JP2009006758A - Inflator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inflator for controlling an object to be controlled, such as expansion of an air-bag, by emitting high-pressure gas filled in a bottle at collision of a vehicle or collision prediction, and for improving reliability in cleave of a rupture disk which seals an opening for emitting the high-pressure gas in emergency. <P>SOLUTION: The high-pressure gas is filled in the bottle part. The opening for emitting the high-pressure gas is sealed with the rapture disk. At least a part of the rapture disk is displaced from an inner side to an outer side of the bottle part, or from the outer side to the inner side by a driving source. The rapture disk displaced by the driving source collides with a striker member fixed to be substantially unable to be displaced with respect to the opening. Thus, the high-pressure gas is emitted to the outward side of the inflator. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is used for an actuator for injecting gas at the time of vehicle collision or collision prediction, deploying and inflating an airbag disposed at a predetermined place, a seat belt pretensioner, etc., or popping up a vehicle hood. It relates to inflators.

Conventionally, as this type of inflator, an opening formed on one end side of a bottle portion filled with high-pressure gas is sealed with a rupturable plate, and an arrowhead member is opposed to the rupturable plate on the inner side of the bottle portion. It is known that this arrowhead member is driven by an igniter arranged on the inner side of the other end to collide with the rupturable plate and cleave the rupturable plate, thereby ejecting high-pressure gas to the outer side of the inflator. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). In addition, the opening at one end of the bottle portion filled with high-pressure gas is sealed with a rupturable plate, and an arrowhead member is disposed on the outer side of the bottle portion so as to face the rupturable plate. It is also known that the high pressure gas is ejected to the outside of the inflator by colliding with the rupturable plate by driving with an igniter provided adjacent to the member (for example, Patent Document 2). reference)

JP 2006-056308 A JP 2002-205620 A

However, in the inflator described in Patent Document 1, the arrowhead member has one end of the bottle portion in order to eject the high-pressure gas filled in the bottle portion at the tip portion side on the inner side of the bottle portion. An igniter, which is a driving source for causing the arrowhead member to collide with the rupturable plate, is disposed in the vicinity of the rupturable plate facing the rupturable plate that seals the opening formed on the side. It is provided on the other end side opposite to the sealed opening. However, when the bottle portion of the inflator is a long cylindrical shape, in the inflator described in Patent Document 1, the tip portion of the arrowhead member that directly collides with the rupturable plate and the rupturable plate, and the drive source of the arrowhead member The igniter is a long cylindrical bottle part which must be arranged at a position apart from one end side and the other end side, and the total length of the arrowhead member is slightly shorter than the full length of the bottle part in the bottle part. (Refer to FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1), or the arrowhead member is shortened and disposed at a position close to the rupturable plate on one end side of the bottle part (see FIG. 3 of Patent Document 1). However, in the former case, the long arrowhead member must be made to accurately collide with the central portion of the rupturable plate.In the latter case, the shock wave of the igniter for driving the arrowhead member is long. It must propagate from one end of the cylindrical bottle to the other end In any case, it was those unreliable for cleaving reliably rupture disc.

On the other hand, in the inflator described in Patent Document 2, the opening formed on one end side of the bottle portion is sealed with a rupturable plate, and the outer side of the bottle portion is formed on the rupturable plate. An arrowhead member is arranged oppositely, and an igniter that is a drive source for causing the arrowhead member to collide with the rupturable plate is disposed adjacent to the arrowhead member, but on the outer side of the bottle part, on the rupturable plate Both the arrowhead member and the igniter must be arranged facing each other, and a displacement space is also required for the arrowhead member to collide with the rupturable plate. It will be difficult to ensure the above.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and the object thereof is to increase the reliability of tearing of the rupturable plate, and it is relatively easy to ensure the location of the striker member such as the arrowhead member. Is to provide a simple inflator.

The means for achieving the above object and the actions and effects are described.

In order to achieve the above object, in the invention of claim 1, a bottle portion having an opening filled with a high-pressure gas and ejecting the gas to the outside, and a rupturable plate for sealing the opening of the bottle portion, A drive source for displacing at least a part of the rupturable plate, the inflator being opposed to the rupturable plate and spaced apart from the opening by a predetermined distance to substantially displace a relative distance from the opening. The gist of the invention is that it includes a striker member that is disposed in a disabled state and can break the rupturable plate by colliding with the rupturable plate displaced by the drive source.

In the inflator according to the present invention, since the rupture plate formed of a thin metal plate can be easily displaced by the drive source, the distance between the striker member and the opening is substantially displaced. Even if it is impossible, by displacing the rupturable plate with a drive source, the rupturable plate can be easily collided with the striker member to be cleaved, and high-pressure gas can be ejected to the outside of the bottle portion. Here, the substantially non-displaceable means that the rupturable plate formed of a thin metal plate bursts with the striker member due to, for example, expansion / contraction due to a temperature difference between summer and winter, or fluctuations in external air pressure. It does not include displacement of the distance from the plate.

In addition, in the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the invention described in claim 1, the striker member is disposed to face the rupturable plate on the outer side of the bottle portion, and the drive source is , Provided on the inner side of the bottle part, and allowing the rupturable plate to collide with the striker member by displacing the rupturable plate from the inner side to the outer side of the bottle part, Is the gist.

The inflator according to the present invention is suitably used as a hybrid type inflator that uses, in addition to high-pressure gas filled in a bottle part, a combustion gas generated by an initiator of a gas generating agent disposed in a bottle member as a gas generation source. In this case, the driving source for displacing the rupturable plate may be a shock wave due to the combustion of the gas generating agent or a pressure increase of the gas in the bottle portion due to the combustion of the gas generating agent. In the present invention, the combustion gas, which is a gas generation source, is used as the driving source of the rupturable plate, so that the configuration can be simplified.

In the invention according to claim 3, in addition to the invention according to claim 2, the drive source is a gas generation chamber formed of ignition means and a gas generating agent, and the operation of the ignition means and The gist is that the rupturable plate is displaced from the inner side to the outer side of the bottle part by a shock wave and an increase in internal pressure in the bottle due to the combustion gas of the gas generating agent by the ignition means. To do.

In the inflator according to the present invention, the driving source is a gas generation chamber that controls the object to be controlled in cooperation with the high-pressure gas filled in the bottle portion, so that the rupturable plate can be effectively displaced with a simple configuration. Is possible.

In the invention according to claim 4, in addition to the invention according to claim 2 or 3, in addition to the invention according to any one of claims 2 and 3, there is an outer side of the opening portion sealed by the rupturable plate of the inflator. A diffuser having a plurality of holes having a smaller diameter than the opening is attached so as to cover the opening and discharges the gas ejected from the opening toward the outer side of the inflator. The gist of the invention is that the striker member is fixed to the inner side of the diffuser so as to face the rupturable plate.

In the inflator according to the present invention, the diffuser covers the opening sealed with the rupturable plate from the outer side of the bottle portion, and the striker member is fixed to the inner side facing the rupturable plate. And the arrangement | positioning facing the opening part of a striker member can be made easy.

In the invention according to claim 5, in addition to the invention according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in the bottle portion, a controlled object controlled by the release of the gas is controlled. The gas in the bottle portion is filled with a necessary amount of the gas in the standard state, and the position closest to the striker member of the rupturable plate when the necessary amount of the gas is filled is a first position. When the required amount is filled to 1.25 times the internal pressure, the gas is pressed by the internal pressure and displaced from the first position to the opening side of the bottle portion. When the position closest to the striker member of the rupture disc is the second position, the striker member is disposed on the outer side with respect to the opening of the bottle part from the second position, and in a standard state In the required amount A displacement amount (D1) of the rupturable plate that is displaced from the first position toward the outer side from the first position by the drive source when the gas is filled; from the first position; The displacement amount (D2) between the second position is
D1> D2
This is the gist.

Here, the non-control target is an airbag that is controlled by the high-pressure gas released from the inflator and is disposed at a predetermined location inside and outside the vehicle interior of the vehicle, and is deployed and inflated with the high-pressure gas at the time of collision or when a collision is predicted. It is used as a seat belt pretensioner, an actuator that pops up the rear end side of the hood by interference with a pedestrian outside the vehicle, and the like.

Generally, as described above, the rupturable plate is formed of a thin metal plate and can be elastically deformed. When there is no pressure difference between the inner side and the outer side of the bottle portion, the opening portion is formed. Even if it can be sealed in a flat shape, when the bottle part is filled with high-pressure gas, it is pressed and deformed by the high-pressure gas from the inside of the bottle part, and the cross section with the apex near the center of the opening It is deformed to protrude outward in a substantially arc shape, and this amount of protrusion can be expanded and contracted in the elastic deformation region due to the temperature difference between summer and winter, etc. The amount of displacement from the opening increases or decreases depending on the reason.

Therefore, in the inflator of the present invention, because of the above-described configuration, the rupture plate ruptures regardless of the displacement difference from the inner side to the outer side of the bottle part due to expansion, contraction, etc. due to external factors of the rupture plate. Reliability can be improved. Further, the rupturable plate is pressed from the inner side of the bottle part by being pressed by a gas filled with an amount such that the internal pressure of the bottle part is 1.25 times the amount necessary for controlling the controlled object. Although it is desirable to elastically deform within the range of the displacement amount that is displaced toward the side, the displacement amount that is displaced by the drive source can be either elastic deformation or composition deformation.

In the invention according to claim 6, in addition to the invention according to claim 1, the striker member is arranged to face the rupturable plate on the inner side of the bottle portion, and the drive source is It is provided on the outer side of the bottle part, and displaces the rupturable plate from the outer side to the inner side of the bottle part, thereby enabling the rupturable plate to collide with the striker member. And

In the present invention, the arrangement of the drive source and the striker member with respect to the rupturable plate is reversed with respect to the invention described in claims 2 to 4, and the high-pressure gas filled in the bottle portion The plate is pressed from the inner side of the bottle part toward the outer side to displace at least a part of the rupturable plate from the inner side of the bottle part toward the outer side. Although the amount of displacement varies depending on the external factors described above, the striker member is disposed on the inner side of the bottle portion so as to face the rupturable plate. Is displaced in the direction of separation. For this reason, the range of selection of the material of the rupturable plate and the high-pressure gas in the bottle portion can be widened regardless of the external factor of the rupturable plate.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in addition to the sixth aspect of the invention, the drive source is an igniting means, and the rupture disk is ruptured by a shock wave generated by the operation of the igniting means. The gist is that the bottle portion is displaced from the outer side toward the inner side.

In the present invention, the ignition means that generates a shock wave without generating combustion gas is used as the drive source, so that the ignition means can be easily arranged on the outer side of the bottle portion.

In the invention according to claim 7, in addition to the invention according to claim 6, on the outer side of the opening portion sealed by the rupturable plate of the inflator, the opening portion is covered. A diffuser having a plurality of holes smaller in diameter than the opening is attached to discharge the gas ejected from the opening toward the outer side of the inflator, and the drive source is connected to the inside of the diffuser. The gist is that it is fixed on the side facing the rupturable plate.

  In the inflator according to the present invention, the diffuser covers the opening sealed with the rupturable plate from the outer side of the bottle portion, and the driving source is fixed to the inner side facing the rupturable plate. Therefore, the arrangement | positioning facing the opening part of a striker member can be made easy.

In the invention described in claim 7, in addition to the invention described in any one of claims 5 to 6, in the bottle portion, a controlled object controlled by the release of the gas is controlled. The gas in the bottle portion is filled with the necessary amount of gas in the standard state, and the position farthest from the striker member of the rupturable plate when the necessary amount of gas is filled is the first position. When the required amount is filled to 1.25 times the internal pressure, the gas is pressed by the internal pressure and displaced from the first position to the opening side of the bottle portion. When the position farthest from the striker member of the rupturable plate is the second position, the drive source is disposed outward from the second position with respect to the opening of the bottle part, and a standard Before the required quantity in condition When the gas is filled, the displacement amount of the rupturable plate that is displaced from the outer side to the inner side of the bottle portion by the driving source is the most on the striker member of the rupturable plate at the second position. The gist is that the distance is larger than the distance (D3) between the far position and the striker member.

Since the inflator according to the present invention has the above-described configuration, the rupture disc ruptures despite the displacement difference from the inner side to the outer side of the bottle portion due to expansion, contraction, etc. due to external factors of the rupture disc. Reliability can be improved. Further, the rupturable plate in the present invention may be the same as that of the above-mentioned claim 4, and the rupturable plate has an internal pressure of 1.25 times the amount necessary for controlling the controlled object. It is desirable to be elastically deformed within the range of displacement amount that is displaced from the inner side of the bottle portion toward the outer side by being pressed by the gas filled with such an amount, but the displacement amount that is displaced by the drive source is , Elastic deformation, and composition deformation can be employed. The controlled object is the same as that of the above-mentioned claim 4.

In the invention described in claim 8, in addition to the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 7, the striker member has a tip portion that collides with a rupture disc displaced by the drive source. The gist of the invention is that the tip has a substantially blade shape having a predetermined length.

In the invention according to claim 8, in addition to the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the striker member has a tip portion that collides with a rupture disc displaced by the drive source. The gist of the present invention is that the tip has a substantially blade shape having a predetermined length.

  In the inflator of the present invention, the rupturable plate displaced by the drive source can be more easily broken by colliding with the substantially blade-shaped tip.

  According to the inflator of the present invention, it is possible to increase the reliability of rupture of the rupturable plate, and it is relatively easy to secure a place for the striker member.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the inflator of the present invention will be described.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 5A. The inflator 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention shows an example used in the above-described hybrid type inflator. The gas generation sources are a high-pressure gas G1 filled in the bottle portion 2 and a gas generating agent 72 described later. Combining with combustion gas from combustion. An air bag (not shown) as an uncontrolled object is inflated.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inflator 1 has a bottle portion 2 that is cylindrical and has a slightly smaller diameter so that the diameter is reduced at both the left and right ends. However, it is filled so that the internal pressure in the bottle is 40 MPa. And the 1st opening part 20 which ejects the high pressure gas G1 to the outward side of the bottle part 2 is formed in the one end side of the bottle part 2. As shown in FIG. The first opening 20 is sealed with a first rupturable plate 3 made of a thin metal plate such as thin SUS316 (JIS standard symbol) having a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm or Inconel.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, a second opening 21 is formed on the other end side of the bottle portion 2 so as to face the first opening 20, and has the same thickness and material as the first rupturable plate 3. The second rupturable plate 4 is sealed. Both the first rupturable plate 3 and the second rupturable plate 4 are flat when not loaded, but as shown in FIG. 1, the bottle portion 2 is attached to one end side and the other end side of the bottle portion 2. The high-pressure gas G1 filled inside is pressed from the inner side to the outer side of the bottle part 2 and has a cross-sectional view from the ends of the first opening 20 and the second opening 21 toward the outer side. The first opening portion 20 and the second opening portion 21 are elastically deformed in an arc shape so that the substantially central vicinity of the first opening portion 20 and the second opening portion 21 faces the outer side of the bottle portion 2 with respect to the first opening portion 20 and the second opening portion 21. It is displaced.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, on one end side of the bottle portion 2, the first opening portion 20 is ejected from the first opening portion 20 to the outer side of the first opening portion 20 sealed with the first rupturable plate 3. The first opening is formed such that the substantially bowl-shaped diffuser 5 that discharges the generated high-pressure gas G1 and combustion gas described later to the outside of the inflator 1 covers the first opening 20 of the bottle 2 from the outside. It is attached to the outer end edge of 20 so as to protrude outward from the bottle part 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the diffuser 5 is open at one end and attached to the outer edge of the first opening 20 of the bottle portion 2, and the first opening 20 from the outer side of the bottle portion 2. The cylindrical part 50 is extended toward the outer side of the bottle part 2 so as to cover, and the tip part on the other end side of the cylindrical part 50 is a bottom part 51. Furthermore, a plurality of holes 52 (10 in the first embodiment) having a diameter smaller than that of the first opening 50 are formed in the side wall of the cylindrical portion 50. Further, one attachment hole 53 is formed in the bottom 51.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an arrowhead-shaped striker member 6 is inserted into the mounting hole 53 from the outer side to the inner side of the diffuser 5. The striker member 6 has a larger diameter than the mounting attachment hole 53 and serves as a stopper toward the inner side of the diffuser 5 so as to penetrate the head 60 that contacts the outer side surface of the bottom 51 of the diffuser 5 and the mounting hole 53. The leg portion 61 facing the first rupturable plate 3 and the leg portion 61 are fixed to the leg portion 61 by welding, screwing or the like to prevent the leg portion 61 from coming out of the diffuser 5, and the bottom portion 51 of the diffuser 5. And an intermediate flange 62 having a diameter larger than that of the mounting hole 53. Further, the leg portion 61 is inserted into the mounting hole 53, and is formed from a main body portion 61 </ b> A directed from the bottom portion 51 of the diffuser 5 toward the first opening portion 20, and a distal end portion 61 </ b> B as a collision portion with the first rupturable plate 3. The tip portion 61B is a predetermined length longer than the maximum displacement portion of the first rupturable plate 3 that is displaced outward of the first opening 20 by the pressing of the high-pressure gas G1 focused in the bottle portion 2. It is arranged on the outer side spaced apart. As shown in FIG. 5A, the apex portion 61 </ b> C of the tip portion 61 </ b> B facing the first rupturable plate 3 is easy to cleave the first rupturable plate 3 by collision with the first rupturable plate 3. It has an arrowhead-like pointed shape.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1, a gas generation chamber 7 is attached to the outer side of the second rupturable plate 4 on the other end side of the bottle portion 2. The gas generated in the gas generation chamber 7 acts as a drive source for displacing the first rupturable plate 3 from the inner side to the outer side of the first opening 20 of the bottle portion 2, and from the diffuser 5. It is discharged to the outside of the inflator 1 and cooperates with the high-pressure gas G1 to inflate an air bag (not shown) that is an uncontrolled object.

The gas generation chamber 7 has, for example, the same configuration as the gas generation chamber described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-111257, and is formed of a gas generation chamber 70, ignition means 71, and a gas generating agent 72. As shown in FIG. 1, the gas generation chamber 70 has a substantially cylindrical shape. One end side is attached to the second opening 21 sealed with the second rupturable plate 4, and the other end side is inserted with an ignition means 71. Blocked. A gas generating agent 72 is accommodated in the gas generating chamber 70.

Next, the operation mode of the inflator 1 of the first embodiment will be described.

The inflator 1 is disposed at a predetermined position in the passenger compartment, is connected to an airbag (not shown) as a non-control target, and is electrically connected to a vehicle collision sensor and a collision prediction sensor.

When the vehicle collides with another vehicle or the like or a collision is predicted, a signal is transmitted from the collision sensor or the collision prediction sensor to the inflator 1, and the ignition means 71 is ignited by this signal, and the gas generating agent 72 is Combustion gas is generated by burning. Then, the pressure in the gas generation chamber 70 is increased by the combustion gas, the combustion gas generates a shock wave, the second rupturable plate 4 is cleaved, and the combustion gas flows into the bottle portion 2.

The shock wave caused by the combustion gas propagates in the bottle part 2 and raises the internal pressure in the bottle part 2 to seal the first rupturable plate 3 from the inner side of the bottle part 2 outward. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, the state that is elastically deformed into a substantially arc-shaped cross section is further greatly deformed. Eventually, the displacement amount of the first rupturable plate 3 becomes the largest, and the vicinity of the central portion of the first opening 20 collides with the apex portion 61 </ b> C of the striker member 6. Then, the first rupturable plate 3 is cleaved by the sharp apex 61C, and the high-pressure gas G1 and the combustion gas are discharged from the diffuser 5 through the plurality of holes 52 to inflate an air bag (not shown). Can do. That is, the gas generation chamber 7 forms a drive source for displacing the first rupturable plate 3, and the displacement amount near the center of the first opening 20 due to the deformation of the first rupturable plate 3 by this drive source is D1. And (In FIG. 2, the distance between the first rupturable plate 3 and the apex portion 61C is D1, but the length of this D1 is between the first rupturable plate 3 and the apex portion 61C shown in FIG. (It is not limited to the length shown in FIG. 2 as long as it is larger than the length.)

Here, the first rupturable plate 3 is pressed from the inward side by the high pressure gas G1 in the bottle 2 as shown by a solid line in FIG. 1 and FIG. The outer periphery of the first opening 20 is elastically deformed in a substantially arc shape in cross section with the vicinity of the center of the first opening 20 as a vertex, and is displaced outward of the first opening 20, The amount of displacement is not constant, and may vary depending on external factors such as a temperature difference between summer and winter and external atmospheric pressure.

Therefore, in the standard state, the bottle portion 2 is filled with the high-pressure gas G1 in an amount necessary for controlling the controlled object (in the case of the first embodiment, the airbag is inflated). A state in which the filling amount of the high-pressure gas G1 filled therein is 1.25 times the internal pressure of the normal state is defined as a high-pressure state. If there is no pressure difference between the inside and outside of the bottle part 2, the first rupturable plate 3 seals the first opening 20 and is substantially flat or slightly cross-sectioned in advance from the inside to the outside of the bottle part 2. Although it is deformed into a substantially arc shape (the amount of deformation is smaller than the amount of deformation in a normal state described later), in the standard state, the amount of high-pressure gas G1 required for inflation of the airbag in the bottle portion 2 2, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 2, the bottle part 2 is deformed into a substantially circular arc shape from the inner side toward the outer side. Furthermore, when the internal pressure in the bottle part 2 is set to a high pressure state of 1.25 times as described above, the first rupturable plate 3 is further deformed and deformed as indicated by a broken line in FIG.

Incidentally, the filling amount (number of moles) of the high-pressure gas G1 that makes the internal pressure in the bottle part 2 1.25 times can be easily calculated from the following gas state equation.
Gas equation of state PV = nRT
P: gas pressure, V: gas volume, n: gas mass (number of moles), R: gas constant, T: absolute temperature

As shown in FIG. 2, the position of the displaced apex in the vicinity of the center of the first opening 20 of the first rupturable plate 3 is defined as the first position in the normal state and the second position in the high pressure state. The amount of displacement from the first position to the second position is D2. At this time, the striker member 6 is disposed on the outer side with respect to the first opening portion 20 of the bottle portion 2, and the above-described D1 and D2 are D1> D2.

Since the inflator 1 of the first embodiment has the above-described configuration, in the hybrid inflator 1, the first rupturable plate 3 sealing the first opening 20 is displaced using the gas generation chamber 7 as a drive source. The striker member 6 disposed opposite to the first rupturable plate 3 is made to collide with the outer side of the bottle portion 2. For this reason, there is no need to provide a separate drive source for the striker member 6, and the tip 61B of the striker member 6 that collides with the first rupturable plate 3 is disposed inside the diffuser 5 and adjacent to the first rupturable plate 3. As a result, the first rupturable plate 3 can be accurately cleaved. Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the tip 61B has a sharp tip with an arrowhead shape as shown in FIG. 5A, so that the first rupturable plate 3 can be more accurately cleaved.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The inflator 100 of 2nd Embodiment is an example used for the stored gas type inflator which controls control object only by the high pressure gas G2 with which the bottle part 200 was filled. The controlled object is an airbag (not shown) that is the same as that in the first embodiment.

The inflator 100 of the second embodiment has a bottle part 200 filled with high-pressure gas G2, an opening 201 is formed on one end side, and the other end side is sealed in a substantially hemispherical cross section. The opening 201 is sealed with a rupturable plate 300.

The rupturable plate 300 can be the same as the first rupturable plate 3 and the second rupturable plate 4 of the first embodiment described above, and the outer peripheral edge is a known edge such as welding or caulking at the outer edge of the opening 201. In the state in which the bottle portion 200 is filled with the high-pressure gas G2, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, the high-pressure gas G2 is contained in the bottle portion 200. It is deformed by being pressed from the side, and is displaced from the inner side to the outer side of the bottle part 201 in a substantially circular arc shape with the vicinity of the substantially central part of the opening 201 as a vertex.

The opening 201 is covered from the outer side of the bottle part 200 by a cylindrical diffuser 500. The diffuser 500 has a cylindrical shape with openings on both sides, the opening on one end side is attached facing the opening 201, and the opening on the other end side is closed by inserting an ignition means 900 as a drive source. ing. A plurality of holes 501 having a smaller diameter than the opening 201 are formed on the peripheral surface of the diffuser 500 (four in the second embodiment).

Furthermore, a substantially bowl-shaped bracket 600 is attached to the inner side of the bottle part 200. A flange portion 601 is provided on the substantially bowl-shaped opening end side of the bracket 600, and is attached to the inner side of the bottle portion 200 at the outer edge of the opening portion 201 by a known method such as welding or screwing. A plurality of communication holes 602 communicating with the inside of the bottle part 200 are formed in 600 (four in the second embodiment). Further, a mounting hole 603 of a striker member 700 described later is provided on the bottom surface of the bowl shape.

In the mounting hole 603, an arrowhead-shaped striker member 700 having the same form as that of the first embodiment is inserted. Specifically, the striker member 700 has a larger diameter than the mounting hole 603 and serves as a stopper toward the outer side of the bottle part 200 on the outer side surface of the bottom surface of the bracket 600 (toward the inner side of the bottle part 200). A head portion 701 that abuts, a leg portion 702 that penetrates the attachment hole 603 with a slightly smaller diameter than the attachment hole 603 and faces the rupturable plate 300, and a leg portion that prevents the striker member 700 from coming out inward of the bottle portion 200. An intermediate flange 703 having a diameter larger than that of the mounting hole 603 that is fixed to the 702 by welding, screwing, or the like and is in contact with the inner side of the bottom surface of the bracket 600 is formed. Further, the leg portion is formed of a main body 702A that faces the rupturable plate 300 from the bottom surface of the bracket 600, and a tip portion 702B as a collision portion with the rupturable plate 300. The tip portion 702B is an opening 201 of the bottle portion 200. It is arranged slightly inward from the opening surface portion 202 in which is pierced.

Here, the rupturable plate 300 is pressed from the inner side by the high-pressure gas G2 in the bottle part 200 at a normal time other than when the inflator 100 is operated, and is directed toward the outer side of the opening part 201. It is elastically deformed into a substantially arc shape in cross section with the center near the apex, and is displaced outward of the opening 201. This displacement amount is, for example, a temperature difference between summer and winter, an external atmospheric pressure, etc. May vary depending on external factors.

Therefore, in the standard state, a state in which the amount of high-pressure gas G2 necessary for controlling the controlled object (inflated airbag in the second embodiment) is filled in the bottle unit 200 is defined as a normal state. The state in which the filling amount of the high-pressure gas G2 filled therein is 1.25 times the internal pressure of the normal state is defined as a high pressure state. When there is no pressure difference between the inside and outside of the bottle part 200, the rupturable plate 300 is substantially flat and seals the opening 201. However, in the standard state, the rupture disk 300 has a high pressure necessary for inflating the airbag. When the gas G2 is filled, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 3, it is deformed from the inner side to the outer side of the bottle part 200 in a substantially arc shape in cross section with the vicinity of the apex of the opening 201 as the apex, If the internal pressure in the bottle part 200 is 1.25 times as described above, the rupturable plate 300 is further greatly deformed and displaced to the position of the rupturable plate 300a as indicated by a broken line in FIG. In addition, the filling amount of the high pressure gas G2 that makes the internal pressure in the bottle part 200 1.25 times can be obtained in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

The amount of displacement by which the rupturable plate 300 can be displaced from the outer side toward the inner side of the bottle portion 200 by the ignition means 900 that is a driving source is the largest of the striker member 700 in the rupturable plate 300a in the high pressure state. It is made larger than a distant position (indicated by symbol D3 in FIG. 3).

Next, the operation | movement aspect of the inflator 100 of 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated.

The inflator 100 is disposed at a predetermined position in the vehicle interior, is connected to an airbag (not shown), and can be operated by a signal from a vehicle collision sensor or a collision prediction sensor.

When a vehicle collides with another vehicle or a collision is predicted, a signal is transmitted from the collision sensor or the collision prediction sensor to the inflator 100. With this signal, the ignition means 900 is ignited and directed to the rupturable plate 300. A shock wave is emitted. This shock wave presses the rupturable plate 300 from the outer side of the bottle part 200 toward the inner side to displace the rupturable plate 300 toward the inner side of the opening 201. Therefore, the ignition means 900 forms a drive source that displaces the rupturable plate 300.

Since the outer peripheral edge of the rupturable plate 300 is attached to the peripheral edge of the opening 201, the inside of the bottle part 200 of the high-pressure gas G2 has a substantially arc shape in section from the outer side to the inner side of the bottle part 200. Against the pressing force directed from the outer side toward the outer side, the bottle portion 200 is displaced from the outer side toward the inner side, and collides with the tip end portion 702B of the striker member 700, so that the rupturable plate 300 is Cleave promptly. The high-pressure gas G2 passes through the opening 201 from the communication hole 602 and is jetted into the diffuser 500, and is discharged to the outside of the inflator 100 from the plurality of holes 501 to inflate an airbag (not shown). As shown in FIG. 5A, the distal end portion 702B includes a sharp apex portion 702C, which can accurately cleave the rupturable plate 300.

Since the inflator 100 of the second embodiment has the above-described configuration, the rupture plate 300 is quickly and appropriately cleaved by the stored gas type inflator using the ignition means 900 as a drive source to displace the rupture plate 300. Thus, the high-pressure gas G2 in the bottle 200 can be discharged to the outer side of the inflator. Further, as described above, the displacement amount of the rupturable plate 300 that can be displaced by the ignition means 900 is made larger than the distance (D3) between the position farthest from the striker member 700 and the striker member 700 in the rupturable plate 300a in the high pressure state. As a result, the reliability of the tearing of the rupturable plate 300 can be improved.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The inflator 110 of the third embodiment is used for a stored gas type inflator as in the second embodiment, and the parts other than the main parts shown in FIG. 4 are the same as the inflator 100 shown in FIG. Description of other parts will be omitted, and parts common to the third embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 4, the opening 201 of the bottle part 200 is sealed with a rupturable plate 400. The rupturable plate 400 may be the same as the sealing plate 300 in the second embodiment.

Before the rupturable plate 400 according to the third embodiment is fixed to the opening 201, as shown by a broken line, the cross-section of the bottle portion 200 from the inner side to the outer side in advance is roughly reduced by a method such as press molding. It is deformed so as to be positioned at the arcuate rupturable plate 400a.

The deformed rupturable plate 400a is fixed to the opening 201 in the same manner as the first rupturable plate 3 in the first embodiment and the rupturable plate 300 in the second embodiment, and in a standard state, the controlled object (third embodiment). In the embodiment, it is used to drive a cylinder of an actuator that pops up the hood of an automobile when it interferes with a pedestrian.) When the high pressure gas G2 is filled, the high pressure gas G2 causes the bottle portion 200 to move from the inner side to the outer side. And is displaced from the position of the rupturable plate 400a to the position of the rupturable plate 400b indicated by the solid line with the substantially central portion of the opening 201 as the apex.

The opening part 201 of the bottle part 200 is coat | covered from the outer side with the diffuser 500 of the same aspect as 2nd Embodiment. Also, the plurality of holes 501 on the peripheral surface of the diffuser and the ignition means 900 as the drive means are the same as in the second embodiment.

Furthermore, the substantially bowl-shaped bracket 600 attached to the inner side of the bottle part 200 can also have the same mode as the second embodiment, and the striker member 710 is inserted into the attachment hole 603 on the bottom surface of the bracket 600. ing.

As in the second embodiment, the striker member 710 according to the third embodiment includes a head 711 serving as a stopper toward the outer side of the bottle part 200, a leg part 712 that penetrates into the attachment hole 603, and the bottle part 200. It is formed from an intermediate flange 713 for preventing the inner side from coming off.

As shown in FIG. 4, the leg portion 712B is formed of a main body 712A from the bottom surface of the bracket 600 toward the rupturable plate 400, and a tip portion 712B as a collision portion with the rupturable plate 400, and the tip portion 712B is a bottle portion. The opening portion 201 of the 200 is disposed so as to protrude slightly outward from the opening surface portion 202 in which the opening portion 201 is bored.

Here, in the standard state, a state in which the bottle unit 200 is filled with a high-pressure gas G2 in an amount necessary for operating an actuator (not shown) is set to a normal state. At this time, the rupturable plate 400 is moved by the high-pressure gas G2. The bottle portion 200 is pressed and deformed from the inner side toward the outer side, and is displaced from the position of the rupturable plate 400a indicated by the broken line to the position of the rupturable plate 400b indicated by the solid line with the substantially central portion of the opening 201 as the apex. To do. Furthermore, when the internal pressure in the bottle part 200 is set to a high pressure state in which the high pressure gas G2 is filled so that the internal pressure is 1.25 times the normal state, the rupturable plate 400 is moved from the position of the rupturable plate 400b indicated by a solid line. The position is displaced to the position of the rupturable plate 400c indicated by the one-dot chain line.

In the inflator 110 according to the third embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the apex portion of the rupturable plate 400 having a substantially arc-shaped cross section is generated by the shock wave generated by the ignition means 900 as a drive source. Is displaced from the outer side to the inner side and collides with the tip 712B of the striker member 710, whereby the rupturable plate 400 is cleaved, and the high-pressure gas G2 passes through the diffuser 500 to operate the actuator.

In the inflator 110 of the third embodiment, before the rupturable plate 400 is attached to the opening 201, the striker member 710 can be set longer than the second embodiment because it is processed into a substantially arc shape in cross section. It becomes possible, and the displacement stroke from the outer side to the inner side of the bottle part 200 of the rupturable plate 400 by the ignition means 900 during the operation of the inflator 110 can be reduced.

(Modification)
In the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment, the apex portions 61C, 702C, and 712C of the leg portions 61, 702, and 712 have a sharp shape as shown in FIG. The shape of the vertex portion can be a substantially blade-like vertex portion 61D, 702D, 712D having a predetermined length. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5B, the two first plate-like members 61e, 702e, 712e and the second plate-like members 61f, 702f, 712f are substantially omitted from the legs 61, 702, 712. It is a substantially cross shape intersecting at right angles.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the two first plate members 61e, 702e, 712e and the second plate members 61f, 702f712f have a thickness from the base of the legs 61, 702, 712 toward the front. Has a blade shape that gradually becomes thinner. Further, the foremost portions of the first plate-like members 61e, 702e, 712e and the second plate-like members 61f, 702f, 712f approximate the substantially arc shape in cross section of the first rupturable plate 3, the rupturable plate 300, and the rupturable plate 400. It is preferable to have a curved shape that forms part of a spherical surface. In FIG. 5, the first plate members 61e, 702e, 712e and the second plate members 61f, 702f, 712f are curved inwardly, but the apexes 61D, 702D, 712D. The first rupturable plate 3 and the striker member 6 and the rupturable plates 300 and 400 and the striker members 700 and 710 have different bending directions, and in the case of the striker member 6 in the first embodiment, a curved shape directed inward. In the striker members 700 and 710 in the second embodiment and the third embodiment, the curved shape is directed outward in the direction opposite to that in FIG.

In this modification, the tip portions 61B, 702B, 712B of the striker members 6, 700, 710 that collide with the first rupturable plate 3, the rupturable plates 300, 400 have substantially blade-like apex portions 61D, 702D, 712D. Therefore, each rupture disk can be brought into linear contact with each rupture disk, and each rupture disk can be cleaved more accurately. Further, two plate-like members are crossed in a substantially cross shape to form a tip portion, and the foremost portion is a spherical surface that approximates the cross section of the first rupturable plate 3, rupturable plate 300, and rupturable plate 400. Therefore, the total length of collision with the first rupturable plate 3 and the rupturable plates 300 and 400 can be increased, and the first rupturable plate 3 and the rupturable plates 300 and 400 can be cleaved. Becomes easier. Furthermore, since the first plate-like members 61e, 702e, 712e and the second plate-like members 61f, 702f, 712f are gradually reduced in thickness, the first rupturable plate 3, the rupturable plates 300, 400 are cleaved. The performance can be further improved.

(Other variations)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as follows.
(1). In each embodiment, the internal pressure of the high-pressure gas in the bottle portion is 1.25 times that in the normal state, and the internal pressure due to filling of the high-pressure gas in the bottle in the high-pressure state is 1.5 times. it can.
(2). In the second embodiment and the second embodiment, the gas generation chamber used as the drive source in the first embodiment is used instead of the ignition means used as the drive source.
(3). Instead of the gas generation chamber of the first embodiment and the ignition means of the second embodiment used as the drive source, the rupturable plate is moved horizontally toward the striker member by pressing means such as a spring or an electric actuator.
(4). In a modification, the two plate-like members are crossed in a cross shape, and three or more plate-like members are crossed with each other, or one plate-like member is circular or polygonal. Shape.
(5). A sharp apex is projected toward the rupturable plate from the intersection of the apexes obtained by crossing the two plate-like members used in the modification.

It is drawing which shows the inflator in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is drawing which shows the principal part of the inflator in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is drawing which shows the inflator in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is drawing which shows the inflator in 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is drawing which shows the principal part of the inflator in the modification of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,100: Inflator, 2,200: Bottle part, 20: 1st opening part, 201: Opening part, 3: 1st rupture disk, 300: Rupture disk, 5,500: Diffuser, 6,700: Strike member

Claims (10)

A bottle portion filled with high-pressure gas and having an opening for ejecting the gas to the outside;
A rupturable plate that seals the opening of the bottle portion;
A drive source for displacing at least a portion of the rupturable plate;
An inflator comprising:
Opposed to the rupturable plate, disposed at a predetermined distance from the opening, and disposed so that a relative distance from the opening is substantially undisplaceable, and collides with the rupturable plate displaced by the driving source. By providing a striker member that can break the rupturable plate,
Inflator characterized by. The striker member is disposed on the outer side of the bottle portion so as to face the rupturable plate, the drive source is provided on the inner side of the bottle portion, and the rupturable plate is disposed on the inner side of the bottle portion. By allowing the bursting plate to collide with the striker member by displacing from the side toward the outer side;
The inflator according to claim 1. The driving source is a gas generation chamber formed of ignition means and a gas generating agent. The shock wave and the internal pressure increase in the bottle are caused by the operation of the ignition means and the combustion gas of the gas generating agent by the ignition means. The rupture disc is displaced from the inner side of the bottle part toward the outer side,
The inflator according to claim 2. The gas ejected from the opening is discharged toward the outer side of the inflator so as to cover the opening on the outer side of the opening sealed by the rupturable plate of the inflator. A diffuser having a plurality of holes smaller in diameter than the opening is attached,
The striker member is fixed to the inner side of the diffuser so as to face the rupturable plate;
The inflator according to any one of claims 2 and 3, wherein: The bottle portion is filled with the amount of the gas necessary for controlling the controlled object controlled by the release of the gas,
In a standard state, the position closest to the striker member of the rupturable plate when the necessary amount of the gas is filled is defined as a first position, and the gas in the bottle portion is filled with the necessary amount. The position closest to the striker member of the rupturable plate that is displaced by the internal pressure of the gas and displaced outward from the first position with respect to the opening of the bottle when filled with an internal pressure of 25 times. Is in the second position,
The striker member is arranged outward from the second position with respect to the opening of the bottle part,
In the standard state, when the required amount of the gas is filled, the displacement amount of the rupturable plate is displaced from the first position toward the outer side from the first position by the driving source. (D1) and the displacement amount (D2) between the first position and the second position are:
D1> D2
And that
The inflator according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized by: The striker member is disposed opposite to the rupturable plate on the inner side of the bottle portion, the drive source is provided on the outer side of the bottle portion, and the rupturable plate is disposed outward of the bottle portion. By allowing the rupture disc to collide with the striker member by displacing from the side toward the inward side;
The inflator according to claim 1. The drive source is an ignition means, and the rupturable plate is displaced from the outer side of the bottle part toward the inner side by a shock wave generated by the operation of the ignition means,
The inflator according to claim 6 The gas ejected from the opening is discharged toward the outer side of the inflator so as to cover the opening on the outer side of the opening sealed by the rupturable plate of the inflator. A diffuser having a plurality of holes smaller in diameter than the opening is attached,
The drive source is fixed to the inner side of the diffuser so as to face the rupturable plate;
The inflator according to claim 6, wherein the inflator is characterized by the following. The bottle portion is filled with the amount of the gas necessary for controlling the controlled object controlled by the release of the gas,
In a standard state, when the required amount of the gas is filled, the position farthest from the striker member of the rupturable plate is defined as a first position, and the gas in the bottle portion is filled with the necessary amount. When filled to an internal pressure of 25 times, it is farthest from the striker member of the rupturable plate that is pressed by the internal pressure of the gas and displaced outward from the first position with respect to the opening of the bottle. When the position is the second position,
The drive source is arranged on the outer side with respect to the opening of the bottle part from the second position,
And, in the standard state, when the required amount of the gas is filled, the displacement amount of the rupturable plate that is displaced from the outer side to the inner side of the bottle part by the drive source is the second position. A distance (D3) between the position farthest from the striker member of the rupturable plate and the striker member,
The inflator according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the inflator is characterized. The striker member has a tip that collides with a rupture disc displaced by the drive source;
The tip is substantially blade-shaped having a predetermined length;
The inflator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein:

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