High Flow Inflator with Frangible Seal Scoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inflators require significant force to fracture frangible seals in gas cylinders, and contemporary designs with powerful firing springs are cumbersome, necessitating a more efficient mechanism for actuating inflation lanyards to achieve high flow rates for rapid inflation of inflatable articles.
Innovation Solution
An inflator design featuring a housing with a large-diameter pierce pin and power primer system, where a spring-loaded ballasted firing pin is held in a cocked position by a trigger pin, allowing rapid ignition of the power primer to drive the pierce pin through the frangible seal, creating a high-flow path for gas to inflate devices quickly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a conventional frangible seal is used in a gas cylinder, then the seal provides reliable containment of compressed gas, but significant force is required to fracture the seal, necessitating cumbersome powerful firing springs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the seal by incorporating a frangible disc with a specific geometry that includes a circumferential groove and radial score lines. This geometric configuration reduces the force required to fracture the seal by creating stress concentration points and facilitating controlled breakage along predetermined paths, thereby eliminating the need for powerful firing springs while maintaining reliable containment during normal operation
2Productivity
If a small-diameter pierce pin is used to puncture the frangible seal, then the mechanism is simpler, but the gas flow rate is limited and inflation time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The frangible disc is segmented into multiple sections by radial score lines that divide the disc into segments. When the pierce pin fractures the seal, these pre-scored segments allow the disc to break apart into multiple pieces rather than requiring the pin to cut through a solid continuous structure. This segmentation enables a larger effective opening area while maintaining structural integrity during storage, thereby increasing gas flow rate and reducing inflation time
3Productivity
If a large-diameter pierce pin is used to create a high-flow path, then gas flow rate increases and inflation time decreases, but the force required to drive the pin through the seal increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frangible disc is prepared in advance with a circumferential groove and radial score lines that create predetermined fracture paths. This preliminary action of scoring and grooving the disc before use allows the pierce pin to follow these pre-established paths during fracture, significantly reducing the force required to drive the pin through the seal while still achieving a large effective opening area for high gas flow rate
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The inflator achieves rapid inflation of inflatable articles by cutting a large-bore hole in the frangible seal, allowing gas to flow at a higher rate than conventional inflators, reducing inflation time from seconds to less than a second, making it suitable for emergency applications like personal airbags.
Implementation Method 1
power primer (26) positioned within said holder (24), wherein upon firing said ballasted firing pin (30T) quickly slams said firing pin tip (30T) into said power primer (26) to ignite said power primer (26) whereupon ignition gases from said power primer (26) expand within said interior cylinder (28) with sufficient force to drive said large diameter pierce pin (18) through the frangible seal
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A high flow rate inflator intended to be threaded into or onto the threaded neck of a conventional gas cylinder. The inflator comprises a spring-loaded ballasted firing pin that is retained in a cocked position by a tethered trigger pin. Upon firing by pulling on the trigger pin, the firing pin forcibly moves into engagement with a power primer mounted with a power primer holder to ignite the same, whereupon the ignition gases forcibly drives a hollow larger diameter pierce pin mounted within an interior cylinder into the frangible seal of the gas cartridge to cut a large-bore hole therethrough and allow gas escaping from the gas cylinder to flow at a high rate through the inflator into an inflatable device.