Igniter mechanism for a pyrotechnical gas generator
AssigneeTRW Repa GmbH
InventorMartin Rohrle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to an igniter mechanism for a pyrotechnical gas generator of a vehicle occupant restraining system in which either an impact member or the gas generator for actuating the belt tensioning action is pretensioned by at least one spring so that the spring loads the impact member in a first direction against a stop. In addition the spring counteracts movement of the impact member in a second direction as a result of the forces of inertia acting on acceleration of the vehicle by means of a force which grows until a center position is reached. Force conversion means are provided to convert a torque generated by said spring into an axial force applied to said impact member.
Claims7
An igniter mechanism for a pyrotechnical gas generator in a vehicle occupant restraint system, the gas generator having an impact igniter and being accommodated in a housing which is to be attached on the vehicle bodywork, comprising an impact member movable in an axial direction of and within said housing between a rest position and a striking position on said impact igniter, said impact member being guided in said housing to prevent rotation thereof about a longitudinal axis, a force transmitting member mounted in said housing so as to be rotatable about said longitudinal axis and biasing means acting between said housing and said force transmitting member to bias said member in rotation about said axis, said force transmitting member and said impact member being coupled with each other by force conversion means which
- (i) convert rotation of said force transmitting member caused by said biasing means into an axial movement of said impact member away from said impact igniter,
- (ii) convert vehicle sensitive axial movement of said impact member in the direction towards said impact igniter into a rotational movement of said force transmitting member against said biasing means, and
- (iii) convert rotation of said force transmitting member caused by said biasing means into a forced axial movement of said impact member against said impact igniter after said impact member has moved axially towards said impact igniter beyond a predetermined point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.