EP0502630A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Projectile for initiating inflation
Assignee: Oea Inc
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Filing: 1992-02-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-02-21
Abstract
Abstract A projectile (82) is provided for releasing a gas or other suitable fluid to initiate operation of an inflator (30) in a motor vehicle inflatable safety system. In one embodiment, the projectile (82) has a plurality of intersecting, concave, and inclined faces (86) which taper to a point at the tip (90) of the projectile (82). The projectile (82) is positioned on the convex side of a dome-shaped disk (38) which isolates the inflator (30) from an expandable confinement. When a condition is detected requiring operation of the inflator (30), the projectile is freely propelled toward the disk controllably to separate the disk (38) along lines coinciding with the edges defined by the intersecting faces (86) of the projectile (82) to reduce the potential for portions of the disk (38) breaking or tearing off and entering the flow from the inflator (30) to the confinement.
Inventors
- 👤 Brian K. Hamilton
- 👤 Brent A. Parks
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 16:10
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/02; B60R21/16; B60R21/26; B60R21/268; B60R21/272; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/1624; Y10T137/1632; Y10T137/1647
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
83 words
An inflator apparatus, comprising: first means for containing pressurized gas; second means for providing a barrier to the escaping of pressurized gas; and third means for causing said second means to rupture to permit flow of pressurized gas from said first means, wherein said third means includes a projectile and, when said projectile is caused to move, said projectile passes through said second means, wherein substantially all of said second means remains together and substantially no fragments of said second means are produced.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
45 words
An apparatus, as claimed in Claim 1, wherein: said projectile includes a head having a plurality of faces with each of said faces being defined using at least one boundary edge and in which said boundary edge defines a boundary between two of said faces.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus, as claimed in Claim 2, wherein: each of said boundary edges is defined by a radius and said radius is substantially less than the thickness of those portions of said second means through which said projectile passes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus, as claimed in Claim 2, wherein: said boundary edge is substantially straight.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus, as claimed in Claim 2, wherein: said projectile head includes a tip that is substantially a point, wherein said point and said boundary edges provide a cutting action when said projectile moves through said second means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus, as claimed in Claim 2, wherein; each of said faces is substantially equal in size to the other of said faces and said boundary edges and said faces converge to a tip that is substantially a point.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus, as claimed in Claim 2, wherein: each of said faces is concave.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus, as claimed in Claim 2, wherein: the number of said faces is greater than three and less than eleven.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus, as claimed in Claim 3, wherein: said thickness of said second means portions is in the range of about 3-10 times greater than the magnitude of said radius.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
An apparatus, as claimed in Claim 1, wherein: said projectile includes a plurality of faces and said second means has a number of petals after said projectile passes through said second means, with the number of said petals depending upon the number of said faces.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus, as claimed in Claim 1, wherein: said second means includes disk means having a convex side facing said projectile and a concave side on which pressurized gas acts.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
An apparatus, as claimed in Claim 11, wherein: said disk means is pre-stressed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus, as claimed in Claim 11, wherein: said second means includes petals after said projectile passes through said second means with said petals facing in a direction opposite the direction that said projectile moves in passing through said second means.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
46 words
A method for permitting gas flow in an inflator apparatus, comprising: propelling a projectile towards a barrier means; rupturing said barrier means using said projectile while substantially all portions of said barrier means remain together so that substantially no fragments of said barrier means are created.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method, as claimed in Claim 14, wherein: said step of rupturing includes creating petals in said barrier means and the number of said petals depends on the number of faces of said projectile.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method, as claimed in Claim 15, wherein: said step of rupturing includes using gas flow to move said petals in said direction opposite the direction of said projectile movement.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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