Morton International, Inc.

Autoliv Asp, Incorporated

Other

Linda M Rink

Christopher Hock

Bradley W Smith

Karl K Rink

William G Lowe

Walter A Moore

Darrin L Johnson

Brian H Fulmer

Todd S Parker

Guy R Letendre

Alan J Ward

Kurt E Kottke

Paul T Philpot

Wesley L Hatt

Michael Perry Jordan

Brett Hussey

Charles Paul Dinsdale

Scott A Jackson

Harry W Miller, Ii

John E Allard

Alexander Teverovsky

William B Richardson

Brian T Snyder

George C Marjanski

Daniel R Leininger

Matthew Scott Johnson

John N Parker

Charles W Armstrong, Iii

An inflator apparatus wherein the molecular weight of the gas mixture therein contained is manipulated by varying the relative amounts of the various constituents thereof. Through such manipulation and tight control of gas mixture molecular weight, the performance of the inflator can be properly tuned such as to desirably control or influence the speed of deployment of an associated airbag cushion and minimize or reduce damage to an associated airbag cushion caused by excessive deployment speeds, as well as satisfy the relatively onerous inflation demands required for proper or desired operation of various close proximity airbag cushions or inflatable restraint devices.

Tuning the performance of compressed gas-containing inflators

An inflator apparatus and a method are provided using a quantity of a compensatory material to supplement a stored pressurized gas.

Self-compensating airbag inflator and method

An airbag inflator with venturi effect cooling and gas supplement. The inflator includes a housing having a quantity of gas-producing fuel therein, and possibly a stored gas also, along with appropriate igniters. These materials are stored within a gas production chamber of the housing. The gas leaving this chamber travels through the housing to an exit port on the housing. Intermediate the gas production chamber and the housing exit port is a venturi section of the housing. This section reduces the pressure of the gas, and thus the pressure at the interior end of draw vents opening onto the venturi section. The vents therefore draw outside air into the housing to mix with the gas. This cools the gas to the desired temperature, and also supplements the gas exiting the housing. As such, the need for a heat sink to cool the gas is reduced or eliminated. Furthermore, since the cushion is inflated with a mixture of gas and air, the amount of gas typically needed is reduced by the amount of added air. This permits the amount of fuel to be reduced, thus reducing cost and weight.

Airbag inflator with venturi effect cooling and gas supplement

Components of a vehicle airbag gas generator, or inflator, are coated with reactivity resistant materials to protect them from deterioration caused by contact with the high temperature, reactive gases generated by recently developed non-azide high reactive temperature gas generating materials. Suitable coatings include those produced from ceramics and reactivity resistant metals. These coatings also provide long term protection of the components from deterioration caused by the environment/atmosphere within the inflator.

Airbag inflator with components protected from high-temperature,

Unitary filters for airbags. The filters may be formed from various combinations of ceramic grit, ceramic fiber, metal grit, metal fiber, and non-metal fibers. Combinations of disparate particle sizes may be used to increase filter diffusion and reduce the size of particles filtered. The disparate size particles may be uniformly mixed, or may be in relatively discrete layers. Fibers may be used to increase the strength of the filter. The fibers may be mixed with an initial slurry, or the slurry may be pressed into a mat of the fibers.

Unitary drop-in airbag filters

Reinforced ceramic unitary filters for air bags. The filters have a first layer having a high porosity, and a second layer having a low porosity. The first layer is preferably formed of low-cost ceramic grit sintered into a rigid mass, or a rigid reticulated ceramic. The second layer is formed of metal particles, and provides increased strength for the brittle ceramic. The metal particles may be formed onto the second layer and then sintered in place. Alternatively, the second layer may be formed separately and secured in position on the first layer. As a third alternative, the second layer may be applied by plasma arc deposition upon the first layer. The metal particles provide increased strength to the filter, as well as providing a fine filtering layer. The metal layer can also place the ceramic in compression to pre-load the ceramic layer for increased resistance to breakage.

Reinforced ceramic air bag filters

An inflatable restraint system assembly and method of operation are provided wherein a compliance chamber pressure vessel formed about the gas exit area of an inflator appropriately and desirably moderates the inflation gas output from the inflator into an associated inflatable device such as inflatable vehicle occupant restraint. The invention has particular utility for use in conjunction with high mass flow rate inflators.

Assembly and method for the moderation of inflator output

An improved method for fabricating a filter for use in automotive air bag inflators which comprises forming a hollow cylindrical inner core or combustion screen of filter material and outer filter layers wound outward from the surface of the core so as to be maintained in cylindrical relation thereabout. This invention is specifically directed to an improved filter which does not include a perforated support tube and relies on only the interior combustion screen for support in the final wrapping of the remaining filter structure.

Method for constructing an inflator filter made of wrapped mesh

Inflator filter made of wrapped mesh

A liquid fueled inflator for a vehicle passive restraint airbag system is enhanced by storing the liquid fuel or propellant in a porous solid structure. The structure provides enhanced control over the combustion process by its influence over disbursement of the fuel or propellant into the combustion chamber. Porous structures which meter the disbursement of fuel or propellant into the combustion chamber, and frangible porous structures which propel the fuel throughout the combustion chamber are described.

Liquid-fueled inflator with a porous containment device

A dual-walled air bag inflator having a filter and gas generant within a common chamber, with the gas exiting radially from the inflator. Various arrangements are provided to force the generated gas to change its direction of travel at least 90.degree. prior to exiting in order to slow the gas and improve filtration. Gas barriers are placed within the chamber to force the desired flow. The gas flow may be directed radially inward in opposed streams to cancel velocity, and then directed radially outward toward the filter and exits. In one embodiment a mixing chamber is provided for the gas prior to encountering the filter.

Dual-wall pyrotechnic air bag inflator with tortuous gas flow

A unitary rigid filter for use in a high temperature, high pressure application in a pyrotechnic airbag inflator includes a matrix structure formed of porous carbonaceous foam material coated with silicon material and having a high thermal conductivity coefficient for absorbing heat from the gases generated on ignition of a pyrotechnic material. The porous, carbonaceous foam has a porosity or permeability of approximately 40 ppi to 80 ppi and a thin, sheet-like liner of porous, ceramic paper is mounted on the body of the foam matrix structure for improving operational characteristics.

Unitary filter for pyrotechnic air bag inflator

A gas generant body having a plurality of alike, flat-surfaced projections equally spaced and radially equidistant about the periphery of one or both sides of the body. The spaced projections are defined by curved or arcuate walls emanating from the center of the generant body which flare outwardly to the body's perimeter, each having an angular arc length greater than the space therebetween. The outer edge of each projection is preferably contiguous with the perimeter of the body. When the projections are on both sides, as is preferred, the projections on one side are preferably in a staggered or offset relationship to those on the other side. A washer-shaped wafer disc is the most preferred overall generant body form. A stack or assembly of the multiprojection generant wafers may be formed into an array for use in a gas generator for an automobile gas bag inflator. Each generant wafer acts as its own spacer, can be assembled independent of orientation, will not mesh or interlock with adjacent wafers and does not need extra inflator hardware.

Special geometry generant bodies for automotive gas bag inflator

A process for treating particulate-containing gas of a vehicular safety restraint inflator and improvements in inflatable vehicular safety restraint systems are provided. The invention makes use of an element having at least one layer of an expanded metal.

Treatment of inflatable restraint system inflator particulate-containing

A pyrotechnic air bag inflator utilizing non-azide gas generating material such as mixtures of copper oxide and amino tetrazol includes a unitary, rigid, drop-in type, filter for cooling and filtering high temperature, high pressure corrosive gas generated when the air bag inflator is activated to inflate an associated air bag. The filter comprises a reticulated structure formed of strong, porous, metal, metal alloy or ceramic material having a high thermal diffusivity and surface area for absorbing heat from the gas and defining a plurality of tortuous passages for entrapping contaminants from the gas passing through the filter.

Growing community of inventors

Liberty, UT, United States of America

Linda M Rink