Thiokol Corporation

Morton Thiokol Inc.

Fred E Schneiter

George F Kirchoff

Gary V Adams

Leland E Davis

Robert D Taylor

Arnold R Thompson

David P Dahle

Allan J McDonald

Howard E Jorgensen

David C Cadwell

Philip R Dykstra

Carver G Kennedy

A gas generator for automobile gas bags and the like includes a grain wherein a plurality of wafers of combustible gas generating material is arranged in a side by side array and a plurality of meshed cushion members is disposed in alternating relation between the wafers and compressed between the wafers in order to provide improved burn surface neutrality for more uniform inflator gas flow and better utilization of the gas generant, increased retention of solid residue in the combustion chamber for reduced plugging of the gas filters and cleaner inflation gas, a higher volumetric loading fraction so that the size and weight of the inflator may be reduced, and structural suspension of each individual wafer between the adjacent compressed cushion members to reduce breakage and damage of the wafers during the many years the inflator may remain in an automobile.

Wafer grain gas generator

A gas generant composition especially adapted for inflating automotive airbags in the event of a vehicle collision to protect the occupants of the vehicle from injury. The composition consists essentially of 65-74% alkali metal azide; 10-28% ferric oxide; 6-16% sodium nitrate; 0.1-2% fumed silica; and 0-2% molybdenum disulfide. The composition burns at from about 1.2 to about 1.7 inches per second (about 3.0 to about 4.3 cm/sec).

Azide gas generant formulations

In accordance with the present invention there are provided gas generating compositions comprising sodium azide, silicon dioxide, potassium nitrate, molybdenum disulfide and sulfur.

Gas generant for air bag inflators

An inflator or gas generator is provided for inflating a protective cushion associated with a safety harness used in a vehicle including an aircraft. The generator is of a structure which provides a maximum quantity of inflating gases for a minimum size, weight, shape and general compactness of the generating unit.

Inflator for a protective inflatable cushion system

An air bag inflator for the passenger side of an automobile includes an elongated, tubular housing having a plurality of perforations in its cylindrical wall for discharging gas. Within the housing are a gas generant composition, an igniter and filtering screens. The perforations are normally sealed with 0.003 inch (0.0762 mm.) thick non-tempered aluminum foil which is easily ruptured by the gas pressure when the inflator is ignited. The foil, in addition to serving as a hermetic seal for protecting the gas generant and igniter from moisture and dust, insures that the gas pressure will reach a certain, threshold level before being discharged into an air bag. In very cold weather the inflator attains its peak pressure considerably more slowly than in warm weather. As a result, the air bag may be inflated either too slowly or insufficiently to perform its intended purpose. In order to preclude this from happening at least some of the perforations in the housing are covered with an additional or buttressing layer of thicker (0.006 inch; 0.1524 mm.) non-tempered aluminum foil, so that the threshold gas pressure necessary to rupture these seals is raised. This shortens the time for attaining peak gas pressure within the tubular housing and results in faster, more satisfactory inflation of the air bag when the ambient temperature is low.

Method of and apparatus for speeding the response of an air bag inflator

For an inflator for pyrotechnically inflating protective gas bags for vehicles, an igniter is provided which causes the propellant in the inflator to ignite in a progressive manner so as to inflate the bag slowly at the onset but more rapidly later as inflation progresses. The overall inflation time is very rapid but the slow onset of bag deployment starts gentle movement against a vehicle's occupant and thus reduces the possibility of injury as compared with a more sudden movement by rapid inflation from the outset.

Igniter for a pyrotechnic gas bag inflator

A solid fuel gas generator generates extremely clean odorless nitrogen gas by a combustion process that involves the burning in an annular combustion chamber having gas discharge orifices of a gas generant composition having combustion product residues including alkali metal oxides and hydroxides and which may also include iron particulates, and features the provision between the composition and the gas discharge orifices of an annular primary cooling and filtering pack in the combustion chamber for maximum retention therein of such combustion product residues, the cooling and filtering pack including a fine mesh screen surrounding the gas generant composition and one or more layers of fiberglass woven fabric around the screen, the fabric being selected for its characteristic property at the combustion chamber temperature of reacting with the caustic soda in the combustion products to form innocuous sodium silicate and of becoming tacky to enhance particle entrapment, and further features in surrounding relation to the combustion chamber an annular secondary cooling and filtering pack including an aluminum silicate blanket that reacts with caustic soda residue to form innocuous sodium silicate.

Method of and apparatus for gas generation

Mixtures of alkali metal azides, metal and metalloid oxides, molybdenum disulfide and optionally sulfur are easily pressed into pellets, are rapid, stable and cool burners and give high purity cool nitrogen gas. The compositions are useful in applications such as automotive crash bag inflators and the like.

Pelletizable, rapid and cool burning solid nitrogen gas generant

The invention, which is especially useful for inflating safety cushions for automotive vehicles, is essentially an orificed housing and an expendable cartridge therein. The cartridge has a hermetically sealed can containing a layer of gas generant material in one end contiguous with a tubular-shaped igniter including an electric squib and pyrotechnic material to be ignited thereby. A layer of filter screens is included between the ignition device and a perforated partition. The remainder of the can is filled with an annulus formed by annular wrappings of wire screen and a central bag of pH neutralizing material. The perforations in the partition are centered over the neutralizing material so that the slightly alkaline gases from the burning gas generant and ignition device must pass through the pH neutralizing material before passing through the annular wrappings of screen and rupturing the wall of the can to inflate a safety cushion. This disposable cartridge is closely supported on all sides by the housing, except at the orifices thereof, so that rupturing of the can may occur only at the orifices when the gas generator is fired.

Gas generator with expandable cartridge

An elongated gas generator, designed especially for use on the passenger side of the front seat position of an automotive vehicle, has a combustion cartridge having a central, electrically initiated igniter surrounded by gas generant material. This, in turn, is surrounded by filtering screens and by a perforated, tubular housing. A pH neutralizing material is located adjacent the openings of the housing for neutralizing gases produced by the burning gas generant. At least one other perforated case encloses the housing, and multiple layers of wire cooling screens are interposed between the housing and the case enclosing it. The openings in the housing are arranged relative to those of the outer case so that a long path is created for gases passing through the cooling screens, parallel to the layers thereof. The cooled and filtered gases are discharged directly from the outer case into a structure to be inflated.

Gas generator for automobile safety cushions

An electric squib igniter and a gas generant composition surrounding it are enclosed in a hermetically sealed container. This is enclosed in an inner housing which is surrounded by an annular outer housing. An annular filter surrounds the gas generant composition inside the container, which is rupturable through orifices in the inner housing by gases produced when the gas generant composition is ignited. A cooling device in the annular chamber between the two housings is positioned between the orifices of the inner housing and peripheral orifices in the outer housing, through which the filtered, cooled gases may be expelled radially into an inflatable structure. A mounting flange fixed to the outer housing is provided for attachment to related apparatus.

Gas generator

A gas generator for inflating safety cushions in automotive vehicles has a tubular housing, closed at both ends except for a discharge orifice in one end. A hermetically sealed container in the completely closed end of the housing is divided by a consumable partition into two chambers containing gas generant material. Each of the two chambers is also equipped with an ignition means for igniting the gas generant. The remainder of the tubular housing is filled with the following elements, arranged in tandem series from the sealed container to the orifice of the housing: a filtering means, a first perforated plate, pH neutralizing material, a second perforated plate, cooling means, and a third perforated plate. An impact sensor, which is not a part of the present invention, determines whether one or both of the ignition means are fired on impact, depending upon the force of a collision; and, hence, the rate at which an inflatable structure is filled with gas.

Growing community of inventors

North Ogden, UT, United States of America

Fred E Schneiter