Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Trw Limited

Richard J Thompson

Ernst M Faigle

John H Semchena

Tracy S Sparks

Charles E Steffens, Jr

Brian K Blackburn

Joseph F Mazur

Jack L Blumenthal

Nahum Gat

Paul S Headley

Stuart M Frey

Gregory B Grace

Ernest M Faigle

An apparatus (,) for inflating an inflatable device (,) includes a container (,) defining a chamber (,) containing gas. The container (,) includes a rupturable wall (,) which is rupturable when the pressure in the container reaches a predetermined level. An igniter (,) spaced from the rupturable wall (,) produces a shock wave in the gas which ruptures the rupturable wall (,) prior to the gas pressure in the container (,) reaching the predetermined level.

Air bag inflator

An inflator for generating gas to inflate an air bag in a vehicle occupant safety apparatus comprises gas generating material, a plurality of filter layers, and a strand extending around the filter layers. The gas generating material generates gas when ignited. The filter layers filter the gas as it flows through the filter layers, and encircle the gas generating material. The filter layers include an outer layer with a cylindrical outer surface. The strand extends around the cylindrical outer surface of the outer filter layer at least partially in a helix, and has a plurality of circumferentially extending turns. The turns in the strand are spaced apart axially to define a helical gap which permits the gas to move from the cylindrical outer surface past the strand toward the air bag.

An apparatus (20, 220) for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprises a first container (22, 222) defining a first chamber (24, 224) for inflation fluid. The first container (22, 222) has an opening (26, 226) through which inflation fluid may flow to inflate the protection device. A rupturable closure (28, 228) extends across the opening (26, 226) in the first container (22, 222) to block fluid flow through the opening. A second container (68, 268) defines a second chamber (70, 270). A plate (82, 282) is located between the first chamber (24, 224) and the second chamber (70, 270) and has a passage (84, 84a, 284 or 284a) which allows fluid communication between the first and second chambers. A rupturable membrane (86, 286) extends across the passage (84, 84a, 284, or 284a) in the plate (82, 282) to restrict fluid communication between the first chamber (24, 224) and the second chamber (70, 270) and has an orifice (100, 300) to allow limited fluid communication between the first and second chambers. Ignitable material (80, 280) is located in the second chamber (70, 270) and produces combustion products (P), upon ignition, which increase pressure in the second chamber to a predetermined pressure to rupture the membrane (86, 286) and open the passage (84, 84a, 284, 284a) in the plate (82, 282) for the combustion products to flow into the first chamber (24, 224) and effect heating of inflation fluid (F).

Initiator for air bag inflator

An apparatus (14) for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant device (12) includes a container (20) defining a chamber (22) containing a source of inflation fluid. The container (20) includes an opening (26) through which the inflation fluid flows outward from the chamber (22). A rupturable disk (36) closes the opening (26) in the chamber (22) and engages a shoulder (30) on the container (20). An annular eloping ring (44) engages the rupturable disk (36). A manifold (54) clamps the clamping ring (44) and the rupturable disk (36) to the shoulder (30) of the container (20).

Air bag inflator with clamping ring for rupturable disk

An air bag module (12) includes an inflator (18) that is actuatable to supply inflation fluid to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (16). A housing (14) directs the inflation fluid from the inflator (18) toward the inflatable device (16). At least one vent opening (40) is formed in the housing (14) for selectively venting inflation fluid from the housing. A door panel (70) is movable between a closed position blocking venting of inflation fluid from the housing (14) and an open position enabling venting of inflation fluid from the housing. The door panel (70), when in the closed position, is biased toward the open position. In one embodiment, the door panel (70) is resiliently deformable. In another embodiment, a spring (71a) is connected with a door (70a) and biases the door toward the open position.

Air bag module with vent

An air bag inflator (10) includes inflation fluid stored in a chamber (18). The inflator (10) includes a combustible sheet member (100) which comprises an oxidizable substrate, such as a polytetrafluoroethylene film, and a layer of a fuel material, such as magnesium, on the substrate. The combustible sheet member (100) is disposed in a perforated tube (90) in the chamber (18). The combustible sheet member (100), when ignited by an igniter (70), emits combustion products through openings (98) in the perforated tube (90) to warm and increase the pressure of the inflation fluid in the chamber (18). The inflation fluid includes 5% to 20% oxygen to support the combustion of the combustible sheet member (100).

An air bag inflator (10) includes an ignitable gas generating material (50), an initiator (36) for igniting the gas generating material (50), and a tubular wall (100) defining a combustion chamber (54) containing the gas generating material (50). A plurality of gas flow openings (150) extend radially outward from the combustion chamber (54) through the tubular wall (100). A filter (102) extends circumferentially and axially over the tubular wall (100). The tubular wall (100) includes a structure (160) defining a space which provides plenum (170) extending radially outward from the gas flow openings (150) to the filter (102).

An inflator for inflating a vehicle occupant restraint, such as an air bag, includes a container (18) having a stored mixture of gases including a primary gas for inflating the air bag and a combustible gas. An actuator assembly (20) opens the container (18) and ignites the combustible gas as it flows toward the vehicle occupant restraint. Igniting the combustible gas creates a combustion reaction external to the container (18) which heats the primary gas as it flows toward the air bag. A combustion arrestor (22) minimizes the propagation of the combustion reaction into the container (18).

Vehicle occupant restraint inflator

Apparatus and method for controlling an occupant restraint system in a vehicle (10) comprises storing in a ROM memory (220) a block of image data representative of a viewing field within the vehicle (10). The viewing field includes an unoccupied vehicle seat (18) located in the occupant compartment (12) of the vehicle. A new block of image data is obtained which is representative of the viewing field with an occupant (202) on the seat (18). This image data is obtained with an image sensor (200), such as a CCD sensor, mounted in the vehicle (10) for viewing the field. The new block of image data is compared with the stored block of image data by a controller (30) to obtain the occupant's size and/or position in the vehicle. The controller (30) provides a control signal having a value which is a function of the comparison. A restraint regulator (120), such as a vent valve, responds to the control signal for controlling the occupant restraint system.

Apparatus and method for controlling an occupant restraint system

An apparatus for use in inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint (12) comprises a grain (110) of ignitable gas generating material which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating the vehicle occupant restraint (12). The grain (110) of gas generating material has a surface portion defining a cavity (124) in the grain (110). The apparatus further includes a plug (160) of pyrotechnic material which is more readily ignitable than the gas generating material. The plug (160) of pyrotechnic material, when ignited, produces and emits combustion products which ignite the grain (110) of gas generating material. The plug (160) of pyrotechnic material is located in the cavity (124) in the grain (110) of gas generating material.

Apparatus for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint

An apparatus (10) for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint (12) includes a cylindrical inflator (800) containing an ignitable gas generating material (816) which, when ignited, generates gas for inflating the restraint (12). The inflator (800) has a tubular part (802) with a longitudinal central axis (808) and axially opposite ends (856) and (858). The tubular part (802) defines a combustion chamber (812) containing the gas generating material (816), and includes a cylindrical filter (842) for filtering the gas radially outward of the combustion chamber (812). The inflator (800) is free of a tubular outer body wall. The inflator (800) further includes a pair of end caps (804, 806) extending across the ends (856, 858) of the tubular part (802). Fasteners (860, 862) secure the end caps (804, 806) against movement from the tubular part (802) under the influence of the pressure of the gas, and directly engage the tubular part (802 ) to connect the end caps (804, 806) directly to the tubular part (802).

Inflator assembly

An apparatus (10) for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint (12) includes a collision sensor (52) and an inflator assembly (20). The collision sensor (52) provides a collision signal indicating the occurrence of a vehicle collision. The inflator assembly (20) includes a first source (22) of inflation fluid which, when actuated, provides a first volume of inflation fluid. The inflator assembly (20) further includes a second source (24) of inflation fluid which, when actuated, provides a second volume of inflation fluid which differs from the first volume. A position sensor (70) provides a position signal indicating a position of an occupant of the vehicle. A controller (50) actuates the first and second sources (22, 24) of inflation fluid in any one of a plurality of differing modes of operation in response to the collision signal and the position signal.

A vehicle occupant restraint apparatus (10) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint (12) and an inflator (14) for providing gas for inflating the restraint (12). The inflator (14) contains an ignitable gas generating material (70) which, when ignited, generates the gas. The inflator has a structure (72) which defines a combustion chamber (78) containing the gas generating material (70). The inflator (14) further has an axis (66), and directs the gas to flow from the combustion chamber (78) outward through the inflator (14) and outward from the inflator (14) in a direction transverse to the axis (66). The inflator (14) is free of a tubular body wall defining gas flow openings at a location outward of the structure (72) defining the combustion chamber (78).

An inflatable vehicle occupant restraint system comprises a source of inflation fluid (20) and an air bag reaction canister (24) having a vent opening (16) through which inflation fluid from the source of inflation fluid (20) may be vented away from the air bag canister (24). An air bag (12) is located in the air bag reaction canister (24) and is inflatable by inflation fluid from the source of inflation fluid (20). A valve member (30) is located on the air bag reaction canister (24). The valve member (30) is movable relative to the vent opening (16) in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of the source of inflation fluid (20) to control venting of inflation fluid from the source of inflation fluid (20) through the vent opening (16). Inflation of the air bag (12) is thereby controlled in response to ambient temperature variations in the vicinity of the source of inflation fluid (20).

Apparatus for controlling inflation of an air bag

An apparatus for inflating a vehicle occupant restraint includes containing means for receiving gases to provide a combustible mixture of the gases. An igniter is activated to effect ignition of the mixture of gases in response to sudden vehicle deceleration. A directing means directs a flow of gas from the containing means into the inflatable occupant restraint. In the preferred embodiment the gases are an inert gas, a fuel gas, and an oxidizer gas. Also, a lean mixture of a fuel gas and oxidizer gas could be used. An improved igniter transmits energy through an imperforate portion of a wall of the containing means to ignite a charge in the containing means. The igniter may include an elongate core disposed in a frangible sheath which is shattered as the core is burned.

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Imlay City, MI, United States of America

Richard J Thompson