Apparatus is provided for applying current to a nerve. A cathode is adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a cathodic longitudinal site of the nerve and to apply a cathodic current to the nerve. A primary inhibiting anode is adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a primary anodal longitudinal site of the nerve and to apply a primary anodal current to the nerve. A secondary inhibiting anode is adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a secondary anodal longitudinal site of the nerve and to apply a secondary anodal current to the nerve, the secondary anodal longitudinal site being closer to the primary anodal longitudinal site than to the cathodic longitudinal site.

Electrode assembly for nerve control

The invention relates to a gas bag module comprising a gas bag which has a gas bag wall with a front wall section. The module further comprises a cover which has a given annular section which closes an annular outlet opening for the gas bag and has a stationary central portion which is surrounded by the annular section. A section of the gas bag wall other than the front section has an outflow opening which in a folded state of the gas bag is arranged beneath the central portion in such a manner that on outlet of the gas bag, the central portion arrives via the outflow opening into an interior of the gas bag.

Gas bag module

A gas generator for an air bag according to the present invention comprising a cylindrical housing, an inner cylindrical member disposed inside the housing, a central cylindrical member disposed inside the inner cylindrical member, a gas generating agent packed in an annular space between the central cylindrical member and the inner cylindrical member and an ignition means for igniting the gas generating agent, wherein the ignition means comprises in turn a transfer charge disposed at one end of the central cylindrical member, an igniter for igniting the transfer charge and a fire transfer member disposed close to the transfer charge at a central portion of the central cylindrical member, and wherein the fire transfer member is constituted by a non-explosive material and comprises a stick-like member extending along almost the full length of the central cylindrical member. The gas generator for an air bag according to the present invention is provided with an ignition structure which can generate uniform ignition energy in a longitudinal direction thereof.

Gas generator for air bag

An air bag module (10) includes an air bag (27) and an inflator (30) being activatable to discharge inflator gas for inflating the air bag. The inflator has at least one discharge port (31) through which inflator gas is discharged. A housing (20) includes at least one inflator vent opening (21) aligned with the discharge port. A variable inflation device (49) is mounted on the inflator and includes a movable member (50) alignable with the vent opening. The movable member is movable relative to the vent opening for opening and closing the vent opening at a predetermined time during inflator activation to control the amount of inflator gas discharged into the air bag and the amount of inflator gas expelled out through the vent opening of the housing. Preferably, the variable inflation device includes an initiator device (80) being activatable during activation of the inflator to move the movable member relative to the vent opening at the predetermined time during inflator activation.

Air bag module with variable inflation

A gas generator for air bag capable of assuring an operating safety and reliability while facilitating the manufacture thereof with a simple structure obtained by suppressing the entire size of a container and reducing the number of parts, and a gas generator capable of increasing the ignitability and combustibility of gas generating agent; the gas generator for air bag, wherein a partition member is disposed to divide the inner space of a housing into two or more chambers, a disk-like partition member is disposed inside the partition member, the peripheral surface of the partition member comprises a claw part expanding in a skirt-shape toward the bottom side of the partition member, and the claw part is fitted into a peripheral groove part provided in the inner peripheral surface of an annular peripheral wall, or a first combustion chamber (7a) and a second combustion chamber (7b) are provided in the housing (3), and the arranged position of the partition member (5) in the partition member (4) is formed in such a range that a distance (Lc) from the axial center of the partition wall member (4) is 1/4 or less of the averaged axial length of the partition member (Ld).

Gas generator for air bag and air bag device

An inflatable restraint inflator, system and method of operation which involve a plural stage inflator having a dual output squib to selectively ignite at least one of a discrete quantity of a first and second gas generant.

Plural stage inflator

An igniter composition for a gas generant and related methods of gas generation are provided in which, in addition to a boron fuel component and an oxidizer component, the igniter composition additionally includes a gas-producing fuel component.

Gas forming igniter composition for a gas generant

A two-walled, dual chamber, inflator for inflation of an automotive airbag in the event of a collision is provided. The inflator includes a simplified housing with two internal chambers, including a central chamber and a coaxial outer chamber. The central chamber houses both the solid fuel gas generant bodies and a electrical igniter having a reliable single-stage ignition train in direct contact with the generant bed. The single-stage igniter includes a resistance wire submersed in the generant bed along a convoluted path. Multiple points of direct contact are established between the igniter wire and gas generant over a substantial portion of the generant bed, which leads to more uniform and efficient ignition of the gas generant. To get sufficient surface area for the generant to contact the igniter wire, the gas generant bodies are formed in relatively small sizes of about 0.05 inch or less, which, in turn, limits the selection of gas generant materials to those having low burn rates of about 0.625 inch/second or less to be effective. The outer chamber contains a filter for cooling the generated gas and collecting entrained particulate residues prior to venting into the airbag cushion. A one-walled, single chamber, airbag inflator is also provided. The onewalled inflator includes a further simplified housing with only one internal chamber formed inside the outermost wall and no internal side walls dividing the interior into multiple chambers. All components are housed within the single chamber, including the single-stage direct electrical igniter, the small sized gas generant bodies, and the filter which is optional.

Airbag inflator with direct electrical ignition for small sized gas generant bodies

A gas generant body having a plurality of alike, flat-surfaced projections equally spaced and radially equidistant about the periphery of one or both sides of the body. The spaced projections are defined by curved or arcuate walls emanating from the center of the generant body which flare outwardly to the body's perimeter, each having an angular arc length greater than the space therebetween. The outer edge of each projection is preferably contiguous with the perimeter of the body. When the projections are on both sides, as is preferred, the projections on one side are preferably in a staggered or offset relationship to those on the other side. A washer-shaped wafer disc is the most preferred overall generant body form. A stack or assembly of the multiprojection generant wafers may be formed into an array for use in a gas generator for an automobile gas bag inflator. Each generant wafer acts as its own spacer, can be assembled independent of orientation, will not mesh or interlock with adjacent wafers and does not need extra inflator hardware.

Special geometry generant bodies for automotive gas bag inflators

An air bag device that includes an air bag cushion, a diffuser canister, and a gas generation inflator. The diffuser canister is attached to the air bag cushion and has walls configured to define an interior space therein. The walls of the diffuser canister have an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a wall thickness t. At least one of the walls has an aperture formed therethrough in communication with the interior of the air bag cushion. The gas generation inflator is configured to rapidly create a gas that exits the diffuser canister through the aperture so as to fill the air bag cushion. The aperture is defined by an edge extending between the interior and said exterior surfaces of the wall that is configured to diffuse the gas exiting the diffuser canister through the aperture. The edge of the aperture is configured such that the cross-sectional area of the aperture that is proximate to the exterior surface of the wall is larger than the cross-sectional area of the aperture proximate to the interior surface of wall. The edge includes an angled portion configured such that opposing sides of the aperture have an angle α therebetween in the range of about 20 degrees to about 145 degrees. The aperture has a diameter d1 proximate to the interior surface of the wall and is configured so that the diameter d1 and wall thickness t have a ratio d1 to tin the range of about 0.5 to about 4. An alternate embodiment of the air bag device comprises an aperture defined by an edge that is configured so that the cross-section of aperture is non-smooth and causes turbulence in the gas stream.

Christopher Hock

Papers

Plural stage inflator

Gas forming igniter composition for a gas generant

Airbag inflator with direct electrical ignition for small sized gas generant bodies

Special geometry generant bodies for automotive gas bag inflators

Air bag inflation exit gas dispersion features