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US 2003/0150519 A1Published application
Hybrid-gas generator, in particular for filling a gas bag
OwnerPeter Lellinventor
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OwnerPeter Lellinventor
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The invention relates to a hybrid gas generator, in particular for filling a gas bag, comprising a combustion chamber (3) which contains a predetermined amount of a gas generating material (11) and which comprises an outlet opening of the combustion chamber, further comprising an activating device (9) for activating the gas generating material (11) and further comprising a gas vessel (5) containing a stored gas, which is connected with the combustion chamber (3) via the outlet opening of the combustion chamber, which is sealed off in the initial state, and which comprises at least one outlet opening (25) for the gas mixture which is sealed off by means of an outlet membrane (23) in the initial state, wherein the gas that is generated in the combustion chamber (3) after the gas generating material (11) has been activated acts upon a projectile (29) via the outlet opening of the combustion chamber, which projectile is accelerated by the gas pressure and destroys the outlet membrane (23), whereby the gas mixture consisting of the gas generated and the stored gas escapes from the outlet opening (25). According to the invention, the outlet opening of the combustion chamber runs into the interior space of the gas vessel (5) via a guide channel (21) having a predetermined length, and the projectile is formed as a projectile (29) which is separate in the initial state and is provided in the guide channel (21), the projectile (29) being located in the guide channel such that it keeps a distance from the outlet opening of the guide channel (21) by a predetermined barrel length in the initial state. According to the invention, a membrane (31) is provided between the projectile (29) and the combustion chamber (3), which, as soon as a predetermined threshold pressure of the gas generated in the combustion chamber (3) is exceeded, is destroyed by this pressure, whereby the projectile (29) is immediately acted upon and accelerated by the pressure of the gas generated which exceeds the threshold pressure. Furthermore, the invention relates to a hybrid gas generator in which no separate projectile is provided. Instead, a membrane is used which is formed such that at least the part of the membrane which closes the cross-section of the guide channel is broken out of the membrane substantially in one piece and serves as a projectile once a predetermined threshold pressure of the gas generated in the combustion chamber is exceeded.
A hybrid gas generator, in particular for filling a gas bag,
A hybrid gas generator, in particular for filling a gas bag,
A gas generator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cross-section of said guide channel (21) is set to a value which ensures that the maximum working pressure generated in said gas vessel (5) after said gas generating material (11) has been activated is below a predetermined value, preferably lower than 300 to 400 bar.
A gas generator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the barrel length for the projectile is determined to be such that the kinetic energy of the projectile is sufficient to securely destroy said outlet membrane (23) when the projectile hits it.
A gas generator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said outlet membrane (23) is configured and designed such that it is destroyed as soon as a critical pressure of the mixture of stored gas and gas generated is exceeded in said gas vessel (5) even without being destroyed by said projectile.
A gas generator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure resistance, in particular the wall thickness, of said gas vessel (5) is designed for the maximum working pressure or the critical pressure in consideration of a safety reserve.
A gas generator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said gas vessel (5) is configured to be tube-shaped.
A gas generator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outlet opening of the combustion chamber is shielded from the solid or liquid particles produced when gas is generated by means of a particle removing device (33), which is arranged in front of the outlet opening of the combustion chamber at a predetermined distance thereto.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.