has a longitudinal direction 413, a lateral direction 414, and a transverse direction 415. Furthermore, the vehicle 412 has a front seat 416 that is displaced laterally from the first side surface 417 or the front door 417, as shown in the vehicle 412 of FIG. The vehicle 412 also has a rear seat 418 that is displaced laterally from the second side 419 or the rear door 419 as shown. As shown, two such inflatable curtains 410 can be used. That is, one can be used on the driver side of the vehicle 412 and the other can be used on the passenger side. The two inflatable curtains 410 may or may not be the same volume or size.

  The inflator 424 and the inflatable curtain 410 can be attached to the roof rail 436 of the vehicle 412. Depending on the model of the vehicle 412 and the desired configuration of the inflatable curtain 410, the airbag combo may be located along the B pillar 437, the C pillar 438, and / or the D pillar 439.

  The inflatable curtain 410 shown in FIG. 6 is configured to protect not only the front seat 416 occupant but also the rear seat 418 occupant as well. Thus, each inflatable curtain 410 includes a volume 440 configured to expand between one of the front seat 416 and the front door 417, and the rear seat 418 and the rear door 419. And a second volume 442 configured to expand between the two. The first and second volumes 440, 442 of the inflatable curtain 410 can define a protection zone within the vehicle, the protection zone being determined to attenuate the movement of the vehicle occupant.

  The first and second volume portions 440, 442 can be part of the same inflatable curtain. That is, the first and second volume portions 440 and 442 are in fluid communication with each other even when gas cannot flow through the inflator 424 between the first and second volume portions 440 and 442. However, the inflatable curtain 410 can optionally be configured to have multiple inflatable curtains 410, which are isolated from one another.

  Further, the size and capacity of the individual inflatable curtain volumes 440, 442 can vary depending on the various automotive applications. The size of the inflatable curtain 410 and the volumes 440, 442 are a function of the size of the protective zone in which they are placed.

  The first and second volumes 440, 442 of each inflatable curtain 410 can be bonded to each other through the use of a connection zone 444 located between the volumes 440, 442. Since the connection zone 444 can be provided with a flow path, gas can flow between the first and second volume portions 440 and 442 through the flow path.

  Each of the inflatable curtains 410 has a forward mooring rope 446 attached to the A-pillar 434 and a rear mooring rope 448 attached to the roof rail 436 to tension the inflatable curtain 410. Act to hold them in place during expansion and impact. One skilled in the art will recognize that the mooring ropes 446, 448 may be attached to other portions of the vehicle 412 such as the B pillar 437, the C pillar 438, and / or the D pillar 439. The mooring ropes 446, 448 can be made of standard seat belt straps.

  Although each inflatable curtain 410 shown in FIG. 6 has two volumes 440, 442, the present invention contemplates the use of any number of inflatable curtain volumes 440, 442. doing. Accordingly, if desired, each of the inflatable curtains 410 can be expanded to have one or more protective zones and to occupy the auxiliary seat 550 behind the rear seat 418 from impact on the third side 452 of the vehicle 412. It can also be positioned to protect. With the additional inflator 424, such additional inflatable curtain volume can be inflated.

  The inflator 424 may take the form of a hollow pressure vessel that contains a gas product such as a chemically reactive substance and / or a compressed gas. The inflator 424 can be operated to release gas when electricity is applied to the initiator, and the inflator starts to flow out of the inflator. In the configuration example of FIG. 6, since the inflator 424 is partially enclosed in the inflatable curtain 410, the inflating gas flowing out from the inflator 424 flows directly into the inflatable curtain 410. The inflator 424 can operate as quickly as the inflatable curtain 410 is inflated to protect the vehicle occupant from impact before the vehicle 412 fully reacts to the impact.

  The inflator 424 is unique in that it can be uniformly and rapidly inflated and can be configured to be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and ground. The configuration of the inflator 424 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 7, a cross-sectional view of the inflator 424 is shown. The inflator 424 can have a gas chamber 454 formed of a material having a relatively high tensile strength, such as steel. The gas chamber 454 can be formed of a single unitary body. Alternatively, the gas chamber 454 can be made of multiple pieces, which can be welded or otherwise bonded together to obtain the shape shown in FIG. The gas chamber 454 can have a generally tubular shape including a flat, hemispherical, or other dome-shaped cap.

  The inflator 424 includes a first orifice 470 and a second orifice 472. The first and second orifices 470, 472 are provided with a path so that the gas inside the gas chamber 454 can flow out of the inflator 424. In the inflator 424 shown in FIG. 7, the first orifice 470 and the second orifice 472 are both comprised of two sections: a discharge orifice 480 and a holding orifice 484,486.

  The distinction between the two different sections of the orifices 470, 472 is due to their individual function. In certain embodiments, the discharge orifices 480, 482 are formed in different sizes and are adjusted by the holding orifices 484, 486 depending on the particular application. In general, retention orifices 484 and 486 provide a place to support a gas retention mechanism, such as burst disk 478. In the inflator 424 having the burst disk 478, once the burst disk 478 is pushed out from the orifices 470 and 472, the holding orifices 484 and 486 are opened. The holding orifices 484 and 486 can be formed in the same size, but may be different sizes depending on the holding mechanism.

The discharge orifices 480, 482 are generally positioned outward from the holding orifices 484, 486 so that the gas emitted from the gas chamber 454 first passes through the holding orifices 484, 486 and then from the discharge orifices 480, 482. It comes to leak. Due to the location of the discharge orifices 480, 482, the discharge orifices 480, 482 are very suitable for controlling the characteristics of the gas exiting the gas chamber 454. Accordingly, the mass flow rate and outflow characteristics of the gas exiting the gas chamber 454 can be controlled by the outwardly positioned discharge orifices 480, 482.

  By providing the discharge orifices 480, 482 and the holding orifices 484, 486, a high degree of control of the gas exiting the gas chamber 454 can be achieved, but the holding orifices 484, 486 are simply the uniformity of the discharge orifices 480, 482. A single section of the cross-sectional area may be used. The use and deformation of the holding orifices 484, 486 will be discussed later, including adjustment of the relative position.

  The orifices 470 and 472 may be positioned inside the inlet port 462 in order to release gas from the gas chamber 454 and flow into the first volume 440 and the second volume 442. With this type of attachment, the gas flowing out of the gas chamber 454 can flow directly into the first and second volume portions 440 and 442. Thus, there is no need for a gas guide tube or other type of conduit used to direct inflation gas from the inflator 424 to the inflatable curtain 410. The inflator 424 may simply be clamped in an airtight manner within the first and second inlet ports 460, 462, for example, by use of an annular clamp 464 that presses the fabric of the inlet port 462 strongly against the surface of the inflator 424. .

  The dual flow inflator 424 can operate in various ways to inflate the inflatable curtain 410. According to one embodiment, the initiator 4100 can induce the generation of a high-pressure gas stream that is released from the inflator 424. The type of the initiator 4100 differs depending on the type of gas generator disposed in the inflator 424. For example, the gas generator may be a compressed gas, a liquid, or a solid and can be converted to a high pressure gas. Once initiator 4100 begins to convert the gas generator to a high pressure gas, the gas is discharged from inflator 424. Release of the inflation gas from the inflator 424 is obtained by moving the relatively high pressure gas inside the inflator 424 to a relatively low pressure ambient environment.

  By controlling the outflow kinetics and physical characteristics of the gas flowing out of the inflator 424, the inflator 424 has a highly controllable gas injection attribute. This controllability allows the inflator 424 to supply two types of selective and distinct gas flows to the inflatable curtain 410. In general, in order to control the gas flow flowing out of the inflator 424, the mass flow rate of the flowing out gas is controlled. Examining the variables that define the mass flow rate of the gas released through the orifice, one can understand which characteristics of the inflator 424 can be changed to obtain the desired control. The mass flow rate of the gas discharged from the inflator 424 is obtained by the following equation.

この式は、気体の質量流量を制御する３つの変数を特定する。即ち、オリフィス・大き
さ、流体の速度、および流体密度である。気体は乱流気体環境でインフレータ４２４から流出するので、この式は完全に線形にはなり得ない。これは、流体密度の変動および流体速度の急速な変化の結果である。更に、圧縮可能な気体も式に不正確性を招く可能性がある。しかしながら、インフレータ４２４内に存在するような超圧縮気体は、質量流量特性という目的では、液体と同様に機能する。

This equation identifies three variables that control the mass flow rate of the gas. That is, orifice size, fluid velocity, and fluid density. Since the gas flows out of the inflator 424 in a turbulent gas environment, this equation cannot be completely linear. This is the result of fluid density fluctuations and rapid changes in fluid velocity. In addition, compressible gases can lead to inaccuracies in the formula. However, a supercompressed gas such as that present in the inflator 424 functions similarly to a liquid for the purpose of mass flow characteristics.

  Although the equations shown above do not provide a completely accurate calculation of the mass flow out of the inflator 424, they represent how each of the variables affects the mass flow. As shown in the previous equation, one way to control the mass flow rate of gas flowing out of the inflator 424 is to control the effective cross-sectional area of the orifices 470, 472 through which the gas flows out. By maintaining other variables at approximately constant values, the mass flow rate increases or decreases with respect to the cross-sectional area of the orifices 470, 472. As the cross-sectional area of the orifices 470, 472 increases, the mass flow rate from the orifices 470, 472 increases correspondingly. Conversely, when the cross-sectional area of the orifices 470, 472 decreases, the mass flow rate from the orifices 470, 472 also decreases.

  FIG. 7 shows a dual flow inflator 424 where the first discharge orifice 480 at the first end 466 and the second discharge orifice 482 at the second end 468 are different in size. The first discharge orifice 480 of the inflator 424 has a larger cross-sectional area than the second discharge orifice 482. The difference in effective cross-sectional area of the orifices 480, 482 is indicated by the difference in opening at the ends 466, 468 of the inflator 424. The effective cross-sectional area of the orifices 480, 482 can be defined as the area of the orifices 480, 482 that operates to allow gas release.

  In FIG. 7, the discharge orifices 480 and 482 are both shown as a cross-sectional view of a circular opening in the inflator 424. Thus, the diameter of the circular opening is shown. Since the area of the opening is a function of its diameter, the cross-sectional area of the first discharge orifice 480 is larger than the second discharge orifice 482.

  An inflator 424 having two orifices 480, 482 of different sizes operates when high pressure gas is generated in the gas chamber 454. High pressure gas is generated during the startup sequence initiated by initiator 4100. The initiator 4100 brings the gas generator in the gas chamber 454 into a state where the gas can leak from the inflator 424. This may involve converting the gas generator from a solid to a liquid or opening a sealing mechanism in the gas chamber 454.

  In one embodiment, the sealing mechanism may be a plurality of burst disks 78 located within the holding orifices 484,486. The burst disk 478 is generally a small and thin plate that prevents gas or gas generators from leaking out of the inflator 424. The burst disk 478 opens the inflator 424 when the initiator 4100 is activated. When the initiator 4100 is activated, the impact wave emitted by the initiator 4100 or the pressure of the gas generated by the initiator 4100 presses the burst disk 478 and is pushed into the holding orifices 484 and 486. The burst disk 478 is pushed into the holding orifices 484 and 486 by pressure or striking waves that distort the burst disk 478. Once the orifices 470, 472 are open and the burst disk 478 is completely ejected through the orifices 470, 472, the burst disk 478 is captured by the screen 465.

Once the two discharge orifices 480, 482 are open, the high pressure gas within the gas chamber 454 moves through the discharge orifices 480, 482 to the surrounding environment where the pressure is relatively low. In order for the gas to flow out of the inflator 424, the gas must be
70,472 must be passed. As described above, the first orifice 470 and the second orifice 472 can have two or more separate sections, namely the discharge orifices 480, 482 and the holding orifices 484, 486.

  In the inflator 424 shown in FIG. 7, the effective sectional areas of the discharge orifices 480 and 482 are smaller than the holding orifices 484 and 486. Since the most restrictive orifice through which gas must pass is the control orifice, the discharge orifices 480 and 482 control the mass flow rate in the inflator 424 shown. Thus, the effective cross-sectional area of the discharge orifices 480, 482 establishes individual mass flow rates.

  When the discharge orifices 480 and 482 control the mass flow rate of the gas exiting the inflator 424, the first and second discharge orifices 480 and 482 are individually adjusted and sized to supply individual mass flow rates. be able to. As shown in FIG. 7, the first discharge orifice 480 is larger than the second discharge orifice 482. The inflator discharge orifices 480, 482 of different sizes can be adjusted independently to form two separate mass flow discharges from the inflator 424. Each of the discharge orifices 480, 482 is sized to produce a selective mass flow rate.

  For example, when a large mass flow rate is generally required, a desired flow rate is obtained by increasing the effective sectional area. On the contrary, when a small mass flow rate is generally required, the effective area is reduced. The actual size of the cross-sectional area of the orifices 480 and 482 may be determined by calculation or experiment. Further, the mass flow required for each of the orifices 480, 482 may be determined by the size or volume 440 of the curtain 410 being expanded.

  The effective cross-sectional area of the discharge orifices 480, 482 can be controlled in a number of ways, and a desired mass flow rate can be established for the gas exiting the inflator 424. The orifices 480, 482 can have any number of shapes to control the mass flow rate of the gas exiting the inflator 424. In general, by selecting the desired cross-sectional area of the discharge orifices 480, 482, the mass flow rate from the inflator 424 can be controlled using either shape. Shapes such as rectangles, ellipses, triangles, or various other shapes can be implemented to control the mass flow rate of gas emitted from the inflator 424. However, manufacturing concerns must be taken into account when selecting the orifice shape. Because of these concerns, circular orifices are often preferred.

  The discharge orifices 80, 82 or other orifices 70, 72 are typically adjusted to the desired effective cross-sectional area during the manufacturing process. Thus, the individually adjusted orifices 70, 72, 80, 82, 84, 86 are adjusted during the manufacturing process based on the predetermined mass flow rate. However, some other examples of the present inflator 424 may include orifices 470, 472, 480, 482, 484, 486 that can be adjusted after the inflator is manufactured. This can be done using orifice inserts, protrusions, vents, or any other method that selectively controls the effective cross-sectional area of the orifices 470, 472, 480, 482, 484, 486.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the mass flow rate of the gas released from the inflator 424 can be controlled at other locations along the inflator 424 besides the discharge orifices 480 and 482. A first holding orifice 484 and a second holding orifice 486 can also be used to establish mass flow. The dual flow inflator 424 shown in FIG. 8 has a first holding orifice 484 and a second holding orifice 486, which are part of a system that seals the inflator 424. As discussed above, the inflator 244 has an open state and a sealed state. FIG. 8 shows the inflator 424 in a sealed state. In one application, the sealed condition can be maintained by a number of burst disks 478 that obstruct the gas exiting through the retention orifices 484,486.

  During detonation, the burst disk 478 or other sealing mechanism is destroyed or expelled from its sealing location. Once the inflator 424 is open, gas can be released from the holding orifices 484,486. In general, the holding orifices 484, 486 are made to maintain a sealing mechanism. With this volume, it may be desirable to have the first holding orifice 484 and the second holding orifice 486 similarly sized. For example, to open two burst disks 478 simultaneously, each burst disk 478 spans a similarly sized retention orifice 484, 486 and the opening characteristics of the two ends 466, 468 are symmetrical. It is considered preferable to be obtained.

  However, as shown in FIG. 8, the holding orifices 484, 486 can be independently adjusted and sized to control the mass flow rate of the gas exiting the inflator 424. For example, FIG. 8 shows the first holding orifice 484 as being larger than the second holding orifice 486. For this reason, the first holding orifice 484 gives a larger mass flow rate than the second holding orifice 486. The mass flow rate of the gas discharged from the first holding orifice and the second holding orifice 486 can be controlled similarly to the first and second discharge orifices 480 and 482.

  However, due to the holding function and position of the holding orifices 484, 486, necessary design considerations must be made to ensure the proper functioning of the inflator 424. For example, gas exiting the first holding orifice 484 must continue to pass through the first discharge orifice 480. Therefore, the size of the first discharge orifice 480 must be designed so as not to affect the mass flow rate of the gas exiting the first holding orifice 484. Otherwise, if the effective cross-sectional area of the first discharge orifice 480 is smaller than the first holding orifice 484, the cross-sectional area of the first discharge orifice 480 will control the overall mass flow rate. In order to avoid inconsistent mass flow mechanisms, the discharge orifices 480, 482 generally must have a larger effective cross-sectional area than the holding orifices 484, 486. If the discharge orifices 480, 482 are larger than the holding orifices 484, 486, the mass flow rate will be controlled by the smaller holding orifice 484, 486.

  Alternatively, the discharge orifices 480, 482 and the holding orifices 484, 486 may be composed of a single orifice 470, 472 having a single effective area. Such a design of the orifices 470, 472 operates in the same manner as the orifices 480, 482, 484, 486 described above. However, there is no distinction between the discharge orifices 480, 482 and the holding orifices 484, 486.

Another consideration when adjusting the mass flow rate by using the retention orifices 484, 486 is the operation of the burst disk 478. Burst disk 478 is designed to be pushed through retention orifices 484 and 486 at a predetermined pressure or in response to a predetermined striking wave. As the size of the holding orifices 484, 486 changes, the design of the burst disk 478 must also be changed to maintain a selective opening time if so desired. This may require changing the structure of the burst disk 478 to maintain the desired release time. The weaker burst disk 478 covers the smaller holding orifice 484, 486, such as the second holding orifice 486, and the relatively strong burst disk 478 covers the larger holding orifice 484. Such calculations can be performed using a common fixed-fixed beam or fixed-fixed b
eam or thin plate deflection equations).

  In addition to controlling the mass flow rate of the gas flowing out of the inflator 424 using the orifices 470, 472, 480, 484, 486, which are selectively sized, other mechanisms can be employed. 9A, 9B and 10A, 10B show another mechanism for controlling the mass flow rate of the gas flowing out of the inflator 424. FIG.

  Referring now to FIGS. 9A and 9B, two discharge orifices 4210, 4220 are shown and are controlled by variable sized obstacles 4218, 4228 disposed within orifices 4210, 4220. It has a different effective cross-sectional area 4214, 4224. As seen in FIG. 9A, the first obstacle is smaller than the second obstacle 4228 of FIG. 9B, while the overall diameter of the orifices 4210, 4220 is similar. The smaller obstruction 4218 allows the first orifice 4210 to have a larger effective area 4214, i.e., the gas can pass through a larger area. Conversely, the second orifice having the larger obstacle 4228 has a lower mass flow rate.

  In order for the obstacles 4218 and 4228 to control the mass flow rate, the diameters of the orifices 4210 and 4220 do not need to be different between the first end 466 and the second end 468 of the inflator 424. Conversely, orifices 4210 and 4220 having the same diameter may be used at both ends of the inflator 424. In that case, if the obstacles 4218 and 4228 having different sizes are arranged in the passage of the outflow gas, the mass flow rate can be limited without changing the diameters of the orifices 4210 and 4220. If obstacles 4218 and 4228 having different sizes are arranged at both ends on the opposite side, they function in the same manner as orifices 470 and 472 having different sizes.

  FIGS. 9A and 9B show obstacles 4218, 4228 having a circular cross section, generally positioned within the center of orifices 4210, 4220. FIG. However, other shapes and types of obstacles are possible. FIGS. 10A and 10B show an alternative embodiment of obstacles 4238, 4248 located within orifices 4230, 4240. FIG. The obstacles 4238 and 4248 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B differ from the obstacles 4218 and 4228 shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B in their shapes and potential module characteristics. The obstacles 4238 and 4248 in FIGS. 10A and 10B are not circular members but pins. Obstacle pins 4238, 4248 similarly limit the effective cross-sectional areas 4234, 4244 of the two orifices 4230, 4240.

  The pin obstructions 4238, 4248 can have several advantages over circular obstructions for manufacturing purposes. Pin obstructions 4238, 4248 can be added to the orifices 4230, 4240 simply by placing the pins 4238, 4248 through holes located adjacent to the orifices 4230, 4240. Thus, after the main body of the inflator 424 is manufactured, the mass flow rates of the two orifices 4230 and 4240 can be adjusted independently. However, by changing the obstacles 4218 and 4228 shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the effective cross-sectional areas 4214 and 4224 can be changed in the post-manufacturing situation.

  Another variation applicable to the obstacle embodiment is to make the obstacles 4218, 4228, 4238, 4248 adjustable. For example, the pin obstacles 4238 and 4248 may be a mechanism having a thread that can selectively adjust the advance and retreat to and from the orifices 4230 and 4240. Accordingly, only a portion of the pin obstacles 4238 and 4248 can reach the inside of the orifices 4230 and 4240. Furthermore, the size of the obstacles 4218, 4228 can be adjusted using other designs and mechanisms for adjusting the circular obstacles shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B.

  Referring now to FIG. 11, another mechanism for controlling the mass flow rate of the inflator 424 is shown. The inflator 424 may be provided with a vent or bleed passage 4310 for releasing a certain amount of gas from the inflator 424 but not flowing into the inflatable curtain. The bleed passage 4310 is simply an additional orifice from which gas can be released. However, gas does not flow into the inflatable curtain 410. Instead, the gas is vented to another location at a point before the discharge orifices 480, 482.

  Since the bleed passage 4310 diverts a certain mass flow rate of gas from the inflatable curtain 410, the mass of the diverted gas is subtracted from the mass flow rate of the gas originally emitted towards the particular inflator ends 466,468. . As described above, when the bleed passage 4310 is arranged at the first end 466 of the inflator 424, the mass flow rate of the gas discharged from the first end 466 becomes smaller than the mass flow rate of the gas discharged from the second end 468. The effect is similar if each end 466, 468 has two differently sized orifices 470, 472.

  The size of the bleed passage 4310 can be determined so that a controlled amount of gas is discharged from the inflator 424, similarly to the discharge orifices 480 and 482. If the amount of this gas is accurately calculated, the mass flow rate from each of the ends 466 and 468 of the inflator 424 can be made variable. Further, the bleed passage 4310 can be disposed at one or more ends 466, 468 of the inflator 424. In that case, each extraction channel 4310 releases a controlled amount of gas. In addition, more than one bleed passage 4310 may be present at each end 466, 468 of the inflator 424.

  Yet another mechanism for controlling the mass flow rate of gas flowing out of the inflator 424 is an inflator module 4410 comprising a first inflator 4416 and a second inflator 4420 as shown in FIG. The first inflator 4416 and the second inflator 4420 can be connected to each other at the bottom surfaces 4424 and 4428 by a coupling member 4432. The coupling member 4432 maintains the relative position of the two inflators 4416 and 4420 so that the gas released from the first inflator 4416 and the gas released from the second inflator 4420 are released in substantially opposite directions. ing.

  In the module 4410 shown in FIG. 12, the first inflator 4416 and the second inflator 4420 can be configured to release gas at two different mass flow rates. In one embodiment, the two inflators 4416, 4420 can have orifices 4436, 4440 of different sizes, as shown in FIG. This configuration functions in the same manner as the inflator 424 shown in FIG. This is represented by the difference in the cross-sectional area of the openings in the two orifices 4436, 4440. By coupling the two inflators 4416, 4420 together, the two inflators 4416, 4420 have two differently sized orifices 4436, 4440 and can operate as a single inflator 424 that emits gas. .

  In the inflator module 4410 of FIG. 12, both inflators 4416 and 4420 have individual initiators 4444 and 4448 to induce an open configuration. Initiators 4444 and 4448 can be configured to start both inflators 4416 and 4420 at the same time, or can start inflators 4416 and 4420 at different times. Another example of the inflator module 4410 may have two inflators 4416 and 4420 that share a common initiator. This reduces the parts and thus reduces the cost of the inflator module 4410. However, this can also lead to increased manufacturing costs associated with inserting a single initiator into the two inflators 4416, 4420.

  In another embodiment of the inflator module 4410 shown in FIG. 12, each inflator 4416, 4420 involves the use of a different gas generator or amount of gas generator. The first inflator 4416 is shown to have a higher density gas generator than the second inflator 4420. In the context of the above quote, this is equivalent to changing the gas density in a single inflator 424. Thus, different mass flow rates can be obtained with two inflators 4416, 4420 each having a discharge orifice 4436, 4440 of similar size.

  For example, the first inflator 4416 can release a higher mass flow gas than the second inflator 4420 can. This can occur because the gas generator 4442 in the first inflator 4416 has a higher density than the gas generator 4456 in the second inflator 4420. Alternatively, the use of different density gas generators 4452, 4456 may be combined with different sized discharge orifices 4436, 4440. Such a configuration can extend the range over which two separate mass flow rates of gas from the inflator module 4410 can be controlled.

  In other similar types of inflator designs, the inflator can simply be divided into two different chambers and each chamber can be configured to emit different mass flow gases. The chamber can contain variable amounts and different types of gases to control the mass flow rate. Also, the inflator may have any kind of shape. The inflator shown above was generally long. However, the inflator can be any shape as long as it can release two individually adjustable mass flow rates from the inflator and flow into the inflator curtain.

  Since the inflator discussed above supplies different mass flow gases at the two opposite ends, the inflator is not perfectly thrust balanced. For example, in the inflator 424 of FIG. 7, the first discharge orifice 480 is larger than the second discharge orifice 482. The difference in size of the orifices 480, 482 results in two different mass flow rates, which produce two different thrusts. Since the mass flow rate of the gas discharged from the first discharge orifice 480 is larger than the mass flow rate of the gas discharged from the second orifice 482, the inflator 424 has a positive thrust in the negative longitudinal direction 413.

  However, since the thrust from the first orifice 480 and the thrust from the second orifice 482 are substantially in opposite directions, they can be substantially offset and disappear. For example, thrust from the first orifice 480 is generated in the negative longitudinal direction 413, and thrust from the second orifice 482 is generated in the positive longitudinal direction 413. These substantially opposite thrust directions often cancel each other out in the same range. Therefore, the thrust of the inflator 424 is equal to the result of subtracting the thrust generated by the second orifice 482 from the thrust generated by the first orifice 480.

  Although the thrust can be greatly reduced, in some cases it may be desirable for the inflator 424 to be perfectly thrust balanced in one direction. FIG. 13 shows an inflator 4510 that can be thrust balanced along a single axis. The thrust balance configuration is maintained in a single direction at the expense of thrust in the opposite direction. This is illustrated below.

Referring now to FIG. 13, the inflator 4510 has a first end 4512 and a second end 4514. First end 4512 and second end 4514 are configured to discharge a gas flow from first orifice 4514 and second orifice 4517, respectively. In the illustrated inflator 4510, the first orifice 4516 is larger than the first orifice 4517, and the first orifice 4514 emits gas at a larger mass flow rate than the second orifice 4517. For this reason, since the mass flow rate of the gas discharged from the first orifice 4516 is larger, the thrust generated at the first end 4512 is larger than the thrust generated by the second orifice 4517 at the second end 4514.

  To compensate for the thrust difference, the first end 4512 has an inclined section 4518 and the first end 4512 and the second end 4514 do not share a common axis 4519. The thrust 4520 generated by the inclined section 4518 of the first end 4512 is not on the same axis 4519 as the thrust 4524 generated at the second end 4514. The gas released from the first end 4512 generates a first thrust 4520 that has a longitudinal component 4521 and a transverse component 4522. The gas released from the second end 4514 generates a thrust 4524 having only a longitudinal component 4525.

  The inclined section 4518 forms a longitudinal component 4522 and a transverse component 4521 of the first thrust 4520. By selectively controlling the angle of the inclined section 4518, the longitudinal component 4522 of the first thrust 4520 can be made equal to the entire longitudinal component 4525 of the second thrust 4524. Since the longitudinal component 4522 of the first thrust 4520 is in a direction substantially opposite to the longitudinal component 4525 of the second thrust 4524, the inflator 4510 is in thrust balance along the axis 4519.

  The inflator 4510 is not thrust balanced in the lateral direction 414, but the shape and mounting of the inflator 4510 can make the lateral thrust 414 almost unaffected. For example, any attachment mechanism that attaches the inflator 4510 to the structure of the automobile 412 may easily disengage the inflator 4510 if there is pure longitudinal 413 thrust. However, by actually forming the inclined section 4518 in the inflator 4510, almost all thrust in the longitudinal direction 413 can be eliminated. For this reason, only the transverse component 4521 of the first thrust 4520 remains. Since the biaxial inflator 4510 is normally mounted along the roof rail of the automobile 412, the transverse thrust component 4521 presses the inflator 4510 against the structure of the automobile 412. Such an inflator 4510 in which the inclined section 4518 is actually formed can control the gas flow and thrust of the gas discharged from the inflator 4510 in various applications.

  Referring now to FIG. 14, an alternative embodiment of an inflator 424 is shown in which the flow rate of gas released from the inflator 424 is controlled by choke orifices 493a and 493b. In the illustrated inflator 424, the holding orifices 484, 486 are substantially the same size and radiate an equal mass flow rate from each orifice 484, 486. The holding orifices 484 and 486 can provide a path having a generally uniform cross section from the inside of the inflator 424.

  In this embodiment, the flow rate of the gas exiting the inflator 424 is controlled by choke orifices 493a and 493b located laterally 414 out of the holding orifices 484 and 486. As shown, the first choke orifice 493a may have a smaller opening than the second choke orifice 493b. Accordingly, the flow rate of the gas discharged from the inflator is such that the gas discharged from the first choke orifice 493a has a smaller mass flow rate than the gas discharged from the second choke orifice 493b by the choke orifices 493a and 493b. Can be controlled.

As already noted, the holding orifices 484, 486 must be larger than the choke orifices 493a, 493b in order for the choke orifices 493a, 493b to control the mass flow rate of the gas discharged from the inflator 424. Further, the choke orifices 493a and 493b do not necessarily need to be a narrowed section at the end 492 of the inflator 424. The choke orifices 493a and 493b may be crimped ends of the inflator. In this case, the gas flowing out from the choke orifices 493a and 493b directly enters the airbag.

  By realizing an inflator having an independently adjustable mass flow rate, a single inflator design can be applied to multiple inflatable curtain designs and configurations. In addition, an independently adjustable orifice allows a wide range of control over the deployment characteristics of a single or multiple inflatable curtains. Referring now to FIG. 15, an inflatable curtain 4620 coupled to a biaxial inflator 4624 is shown. The inflatable curtain 4620 has a first volume portion 4632 and a second volume portion 4636 that are not equal in size, with the first volume portion 4632 being larger than the second volume portion 4636.

  In order to fill the inflatable curtain volumes 4632 and 4636 simultaneously and instantaneously, the mass flow rate of gas released from the first end 4640 of the inflator 4624 is greater than the mass flow rate of gas released from the second end 4644. Must also be large. The difference in mass flow rate can be selected according to the different sizes of the inflatable curtain volumes 4632, 4636. This can be done with any of the mechanisms discussed above, such as an inflator 4624 with two different sized discharge orifices. That is, the size of the orifice can be determined according to the volume portions 4632 and 4336 of the inflatable curtain 4620.

  Independently adjustable inflator 4624 can be implemented with different inflatable curtain 4620 configurations. For example, the first volume portion 4632 and the second volume portion 4636 of the inflatable curtain 4620 can be configured such that gas cannot flow between the two volume portions 4632 and 4636. In another embodiment, the first volume portion 4632 and the second volume portion 4636 can be in fluid communication so that gas can flow from one volume portion 4632 to the other 4636. By adjusting the mass flow rate in either design, the expansion characteristics of the inflatable curtain 4620 can be controlled.

  Other inflatable curtain 4620 designs may not have two separate volumes 4632, 4636, but instead have a single rectangular volume connected at both ends of the inflator 4624. May be. Independently adjustable inflator 4624 can be used when inflator 4624 is not in the middle of rectangular inflatable curtain 4620. The mass flow rate can be designed to release an amount of gas corresponding to the size of the section of the inflatable curtain 4620 that the inflator 4624 must fill. An inflator 4624 that does not adjust the mass flow can also fill the large rectangular inflatable curtain 4620, but by making the mass flow adjustable, both sections can be adjusted even if there is a large difference in section size. It is possible to inflate at the same time.

  Another application of independently adjustable mass flow rates is that the deployment sequence of multiple sections of multiple inflatable curtains 4620 or a single curtain 4620 can be controlled. For example, the inflatable curtain 4620 of FIG. 15 has two separate volumes 4632, 4636. Under certain deployment conditions, it may be desirable for one of the volumes 4632 to expand before the other 4636. The first volume portion 4632 can be expanded before the second volume portion 4636 by changing the mass flow rate of the gas flowing into the volume portions 4632 and 4636. The mass flow rates at the ends 4640 and 4644 of the inflator 4624 can be used with any number of differently sized volumes 4632 and 4636. Further, the inflator 4624 can inflate one side of a single inflatable curtain 4620 before the other side, or have a greater instantaneous pressure than the other side.

The inflators described above can have a number of embodiments by changing the shape, orientation, sequence, positioning, or other variables of the inflator. The inflator can be broadly described as an inflator configured to release gas from the first orifice at a first mass flow rate and to release gas from the second orifice at a second mass flow rate. By changing the mass flow rate, the inflator can controllably inflate an inflatable curtain with a wide range of designs.

  Referring to FIG. 16, a state where an inflatable curtain 710 according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a vehicle 712 is shown. The inflatable curtain 710 can form part of an airbag system that protects one or more vehicle occupants against lateral impacts by forming a protective curtain beside the occupant.

  The vehicle 712 has a longitudinal direction 713, a lateral direction 714, and a transverse direction 715. Further, the vehicle 712 includes a first front seat 716 that is laterally displaced from the first side surface 717 or the front door 717, as shown in the vehicle 712 of FIG. The vehicle 712 also has a rear seat 718 that is laterally displaced from the second side 719 or the rear door 719, as shown. As shown, two such inflatable curtains 710 can be used, one on the driver side of the vehicle 712 and another on the occupant side.

  One or more accelerometers 711 or other similar impact sensing devices are used to detect sudden lateral acceleration (or deceleration) of the vehicle 712 and send electrical signals to one or more inflators 720 through wires 731. The inflator 720 then supplies a pressurized gas stream to inflate the inflatable curtain 710. As shown in FIG. 16, each of the inflatable curtains 710 can be inflated by using a single inflator 720. That is, a single inflator 720 can be used to inflate each of the first protection zone 740 and the second protection zone 742 of each inflatable curtain 710. Inflator 720 can be secured to vehicle 712 through the use of a relatively simple mounting bracket 729.

  The inflator 720 is disposed approximately centrally along the longitudinal length of the inflatable curtain 710 and can inflate the first and second protective zones 740, 742 relatively quickly and uniformly. The method will be described in further detail. Each inflator 720 may be in the form of a hollow pressure vessel containing a chemical reactant and / or compressed gas, referred to as an “inflation charge”. The inflation charge is activated or deactivated when the inflator 720 is started to allow inflation gas to flow out. In the embodiment of FIG. 16, the inflator 720 is partially encased in an inflatable curtain 710 so that inflation gas flowing out of the inflator 720 flows directly into the inflatable curtain 710. The inflator 720 can operate quickly such that the inflatable curtain 710 has finished inflating and protects the vehicle occupant from the impact before the vehicle 712 has fully responded to the impact. In addition, the inflator 720 can be extended to operate so that the inflatable curtain can remain inflated or re-inflate during an impact event or vehicle rollover.

Optionally, accelerometer 711 can be housed in engine compartment 730 or dashboard 732 of vehicle 712. A controller (not shown) may be used to process the output from the accelerometer 711 and control various other aspects of the vehicle safety system of the vehicle 712. Such a controller may also be placed in the engine compartment 730 or dashboard 732 close to the accelerometer 711, for example. Such a controller can also be configured to sequentially start the initiators in a “smart airbag” when a rollover accident or other event is detected that requires greater inflation. In such a configuration, the electric wire 731 and / or other control wiring may be laid along the A pillar 734 of the vehicle 712 located on either side of the windshield 735 until it reaches the inflator 720. Or
As shown in FIG. 16, each accelerometer 711 may be disposed close to one of the inflators 720.

  Inflator 720 and inflatable curtain 710 may be installed by attaching them to roof rail 736 of vehicle 712. Depending on the model of the vehicle 712 and the desired configuration of the inflatable curtain 710, the airbag components may be positioned along the B pillar 737, the C pillar 738, and / or the D pillar 739.

  The inflatable curtain 710 shown in FIG. 16 is configured to protect not only the front seat 716 occupant but also the rear seat 718 occupant as well. Thus, each inflatable curtain 710 includes a first protective zone 740 configured to expand between one of the front seat 716 and one of the front doors 717, one of the rear seat 718 and the rear door 719. And a second protective zone 742 that is configured to expand between. The first and second protection zones 740, 742 may be modified to be separate individual cushions that are isolated from each other. However, the inflatable curtain 710 may optionally be part of the same cushion. That is, the first and second protection zones 740, 742 may be in fluid communication with each other. This is the same even when the inflation gas can pass through the inflator 720 between the first and second protection zones 740, 742, or when flow through the inflator is not allowed. The first and second protection zones 740, 742 of each inflatable curtain 710 may be attached together by use of a connection zone 744 disposed between the protection zones 740, 742. The connection zone 744 can be provided with a flow path through which gas can flow between the first and second protection zones 740 and 742.

  Each of the inflatable curtains 710 includes a forward mooring rope 746 attached to the A-pillar 734 and a roof to tension the inflatable curtain 710 and hold them in place during inflation and impact. May have a rear mooring rope 748 attached to rail 736; Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mooring ropes 746, 748 may be attached to other parts of the vehicle 712, such as the B pillar 737, the C pillar 738, and / or the D pillar 739. The mooring ropes 746, 748 can be made of standard seat belt straps.

  Although each inflatable curtain 710 shown in FIG. 16 has two protective zones 740, 742, the present invention contemplates the use of an inflatable curtain 710 having any number of protective zones. Thus, if desired, each of the inflatable curtains 710 can be expanded to have one or more protective zones and to occupy the auxiliary seat 750 behind the rear seat 718 from impact on the third side 752 of the vehicle 712. It can also be positioned to protect. With additional inflator 720, such additional inflatable curtain volume can be inflated.

  The inflator 720 of the present invention is unparalleled in that it can be quickly and uniformly expanded, and can be configured to be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and install. FIG. 16 shows an inflator 720 that includes a main gas chamber 766, a secondary gas chamber 768, and a flow restrictor 780 in a somewhat enlarged perspective view. The inflator also includes a detonation assembly 7100 that is attached to the accelerometer 711 of the vehicle 712 by a wire 731. Inflator 720 is attached to first and second inlet ports 760 of inflatable curtain 710 by clamps 764. In addition, the inflator 720 is attached to the vehicle 712 by a mounting bracket 729. The configuration of the inflator 720 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

Referring to FIG. 17, a side cross-sectional view of the inflator 720 is shown. The inflator 720 can have a main gas chamber 766 formed of a relatively high tensile material, such as steel. The main gas chamber 766 can be formed in one single body. Alternatively, the main gas chamber 766 may be made of multiple pieces that are welded or otherwise bonded together. The main gas chamber 766 may have a substantially tubular shape, but may be flattened, hemispherical, or formed in other shapes according to the space that can be used in the vehicle.

  The main gas chamber 766 may be disposed within the first and second inlet ports 760, 762 of the protective zones 740, 742 of the inflatable curtain 710 so that the first and second of the gases 794a, 794b exiting the main gas chamber 766 The expanded gas from the second main stream enters the first and second protection zones 740 and 742 directly. Thus, it is not necessary to use a gas guide tube or other type of conduit to guide gas from the inflator 720 to the inflatable curtain 710. The inflator 720 may simply be clamped airtight within the first inlet port 760, for example, by use of an annular clamp 764 that presses the fabric of the inlet port 760 strongly against the surface of the inflator 720.

  The dimensions of the main gas chamber 766 can be changed according to the volume in which the main gas chamber 766 is installed. For example, to facilitate installation in a long and narrow space, such as a space beside the roof rail 736, the main gas chamber 766 is extended by the longitudinal direction 713 and / or the lateral and transverse directions 714. , 417 can be made thinner. To install an extended main gas chamber 766, the main gas chamber 766 may reach a significant distance within each protection zone 740,742. Such an installation has the advantage that the inflation gas flow enters the inflatable curtain 710 at approximately midpoints through the protection zones 740, 742 and the inflation is more uniform.

  The main gas chamber 766 has a first outlet orifice 770 disposed in the first inlet port 760 of the airbag and a second outlet orifice 772 disposed in the second inlet port 762 of the airbag. Can do. Outflow orifices 770, 772 have an open configuration that allows gas to pass through outflow orifices 770, 772 relatively freely and a sealed configuration in which substantially all of the inflation gas is trapped within gas chamber 766. . Therefore, here, “outflow orifice” means not only a passage but also a structure for selectively closing the passage.

  More precisely, the outlet orifices 770, 772 include an inner cap 774a, as shown in FIG. The inner cap 774a, 774b can have openings 776a, 776b, against which the burst disks 778a, 778b are pressed by the pressure in the gas chamber 766. The third burst disk 778c is disposed on the inflator aperture 7102 and may be held in place by pressure in the chamber 766, at least in part, relative to the initiator assembly 7100. Burst disks 778a, 778b, 778c can have a wide variety of configurations. That is, if desired, each of the burst disks 778a, 778b, 778c can have a slightly domed shape to form a sealed structure with the circular shape of the associated openings 776a, 776b, 7102.

The burst disks 778a, 778b, and 778c are preferably formed in a shape that exposes the openings 776a, 776b, and 7102 due to pressure strikes and / or increased pressure. For example, the burst disks 778a, 778b can be bent so as to penetrate the openings 776a, 776b, and pressure strikes and / or increases can release the burst disks 778a, 778b from the openings 776a, 776b. Burst discs 778a, 778b may simply have a pressure threshold above which sufficient deformation occurs to push burst discs 778a, 778b through openings 776a, 776b. Alternatively, the burst disks 778a, 778b, 778c may be deformed in response to primarily striking or a rapid pressure change in the gas chamber 766.

  In order to prevent the discharged burst disk from damaging the inflatable curtain 710, the inflator 720 can also have a pair of burst disk holding members 790a, 790b, each of which has an outlet orifice 770. , 772 is arranged outside one of them. The burst disk holding members 790a and 790b can have a wide variety of configurations. As shown, the burst disk retaining members 790a, 790b can be in the form of thick pads or screens that allow the inflation gas to pass through them relatively freely. Burst disks 778a, 778b, 778c are captured by burst disk holding members 790a, 790b after being released from openings 776a, 776b. The burst disks 778a, 778b, 778c can also be retained before the openings 776a, 776b, in which case the inflation gas must simply flow around the burst disks 778a, 778b, 778c and out of the inflator 720. Don't be.

  The inflator 720 may also include discharge nozzles 792a and 792b disposed outside the first and second outlet orifices 770 and 772 and burst disk holding members 790a and 790b. These discharge nozzles 792a, 792b can be useful in changing the amount and / or speed of the first gas flow and the second gas flow emanating from the inflator. In many inflators of the present invention, the discharge nozzles 792a, 792b are equally tuned to obtain an equal thrust and amount of gas flow through each nozzle. With such a configuration, the inflator does not generate a net thrust along the longitudinal axis of the inflator.

  Alternatively, the inflator according to the present invention can be made in a non-thrust balance. For example, the first and second outlet orifices 770, 772 or the discharge nozzles 792a, 792b need not be equal in size, and can be sized differently to vary the amount of inflation gas from each outlet orifice. it can. Such unequal flows may be desirable in situations where the sizes of the first and second protection zones 740, 742 are different. In such a situation, the thrust from one of the gas streams 794a, 794b or the gas streams 796a, 796b can only partially cancel the thrust of the other gas stream 794a, 794b or the gas streams 796a, 796b. Taking into account such unequal thrust, the degree of longitudinal support can also be varied.

  The two-stage inflator 720 of the present invention can further include a secondary gas chamber 768 and a flow restrictor 780. The secondary gas chamber 768 is configured to hold an expansion charge including a gas generator 784 b and supply a secondary gas stream 796 to the main gas chamber 766. The expansion charge in the secondary gas chamber 768 may be the same as the expansion charge in the main gas chamber 766, or the expansion charge may be different in composition, pressure, or form.

  The secondary gas chamber 768 is connected to the main gas chamber 766 via a flow restrictor 780. The flow restrictor 780 can be in the form of a connecting ring having a flow restricting orifice 782. In addition, the flow restrictor 780 can include a fragile seal, such as a burst disk, a scored surface, or a compression closure.

The secondary gas chamber 768 of the present invention is configured to supply a secondary gas flow 796 to an airbag coupled to the inflator 720, first inflating the airbag, and then maintaining that expansion for a period of time. Yes. The initial expansion can be performed primarily by the expansion charge of the main gas chamber 766 and the first and second main gas streams 794a, 794b that it produces. Maintenance of the initial expansion can be performed primarily by the side gas flow 796 from the side gas chamber 768. By providing a flow restrictor 780 that can take the form of a restrictive flow path 779, a maintenance or secondary gas stream 796 can be sent. Thus, the restrictive flow path 779 can be a narrow tube having a narrow flow restricting orifice 782. This combination reduces the rate at which the expansion charge contained in the secondary gas chamber 768 flows out. The flow path 779 may be defined by a flow restriction orifice radius 781 and a flow restriction orifice diameter 783.

  An inflator such as 720 does not have the part that the flow restrictor 780 completely closes the flow restrictor so that the expansion charge in the main gas chamber and the secondary gas chambers 766, 768 can be freely mixed. It is configured to be able to. As a result, the pressure differential between the gas chambers 766, 768 cannot be maintained.

  Alternatively, the inflator 720 of the present invention can provide a secondary gas flow 796 by providing a fragile seal on the flow restrictor 780. Suitable fragile seals include a burst disk (similar to the burst disks 778a, 778b used with the main gas chamber 766), a scored surface (not shown), and a compression closure (not shown). it can. By providing these sealing bodies, the gas flow from the auxiliary gas chamber 768 can be prevented until the airbag is activated.

  The surface of the fragile seal, optionally used with the main and secondary gas chambers 766, 768, is released when the pressure in the gas chamber 766, 768 exceeds the strength of the surface.

  One such fragile seal is a scored surface. The notch of the notched surface is a weakened region formed by going over the surface. Such indents can be formed with a sharp tool made of, for example, hardened iron, tungsten carbide, diamond or the like. The tool is shaped to peel off the surface material layer, and a number of operations may be used to remove the desired amount of material. Such indentations can have a wide variety of configurations. In one example, each score may simply consist of a single line drawn in a plane perpendicular to the transverse direction with respect to the surface. Alternatively, a star shape having a large number of intersecting notches can be used. In a star shape, a large number of wedge-shaped deformable parts exist between intersecting nicks, each deformable part bends outward when the nick breaks, i.e. `` bloom '' To do.

  The notch depth may be selected such that the notch breaks when the pressure in the gas chamber reaches a predetermined threshold or when the pressure strike in the gas chamber reaches a predetermined threshold. The deeper the notch, the more the opening opens in response to lower pressure or blow. In addition, if the notches are formed with the same depth, the notched surface can be surely opened simultaneously. Further, different depths, lengths, widths, or contours of the individual notches can give the inflator different timing and / or gas flow characteristics.

  Depending on the notch configuration, a set of lips may be formed at the time of breakage, and these may be distorted somewhat outward to reach a deformed profile. In the deformed profile, the lip can be somewhat separated to form an opening through which inflation gas can escape. In this profile, the lip performs the function performed when the aperture and discharge nozzle are used instead. In fact, the lip can be configured to be distorted so that an opening of the desired size is formed.

“Compression closure” can be defined as an opening that is closed or nearly closed by mechanical deformation of the material surrounding the opening. That is, a compression closure includes an opening that has been brought into a closed position by crimping, swaging, twisting, bending, or other deformation. Such a closure can be formed by a method that includes applying a mechanical compression force orthogonal to the axis of the opening. This compression can form a crimp or a weld, which can be broken in response to a high pressure or pressure strike in the sealed gas chamber. . As a result of this destruction, the sealing body assumes a deformed shape, and the inflation gas can leak from the gas chamber. The compressive force applied to close the lip and the weld strength of the weld may be selected to achieve the desired threshold pressure or strike.

  When a large number of fragile seals are used in an inflator such as an inflator having a large number of sections, the structure such as the notch size and depth, the compression force, and the weld strength of the compression closure are May have somewhat tight tolerances to ensure that they open at the same time.

  The surface of the fragile seal may optionally be located outside the outflow orifice, which surface is open and suitable for the secondary gas chamber 768 or the first and second outflow orifices 770, 772. The discharge nozzle (in place of the discharge nozzles 792a and 792b) is formed. Such a configuration allows different materials to be used for the expansion charge in the main and secondary gas chambers 766, 768 and, further, the use of the expansion charge with different pressures in the gas chambers 766, 768. Is also possible.

  A fragile seal such as a burst disk is preferably used in an inflator where the expansion charge of the secondary gas chamber 768 is at least partially composed of a liquid gas generant 786, such as a liquefied gas. In such applications, the seal separates liquid 786 from main gas chamber 766. In the inflator 720 of the present invention having the burst disks 778a and 778b, burst disk holding members 790a and 790b are further included to capture and hold the used burst disks 778a and 778b, and are released from the inflator 720. May be prevented.

  In the inflator 720 of the present invention that uses a fragile seal on top of the flow restricting orifice, the fragile seal can be formed to break at a specific pressure differential between the main gas chamber and the secondary gas chamber 766,768. An example of this is an inflator where the secondary gas chamber stores gas pressurized to 3,000 psi and the main gas chamber stores gas pressurized to 2,000 psi, and the burst disk between the gas chambers is 2, It is configured to rupture at a pressure differential of 500 psi. After starting the inflator, when the main gas flow from the main gas chamber starts, the pressure difference between the gas chambers increases. The burst disk breaks when the main gas chamber pressure reaches about 500 psi. This opens the flow restricting orifice between the main gas chamber and the sub gas chamber, and the gas generator from the sub gas chamber generates a sub gas flow that joins the main gas flow generated during the start-up of the airbag.

  According to the present invention, such a two-stage inflator includes an additional main chamber and sub chamber, can extend the length of time that the inflator can supply the gas flow, and further increase the amount of gas that the inflator can generate. Can do. Such additional sub-chambers may be arranged along a longitudinal axis shared with other sub-gas chambers and the main gas chamber, or arranged along other axes that are angled with respect to the other gas chambers. May be.

During deployment of the inflator 720a, the main gas flow 794a flows out of the main gas chamber 766 through the first outflow orifice 770, and the second main gas flow 794b flows out of the main gas chamber 766 through the second outflow orifice 772. can do. A secondary gas stream 796 then exits secondary gas chamber 768 through flow restricting orifice 782. These gas flows may integrate smoothly and become indistinguishable from each other, or may be separated by a sufficient amount of time so that the main gas flow and the sub-gas flow are distinguishable. The main and secondary gas streams 794a, 794b, 796 then move to reach the corresponding inlet ports 760, 762 of the inflatable curtain 710. As shown, the main and secondary gas flows 794a, 794b, 796 move in the longitudinal direction 713 along the longitudinal axis 758 of the inflator 720.

  The inflator 720 is installed in the vehicle 712 relatively easily, and the configuration shown in FIG. 16 can be obtained. For example, the first end 771 of the main gas chamber 766 can be inserted into the first inlet port 760 of the curtain 710 and the second end of the main gas chamber 773 can be inserted into the second inlet port 762 of the curtain 710. it can. The inflatable curtain 710 can then be attached to the roof rail 736 at the position shown in FIG. 16 and the inflator 720 can be attached to the roof rail 736 with a mounting bracket, such as the mounting bracket 729.

  The steps of installing the airbag inflator described above may be reordered in a number of ways to suit the particular configuration of the vehicle 712. For example, the inflator 720 may first be attached to the rule rail 736 by the mounting bracket 729 and then the inlet ports 760, 762 may be fitted around the main gas chamber 766. Then, the inflatable curtain 710 may be fixed in place.

  The discharge nozzles 792a and 792b are optional. The inflation gas may simply be allowed to escape from the inflator 720 freely. However, the discharge nozzles 792a, 792b have the advantage that the direction of the main gas flow and sub-gas flow 794a, 794b, 796 can be determined more accurately. The discharge nozzles 792a, 792b can also increase the rate at which the main and secondary gas flows 794a, 794b, 796 leak out of the inflator 720 so that the gas flow moves deeper into the inflatable curtain 710. Has the driving force to Such rapid release can help ensure that the portion of the inflatable curtain 710 furthest from the inflator 720 is inflated accordingly prior to the impact of the vehicle occupant on the inflatable curtain 710. it can.

  The dual flow biaxial inflator can operate in various ways to inflate the inflatable curtain 710. In one inflator, the main and secondary gas flows 794a, 794b, 796 can be activated by the action of a single detonation assembly 7100. The detonation assembly 7100 can have an assembly aperture 7101 that communicates with the interior of the main gas chamber 766. The initiation assembly 7100 can be, for example, laser welded in place to prevent leakage of inflation gas through the initiator aperture 7102 or release of the initiation assembly 7100 during deployment of the inflator 720. Alternatively, the detonation assembly 7100 may be disposed within the secondary gas chamber 768. In addition, detonation assembly 7100 may comprise a burst disk, such as burst disk 778c, and may be placed on top of initiator aperture 7102.

  The detonation assembly 7100 can include an initiator 7104, which is an electrically activated pyrotechnic device. For example, the initiator 7104 can have a head 7106, a body 7108 containing pyrotechnic material, and an electrical prong 7110 that receives an actuation signal. The main body 7108 can be installed inside the initiator holding member 7112. The prong 7110 can be inserted into a plug (not shown) of an electric wire 731 leading to an accelerometer 711 or a controller (not shown).

If desired, the detonation assembly 7100 can also have an amount of boosting material 7116 to increase the thermal energy obtained by the initiator 7104. The boosting material 7116 is
It can be separated from the initiator 7104 by a dome 7118 designed to break or even disassemble when the initiator 7104 is activated. Alternatively, the pressurizing material 7116 can be contained within the detonation assembly 7100 itself. The detonation assembly 7100 can also have a housing 7119 that encloses and protects the pressurizing material 7116 and the initiator 7104. If desired, the housing 7119 can also effectively isolate the inflator 7104 and the pressurizing material 7116 from the pressure in the main gas chamber 766.

  The inflator 720 may be any form including pyrotechnics, compressed gas, and hybrid types. In the inflator of FIG. 17, the inflator 720 is a hybrid inflator and has a pyrotechnic inflator and pressurizing material 7116 and a compressed gas generating material (or “gas generator”) 784. Due to the compression, the gas generating material 784 may be present in the main gas chamber 766 in the form of liquid 786 as well as gas 785. Alternatively, in a pyrotechnic inflator, the gas generating material may be in the form of a solid or liquid fuel rather than an inert compressed liquid, gas, or mixture.

  When the inert compressed gas generating material 784 of FIG. 17 is used, the detonation assembly 7100 deploys within a few milliseconds to generate heat, causing the gas generating material 784 to expand. As a result, a sudden pressure blow and / or pressure increase occurs in the gas chamber 766. Due to the impact and / or increase of pressure, the burst disk 778c is pushed away from the initiator aperture 7102, and the burst disks 778a, 778b are also pushed away to open the first and second outlet orifices 770, 772, The first and second main gas streams 794a, 794b are allowed to leak. As the inflation gas flows out of the inflator 720, the liquid 786 is vaporized and added to the volume of the main gas streams 794a, 794b. The gas generating material 784b in the secondary gas chamber 768 then begins to flow out of the inflator 720, resulting in a secondary gas flow 796. As a result, the inflator 720 can generate a substantial amount of gas in a controllable time period, despite its modest size.

  The use of the liquid gas generating material 786 is effective because it absorbs heat when the liquid 786 is vaporized. Thus, the main and secondary gas streams 794a, 794b, 796 are cooler compared to other expanded gases or perhaps compared to the surrounding air. Therefore, the possibility of damaging the inflatable curtain 710 is reduced. Thus, the inflatable curtain 710 can be formed of a material with relatively low heat resistance. This material is probably very cheap. For example, applying a thin silicone coating to the fabric of the inflatable curtain 710 may be sufficient to protect the fabric from thermal damage. In addition, when the gas 785 generated from the liquid 786 begins to warm up to ambient temperature, it expands, extending the period of time the curtain is inflated and protecting the vehicle occupant.

  The inflator 720 appears cheaper and easier to manufacture than many other airbag inflators. First, the main gas chamber 766 can be formed in a known manner. If desired, the main gas chamber 766 can be supplied as a single unit as shown in FIG. Burst disks 778a, 778b and / or gas generating material 784 can be inserted through assembly aperture 7101, for example. Alternatively, the gas generating material 784 can be inserted at cryogenic conditions. That is, it can be frozen and compressed into a solid form and inserted through a fill opening 788, which can later be sealed by a fill opening seam 789. The detonation assembly 7100 can then be inserted into the secondary gas chamber 768 with the assembly aperture 7101 facing inward and welded in place, for example, by laser welding.

Instead of a unitary structure, the gas chamber 766 can be easily inserted into the burst disks 788a, 778b, the detonation assembly 7100, and the gas generating material 784 if they are two separate bodies. For example, the first end 771 is separated from the remainder of the gas chamber 766 by a radial seam (not shown), and the first end 771 and the remainder of the gas chamber 766 form a tube having a circular opening. To be able to. Burst disk 788a, detonation assembly 7100, and / or cryogenic material can be easily inserted into such a circular opening and secured in place. The first end 771 may then be attached to the remainder of the gas chamber 766, for example, by welding. This process can be repeated for the second end 773.

  Many other aspects of the inflator 720 can also be modified to accommodate the geometry of the vehicle 712, the size and shape of the inflatable curtain 710, and available manufacturing equipment. FIG. 18 shows an alternative dual-flow biaxial inflator that includes a number of modifications from the inflator 720 of FIGS. These modifications can be used in any combination or with other modifications recognized by those skilled in the art, and more than can be illustrated and specifically described herein, many embodiments of the present invention. Can be produced.

  Referring to FIG. 18, an inflator 7120 according to one of the alternative inflators of the present invention is shown. The inflator 7120 can have a first main gas chamber 7166a designed to be installed in the expansion port of the inflatable curtain, just like the gas chamber 766 of FIG. The first main gas chamber 7166a also has an initiation assembly 7100 that operates the inflator 7120. The inflator 7120 further includes a second main gas chamber 7166b. This may be substantially the same as the first main gas chamber 7166a. Furthermore, the inflator 7120 also has a secondary gas chamber 7168, which is attached to the first and second main gas chambers 7166 by flow restrictors 7180a, 7180b. This secondary gas chamber 7168 can be separated from the main gas chambers 7166a, 7166b by fragile seals, such as burst disks 7178c, 7178d, which are disposed opposite the flow restrictors 7180a, 7180b, respectively. .

  In the inflator 7120, the main gas chambers 7166a and 7166b are attached to the first and second inlet ports 760 and 762 of the curtain (not shown) and sealed to prevent gas leakage. The first main gas chamber 7166a contains a gas generating material 7184a that can contain a gaseous reagent such as a pressurized gas 7185a and a liquid reagent such as a liquefied gas 7186a. These gas generating materials 7184a are enclosed in the main gas chamber 7166a by a fragile sealing body. In FIG. 18, this seal is omitted for clarity in this figure.

  The inflator 7120 is configured like the inflator 720 of FIG. 16, and generates the first and second main gas flows 7194a and 7194b. First and second main gas streams 7194a, 7194b exit the first and second main gas chambers 7166a, 7166b through outlet orifices 7172, 7170, and curtains (not shown) through nozzles 7192a, 7192b. Flow into.

As noted briefly above, the inflator 7120 includes first and second detonation assemblies 7100a, 7100b and is attached to the main gas chambers 7166a, 7166b at the assembly apertures 7101a, 7101b. The detonation assemblies 7100a and 7100b include an initiator aperture 7102. After the initiator 7104 is started, heat and other combustion products from the start of the initiator 7104 pass through the initiator aperture 7102. The initiation assembly 7100a, 7100b further includes a prong 7110 for connecting the initiator 7104 to a vehicle electronic system (not shown) including a head 7106, a body 7108, and an accelerometer (not shown). The initiator 7104 is held by an initiator holding member 7112 and a housing 7119, which keep the initiator in place. In addition, the initiator also has a boosting material (not shown), and if it is built in a dome (not shown) near the initiator 7104, the generation of the main gas flow 7194 can be promoted. Finally, the initiator assemblies 7100a, 7100b can further include burst disks 7178e, 7178f, respectively, which cover the initiator aperture 7102 prior to initiator startup.

  18 further includes flow restrictors 7180a, 7180b, which join the first main gas chamber 7166a to the sub-gas chamber 7168 and the second main gas chamber 7166b to the sub-gas chamber 7168. Here, the flow restrictors 7180a and 7180b can also take the form of a throttle channel 7179. Such a throttle channel 7179 may be similar to a narrow tube. In addition, the restrictive flow path 7179 includes a narrow flow restricting orifice 7182 that limits the rate at which the expansion charge contained within the secondary gas chamber 7168 leaks. The flow path 7179 is defined by a flow restricting orifice radius 7181 and a flow restricting orifice diameter 7183.

  The secondary gas chamber 7168 is configured to supply a secondary gas flow 7196 to the first and second gas chambers 7166a, 7166b and subsequently to an inflatable curtain (not shown). The auxiliary gas chamber 7168 is connected to the first and second main gas chambers 7166a and 7166b via the flow restrictors 7180a and 7180b. The main gas chambers 7166a and 7166b also include a filling opening 766 and a filling opening sealing body 789, and fill the main gas chambers 7166a and 7166b with gas generating materials 7184a and 7184b. As in the inflator 720 of FIGS. 16 and 17, the gas generating materials 7184a and 7184b include gaseous gas generating materials 7185a and 7185b. The secondary gas chamber can also include such a material and / or a liquid gas generating material 7186 such as a liquefied gas. In the inflator 7120, the first and second main gas chambers 7166a, 7166b are separated from the secondary gas chamber 7168 by associated structures, including burst disks 7178a, 7178b and internal caps 7174 and burst disk holding members 7190. As such, the gas chambers 7166a, 7166b, 7168 can include different gas generating materials 7184a, 7184b, 7184c.

  As mentioned briefly, flow restrictors 7180a, 7180b may be associated with burst disks 7178a, 7178b and associated internal caps 7174a, 7174b. Burst disks 7178a, 7178b are disposed over the openings 7176a, 7176b and are held in place against the inner caps 7174a, 7174b by the pressurized contents of the secondary gas chamber 7168. The auxiliary flow restrictors 7180a and 7180b can also incorporate burst disk holding members 7190a and 7190b. As described above, the burst disk holding members 7190a and 7190b accommodate the holding members after the inflator is started. Disc ejection and any possible damage that may accompany it can be prevented.

In use, the inflator of the present invention can be configured to supply a main gas stream and a sub-gas stream. The main gas stream is generated from a gas generating supply located in the main gas chamber. This main gas flow is initiated either directly by an initiator assembly located in the main gas chamber or indirectly by an initiator assembly located in the secondary gas chamber. Upon startup of the device, the fragile seal of the main gas chamber is broken and gas is formed and a gas flow is generated from the main gas chamber to heat the gas generator of the main gas chamber. This main gas stream is then divided into first and second main gas streams as it passes through the first and second outlet orifices of the one or more main gas chambers, preferably inflatable. It is introduced into an attached airbag, such as a sex curtain.

  Subsequent to the main gas flow, a secondary gas flow can also be induced. In the inflator, the flow restrictor is narrow enough to measure the gas flow but does not completely shut off, so this flow can also be induced passively. Such passive induction occurs when the initiator ignites, the main gas chamber begins to empty, and the pressure in the main gas chamber drops. Passive induction can also occur when the secondary gas chamber includes a pressure sensitive fragile seal, such as a burst disk configured to break at a specific pressure gradient. In such an inflator, the gas generator accommodated in the main gas chamber and the sub gas chamber is pressurized. After the main gas flow is induced, when the main gas chamber is partially emptied, a pressure gradient between the high pressure of the secondary gas chamber and the decreasing pressure of the main gas chamber destroys the seal, It is sufficient to induce a side gas flow.

  Alternatively, an initiator disposed within each gas chamber can induce both a main gas flow and a secondary gas flow. In such an initiator, it is preferable to attach a fragile sealing body to the secondary gas chamber to prevent early leakage of the gas generator stored in the secondary gas chamber. In these inflators, the initiator can optionally be connected to a controller that can control the startup of the main gas chamber separately from the startup of the secondary gas chamber. Thus, such an inflator can function adjustably for the particular situation of a given collision. Such “smart” initiators can be adjusted to activate only the first initiator and produce only the first gas flow in the event of a minor collision. In addition, such initiators detect severe collisions and activate each initiator at an adjustable interval to ensure fully expanded inflation of an inflatable curtain or airbag connected to the inflator. Occupants can be protected. Such a feature is particularly useful in rollover collisions, which can be detected by the controller module and increase the inflation gas flow by igniting both sequences sequentially in response, so Airbags are effective over a long period of time compared to conventional airbags. Finally, the controller uses a secondary gas chamber expansion charge to induce a secondary flow of expansion gas in response to a second collision that occurs immediately after the triggering collision, or some other suitable event. Thus, the airbag can be configured to be completely reinflated.

  The two-stage inflator of the present invention thus provides a significant development in airbag design. The addition of a secondary gas chamber, the use of a flow restrictor, and the refinement of the outflow orifice make it possible to produce and install an airbag system in less time and at a lower cost. In addition, the use of an axial flow outflow orifice and a secondary gas chamber with a flow restrictor allows rapid and uniform inflation gas to be delivered to an airbag where a single inflator may have multiple protective zones. And then maintain sufficient inflation pressure to protect the vehicle occupant over a period of time. In order to maintain this inflation pressure, a method of supplying a secondary inflation gas flow to the airbag may be used. The inflator of the present invention can also include a main inflation gas stream generated from liquefied gas. Due to the latent heat of vaporization of the liquid gas, the inflated gas flow is cooler than the ambient air surrounding the airbag. The cold inflation gas then warms and inflates to reinforce the inflation pressure of the airbag.

As explained above, such an airbag inflator that generates an extended gas flow is particularly suitable for the lateral direction of a vehicle occupant over a period of time that is required or exceeds the desired protection period in normal airbag applications. Important in rollover collisions that require protection. Such an extension of the time period can reach 5 to 8 seconds, or even 20 seconds. It would be an improvement in the art to provide an airbag inflator that allows for such extended inflation.

  The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the structure, method, or other essential characteristics described broadly herein and claimed below. The described embodiments are to be taken in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that fall within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

1 is a perspective view of a vehicle equipped with an inflatable curtain incorporating an embodiment of an inflator according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the inflator of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of an inflator according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of another alternative embodiment of an inflator according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of yet another alternative embodiment of an inflator according to the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle with an inflatable curtain incorporating an embodiment according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an inflator having discharge orifices formed in two different sizes. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an inflator having holding orifices formed in two different sizes. FIG. 4 is an end view of an embodiment of an obstacle-filled orifice having a first effective cross-sectional area. FIG. 5 is an end view of an embodiment of an obstacle-filled orifice having a second effective cross-sectional area. FIG. 6 is an end view of another obstacle-filled orifice embodiment implementing a pin obstacle having a first effective cross-sectional area. FIG. 5 is an end view of another obstacle-filled orifice embodiment implementing a pin obstacle having a second effective cross-sectional area. Sectional drawing of the inflator which has an outflow pipeline. Sectional view of a double inflator inflator module. Sectional drawing of the inflator which has an inclination end. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an inflator having a choke orifice formed in two different sizes. The side view of an inflator and an inflatable curtain. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle equipped with an inflatable curtain incorporating an embodiment of an inflator according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the inflator of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of an inflator according to the present invention.

Claims (159)

An inflator for a vehicle airbag system,
A gas chamber having a longitudinal axis, said gas chamber being substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis and oriented to supply a first gas flow from said gas chamber; A second outflow orifice oriented to provide a second gas flow from the gas chamber in a direction substantially opposite to the first gas flow, wherein the first outflow orifice and the second outflow orifice are Each gas chamber having an open configuration and a sealed configuration;
An initiator in communication with the gas chamber to induce a first gas flow through the first outflow orifice and to induce a second gas flow through the second outflow orifice;
Equipped with an inflator.   2. The inflator according to claim 1, wherein the first outflow orifice and the second outflow orifice substantially pass the first gas flow and the second gas flow so that a thrust does not substantially act on the inflator along a longitudinal direction. An inflator that is sized to discharge equally.   The inflator according to claim 2, wherein the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice are sized differently so that the first gas stream and the second gas stream contain different amounts of gas. .   2. The inflator according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second injection ports comprises a fragile structure selected from a burst disk, a scored surface, and a compression closure.   5. The inflator according to claim 4, wherein the fragile structure is a burst disk, and the inflator is further disposed outside each of the burst disks, and bursts from the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice. An inflator provided with a burst disk holding member that prevents the disk from being released.   6. The inflator of claim 5, wherein the burst disk is shaped to expose the first and second outflow orifices in response to a pressure strike induced by actuation of the initiator.   2. The inflator according to claim 1, wherein the gas chamber has a substantially tubular shape, and the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice are at opposite ends along the longitudinal axis of the substantially tubular shape. An inflator that has been placed. The inflator according to claim 1, further comprising:
A first piston generally disposed between the initiator and the first end, moving toward the first outlet orifice in response to a pressure increase induced by the initiator; A first piston for transferring a first outlet orifice to the open configuration;
A second piston generally disposed between the initiator and the second end, and moving toward the second outlet orifice in response to a pressure increase induced by the initiator; A second piston for transferring the second outlet orifice to the open configuration;
Equipped with an inflator. The inflator according to claim 8, further comprising:
A first puncture member disposed between the first piston and the first outflow orifice, wherein the first piston activates the first puncture member when the initiator is activated, A first puncture member arranged to give an impact;
A second puncture member disposed between the second piston and the second injection orifice, wherein the second piston activates the second puncture member when the initiator is activated, A second puncture member adapted to give an impact;
Equipped with an inflator.   The inflator according to claim 1, further comprising a pressurizing material positioned proximate to the initiator and promoting the first gas flow and the second gas flow.   The inflator according to claim 1, further comprising a gas generating material that substantially supplies the first gas flow and the second gas flow by the operation of the initiator independently of any additional initiator. The inflator.   12. The inflator of claim 11, wherein the gas generating material is of a type selected to be insertable into the chamber as a cryogenic solid.   The inflator according to claim 11, wherein the gas generating material contains an inert compressed gas.   The inflator according to claim 11, wherein the gas generating material contains a dissociated gas.   14. The inflator according to claim 13, wherein the gas generating material further contains an inert liquid that vaporizes in response to a pressure drop in the gas chamber and supplements the first gas flow and the second gas flow. .   14. The inflator according to claim 13, wherein the gas generating material further contains a pyrotechnic gas generator that burns to supplement the first gas flow and the second gas flow.   12. The inflator according to claim 11, wherein the gas generating material contains a pyrotechnic gas generator that burns to supply the first gas flow and the second gas flow, and the pyrotechnic gas generator is a gas generator. , A liquid generator, a solid generator, and a combination of two or more solid, liquid, or gas generators.   The inflator according to claim 1, wherein the gas chamber is a single unit formed integrally. The inflator of claim 1, wherein the gas chamber is
A first container having an inner end having a first inner opening and an outer end where the first outlet orifice is disposed;
A second container having an inner end having a second internal opening and an outer end where the second outflow orifice is disposed;
A first aperture shaped to communicate with the inner end of the first container, and a second aperture sized to communicate with the inner end of the second container, wherein the second aperture is connected to the first aperture A septum located opposite,
Equipped with an inflator.   The inflator according to claim 1, wherein the first end is configured to be inserted into a first inlet port of an inflatable curtain of the vehicle airbag system, and the second end is the movable end. An inflator configured to be inserted into the second inlet port of the inflatable curtain.   2. The inflator according to claim 1, wherein the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice are selected from a driver side airbag, a passenger side airbag, an overhead airbag, and a knee bolster. An inflator positioned to cause the first gas flow and the second gas flow to flow into a type of inflatable cushion.   The inflator according to claim 1, wherein the gas chamber has an elongated shape having a substantially circular cross section.   The inflator according to claim 1, wherein the gas chamber has a substantially spherical shape. An inflator for a vehicle airbag system,
A gas chamber having a longitudinal axis comprising a first end having a first outflow orifice and a second end having a second outflow orifice displaced longitudinally from the first orifice. The outflow orifice and the second outflow orifice each have a gas chamber having an open configuration and a sealed configuration;
Positioned to generate heat between the first end and the second end to induce a first gas flow through the first outflow orifice and a second gas flow through the second outflow orifice An initiator to
An air bag equipped with.   24. The inflator of claim 23, wherein each of the first and second injection ports comprises a fragile structure selected from a burst disk, a scored surface, and a compression closure.   24. The inflator of claim 23, wherein the first outlet orifice is oriented to deliver the first gas stream substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and the second outlet orifice is substantially different from the first gas stream. Inflator oriented to deliver the second gas stream in a generally opposite direction. An inflator for a vehicle airbag system,
An outer end having an inner end portion having a first inner opening and a first outlet orifice that opens in response to the operation of the inflator and leaks pressurized gas from the first container. A first container having a portion;
An outer end having an inner end with a second internal opening and a second outlet orifice that opens in response to the operation of the inflator and leaks pressurized gas from the second container. A second container having an end;
A first aperture shaped to communicate with the inner end of the first container, and a second aperture sized to communicate with the inner end of the second container, wherein the second aperture is connected to the first aperture A septum located opposite,
Equipped with an inflator.   27. The inflator of claim 26, further comprising a gas generating material of a type selected such that it can be inserted as a cryogenic solid into the first internal opening of the first container, the gas generating material comprising: An inflator that generates gas in response to the operation of the initiator.   27. The inflator according to claim 26, wherein the partition wall has a substantially tubular shape.   27. The inflator according to claim 26, wherein the partition wall has a substantially spherical shape.   27. The inflator according to claim 26, further comprising an initiator that communicates with the partition and is held by an initiator aperture of the partition.   27. The inflator of claim 26, wherein the first container is shaped to be inserted into a first inlet port of an inflatable curtain of the vehicle airbag system, and the second container is the inflatable. An inflator shaped to be inserted into the second inlet port of the curtain. An outflow orifice for an inflator of a vehicle airbag system, the outflow orifice having an open configuration and a sealed configuration,
A first deformable portion having an undeformed shape and a deformed shape;
A second deformable portion having an undeformed shape and a deformed shape;
A weakened area directly facing the cushion of the vehicle airbag system, wherein the first and second deformable parts are attached to each other until the weakened area is divided by a predetermined pressure change in the inflator; A weakened region that maintains the first and second deformable portions in the undeformed shape;
Equipped with an outflow orifice.   33. The outflow orifice of claim 32, wherein the weakened region comprises a notch extending between the first deformable portion and the second deformable portion, the first and second deformable portions being the weakened region. Outflow orifice formed integrally.   33. The efflux orifice of claim 32, wherein the weakened region comprises a weld and the first and second deformable portions are compressed against each other on opposite sides of the weld.   33. The outflow orifice of claim 32, wherein the weakened region splits in response to a pressure difference between the outflow orifices exceeding a threshold pressure difference in the weakened region.   33. The efflux orifice of claim 32, wherein the weakened region splits in response to a pressure strike that exceeds a threshold blow of the weakened region. An inflator for a vehicle airbag system,
A first hemispherical portion comprising a first outlet orifice having an open configuration and a sealing configuration;
A second hemispherical portion with a second outflow orifice positioned opposite the first outflow orifice, wherein the second outflow orifice has an open configuration and a sealed configuration;
An initiator in communication with the cavity formed by the first and second hemispherical portions, inducing a first gas flow through the first outflow orifice, and inducing a second gas flow through the second outflow orifice;
Equipped with an inflator.   38. The inflator according to claim 37, wherein the first and second hemispherical portions are integrally formed with each other.   38. The inflator according to claim 37, wherein the first and second hemispherical portions are separately formed and secured to each other.   38. The inflator according to claim 37, further comprising a mounting flange extending outward from an equator region between the first and second hemispherical portions.   38. The inflator of claim 37, wherein the first hemispherical portion is shaped to be inserted into a first inlet port of an inflatable curtain of the vehicle airbag system, and the second hemispherical portion is the movable hemisphere portion. An inflator configured to be inserted into the second inlet port of the inflatable curtain.   38. The inflator of claim 37, wherein the first outflow orifice and the second outflow orifice are positioned to inflate a driver's side airbag.   38. The inflator of claim 37, wherein the first outflow orifice and the second outflow orifice are positioned to inflate an occupant side airbag.   38. The inflator of claim 37, wherein the first outflow orifice and the second outflow orifice are positioned to inflate an overhead airbag.   38. The inflator of claim 37, wherein the first outflow orifice and the second outflow orifice are positioned to inflate the knee cushion. A method for manufacturing an inflator for a vehicle airbag system, comprising:
Providing a gas chamber having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
Forming a first outlet orifice at the first end, the first outlet orifice having a sealing configuration and an opening configuration;
Forming a second outlet orifice at the second end, the second outlet orifice having a sealing configuration and an opening configuration;
Providing an initiator; and
Positioning the initiator in communication with a portion between the first and second ends of the gas chamber;
Inserting a gas generating material into the gas chamber;
Sealing the chamber with the first and second outlet orifices in the sealed configuration to prevent leakage of the gas generating material until the initiator is activated;
A method consisting of:   48. The method of claim 46, wherein providing a gas chamber includes providing a unitary unitary body. 47. The method of claim 46, wherein providing a gas chamber comprises
A first container having an inner end with a first inner opening and an outer end where the first outlet orifice is disposed;
A second container having an inner end with a second internal opening and an exterior in which the second outflow orifice is disposed;
A partition having a first aperture shaped to communicate with the inner end of the first container and a second aperture sized to communicate with the inner end of the second container, wherein the second aperture is the first aperture A septum positioned opposite one aperture;
Consisting of providing a method.   47. The method of claim 46, wherein forming the first and second outlet orifices includes forming a fragile structure selected from a burst disk, a scored surface, and a compression closure. Method. 50. The method of claim 49, wherein the fragile structure is a burst disk, the method further comprising:
Providing two burst disk holding members;
Placing a burst disk retaining member outside each of the burst disks to prevent discharge from the first and second outlet orifices of the burst disk;
A method.   50. The method of claim 49, wherein forming a fragile structure includes providing a burst disk configured to release the first and second outlet orifices in response to a pressure strike. Including a method.   47. The method of claim 46, further comprising inserting a gas generating material into the gas chamber, and independent of any additional initiator, the operation of the initiator causes the gas generating material to be substantially the first. Providing a first gas stream and a second gas stream.   53. The inflator of claim 52, wherein the gas generating material is of a type selected to be insertable into the chamber as a cryogenic solid. A method of inflating an inflatable curtain of a vehicle airbag system, wherein the vehicle airbag system is disposed proximate a first inlet port of the inflatable curtain and includes a first outlet orifice. An inflator having one end and a second end disposed near the second inlet port of the inflatable curtain and having a second outlet orifice, the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice Each has an open configuration and a sealed configuration, the method comprising:
Transitioning the first outflow orifice from the sealed configuration to the open configuration and flowing a first gas flow from the inflator through the first outflow orifice into the inflatable curtain;
Transitioning the second outflow orifice from the sealed configuration to the open configuration and flowing a second air flow from the inflator through the second outflow orifice into the inflatable curtain;
A method consisting of:   55. The method of claim 54, wherein the step of transitioning the first and second orifices from the sealed configuration to the open configuration activates a single initiator of the inflator to cause the first gas flow and second Inducing a gas flow. 55. The method of claim 54, wherein the first gas stream is fed from the inflator and substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the inflator, and the second gas stream is fed from the inflator.
A method wherein the first gas stream is fed in a substantially opposite direction.   55. The method of claim 54, wherein the step of transitioning the first and second outlet orifices from the sealed configuration to the open configuration includes a burst disk from each of the first and second outlet orifices. A method comprising the step of removing.   58. The method of claim 57, wherein removing a burst disk from each of the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice receives a pressure strike at each burst disk, and in response to the pressure strike, the burst disk. Distorting the disks and allowing each burst disk to pass through a corresponding outflow orifice.   55. The method of claim 54, wherein the step of transitioning the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice from the sealed configuration to the open configuration includes a notch extending along the first end and the second end. A method comprising the step of splitting.   55. The method of claim 54, wherein the step of transitioning the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice from the sealed configuration to the open configuration includes a weld extending along the first end and the second end. Dividing the method. A method for installing an inflator for a vehicle airbag system, wherein the inflator has a first end portion having a first outflow orifice and a second end portion having a second outflow orifice, And each of the second orifices has an open configuration and a sealed configuration, the method comprising:
Inserting the first outlet orifice into a first inlet port of an inflatable curtain of the vehicle airbag system;
Substantially hermetically sealing the first inlet port around the first outlet orifice;
Inserting the second outlet orifice into a second inlet port of the inflatable curtain;
Substantially hermetically sealing the second inlet port around the second outlet orifice;
A method consisting of: 62. The method of claim 61, further comprising:
Providing a generally U-shaped mounting bracket;
Fixing the inflator to the vehicle with the generally U-shaped mounting bracket;
A method.   62. The method of claim 61, wherein the inlet port is disposed on a first cushion of the inflatable curtain and the second inlet port is disposed on a second cushion of the inflatable curtain.   62. The method of claim 61, wherein the first and second inlet ports are disposed on a single cushion of the inflatable curtain. A method for manufacturing an inflator for a vehicle airbag system, comprising:
Providing a gas chamber having a first hemispherical portion and a second hemispherical portion;
Forming a first outlet orifice in the first hemispherical portion, the first outlet orifice having a sealing configuration and an opening configuration;
Forming a second outlet orifice in the second hemispherical portion, wherein the second outlet orifice has a sealed configuration and an open configuration;
A method consisting of: 66. The method of claim 65, wherein providing the gas chamber comprises:
Providing a first hemispherical portion and a second hemispherical portion;
Attaching the first and second hemispherical portions to obtain a substantially spherical shape.   66. The method of claim 65, further comprising forming a mounting flange extending outwardly from an equatorial region between the first and second hemispherical portions. An inflator for a vehicle airbag system,
A gas chamber having an open state and a sealed state;
A first orifice fluidly coupled to the gas chamber, the first orifice having a first effective cross-sectional area;
A second orifice fluidly coupled to the gas chamber, the second orifice having a second effective area, wherein the first effective area is different from the second effective area;
Equipped with an inflator.   70. The inflator according to claim 69, wherein the first orifice is coupled to a first volume and the second orifice is coupled to a second volume.   71. The inflator according to claim 70, further comprising a gas generator disposed in the gas chamber.   72. The inflator according to claim 71, wherein the gas generator is selected from a compressed gas, a solid, and a liquid.   72. The inflator according to claim 71, wherein in the opened state, the gas generator supplies an expansion gas flow into the first volume part and the second volume part.   72. The inflator according to claim 71, wherein the first volume part and the second volume part have different sizes.   75. The inflator according to claim 74, wherein in the inflator start-up sequence, the first volume and the second volume expand substantially simultaneously.   72. The inflator according to claim 71, wherein the first volume and the second volume are separate inflatable curtains.   72. The inflator of claim 71, wherein the first volume and the first volume are separate sections of a single inflatable curtain.   78. The inflator according to claim 77, wherein the first volume part and the second volume part are in a state where fluid can communicate.   71. The inflator according to claim 70, wherein the gas chamber has a longitudinal axis. 80. An inflator according to claim 79, wherein the gas chamber is generally elongated.   80. The inflator of claim 79, wherein the first orifice is positioned to release gas in a first direction along the longitudinal axis, and the second orifice is a second along the longitudinal direction. An inflator positioned to emit gas in a direction, wherein the first direction is substantially opposite to the second direction.   80. The inflator of claim 79, wherein the first orifice is positioned to release gas in a first direction along the longitudinal axis, and the second orifice is offset from the longitudinal axis. An inflator that is positioned to release gas in a second direction.   83. The inflator according to claim 82, wherein in the open state, the thrust component along the longitudinal axis of the first orifice is partially canceled by the thrust component along the longitudinal direction of the second orifice. .   70. The inflator according to claim 69, further comprising an obstacle selectively disposed within the first orifice and establishing the first effective cross-sectional area.   70. The inflator according to claim 69, further comprising an obstacle selectively disposed within the second orifice and establishing the second effective cross-sectional area.   70. The inflator of claim 69, further comprising at least one obstacle selectively disposed at one of the first orifice and the second orifice.   87. The inflator of claim 86, wherein a first obstacle establishes a first effective area of the first orifice and a second obstacle establishes a second effective area of the second orifice.   90. The inflator of claim 86, wherein the obstacle is a pin that is selectively positioned in one of the first orifice and the second orifice.   90. The inflator of claim 86, wherein the obstacle is a generally circular member that is selectively positioned within one of the first orifice and the second orifice.   70. The inflator according to claim 69, wherein the gas chamber includes a first chamber and a second chamber.   91. The inflator according to claim 90, wherein the first gas chamber contains a first gas generator, and the second gas chamber contains a second gas generator.   92. The inflator according to claim 91, wherein in the open state, gas from the first chamber is released from the first orifice and gas from the second chamber is released from the second orifice.   70. The inflator of claim 69, wherein the inflator has a first end and a second end, the first orifice is disposed at the first end, and the second orifice is the second end. The inflator is located in the   94. The inflator of claim 93, wherein the first end is angled with respect to the second end so that the inflator is substantially thrust balanced along a single axis. An inflator for a vehicle airbag system,
A gas chamber having a first end and a second end;
A first orifice fluidly coupled to the gas chamber, the first orifice being disposed at a first end of the inflator;
A second orifice fluidly coupled to the gas chamber, the second orifice being disposed at a second end of the inflator;
A vent orifice selectively disposed at one of the first end and the second end, and positioned to change the course of an amount of gas from one of the first and second orifices. A vent orifice,
Equipped with an inflator.   96. The inflator of claim 95, further comprising an inflatable curtain having a first inlet port and a second inlet port.   99. The inflator of claim 96, wherein the first orifice is fluidly coupled to the first inlet port and the second orifice is fluidly coupled to the second inlet port.   98. The inflator of claim 97, wherein the vent orifice is not in fluid communication with the inflatable curtain. An inflator for a vehicle airbag system,
A gas chamber containing a gas generator;
A first orifice fluidly coupled to the gas chamber;
A second orifice fluidly coupled to the gas chamber;
An initiator coupled to the gas chamber, which starts generating a gas having a pressure exceeding the surroundings of the gas chamber at the time of starting, and after the starting, the first orifice causes a gas having a first mass flow rate to flow. An initiator, wherein the second orifice releases a gas having a second mass flow rate, and wherein the first mass flow rate is different from the second mass flow rate;
Equipped with an inflator.   100. An inflator according to claim 99, wherein the inflator is coupled to an inflatable curtain, the inflatable curtain having a first volume and a second volume.   101. The inflator of claim 100, wherein the first mass flow is sufficient to inflate a first volume of the inflatable curtain, and the second mass flow is a second volume of the inflatable curtain. Inflator, enough to inflate the part.   102. The inflator according to claim 101, wherein the first and second volume parts have different sizes.   100. The inflator according to claim 99, wherein the gas chamber includes a first chamber and a second chamber. 104. The inflator of claim 103, wherein at startup, gas from the first chamber is released from the first orifice and gas from the second chamber is released from the second orifice.   105. The inflator according to claim 104, wherein the gas generator in the first chamber has a different composition than the gas generator in the second chamber. An inflator for a vehicle airbag system,
A first inflator having a first gas chamber and a first orifice, wherein the first gas chamber generates a gas pressure above ambient pressure, whereby a first gas flow is released from the first orifice. A first inflator configured as described above,
A second inflator having a second gas chamber and a second orifice, wherein the second gas chamber generates a gas pressure above ambient pressure, whereby a second gas flow is discharged from the second orifice. A second inflator, wherein the first gas flow has a flow rate different from the second gas flow;
A coupling member that maintains the first inflator and the second inflator in a substantially fixed relationship;
Equipped with an inflator.   107. The inflator according to claim 106, wherein the first inflator and the second inflator have a common initiator.   107. The inflator of claim 106, wherein the first inflator and the second inflator are positioned within a single inflatable curtain.   109. The inflator according to claim 108, wherein the inflatable curtain has a first volume and a second volume.   110. The inflator according to claim 109, wherein the first gas flow is configured to flow into the first volume and the second gas flow is configured to flow into the second volume.   109. The inflator of claim 108, wherein the first gas stream expands a first inflatable curtain and the second gas stream expands a second inflatable curtain.   109. The inflator according to claim 108, wherein the coupling member maintains the first inflator and the second inflator on a single axis. A two-stage two-axis inflator for a vehicle airbag system,
A main gas chamber having at least one outflow orifice having an open configuration and a closed configuration;
A secondary gas chamber in gas communication with the first gas chamber;
At least one flow restrictor positioned between the first gas chamber and each sub-gas chamber;
An initiator in communication with one interior of the gas chamber and selectively inducing a gas flow through each outlet orifice;
Equipped with a two-stage two-axis inflator.   114. The two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 113, wherein the two-stage inflator comprises at least two main gas chambers.   114. The two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 113, wherein the two-stage inflator includes at least two auxiliary gas chambers.   114. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 113, wherein the outflow orifice is configured to adjust the flow rate of the gas flow.   114. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 113, wherein the initiator is in communication with a main gas chamber.   114. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 113, wherein the initiator is in communication with a secondary gas chamber.   114. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 113, wherein an initiator is in fluid communication with the main gas chamber and the secondary gas chamber.   114. The two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 113, wherein the flow restrictor includes a throttle channel.   114. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 113, wherein the flow restrictor comprises a fragile seal.   122. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 121, wherein the flow restrictor comprises a burst disk.   123. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 122, wherein the flow restrictor further comprises a burst disk holding member.   122. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 121, wherein the flow restrictor comprises a scored surface.   122. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 121, wherein the flow restrictor comprises a compression seal.   114. The two-stage inflator according to claim 113, wherein the inflator further includes a gas generator that supplies the gas flow.   127. The two-stage inflator of claim 126, wherein the gas generator includes a gas mixture.   128. The two-stage inflator of claim 127, wherein the gas mixture includes a liquefied gas. In two-stage inflator according to claim 128, wherein said mixture comprises a liquefied _{N 2} O and CO _2, the two-stage inflator.   127. The two-stage inflator according to claim 126, wherein the gas generator includes a liquefied gas.   131. The two-stage inflator according to claim 130, wherein the gas generator further contains a solid.   127. The two-stage inflator according to claim 126, wherein the gas generator is a combination of gas and liquefied gas.   127. The two-stage inflator according to claim 126, wherein the gas generator includes a solid.   134. The two-stage inflator according to claim 133, wherein the gas generator further contains a gas. A two-stage two-axis inflator for a vehicle airbag system,
A main gas chamber having an outflow orifice, wherein the outflow orifice has an open configuration and a closed configuration;
A secondary gas chamber in gas communication with the main gas chamber;
A flow restrictor comprising a throttle channel of a size that restricts a gas flow rate from the sub gas chamber, the flow restrictor being positioned between the main gas chamber and the sub gas chamber;
An initiator in communication with the interior of the main gas chamber, the initiator configured to selectively induce a gas flow through the outflow orifice;
Equipped with a two-stage two-axis inflator.   135. The two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 135, further comprising a gas generator that supplies the gas flow from the outflow orifice.   136. The two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 136, wherein the gas generator comprises a gas mixture. A two-stage two-axis inflator for a vehicle airbag system,
A main gas chamber having a longitudinal axis comprising a first outflow orifice at a first end of the main gas chamber and a second outflow orifice at a second end of the main gas chamber; A main gas chamber, wherein the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice have an open configuration and a closed configuration;
A secondary gas chamber in gas communication with the main gas chamber;
A flow restrictor positioned between the main gas chamber and the secondary gas chamber;
An initiator in communication with one interior of the gas chamber, the initiator configured to selectively induce a gas flow through the outflow orifice;
Equipped with a two-stage two-axis inflator.   138. The two-stage twin-shaft inflator of claim 138, wherein the first outflow orifice and the second outflow orifice are substantially the same size, whereby the first and second outflows from the inflator upon operation of the inflator. A two-stage biaxial inflator in which the two main gas streams have substantially equal amounts of gas.   138. A two-stage twin-shaft inflator according to claim 138, wherein the first outflow orifice and the second outflow orifice are of substantially different sizes, whereby the first and second outflows from the inflator upon actuation of the inflator. A two-stage biaxial inflator, wherein the second main gas stream has substantially different amounts of gas. 138. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 138, wherein the flow restrictor comprises a physical barrier configured to seal the flow restrictor (until the main gas flow is induced), A two-stage biaxial inflator in which the mechanical barrier comprises a fragile seal.   142. A two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 141, wherein the fragile seal is a burst disk.   142. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 141, wherein the fragile seal includes a burst disk holding member configured to hold the burst disk.   142. The two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 141, wherein the fragile sealing body has a scored surface.   142. The two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 141, wherein the fragile sealing body is a compression closure.   139. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 138, wherein the initiator is in communication with the main gas chamber.   138. A two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 138, wherein the initiator is in communication with the secondary gas chamber. A two-stage two-axis inflator for a vehicle airbag system,
A first main gas chamber having a first longitudinal axis and a first outlet orifice, the first outlet orifice having an open configuration and a closed configuration;
A second main gas chamber having a second longitudinal axis and a second outlet orifice, the second outlet orifice having an open configuration and a closed configuration;
The first and second main gas chambers and the secondary gas chambers in the normal gas body;
A flow restrictor positioned between each main gas chamber and the sub-gas chamber;
An initiator in communication with one interior of the gas chamber, the initiator causing the inflator to induce a gas flow through the first outlet orifice and the second outlet orifice by actuation of the initiator;
Equipped with a two-stage two-axis inflator.   148. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 148, wherein the first outflow orifice and the second outflow orifice are substantially the same size, whereby the first and second outflows from the inflator when the inflator is activated. A two-stage biaxial inflator in which the second main gas stream has substantially the same amount of gas.   149. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 148, wherein the first and second outflow orifices are substantially different in size so that the first and second outflows from the inflator upon actuation of the inflator. A two-stage biaxial inflator wherein the two main gas flows have substantially different gas flows.   150. A two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 149, wherein the first and second main gas chambers have a coaxial axis.   148. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 148, wherein the flow restrictor comprises a physical barrier configured to seal the flow restrictor until the main gas flow is induced, the physical barrier Is a two-stage biaxial inflator with a fragile seal.   153. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 152, wherein the fragile seal is a burst disk.   154. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 153, wherein the fragile seal includes a burst disk holding member configured to hold the burst disk.   153. The two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 152, wherein the fragile sealing body has a scored surface.   154. The two-stage biaxial inflator of claim 152, wherein the fragile seal is a compression closure.   149. A two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 148, wherein the inflator comprises an initiator in communication with each main gas chamber.   149. A two-stage biaxial inflator according to claim 148, wherein the inflator is in communication with the auxiliary gas chamber.   A two-stage biaxial inflator for a vehicle airbag system, wherein the main gas chamber has a first outlet orifice and a second outlet orifice, each outlet orifice having an open configuration and a closed configuration; A sub-gas chamber in gas communication with the main gas chamber, comprising at least one flow restrictor, the flow restrictor being positioned between the main gas chamber and the sub-gas chamber A secondary gas chamber, an initiator positioned in the main gas chamber, in communication with the interior of the main gas chamber, the first main gas flow through the first outlet orifice, and the second A two-stage, biaxial inlet comprising an initiator configured to selectively induce a second main gas flow through the outlet orifice Over data.

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