Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd.

Masaru Masaki

Yasunori Iwai

Yoshinori Ito

Hiroaki Shinto

Akihisa Ogawa

Munetaka Toda

Akihiko Inoue

The present invention is a small, light-weight gas generator for a passenger air bag. The gas generator includes a housing having a diffuser shell and a closure shell. The diffuser shell includes a round portion, a center cylindrical portion extending concentrically from inside a peripheral portion of the round portion, and an inner cylindrical portion. The center cylindrical portion is disposed at the center of the round portion for storing therein a squib-enhancer. The inner cylindrical portion is disposed outside the center cylindrical portion to provide a combustion chamber. The closure shell includes an annular portion equipped with a center hole for receiving the center cylindrical portion, and a peripheral wall portion extending from the peripheral portion of the annular portion to the peripheral portion of the round portion of the diffuser shell. This peripheral wall portion defines a coolant-filter chamber and includes a gas discharge port and a flange portion extending in a radial direction. Welding bonds the closure and diffuser shells together at the outer peripheral portion of the center cylindrical portion and the peripheral portion of the center hole; at the tip of the inner cylindrical portion and the region of the annular portion coming into contact with the tip; and at the peripheral portion of the round portion and the tip portion of the peripheral wall portion.

Gas generator formed with electron beam welding

A small, light-weight gas generator is provided for an air bag for protecting a passenger from impact by introducing a generated gas into an air bag. The gas generator includes a housing having a diffuser shell and a closure shell. The diffuser shell includes a round portion, a cylindrical portion extending concentrically from the round portion and an inner cylindrical portion extending about the center cylindrical portion and extending from the round portion. The closure shell includes an annular portion having a center hole for receiving the center cylindrical portion and a peripheral wall portion extending from the peripheral portion of the annular portion. This peripheral wall portion extends to the peripheral portion of the round portion of the diffuser. Electron beam welding may be used to bond the closure and diffuser shells together at the outer peripheral portion of the center cylindrical portion and the center hole; the inner cylindrical portion and the annular portion; and the peripheral portion of the round portion and the inner surface of the peripheral wall.

A process and a device for expanding or contracting the end of a pipe are disclosed. First an ironing die or punch is put over or into the end of the pipe. Then the end of the pipe is expanded or contracted by a rod form expanding punch or a tube form reducing die. Then, with this punch or die still in place, the ironing die or punch is pulled over or through the end of the pipe, so as to pinch the wall of the pipe between itself and the punch or die, and thereby the wall of the pipe is ironed so as to release any strains that may have been caused in it by the expanding or contracting process. Thereby more accurate pipe ends can be formed simply and reliably.

Pipe end expanding or contracting device utilizing ironing

Pipe end expanding or contracting process utilizing ironing

Growing community of inventors

Aichi, Japan

Masaru Masaki