US 8,132,829 B2 · Pretensioner

Abstract

In the pretensioner, a guiding wall is provided in a generator-side passing portion of a gas passing portion, and an inner portion of the generator-side passing portion at a portion where the guard wall is set is located to a base end rather than a tip end of a wire protective cylinder. Further, a gas generator mounting hole and the generator-side passing portion is inclined to be directed the base end of the wire protective cylinder. For this reason, gas that is jetted from a gas generator is blown to the base end of the wire protective cylinder or a surrounding portion thereof. As a result, even though the thickness of the wire protective cylinder is not set to be large, it can be against pressure of the blown gas.

A pretensioner comprising:

a cylinder whose one end portion opens and that slidably accommodates therein a piston;
a connecting member, a tip end portion of which is connected to:
an anchor to which a tip end portion in a longitudinal direction of a webbing belt configuring a seat belt device is connected, or
a buckle to which a tongue provided at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the webbing belt is attached, and
a base end portion of which is connected to the piston, the base end portion of the connecting member being pulled by the piston sliding toward another end of the cylinder so that the connecting member moves toward the other end of the cylinder;
a gas generating section that generates gas by being activated;
a pretensioner body at which a cylinder mounting portion, a gas generating section mounting portion and a gas passing portion are formed,
the one end portion of the cylinder being mounted in the cylinder mounting portion, the gas generating section being mounted in the gas generating section mounting portion provided at a position different from a position of the cylinder mounting portion, and
the gas passing portion linking the cylinder mounting portion and the gas generating section mounting portion such that the gas generated at the gas generating section passes therein toward the cylinder, and the connecting member which passes through the one end portion of the cylinder and extends to the anchor or the buckle passes through the gas passing portion;
a through hole formed at the pretensioner body, whose one end portion opens at an inner peripheral portion of the gas passing portion and whose other end portion opens at an outer surface of the pretensioner body, the connecting member which passes through the gas passing portion and extends to the anchor or the buckle passing through the through hole;
a guard section axially extending from an edge of the one end portion of the through hole toward an inside of the gas passing portion, and existing between the gas generating section and the connecting member, the guard section suppressing the gas generated at the gas generating section from being blown on to the connecting member;
and
a gas guiding section provided at the inside of the gas passing portion between the guard section and the gas generating section mounting portion, the gas guiding section guiding the gas generated at the gas generating section toward a base end portion of the guard section,
wherein the gas passing portion includes a gas generating section side gas passing portion at which the gas generating section mounting portion is provided, a cylinder side gas passing portion at which the cylinder mounting portion is provided, and a bent portion located between the gas generating section side gas passing portion and the cylinder side gas passing portion wherein an outlet end of the gas generating section side gas passing portion is defined in part by a side of the bent portion, the outlet end having an axial extent that is less than an axial extent of the guard section and that does not overlap a tip end of the guard section.

11 more elements

Description9,407 words

Summary2,371 words

#This application claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-266481 filed on Oct. 15, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a pretensioner capable of increasing a tensile force of a webbing belt by pulling an anchor to which an end of the webbing belt is fastened or a buckle device in which a tongue provided at the webbing belt is attached constituting a seat belt device of a vehicle when rapid deceleration of the vehicle.

Brief description of the drawings3 figures

#An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the following figures, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a main portion of a pretensioner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the appearance of a pretensioner body constituting a pretensioner according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

Detailed description6,940 words

#<Configuration of this Exemplary Embodiment>

#FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a pretensioner 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

#As shown in FIG. 1, the pretensioner 10 includes a cylinder 12. The cylinder 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape (a tube shape) in which at least one of end portions thereof is opened. The cylinder 12 accommodates inside thereof a piston 14 that is formed by performing forge forming (molding) of metal. The piston 14 includes a piston body 16. The piston body 16 is configured such that an outer diameter gradually increases toward the side of a tip end (another end) of the cylinder 12 (side of a direction shown by an arrow A in FIG. 1), and, at least, it is formed into cone shape such that the outer circumferential shape of an end of the piston main body 16 at the tip end side of the cylinder 12 is almost equal to the inner circumferential shape of the cylinder 12, by cutting the forged molded work piece.

Facts

Application

12/575,413Filed 7 Oct 2009

Priority

JP 2008-26648115 Oct 2008

Published

US 2010/0090454 A115 Apr 2010

Granted

13 Mar 2012

Term ends

15 Jun 2030

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 251 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification3 codes

B60R 22/1955
Characterised by fluid actuators, e.g. pyrotechnic gas generators: linear actuators
B60R 22/1952
With means to tension the belt in an emergency, e.g. means of the through-anchor or splitted reel type: transmission of tensioning power by cable;…
B60R
Vehicle fittings and parts

Timeline

15 Oct 2008Priority claimedJP 2008-266481
7 Oct 2009Application filedUS 12/575,413
7 Oct 2009Assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakushoassignment of assignor's interest
15 Apr 2010PublishedUS 2010/0090454 A1
13 Mar 2012GrantedUS 8,132,829 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
15 Jun 2030Term endsEstimated, includes 251 days of adjustment

Pretensioner

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Pretensioner

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Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims5

Description9,407 words

Drawings

Classification3 codes

Life of this patent

Description9,407 words