Gas generator with cooling device

US6196583A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• TRW Airbag Systems GmbH & Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Rolf Ruckdeschel · Schwangau, DE
• Anh-Dung Tieu · Heldenstein, DE
• Markus Lindner · Waldkraiburg, DE
• Horst Laucht · Bruckmühl, DE
• Marc Winterhalder · Garching an der Alz, DE
• Martin Fink · Unterbernbach, DE
• Christof Hinterberger · Ettlingen, DE
• Markus Leifheit · Markt Indersdorf, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 15, 1999
• Grant date: Mar 6, 2001
• Expiry date: Dec 15, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60R2021/26017
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

The present invention relates to an inflator for a safety device, in particular for a vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising a housing (1, 15; 22, 23), a combustion chamber formed in the housing and including a solid propellant (6) for generating hot gas, and a coolant (13) introduced into a predetermined flow path of the hot gas. The inflator in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the flow path of the hot gas passes through a nozzle (10) comprising a pitot zone (20) in which the hot gas emerging from the combustion chamber (21) has a high static pressure, and comprising a nozzle neck (19) in which the hot gas builds up a high dynamic pressure, and in that the coolant (13) is arranged in a sleeve-shaped reservoir (11) extending from the pitot zone (20) at least in part into the nozzle neck (19). The inflator in accordance with the invention permits an effective reduction in the exhaust gas temperature of the generated hot gas.