Venting device for an airbag inflator

An airbag inflator containing gas under pressure, said airbag inflator comprising:

• an inflator housing with an outlet passage through which the gas flows from the inflator housing;
• a rupturable closure member fixed to the container and blocking flow of the gas from the inflator housing;
• a device for supporting the rupturable closure member, the device comprising a hollow support having a tapered portion and an adjoining cylindrical portion, both an inside diameter and an outside diameter of the tapered portion having minimum sizes at an open smaller end of the tapered portion, both the inside and outside diameters of the tapered portion increasing to maximum sizes at a larger end of the tapered portion that is adjacent to the cylindrical portion, and the cylindrical portion extending to an open second end of the support, an exterior surface of the tapered portion having longitudinally extending grooves therein;
• an igniter located adjacent the cylindrical portion of the support;
• a pyrotechnic substance located in the cylindrical portion of the support between the igniter and the tapered portion of the support;
• the rupturable closure member being forced against the open first end of the tapered portion of the support by the gas in the inflator housing such that a chamber is formed within the support, the igniter when activated ignites the pyrotechnic substance and the burning pyrotechnic substance generates gas under pressure that causes the tapered portion of the support to break along the longitudinally extending grooves and no longer support the rupturable closure member allowing the gas in the inflator housing to rupture the unsupported rupturable closure member.

An airbag inflator comprising:

• a tubular inflator housing containing gas under pressure, the inflator housing having two ends with an outlet passage at one end of the inflator housing sealed by a rupturable closure member fixed to the inflator housing blocking the flow of gas from the inflator housing, wherein gas can flow from the inflator housing upon the rupturing of the a rupturable closure member;
• a device fixed to said one end of the inflator housing for supporting the rupturable closure member, the device comprising a hollow support having a tapered portion and an adjoining cylindrical portion, both an inside diameter and an outside diameter of the tapered portion having minimum sizes at an open smaller end of the tapered portion of the support, both the inside and outside diameters of the tapered portion increasing to maximum sizes at a larger end of the tapered portion that is adjacent to the cylindrical portion, and the cylindrical portion extending to an open end of the support, an exterior surface of the tapered portion having longitudinally extending grooves therein;
• an igniter located adjacent the cylindrical portion of the support;
• a pyrotechnic substance located in the cylindrical portion of the support between the igniter and the tapered portion of the support;
• the rupturable closure member being forced against the open first end of the tapered portion of the support by the gas in the inflator housing such that a chamber is formed within the support, the igniter when activated ignites the pyrotechnic substance and the burning pyrotechnic substance generates gas under pressure that causes the tapered portion of the support to break along the longitudinally extending grooves and no longer support the rupturable closure member allowing the gas in the inflator housing to rupture the unsupported rupturable closure member.

An airbag inflator comprising:

• a tubular inflator housing containing gas under pressure, the tubular inflator housing having two ends and a longitudinal axis;
• a hollow vent housing having an end wall fixed to one end of the tubular inflator housing, the vent housing having a longitudinal axis that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the tubular inflator housing, the end wall of the vent housing having a gas outlet passage therethrough such that an interior chamber of the vent housing communicates with an interior chamber of the inflator housing via the gas outlet passage;
• a rupturable closure member fixed to the vent housing blocking the flow of gas through the outlet passage from inside the inflator housing through the outlet passage to inside the vent housing, and the vent housing having at least one gas escape opening therethrough oriented radially with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vent housing to allow gas to pass from inside the vent housing to outside the vent housing;
• a hollow support housing fixed to the support housing, the hollow support housing having a longitudinal axis that is coaxial with the longitudinal axes of both the hollow vent housing and the tubular inflator housing;
• a hollow support for supporting the rupturable closure member, the support having a tapered portion and an adjoining cylindrical portion, both an inside diameter and an outside diameter of the tapered portion having minimum sizes at an open smaller end of the tapered portion, both the inside and outside diameters of the tapered portion increasing to maximum sizes at a larger end of the tapered portion that is adjacent to the cylindrical portion, and the cylindrical portion extending to an open end of the support, an exterior surface of the tapered portion having longitudinally extending grooves therein, the cylindrical portion of the support being fixed to at least one interior surface of the support housing such that the tapered portion of the support extends beyond the support housing into the vent housing;
• an igniter is located adjacent of the cylindrical portion of the support;
• a pyrotechnic substance located in the cylindrical portion of the support between the igniter and the tapered portion of the support;
• the rupturable closure member being forced against the open first end of the tapered portion of the support by the gas in the inflator housing such that a chamber is formed within the support, the igniter when activated ignites the pyrotechnic substance and the burning pyrotechnic substance generates gas under pressure that causes the tapered portion of the support to break along the longitudinally extending grooves and no longer support the rupturable closure member allowing the gas in the inflator housing to rupture the unsupported rupturable closure member.