Flow control means

A flexible flapper valve covering the opening between manifold and bag assembly in a safety restraint inflatable bag system.

Apparatus for variably controlling the burn time of a fixed amount of gas generating material used for inflating purposes. Gas developed by combustion of the gas generating material passes through a conduit. A blocking means is provided which, when selectively disposed in the conduit, decreases the cross-sectional...     

A gas bag safety apparatus comprises an inflatable torso bag installed within the compartment of a vehicle, a gas-diffuser assembled within the torso bag and having a number of jet holes to supply pressurized gas fluid into the torso bag from an external gas pressure source, and an inflatable knee bag...     

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...     

A buffering air-bag means adapted to inflate a normally folded air-bag on the occasion of a collision by the generation of gas by a box-like gas generating means having gas ejecting openings formed in a substantially flat end, wherein a gas deflecting plate is provided to traverse the front of the gas...     

An occupant restraint cushion made of a single sheet of woven material and having an upper compartment that is adapted to engage the windshield of a vehicle and be guided thereby rearwardly when deployed so that subsequently a lower compartment extends downwardly from the upper compartment and is inflated...     

A two-stage air bag system which includes an air bag, a first pressure device for supplying first stage expansive pressure to the air bag when an impact is detected, a second pressure device for supplying second stage expansive pressure to the air bag and a delayed ignition signal generator responsive...     

In an inflatable occupant-restraint system in a vehicle, a generator for producing fluid under pressure is so placed that a portion of the generator is outside the cushion and has a resilient venting means for dumping increasing fractions of gas volume outside the cushion at increasing operating temperatures.

A flow control device for use with inflatable confinements or "air bags" of vehicle occupant safety restraint systems is produced by incorporating in the wall of the confinement a fluid permeable portion which has a filamentous surface on one side in which flexible, filamentary projections align themselves...     

An aspirating inflator assembly for a vehicle occupant restraint system comprises a housing having spaced sidewalls, a back wall and an openable front wall. An airbag is stored internally of the housing. Multiple gas generators are supported on or adjacent to the back wall of the housing. The housing...     

A source of gas for inflating a vehicle occupant restraint comprises a container. Gas generating material in said container comprises an alkali metal azide and a metal oxidizer. When ignited, the gas generating material produces heated nitrogen gas. A supply of pressurized nitrogen gas is also in the...     

An air-bag device includes an air-bag proper mounted to a center pad of a steering wheel, the air-bag proper having therein upper and lower portions with respect to a condition wherein the air-bag proper is practically expanded; an inflator having gas blow openings exposed to the interior of the air-bag...     

A gas generator which may be used for ejecting submunitions. The gas generator comprises a diffuser chamber which is flanked by differently sized combustion chambers whereby three different ejection velocities may be achieved by firing only one of the combustion chambers or by firing both of them together....     

A gas inflator apparatus for deploying inflatable devices, particularly automobile air bags, which provides an initial flow rate of gas into the air bag, followed by a delayed maximum flow rate to fully deploy the air bag, the apparatus particularly having the capability to program the delay by monitoring...     

Inflatable air-bag for use in a motor vehicle has a gas generator unit which includes at least one charge of cellulose nitrate having a mass of less than 10 grams. Gas from the charge, when ignited, is directed to the interior of the air-bag by a tube having a number of holes positioned along the length...     

An apparatus for inflating a vehicle occupant restraint includes an inflator housing which holds gas generating material. The inflator housing includes a combustion cup which is formed from one piece of sheet metal. A diffuser cup, which is also formed from one piece of sheet metal, encloses the combustion...     

A retainer used for an air bag is formed of synthetic resin-impregnated paper. The retainer is reduced in weight, has a shape adaptibility and can be served at a reduced cost. Further, the attaching operation is easy to improve productivity.

A gas generator for an air bag has a combustion chamber (6), which is surrounded by an annular filter chamber (11), wherein the annular filter (14) of the filter chamber (11) has an exposed annular surface extending on its outside over its entire circumference for discharging the propellant gases into...     

A fast-acting solenoid actuated valve assembly is disclosed which utilizes a pressure biased primary valve member and a secondary solenoid actuated valve member. The solenoid is operative to initially partially open the secondary valve member to thereby vent the primary valve pressure biasing to thereby...     

An occupant restraint system includes a folded cushion and a reaction member mounted to the support of the system by a strap. The reaction member is pocketed to the inside of the upper wall of the cushion by flaps to seal the interface between the reaction member and the upper wall of the cushion. The...     

An air bag inflator includes a gas source and a gas outlet opening to allow flow of gas from the gas source into the air bag. A valve assembly for controlling flow of gas through the gas outlet opening includes a piston disposed in a cylinder. The piston has a surface against which the gas acts to move...     

An air bag collision safety device (air bag) for the occupants of a vehicle has an air bag (3) being inflatable by means of a compressed gas source (1, 2). In order to render possible a soft immersion of the body in the air bag (3), between the air bag interior (51) and the ambiance (52) an outlet valve...     

An occupant restraint system includes a folded cushion having an upper wall portion against which is seated a reaction member mounted to the support plate of the system by a strap. The periphery of the reaction member is sealed or pocketed to the upper wall portion by (1) flaps sewn to the upper wall...     

An occupant restraint system comprises an inflatable air bag having an open end which is closed by one side of a base plate having a central circular opening flanked by a plurality of circumferentially-spaced mounting holes. An inflator for the air bag has a cylindrical casing with radial fluid discharge...     

An air bag valve assembly for installation in an opening in the fabric wall of an air bag includes first and second housing panels of flexible sheet material which overlie one another and are permeable to pass gas therethrough. The edge portions of the housing panels are stitched together to form a housing...     

An occupant restraint air bag assembly includes an air bag having a base wall portion communicating with an inflator and a face wall for contacting the occupant upon inflation of the bag. A vent opening is provided in the base wall portion of the air bag for venting a portion of the inflation gas from...     

A compact filtering device for use in pyrotechnic gas generators comprising of series of small conduits which generally transport the exhaust products from the combustor exit ports to the generator exit ports. Particulate traps (12): which are created by locating the conduit exit ports (11) at some point...     

An airbag assembly including an inflatable airbag, an ignitable propellant charge for generating inflating gas and a filter between the interior of the airbag and the propellant charge. The filter comprising a porous carbon foam substrate coated substantially throughout with a thermally and structurally...     

An air bag inflator (10) includes a housing (12) open at one end. Inflator parts including gas generating material (70) are disposed in the housing (12). A retainer assembly (138) in the housing has a first part (170) expanded outwardly into interlocking engagement with a part (30) of the housing wall...     

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...     

A gas generator comprises a propellant container having an igniter at one end thereof for igniting a propellant, a secondary propellant charge comprising a plurality of circular grains having a diameter to thickness ratio greater than 2.5, and a primary propellant charge disposed between said igniter...     

A stored gas inflator is operable over a wide range of initial temperatures and such that the dependence of its total output as a function of initial temperature is substantially reduced. A vessel contains gas under pressure and has a seated outlet for the gas which is adapted to open upon command and...     

An essentially cylindrical gas generator for generating combustion gases. The gas generator includes a housing having gas outlet openings; a combustion chamber surrounded by the housing; gas-generating fuel disposed in the combustion chamber; an igniting device disposed in the combustion chamber for...     

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...     

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...     

An inflator for a vehicular air bag. The inflator has a metal cover and metal base sealingly connected to each other by a weldless joint. The cover or the base has a circumferential lip defining a channel and a rim of the other of the cover and base is received within the channel. The cover and base...     

An improved air cushion restraint system utilizes a gas flow-regulating valve having an inner membrane, an outer membrane, a pucker formed therebetween, and a flow passage from the air bag inflation chamber to the pucker for expulsion through an outer membrane aperture. The inner membrane is extensible...     

In a gas bag protective device for a vehicle occupant with an inflatable gas bag, a gas generator with a plurality of gas outlet openings and a generally tubular diffusor surrounding the gas generator and provided with a plurality of gas distribution openings are located within the gas bag. A casing...     

An inflator includes a vessel for a source of gas under pressure. A pulse shaping valving means in the form of a Belleville washer or a sliding valve actuated by a Belleville washer operates to shape the pulse of gas flowing out of the vessel. Other than for a brief initial moment the flowrate of gas...     

A gas generator for generating gas under pressure. The gas generator comprises a device for providing a first gas including a pressure vessel containing the first gas, the first gas being an oxidizing gas; a device for providing a second gas adapted to be oxidized by the first gas and including a pyrotechnic...     

An air bag inflator which includes a gas source and a gas outlet opening for allowing flow of gas from the gas source into the air bag wherein the flow of gas is controlled with a valve assembly including a piston disposed in a cylinder and features a piston which has a pintle shaped surface against...     

An air bag inflation which includes a gas source and a gas outlet opening for allowing flow of gas from the gas source into the air bag wherein the flow of gas is controlled with a valve assembly including a piston disposed in a cylinder and features a piston against which the gas acts to cause movement...     

A hybrid inflator for an automotive inflatable safety system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a mixture of an inert gas (e.g., argon) and oxygen are contained within the inflator housing and a hybrid propellant (i.e., ballistic properties similar to double-base and long-term stability similar to LOVA)...     

A hybrid inflator for an automotive inflatable safety system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a mixture of an inert gas (e.g., argon) and oxygen are contained within the inflator housing and a hybrid propellant (i.e., ballistic properties similar to double-base and long-term stability similar to LOVA)...     

A gas generator for a vehicular air bag. A capsular enclosure forms a reaction chamber with a wall having a frangible portion. An electrically-conductive, heat-generating initiator inside the chamber initiates a liquid gas-generating charge that is auto-ignitable by the initiator. Its reaction is self-sustaining...     

A filter for an air bag inflator comprises juxtaposed layers of pierced sheet metal, wire cloth of a first relatively low mesh, ceramic filter media and wire cloth of relatively larger mesh in a radially outwardly extending array.

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...     

An inflator and method of constructing the inflator comprising: a pressure vessel (22) in which inflation gas is stored; the pressure vessel including a first opening (114), pyrotechnic generator (42, 130) situated remote from the pressure vessel for generating products of to heat the inflation gas,...     

An apparatus (24) for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (22) comprises a container (40) which defines a chamber (42) for material which effects inflation of the protection device. The container (40) includes an opening (60) of a flow area through which fluid flows to inflate...     

A motor vehicle has a rigid vehicle body structure with a compartment for passengers and payload. The vehicle body structure has a front, a back, and sides. An exterior skin is connected to the vehicle body structure and includes a plurality of aerial exterior skin portions. At least one impact protection...     

A spool valve controls the release of gas from a pressure vessel into an airbag upon the release of the gas in the event of a collision. The valve uses pilot pressure acting on either end of the spool to actuate the spool. The position of the spool within the valve determines the flow rate through the...     

The air bag apparatus has a pressure adjusting mechanism. The pressure adjusting mechanism controls a flow rate of the operating gas. When acceleration caused by a collision exceeds a predetermined level by a small level, the pressure adjusting mechanism releases the operating gas into the atmosphere....     

In a pyrotechnic or hybrid inflator the combustion gas on its way to inflate the cushion is filtered through at least one layer of wire mesh in which the metal wire mesh is composed of wire having mechanically enhanced surface area. In particular, the strands of wire of the wire mesh is formed with and...     

In an air bag device, a diffuser 5 is provided with a partition wall 51 partitioning a space on a case opening side of the diffuser 5 into a passenger side and a side further from the passenger; a gas guiding passage 7 for guiding gas produced by an inflator 4 to a case opening 21 is formed on the side...     

The cost and ease of manufacture and assembly of airbag inflators is enhanced by welding sections of the inflator housing together in a recessed portion of the side wall of such housing. By providing a portion of the housing side wall which is recessed sufficiently that it contains all of the weld flashing...     

Apparatus for inflating a vehicle air bag and for reducing the inflation rate of the air bag in the event that an occupant of the vehicle engages the air bag before it is fully inflated, including a gas generating unit for producing an inflation gas in response to a predetermined impact to the vehicle,...     

There is described a synthetic yarn fabric for the gas-releasing part of an airbag. The synthetic yarn is a synthetic high-tenacity multifilament yarn having a filament linear density of less than 4 dtex and a yarn count within the range from 250 to 550 dtex. The fabric itself is in a crepe or modified...     

A gas bag is provided, which has an inflation opening and a fabric part. The gas bag comprises a wall with an interior surface defining the interior of the gas bag. The fabric part is arranged in the interior of the gas bag opposite to the inflation opening. The fabric part, together with a part of the...     

An apparatus (10) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14), a source (16) of inflation fluid, and a valve (20) in an inflation fluid flow path extending from the source (16) to the protection device (14) through the valve (20). The valve (20) is actuatable to regulate a flow of...     

An adaptively controlled safety restraint system (20) is disclosed which includes a safety restraint device (22, 24) operative in response to a flow of pressurized gas, and fluid means (28) having a stored energy device (30) which can be activated to produce pressurized gas which is discharged through...     

A driver's air bag arrangement comprises an inflatable bag (2), a housing (6) and an inflator module and includes a generally cylindrically shaped gas container (3) shaped and dimensioned so that a substantial part of the container is locatable within a coaxial with a steering column shaft (4) of an...     

The invention is directed to an actuation system that is contained within a divided pressure vessel which has two chambers under pressure, separated by a common partition and piston. The system is operated by causing an opening in the first chamber, creating a pressure differential between the two chambers...     

A simplified airbag inflator providing a convoluted pathway for passage of inflation gases from the combustion chamber of the inflator to exhaust ports leading to an inflatable airbag is provided. The inflator has a U-shaped filter element and U-shaped diffuser attached to an inflator housing defining...     

An apparatus (10) includes a pressure vessel (16) and a valve assembly (20). The pressure vessel (16) includes a source of inflation fluid for an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14). The valve assembly (20) regulates an outlet flow of the inflation fluid from the pressure vessel (16),...     

An airbag inflator which can supply airbag inflation gas in an adaptive output is provided. The subject inflator includes two discrete isolated chambers of gas generant materials and permits several distinct inflation performance scenarios while desirably employing a single set of inflation gas treatment...     

An automatically inflatable air bag for protection of vehicle occupants during collisions, the bag having an exterior or forward compartment and interior or rearward compartment, where the exterior compartment is inflated first.

An apparatus (10) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) and a container (16) which contains a source of inflation fluid. A valve (30) is located outside the container (16) in an inflation fluid flow path extending from the container (16) to the protection device (14). An initiator...     

A gas generator utilizes two segregated propellant container/combustion chambers, each having a plurality of nonazide propellant grains therein, and each having an igniter for separately igniting the propellant grains located within the respective chambers. A perforated insulating tube disposed between...     

An airbag system of an automotive vehicle, wherein an airbag expanded and deployed to position in front of the vehicle occupant in the event of eccentric, left/right collision is added by a control member for being rotated on an inflator by inertia and for restraining flow direction of gas infused into...     

An apparatus (10) comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (12) and an actuatable inflator (14) for, when actuated, providing inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The inflator (14) includes a circumferentially spaced plurality of radially extending...     

This invention relates to a multi-stage gas bag inflator, operable initially, when activated, to cause the gas bag to deploy slowly and then, after a delay, to deploy rapidly, includes a housing having at least first and second chambers of preferably different size, separated by a bulkhead. One chamber...     

An apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a collision comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device 12. An inflator 14 having a source of inflation fluid 48 for inflating the protection device 12 includes a passage 30 through which the inflation fluid 48 flows...     

An apparatus (12) includes an elongated pressure vessel (30) containing a source of inflation fluid for a vehicle occupant protection device (14). The apparatus (12) further includes an inflation fluid outlet manifold (32) at one end (34) of the pressure vessel (30). The manifold (32) has outlet openings...     

An airbag inflator which can supply airbag inflation gas in an adaptive output is provided. The subject inflator includes two discrete and isolated chambers of gas generant materials. At least one of the chambers includes a lid closure adapted to open to place the combustion products formed within the...     

The invention relates to a gas generator, comprising a first gas-generating stage and at least one gas-generating stage arranged downstream of the first stage, and also comprising a device for detecting a pressure change in the gas generator, wherein the device for detecting the pressure change comprises...     

A device for inflating an airbag has a gas generator that produces an inflation gas. A valve control adjusts the cross-section of a flow channel through which the inflation gas is supplied to the interior of the airbag by means of valve elements. The valve elements are held in an unactivated position...     

A multi-level output inflator for air bags or the like, comprising a center bulkhead, a primary gas generating unit connected at its inner end to one side of the bulkhead, and a secondary gas generating unit connected at its inner end to the opposite side of the bulkhead. The primary gas generating unit...     

Apparatus for use in passenger inflatable air-bag safety systems for preventing activation of an activator inflator from causing premature activation of any inflator not yet activated by system programming. The apparatus includes structure for isolating the pressure releasing construction from shock...     

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

An airbag module has a gas distributor arranged between a gas generator and an airbag, in which at least a first and a second flow path for a gas are provided in the gas distributor. At least one valve device that opens and closes the respective flow path is arranged in each case in the flow paths. The...     

An inflation system for inflating an air bag installed in a vehicle features an impact sensor for measuring an impact exerted on the vehicle and an inflator having a housing with a gas chamber and gas jettison opening for flowing the gas out of the housing and into the air bag. The inflator includes...     

An air bag inflator is divided into first and second gas chambers. The inflator starts to discharge gas by breaking a seal of the first gas chamber. As the pressure difference between the first gas chamber and the second gas chamber is increased, a disk closure situated between the first and second gas...     

In a retainer 19 which supports an inflator 20 and an air bag 21 of an air bag device Rd, disposed are a control valve 30 configured by bonding a plate-like piezoelectric element 31 to a protector 21 made of a metal, vent holes 29 which are opened and closed by the control valve 30, and internal-pressure...     

A gas bag has several walls of layers of fabric, which delimit the interior of said gas bag, adjacent walls being connected in one piece with each other by interweaving, and an outer periphery along which said walls are connected to each other by interweaving, and several chambers which are separated...     

A gas generator for an airbag has a reduced number of components and in which an automatic ignition material can ignite at an appropriate time. This gas generator includes a housing, an ignition unit accommodating chamber in the housing, an ignition unit installed in the ignition unit accommodating chamber,...     

Annular wire mesh filters for airbag assemblies for passenger vehicles are provided with a series of ribs extending parallel with the axis of the annulus and along the outer wall. The ribs provide added strength to the filter. Also provided is a method of manufacturing the compressed mesh filter with...     

An inflator (10) for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device includes an inflator housing (20) and an inflation fluid source (240) in the inflator housing actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device. The inflator (10) also includes...     

The invention relates to an airbag system in a safety system, especially in motor vehicles, including a gas generator arranged in a gas guide housing (10), and at least one airbag connected to an assigned connection opening (11). The inventive airbag system also has a sliding element (16) which can be...     

A three-point seat belt comprising an inflatable chest/shoulder belt part and pelvic restraint part. In a transitional area between these two parts, a continuously open gas channel is embodied inside the belt, which channel communicates with the belt interior of both the pelvic restraint part and the...     

A rectifying plate (53) is inserted between gas outlets of a first inflator (51a) and/or a second inflator (51b) and a diffuser (55), and is formed with a plurality of openings which have different areas and uniform gas flows released from the gas outlets, and the opening area corresponding to the inactive...     

An airbag module (10) contains a gas generating inflator (18) containing a plurality of apertures (24) in radially spaced relation to an external annular filter (40) constrained by a retainer (42). The plurality of apertures (24) are each radially aligned with the filter (40). Gases produced from inflator...     

An inflator (10) comprises a housing (20) defining first and second combustion chambers (100, 120). A first inflation fluid source (140) in the first combustion chamber (100) is actuatable to effect flow of inflation fluid. A first initiator (112) in the housing (20), when energized, effects actuation...     

This present invention provides variable deployment performance by controlling the quantity and fluid flow path of the inflator gas into or out of an air bag module according to the present invention. The air bag module includes a slide ring mechanism disposed about an inflator and adjacent at least...     

A solid propellant gas generator incorporating staged gas cooling and filtration so as to generate cool, clean gases having a composition suitable for use as automobile airbag inflator.

A passenger seat air bag has a bottom wall portion having an aperture portion for inflating gas inlet, and a ceiling wall portion. The air bag is shaped into a bag in which outer circumferential edges of the bottom wall portion and the ceiling wall portion are coupled with each other. At the beginning...     

The invention relates to an airbag apparatus for motor vehicles, in particular to a side airbag apparatus comprising a gas generator and a gas filling tube. The tube is provided along its length at predetermined distances gas overflow openings. The openings are connected to an inflatable gas bag which...     

A pyrotechnical gas generator, preferably for an airbag system, consists of a housing, an ignition unit, a gas generating mixture, a conically shaped cooling system (or cooling and filtering system) tapering in the discharge direction, a gas generating mixture disposed within the cooling system. The...     

The invention relates to an airbag module comprising a gas generator, diffuser and a gas bag. The invention is characterized in that the gas generator (5) is arranged in a diffuser (1) or housing of the gas generator with a stepped structure when seen in a longitudinal section. The diffuser (1) or the...     

An inflator (10) for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) comprises a storage container (30), a primary inflation fluid under pressure in a gaseous state in the container, and a secondary inflation fluid under pressure in the container. The container (30) is openable to enable...     

A vent hole disposed in a retainer, which supports an inflator and an air bag of an air bag device, is opened and closed by a control valve including a plate-shaped valve member. The valve member of the control valve includes a body reinforced by a flange, and a piezoelectric element operates as an actuator...