Morton International, Inc.

Auburn University

Other

Quantic Industries, Inc.

Lifesparc, Inc.

Todd S Parker

Brian H Fulmer

Gregory J Lang

Thomas A Baginski

Bradley W Smith

Linda M Rink

Scott A Jackson

Harry W Miller, Ii

Wm David Fahey

Christopher Hock

Brian T Snyder

Wesley L Hatt

David P Kosoff

Graig S Oba

Steven A Spear

John N Parker

Michael D Campbell

Charles W Armstrong, Iii

A semiconductor bridge (SCB) device. In one embodiment, the SCB device includes a laminate layer on top of an insulating material, wherein the laminate layer comprises a series of layers of at least two reactive materials, and wherein the laminate layer comprises two relatively large sections that substantially cover the surface area of the insulating material, and a bridge section joining the two relatively large sections. At least one conductive contact pad is coupled to at least one of the series of layers, wherein a predetermined current through the conductive contact pad causes the bridge section to initiate a reaction in which the laminate layer is involved. In one embodiment, the SCB device includes an integrated diode formed by an interface of the insulating material with another material, such as a metal.

Electro-explosive device with laminate bridge

A unitary header/base/shorting bar holder for a micro gas generator; and a micro gas generator containing it.

Unitary header/base/shorting bar holder for a micro gas generator, and micro gas generator using it

An electro-explosive device (&ldquo;EED&rdquo;) having resistors fabricated on a thermally conductive substrate and interconnected by a central bridge element. The resistance of the bridge element is lower than that of the resistors, which have a larger surface area to volume ratio. A layer of zirconium is placed on the bridge element and explodes into a plasma along with the bridge element in order to ignite a pyrotechnic compound. The substrate using integrated circuit fabrication techniques and the conductive bridge of the EED is overcoated with a composite overcoat comprising a metal and an oxidizer, which produces a chemical explosion upon plasma vaporization of the conductive bridge.

Method of forming radio frequency and electrostatic discharge insensitive electro-explosive devices

An integral label/gasket for use in crimped sealing engagement with an airbag inflator. The integral label/gasket combines a flat, generally annular label, an annular, deformable outer gasket seal and an annular, deformable inner gasket seal into one component. The outer gasket seal is secured to and extends downwardly from a bottom surface of the label adjacent an outer edge of the label, and the inner gasket seal is secured to and extends downwardly from the bottom surface of the label adjacent an inner edge of the label. The label, for printing handling and operational warnings and other information thereon, has adhesive on a top surface thereof for securing the label to a baseplate of an airbag inflator. The outer gasket seal and the outer edge of the label are sized to be secured between the baseplate and a lower marginal edge of a cylindrical outer sidewall of the airbag inflator crimped radially inwardly engaging the baseplate, with the outer gasket seal providing a seal between the baseplate and the outer sidewall. The inner gasket seal and the inner edge of the label are sized to be secured between the baseplate and a lower marginal edge of a cylindrical inner sidewall of the airbag inflator crimped radially inwardly engaging the baseplate, with the inner gasket seal providing a seal between the baseplate and the inner sidewall.

Integral label/gasket for crimped inflator housing

Featured in an air bag inflator in respect of which, during assembly, there is a requirement for the ignition train to be installed last, along with a need to hermetically seal both the gas generant material and the ignition train from the environment, is the use of two independent pressure vessels, one of which contains the gas generant material, filtering and cooling elements and a separate pressure vessel having an open end into which is inserted a squib capable of being activated by an appropriate signal and which contains all of the primary and secondary ignition pyrotechnics, the open end of the pressure vessel being closed by the presence of the squib, the pressure vessel having a necked region in its length which forms a plenum chamber when mated to the second pressure vessel containing the gas generant material, etc., the circumferance of the pressure vessel containing the squib being ported in such a way as to allow the squib, when fired, to shear out, the effluent of the squib being transferred out through the breaches created at the ported locations into the plenum, the effluent in the plenum then breaching similar ports incorporated into the second pressure vessel containing the gas generant material, the effluent then dispersing into the cavity of the second pressure vessel igniting the gas generant material.

Self-contained inflator pyrotechnic initiator

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 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 method of attaching a mounting bracket to an inflator having a cylindrical sidewall and a peripheral inflator flange radially extending from the sidewall that includes: providing a unitary mounting bracket having a annular support, a flange seat adjacent the annular support for receiving the peripheral inflator flange and a cylindrical sleeve extending from the flange seat and having a distal portion; sliding the cylindrical sleeve of the mounting bracket onto the inflator until the inflator flange butts against the flange seat; and applying a suitable amount of axial force to the distal portion of the sleeve so that the distal portion deforms radially inwardly into a clamping band underlying at least a portion of the inflator flange. The inflator flange is clamped between the clamping band and the flange seat to secure the mounting bracket to the inflator. Preferably, a crimping die is used to crimp the distal portion of the sleeve into a clamping band while the inflator is supported in an inflator nest.

Method of attaching a mounting bracket to an airbag inflator

A new and improved airbag inflator including a varying permeability filter. The inflator includes a housing for holding gas generating materials and has an outer diffuser wall with a plurality of discharge or diffuser ports arranged to direct the gas into an airbag for rapid inflation. The housing includes a ring of diffuser ports spaced apart around the periphery of the outer diffuser side wall and these ports are generally closer to one of the top or bottom end walls of the container than they are to the opposite end wall. A new and improved gas filter of varying permeability is mounted in the housing inside the periphery of the outer diffuser wall adjacent to the ring of ports. The annular filter has a gas permeability characteristic that varies between a maximum permeability rating in a first region farthest away from the ring of ports to a minimum permeability rating adjacent a second region closer to the ports. The varying permeability areas tend to equalize or even out the gas flow over the entire available flow cross-section of the filter so that blow-through or burn holes do not develop. Moreover, the more uniform and even flow through the entire available flow cross-section results in a maximum of filtering and entrapment of contaminants as well as excellent cooling of the hot gases with the least flow resistance overall to provide rapid inflation of the airbag during deployment.

Varying permeability filter for airbag inflator

An air bag inflator including a housing formed of sheet metal includes an annular base having a central opening and a cover for containing gas generating pyrotechnic material including an annular top wall spaced from the base having a central opening in coaxial alignment with the central opening of the base and a cylindrical, ported, outer side wall integrally formed around a periphery of the top wall extending downwardly thereof and having a lower edge secured to a portion of the base outwardly of the central opening. The housing includes a hollow, igniter-containing, rivet having an upper end wall closing over the central opening of the top wall and having a tubular, ported, side wall integrally formed with the upper end wall thereof extending downwardly through the central openings of the base and the top wall. The tubular side wall has a lower end portion of reduced wall thickness extending below an upper surface of the base around the central opening therein forming an outer, annular shoulder for supportively engaging the base when the lower end portion is deformed radially outwardly to engage an underside of the base. A crimp-formed joint, a weld and/or a press-fitted joint may be provided between an outer perimeter portion of the base and a lower end portion of the outer side wall.

Air bag inflators having housings with crimp-formed joints

An air bag inflator for inflating an air bag includes a housing for generating gas having only two walled chambers, including a centrally disposed ignition chamber and an outer chamber in coaxial relation therewith. The outer chamber provides a dual function of containing a quantity of gas generating material in an inner portion thereof and holding a filter for cooling and collecting contaminants from the generated gas in an outer portion thereof. The filter is mounted with an inlet face of substantial area in direct contact with and surrounding a body of gas generating material and no wall is provided between the filter and the generating material.

Air bag inflator

An air bag inflator for generating gas to rapidly inflate an air bag includes a housing having spaced-apart opposite end walls with aligned outer peripheral edges, an outer side wall extending between the end walls around the peripheral edges defining an outer chamber for containing gas-generating material and a filter element. The housing also includes an inner side wall extending between the end walls in concentric, centered relation for containing an ignition squib and ignition-enhancing material and provided with ignition ports in communication with the other combustion chamber. The outer side wall is provided with a plurality of ports directing hot products of combustion outwardly to inflate an associated air bag. At least one pair of concentric crimp-formed joints are provided to interconnect the side walls and at least one of the end walls, top or bottom.

Growing community of inventors

Centerville, UT, United States of America

Todd S Parker