1722results about "Pressure gas generation" patented technology

Disclosed is a method and device for rapid heating of a coated substance which preferably includes a drug to vaporized for inhalation therapy. A device in accordance with the present invention preferably includes a substrate which has an interior surface surrounding an interior region and an exterior surface upon which the coated substance is to be adhered. Though the substrate is preferably metallic, it does not need to be. A combustible element is placed in the interior region of the rigid substrate and an igniter is connected to the combustible element. The igniter is for initiating oxidation of the combustible element. Preferably, the coated substance is vaporized inside of a housing to allow the vaporized drug to aerosolize and be inhaled by a user.

Thermally stable gas generant compositions incorporate a combination of one or more primary nonazide high-nitrogen fuels selected from a group including tetrazoles, bitetrazoles, and triazoles, and salts thereof; and one or more secondary nonazide high nitrogen fuels selected from azodicarbonamide and hydrazodicarbonamide. The primary and secondary fuels are combined with phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate that when combusted, results in a greater yield of gaseous products per mass unit of gas generant, a reduced yield of solid combustion products, lower combustion temperatures, and acceptable burn rates, thermal stability, and ballistic properties. These compositions are especially suitable for inflating air bags in passenger-restraint devices.

An inflator (10) for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device includes a housing (20) defining a generally ring-shaped propellant chamber (200) extending around an axis (50) of the inflator. The housing (20) has a fluid outlet (52) for directing flow of inflation fluid out of the housing to the inflatable device. A quantity of ignitable propellant (240) is located in the propellant chamber for, when ignited, producing inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable device. The housing (20) has a fluid passage (90) between the propellant chamber (200) and the fluid outlet (52). The fluid passage (90), which is normally closed, opens upon actuation of the inflator (10) to enable fluid flow from the propellant chamber (200) to the fluid outlet (52). The fluid passage (90), when open, has a variable flow area depending upon the pressure in the housing (20). A heat sink (270) is located in the propellant chamber (200) between the ignitable propellant (240) and the fluid passage (90) for cooling and filtering inflation fluid flowing from the propellant chamber through the fluid passage. The inflator (10) includes a retainer (280) in the propellant chamber (200) between the ignitable propellant (240) and the fluid passage (90) for retaining the heat sink (270) in the propellant chamber upon actuation of the inflator.

A gas generator for an air bag that can change deployment pattern of the air bag is provided. The gas generator includes two gas generating units connected in the axial direction, each of the gas generating units including a cylindrical housing, an igniter disposed in the cylindrical housing and operates upon receiving an operation signal, a gas generating agent ignited by the igniter to generate a combustion gas, a pressurized gas sealed within the housing and heated by the combustion gas of the gas generating agent to generate a mixture gas together with the combustion gas, and a gas exhaust outlet disposed at one side end of the housing and from which the mixture gas within the housing is injected. The two gas generating units are joined by welding one end of each of the housings of the gas generating units together.

A gas generating system (10) including a baffle system (42) for modifying the temperature and pressure of a gas generated by the system, and to remove particulates from the gas. The gas generating system includes a first combustion chamber (34a), a second combustion chamber (36a), and the baffle system (42) adjacent both the first and second combustion chambers so as to enable fluid communication with the combustion chambers upon activation of the gas generating system. In another aspect of the present invention, a baffle system (42) is provided including a first end plate (44) having an opening (44b) formed therein for enabling fluid communication with a first fluid source (34a), a second end plate (46) having an opening (46b) formed therein for enabling fluid communication with a second fluid source (36a), and a sequence of baffle elements (48) extending between the first and second end plates. A first baffle element (48a) of the sequence of baffle elements defines a chamber (60) for receiving therein a fluid through the openings in the first and second end plates. Each additional baffle element in the sequence of baffle elements is spaced outwardly apart from a preceding baffle element in the sequence of baffle elements. In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for producing, in a gas generating system, a gas having a pressure within a predetermined pressure range and a temperature within a predetermined temperature range. In another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle occupant protection system is provided.

A gas generating composition having an improved thermal stability of a fuel is obtained.A gas generating compostion comprising a gas generating agent containing a non-sodium azide compound fuel and an oxidizing agent, and an adsorbent. Since substances accelerating decomposition of a fuel, such as radicals generating by decomposition of the fuel are adsorbed and kept on the adsorbent, further decomposition of the fuel is inhabited, so that the thermal stability is increased.

The present invention comprises apparatus and methods employing a gas produced from a tetrazine-based energetic material such as that known as “BTATz” containing 3;6-BtS(1H-1,2,3,4-Tetrazol-5-ylamino)1-,2,4,5-tetrazine 3;6-BtS(1H-1,2,3,4-Tetrazol-5-ylamino)1-,2,4,5-tetrazine or salts thereof. The tetrazinebased energetic material is ignited through the use of a percussion cap, a piezoelectric crystal or a battery-supplied electric spark or by encapsulating it in a container that is then exposed to a burning flame. The gas produced upon ignition is employed a propellant such as to inflate life rafts, life vests, emergency evacuation slides, tires, air bags and other inflatable devices. The gas produced upon ignition is alternatively employed to power an engine and many other applications such as a fire suppressant.

An airbag inflator includes non-azide gas generating propellants, surrounding an ignition device, disposed inside a housing. The gas generating propellants are surrounded by a coolant/filter device having a pressure loss of 0.3x10-2 to 1.5x10-2 kg/cm2 at a flow rate of 100 l/min/cm2. A space is provided between an outer periphery of the coolant/filter device and the housing such that the combustion gas passes through the entire area of the coolant/filter device. The coolant/filter device is also surrounded by a swell suppressing layer which prevents the coolant/filter device from swelling due to a combustion of the gas generating propellants.

A reactive material that includes at least one of a fuel, an oxidizer, and a class 1.1 explosive and is formulated for use in a reactive material projectile. The reactive material is formulated to provide at least one of an overpressure of greater than approximately 9 pounds per square inch at a radial measurement of 12 inches from a point of impact on a target, a hole greater than approximately 2 square inches at an optimum penetration level in a target, and pressure, damage, and a flame when the reactive material bullet impacts a target. The fuel may be a metal, a fusible metal alloy, an organic fuel, or mixtures thereof. The oxidizer may be an inorganic oxidizer, sulfur, a fluoropolymer, or mixtures thereof. A reactive material projectile having the reactive material disposed therein is also disclosed.

A stack of very thin metal plates provides high surface area for catalytic decomposition of a fluid flowing axially from upstream to downstream through the stack. Each plate has flow-through passages of selected size and location to promote uniform flow and good surface contact with a catalyst surface on the plates. The downstream surface of each plate is etched to provide gaps between plates for lateral fluid flow. The plates are divided into groups separated by metering plates that promote more uniform flow from group to group.

An apparatus (10) for providing fluid under pressure for actuating a vehicle occupant protection device comprises an electrically actuatable initiator (80) having terminal pins (100). A hermetically sealed metal propellant container (130) contains a propellant (82) ignitable by the initiator (80) to produce fluid under pressure. The propellant container (130) is secured to the initiator (80) by crimping. The apparatus (10) also comprises a member (86) electrically insulating between the metal propellant container (130) and the terminal pins (100) of the initiator (80) to isolate the initiator electrically from the propellant container.

The invention provides an initiator assembly that can be easily manufactured without increasing cost, and can be easily and securely connected to a connector when it is used. The initiator assembly includes a priming for being used in a motor vehicle, an initiator used for igniting the priming and having at least one conductive pin and a metal collar for fixing the initiator assembly on an inflator that are integrally formed by an insulating material injection-molded therebetween. The insulating material is a resin made of a plastic material that surrounds a metal eyelet of the initiator.

A gas generator for an air bag includes: a housing having top and bottom plates and a cylindrical wall provided between those plates; a cylindrical filter unit, provided inside the housing, at least one end of the filter unit having an inclining end surface such that the length of the filter unit in an axial direction thereof decreases as the distance from a central axis of the filter in a radial direction increases, an outer peripheral surface of the filter unit and an inner surface of the cylindrical wall defining a plenum; and a supporting portion formed inside the housing and having an inclining surface substantially parallel to the inclining end surface of the filter unit. The supporting portion engages with the inclining end surface such that the plenum is maintained even when the filter unit is urged to expand in the radial direction by the combustion gas.

A polyester composition containing: a) aluminum atoms; and b) alkaline earth atoms or alkali metal atoms or alkali compound residues such as lithium atoms; and c) particles comprising titanium, zirconium, vanadium, niobium, hafnium, tantalum, chromium, tungsten, molybdenum, iron, or nickel atoms or combinations thereof, where the particles improve the reheat rate of the polyester composition. The polyester polymer compositions may also contain phosphorus catalyst deactivators/stabilizers. The polyester compositions and the articles made from the compositions such as bottle preforms and stretch blow molded bottles have improved reheat rate while maintaining low haze, high L*, a b* below 3, and have low levels of acetaldehyde. In the process for making the polyester polymer, the polymer melt is polycondensed in the presence of a) and b), with the particles c) added in a melt phase process or added to the polymer in an injection molding machine or extruder. The polyester polymer composition can be made to high IV from the melt phase while avoiding solid state polymerization.

An inflator for inflating an airbag has a housing with a first housing portion defining a first chamber and a second housing portion defining a second chamber. A gas generant disposed in the first and second chambers. A barrier separates the first and second chambers. Each of the chambers has an ignition enhancer tube disposed therein with a portion of an ignition unit being located therein. Each of the ignition enhancer tubes has at least one outlet defined therein. Each ignition enhancer tube holding an ignition enhancer such that when the associated ignition unit ignites the ignition enhancer combusts and exits through said outlet and then reacts with the gas generant in the associated chamber.

A composition for the generation of chlorine dioxide including at least one non-iodo interhalide, polyhalide or salt thereof having the formula

Br_mCl_nF_oX_p

wherein m=0–3, n=0–4, o=0–3, p=0–2, X is a cationic moiety and with the provisos that m+n+o cannot be zero; if m+n+p<2, or mixtures thereof, and at least one source of chlorite ions.

An apparatus (10) for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) includes a housing (20) and an inflation fluid source (140) in the housing actuatable to provide inflation fluid under pressure. The housing (20) has a fluid passage (130) for directing flow of inflation fluid out of the housing (20) to the inflatable device (14). The housing (20) deforms due to the pressure of inflation fluid in the housing upon actuation of the inflation fluid source (140). The flow area of the fluid passage (130) increases due to deformation of the housing (20) and varies in accordance with the pressure of inflation fluid in the housing upon actuation of the inflation fluid source (140). The apparatus also includes a flow control member (180) defining a control passage (210) located between the inflation fluid source (140) and the fluid passage (130). The control passage (210) has a smaller flow area than the fluid passage (130). The flow area of the control passage (210) increases due to deformation of the housing (20) and varies in accordance with the pressure of inflation fluid in the housing (20) upon actuation of the inflation fluid source (140).

The present invention provides an inflator capable of realizing downsizing and weight reduction. An inflator for an air bag comprising, in a housing having a gas discharging port, a combustion chamber accommodating a molded article of a gas generating composition which is burnt to generate a gas and an ignition means to ignite the molded article of a gas generating composition, wherein the molded article of the gas generating composition contains a metal component and meets the requirement (A) the (theoretical) combustion flame temperature of the molded article of the gas generating composition is 2000° C. or less, and part or the whole of the metal or metal oxide after combustion of the molded article of the gas generating composition has a melting point not lower than the combustion flame temperature, and the requirement (B) bulk combustion residues remain in the combustion chamber at the time of combustion of the molded article of the gas generating composition.

A gas generator (10) includes an igniter (27) and first and second inflation gas generant compositions (52, 52′) positioned to enable fluid communication with the igniter (27) upon activation of the igniter. Flow regulators (54, 54′) are provided to regulate a flow of combustion products from the igniter (27) to the first and second inflation gas generant compositions (52, 52′), to correspondingly regulate a time period between activation of the igniter (27) and initiation of combustion of the first and second inflation gas generant compositions (52, 52′). In another aspect, the gas generator (10) includes a modular baffle system (70) including a first baffle chamber (71) in fluid communication with an inflation gas generant combustion chamber (50) for receiving therein combustion products from combustion of an inflation gas generant (52) positioned in the combustion chamber. An outer baffle chamber (74) is also positioned radially outwardly from the first baffle chamber (71) for receiving therein combustion products from the first baffle chamber. In yet another aspect, the gas generator includes a first enclosure (12), a second enclosure (24), and a projection (44) formed on one of the first enclosure and the second enclosure. An aperture (46) is formed in the other one of the first enclosure (12) and the second enclosure (24) for receiving the projection (44) therein. At least a portion of the projection (44) is fixed within the aperture (46) to prevent withdrawal of the projection (44) from the aperture (46), thereby securing together the first enclosure (12) and the second enclosure (24).