| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080211215 | Inflator second stage combustion control - A new type of airbag inflator that may be used in an airbag system is disclosed. The inflator will generally include a housing and two initiators. Accordingly, the inflator is a “dual-stage” inflator. The two stages are disposed within the housing. The second initiator is disposed within a second stage generant cup. A cap is also used to engage the second stage cup. The cap maintains seated engagement with the second stage cup, even during deployment of the second stage. The second stage will also include one or more perforations, which constitute openings through which gas may flow. When the second initiator is in the unactuated state, these perforations will be isolated from the generant by the cap. Actuation of the second initiator unseals the one or more perforations but does not unseat the cap from the cup, due to constraints put in place to prevent such unseating. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20080238050 | Airbag tether cutter and vent closer - Disclosed are embodiments of apparatus, methods, and systems for cutting one or more tethers connected with an airbag cushion and simultaneously, or sequentially, closing one or more vent openings. In one embodiment, an airbag module is provided that includes a tether opening and at least one vent opening. The tether may extend through the tether opening adjacent to a cutter. The cutter may be configured to cut the tether upon deployment of an actuator. A vent door configured to block the vent opening(s) upon deployment of the actuator may also be provided. This embodiment may therefore provided for simultaneous, or sequential, cutting of the tether and closing of the vent opening(s) with a single actuator. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080246258 | Non-circular burst disk geometry for improved material utilization - A burst disk for use in an inflator having an orifice. The burst disk includes a surface that may be disposed adjacent to the orifice. This surface includes a first side, a second side, and a non-circular perimeter, wherein at least one diagonal across the first side is greater than or equal to the diameter of the orifice. The burst disk may be generally square or rectangular in shape. By forming the burst disk in this manner, a lesser amount of raw material is needed to make the burst disk. Also, a lesser amount of material is wasted during the manufacturing process. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20090032113 | FLAMELESS RELIEF VALVE - A relief valve for use with a conduit includes a housing attached to the conduit and an engagement member slidably disposed within the housing and movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The engagement member pierces the conduit when moved from the retracted position to the extended position. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090108572 | Dual stage cylindrical inflator with outside to inside axial flow - A new type of inflator that may be used to inflate an airbag is disclosed. The inflator will have a longitudinal axis, a first chamber, and a filter. The filter may be positioned outside of the first chamber. A first quantity of gas generant is positioned within the first chamber. A first strainer having a plurality of gas flow holes is also positioned within the first chamber. The first quantity of gas generant is located exterior of the strainer. Upon combustion of the first quantity of gas generant produces a first quantity of gas that flows towards the longitudinal axis while passing through the gas flow holes, enters the filter, and then flows away from the longitudinal axis while passing through the filter. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090236835 | AIRBAG WITH STOP LEAK MATERIAL - An inflatable cushion assembly for deployment in a vehicle. The assembly has an inflator, an inflatable cushion, and particles of a stop leak material. Upon deployment, the stop leak material becomes temporarily dispersed by and suspended in inflation gas such that the cushion is rendered less porous to inflation gas. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20090283995 | Variable output using piezo valve technology - An airbag inflator that contains a first quantity of inflation gas. This gas may be housed in a chamber. A quantity of liquid fuel may also be added. This fuel may be housed within a liquid fuel chamber. The quantity of inflation gas may operate to pressurize the liquid fuel chamber. A piezo-valve is also added. The piezo-valve seals the liquid fuel chamber. The piezo-valve is capable of variably releasing liquid fuel from the chamber such that when this secondary liquid is ignited, the airbag inflation gas can be augmented as desired. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20100013201 | Liquid cooled hybrid - An inflator that includes a quantity of gas generant housed within a chamber. A liquid and a piston are also housed within another chamber. This chamber is sealed by a burst disk. The piston includes an opening. During deployment of the inflator, the burst disk is ruptured and the piston moves towards the distal end of the inflator. The movement of the piston hydraulically expels the liquid through the opening in the piston such that the liquid cools and contacts the gas formed by combustion of the gas generant. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100021264 | SEPARATION FASTENER WITH SEGMENTED WASHER - A separation fastener assembly including a base and a housing positioned adjacent the base. A nut is disposed in the cavity. A bolt extends through an aperture in the base and including an end coupled to the nut. A washer is positioned proximate the nut and operative to retain the nut within the housing. The washer includes a plurality of segments. An actuator is carried by the housing and is in communication with the cavity. The actuator is operative to displace the housing relative to the washer from a first position radially retaining plurality of segments of the washer and retaining the nut in the cavity to a second position permitting radial expansion of the plurality of segments and permitting withdrawal of the nut from the housing. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100021265 | SEPARATION FASTENER WITH FRANGIBLE NUT - A separation fastener assembly includes a housing defining a cavity. A frangible nut is disposed in the cavity. The nut includes a plurality of nut segments. The one-piece frangible nut greatly reduces existing assembly problems and difficulties. Adjacent nut segments are interconnected at fracture lines. A bolt has an end coupled to the nut. A movable element is disposed in the housing and movable from a first position to a second position. In the first position, the nut segments are restrained from radial expansion. In the second position the nut segments are permitted to radially expand for releasing the fastener assembly. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100096844 | AIRBAG WITH IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR - An inflator includes a housing and a gas generant disposed in the housing for creating a source of inflation gas. An initiator is disposed in the housing for producing a source of energy to ignite the gas generant. A distributor is disposed between the initiator and the gas generant. The distributor defines at least two distinct flow paths for distributing the source of energy to the gas generant. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20110030941 | RELIEF VALVE - A relief valve is provided and may include a housing having a first inlet port and a second inlet port. An initiator may be disposed within the housing and an engagement member may be slideably disposed within the housing and may be moveable between a retracted position and an extended position under force of the initiator. The engagement member may include a first bore aligned with the first inlet port in the extended position and a second bore aligned with the second inlet port in the extended position. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110221174 | ADDITIVES FOR LIQUID-COOLED INFLATORS - An inflator that includes a quantity of gas generant housed within a chamber. A liquid including at least one of a fuel soluble in the liquid or an oxidizer soluble in the liquid and a piston are housed within another chamber of the inflator. This chamber is sealed. Upon actuation, movement of the piston hydraulically expels the liquid through an opening in the piston such that the liquid contacts the gas formed by combustion of the gas generant and cools the same. The fuel and/or oxidizer in the liquid can react to form additional gas. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20120045291 | SEPARATION FASTENER WITH FRANGIBLE NUT - A separation fastener assembly includes a housing defining a cavity. A frangible nut is disposed in the cavity. The nut includes a plurality of nut segments. The one-piece frangible nut greatly reduces existing assembly problems and difficulties. Adjacent nut segments are interconnected at fracture lines. A bolt has an end coupled to the nut. A movable element is disposed in the housing and movable from a first position to a second position. In the first position, the nut segments are restrained from radial expansion. In the second position the nut segments are permitted to radially expand for releasing the fastener assembly. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120085556 | INFLATOR-BASED FIRE SUPPRESSION - A fire suppression apparatus that includes a housing defining a first chamber containing a gas generant. The apparatus further includes an initiator operatively associated with the first chamber and in reaction initiating communication with the gas generant. The initiator, upon actuation, acts to ignite at least some of the gas generant to form gas. The housing further defines a second chamber adjacently disposed to the first chamber. The second chamber contains an endothermically-alterable material and a piston assembly including a piston. Upon actuation, the piston moves to expel at least a portion of the endothermically-alterable material from the second chamber such that the expelled endothermically-alterable material contacts and cools gas formed by the ignition of the gas generant. The housing further has at least one discharge opening to permit cooled gas to exit the housing. Corresponding or associated methods for suppressing a fire are also provided. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086191 | GAS GENERATOR - Gas generator devices and related assemblies are provided that include adjacently disposed ignition and gas generant chambers. Within the gas generant chamber, a quantity of gas generant material is contained within one or more containers having a perforated side wall and oppositely disposed first and second end walls. The first end wall is perforated and disposed adjacent the ignition chamber to allow communication of at least a portion of the ignition products therethrough and into contact with gas generant material therein contained to ignite the gas generant material to produce a product gas. The second end wall is perforated to allow gas flow communication of the product gas therethrough for discharge from the gas generator. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120112438 | FLANGELESS INFLATORS AND METHODS OF MAKING SUCH INFLATORS FOR USE WITH INFLATABLE AIRBAG CUSHIONS - Flangeless inflators include a body comprising a base member and a diffuser member coupled together, where the body is devoid of a lateral inflator-coupling flange. At least one fastener is coupled to the base member of the body. In an inflatable airbag system, the flangeless inflator is coupled to an airbag cushion, as well as to a steering wheel armature. In forming flangeless inflators, a body is formed that is devoid of the lateral inflator-coupling flange, and at least one fastener is attached to the body. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120112442 | INFLATOR HAVING A MECHANICALLY COUPLED TWO-PIECE HOUSING - An inflator including an initiator and a bulkhead molded around the initiator. The inflator includes a housing formed of two overlapping housing portions mechanically coupled together around a portion of the bulkhead. One of the housing portions includes cut tabs that are crimped into cut receivers of the other housing portion. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120234839 | COMPRESSED GAS INFLATOR WITH COMPOSITE OVERWRAP - An inflator device includes a steel member to at least in part form a pressure vessel and an external composite wrap overlying at least a portion of the metal member. The metal member can be tubular and have an elongated length such as to form a steel inner liner that is incapable of withstanding the pressure generated within the pressure vessel upon actuation of the inflator device without support provided by the composite overwrap. | 09-20-2012 |
| 20120235392 | PYROTECHNIC INFLATOR WITH COMPOSITE OVERWRAP - A pyrotechnic inflator assembly including a shell member and an end cap joinable with the shell member to form a subassembly. The subassembly containing a quantity of pyrotechnic material and at least in part defining a combustion chamber wherein at least a portion of the quantity of pyrotechnic material is reactable to form product gas for inflation of an associated airbag cushion and to generate pressure within the combustion chamber. The inflator assembly further including an overwrap about at least a portion of the subassembly to form a pyrotechnic inflator assembly that withstands the pressure generated within the combustion chamber upon reaction of the pyrotechnic material. | 09-20-2012 |
| 20130015640 | Side Airbag Module AssemblyAANM Lusk; BobbyAACI Lake OrionAAST MIAACO USAAGP Lusk; Bobby Lake Orion MI USAANM Wang; BinAACI WindsorAACO CAAAGP Wang; Bin Windsor CAAANM Czach; BrianAACI Shelby TownshipAAST MIAACO USAAGP Czach; Brian Shelby Township MI USAANM Smith; Bradley W.AACI Plain CityAAST UTAACO USAAGP Smith; Bradley W. Plain City UT USAANM Richards; CharlesAACI FarmingtonAAST UTAACO USAAGP Richards; Charles Farmington UT USAANM Mueller; LouisAACI RoyAAST UTAACO USAAGP Mueller; Louis Roy UT USAANM Hatfield; Mark S.AACI ProvidenceAAST UTAACO USAAGP Hatfield; Mark S. Providence UT USAANM Garner; Brett RichardAACI South WeberAAST UTAACO USAAGP Garner; Brett Richard South Weber UT US - A side airbag module assembly for a vehicle seat back rest features a molded plastic cover ( | 01-17-2013 |
| 20140049025 | INFLATOR HAVING A MECHANICALLY COUPLED TWO-PIECE HOUSING - An inflator including an initiator and a bulkhead molded around the initiator. The inflator includes a housing formed of two overlapping housing portions mechanically coupled together around a portion of the bulkhead. One of the housing portions includes cut tabs that are crimped into cut receivers of the other housing portion. | 02-20-2014 |
| 20140144343 | PYROTECHNIC INFLATOR WITH CENTRAL DIFFUSER AND COMPOSITE OVERWRAP - A pyrotechnic inflator assembly including a shell member and an end cap joinable with the shell member to form a subassembly. The subassembly contains a quantity of pyrotechnic material and at least in part defines a combustion chamber wherein at least a portion of the quantity of pyrotechnic material is reactable to form product gas for inflation of an associated airbag cushion and to generate pressure therewithin. A diffuser assembly can be disposed adjacent an end of the shell member and includes flow control features for controlling flow of product gas from the inflator assembly. The inflator assembly further includes a composite overwrap about at least a portion of the subassembly and the diffuser assembly such that the pyrotechnic inflator assembly can withstand the pressure generated within the combustion chamber upon reaction of the pyrotechnic material. Corresponding methods of making a pyrotechnic inflator assembly are also provided. | 05-29-2014 |
| 20140148056 | Electrical Harness Assembly for Duplex Activation for Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems - A duplex harness assembly for a motor vehicle airbag occupant restraint system. The system design incorporates a connector housing for connection via a cable with a restraint system controller. The connector housing having an integrated circuit provides a duplex restraint system control. The duplex control is provided by incorporating one or more electronic elements such as diodes mounted to the circuit. One or more electronic device attachments are remotely mounted from the connector housing via pairs of conductive wires. | 05-29-2014 |
| 20140167333 | RADIATION CURABLE RESIN SYSTEMS FOR COMPOSITE MATERIALS AND METHODS FOR USE THEREOF - Methods of forming a curable pre-impregnated composite precursor material with radiation (e.g., actinic or electron-beam) curable resin composition systems are provided, as are the curable pre-impregnated composite precursor materials themselves. The resin systems have reversible temperature-viscosity control, which are advantageously used to form curable pre-impregnated composite precursor materials (pre-preg) that can be cured to form a composite article. The uncured resin composition comprises: (a) an acrylate or a methacrylate monomer; (b) an oligomer species selected from the group consisting of: polyethers, polyesters, epoxies, and combinations thereof; and (c) a photoinitiator. The uncured resin has a first viscosity at 21° C. (70° F.) of ≧about 200,000 centipoise (cP) and a second viscosity of ≦about 5,000 cP at 65° C. (149° F.) or above. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140261040 | GENERANT GRAIN ASSEMBLY FORMED OF MULTIPLE SYMMETRIC PIECES - Pressed and segmented gas generant grain assemblies formed from a plurality of symmetric gas generant pieces or segments are disclosed. The symmetric pieces or segments are arranged circumferentially to define a substantially round, segmented body. In certain variations, the symmetric segments are substantially free of polymeric binder and have a high density. The segmented pressed grain assemblies are more robust and less expensive to manufacture, while still exhibiting desired combustion performance. Methods of making such segmented gas generant grain assemblies are also provided. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140261927 | ENHANCED SLAG FORMATION FOR COPPER-CONTAINING GAS GENERANTS - Gas generants comprising copper are provided that have improved slagging ability. In certain aspects, the gas generants include a fuel, an oxidizer comprising basic copper nitrate, and a large particle size endothermic slag-forming component, such as aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH) | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140263808 | SEATBELT PRETENSIONER - A system for pretensioning a seatbelt includes a minispool and a drive rod. The drive rod includes a spiral portion that, when driven along a longitudinal axis, causes the minispool to rotate about the longitudinal axis. The spiral portion of the drive rod engages the minispool, which includes corresponding structure that tracks the spiral portion. The minispool is restricted from longitudinal travel such that tracking the spiral portion causes the minispool to rotate and the drive rod passes through the minispool. In another form, the minispool can be arranged transverse to the longitudinal axis, with the translation of the drive rod causing the minispool to translate in the same direction of the drive rod. The minispool can include teeth that engage a bracket, such that the translation of the minispool causes the minispool to rotate as it translates. | 09-18-2014 |
