Abstract: Recovery of air bag inflator metal cases. An inflator processing apparatus configured to process a gas-generating chemical-containing inflator for automobile air bags, by heating the inflator to a temperature not lower than an operating temperature of the chemical to facilitate recovery of the metal inflator case. In the apparatus, a protective metal partition wall is provided between an inner surface of a wall of an inflator-processing furnace and the chemical-containing inflator. This prevents damage to the refractory furnace wall, and also prevents melting of the metal inflator case, which could otherwise be occasioned by the chemical during thermal processing of the inflator containing the gas-generating chemical.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: To provide a method for easily discriminating used and unused gas generators from among gas generators for air bags separated from used cars in a car scrapping process. A method for discriminating between used and unused gas generators according to the present invention is a method for discriminating used and unused gas generators from among gas generators for air bags separated from used cars in a car scrapping process, and this method comprises the steps of:a) crushing used cars mounted with gas generators each having on a surface thereof a material discoloring according to the surface temperatures in actuating the gas generator to separate the gas generators, andb) discriminating the gas generators in which surfaces are discolored and the gas generators in which surfaces are not discolored from among the separated gas generators.

Abstract: To provide a method for taking out gas generators readily from waste vehicles and then recovering metallic materials of gas generators taken out efficiently. The method is comprised by a) crushing waste vehicles in which air bag apparatuses are installed by a crushing means so that the crushed pieces have approximately the same size as that of the gas generators themselves and the gas generators themselves can be separated from the air bag apparatuses as single bodies without being substantially crushed; b) taking the gas generators out of the crushed pieces of the waste vehicles; c) charging the gas generators thus taken out into a melting furnace; and d) recovering the metallic materials of the gas generator from the melting furnace.

Abstract: A method by which numerous gas generators from unused air-bags can be scrapped in an environmentally acceptable manner. The method consists ofa) heating the gas generator to actuate the generator to produce combustion gases and an actuated generator having water soluble contaminants thereon;b) washing the actuated generator with a water composition to remove the contaminants from the actuated generator to produce a washed generator and a contaminated water composition containing the contaminants;c) dividing the washed generator to produce divided generator parts;d) chemically treating the contaminated water composition to produce a purified water composition; ande) classifying the divided generator parts into classified generator parts.Optionally, the dividing step can occur before the washing step, or before and after the washing step. The classified generator parts and purified water can be disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner.

Abstract: In a mechanical ignition type gas generator including a housing which consists of an upper outer shell container (diffuser) and a lower outer shell container (closure) fitted to each other in such a manner as to define an annular space for storing therein a gas generating agent, a priming charge, a cooling material and a filter, and in which said closure has a cylindrical space capable of fitting to, and storing, a cylindrical mechanical igniter on its lower surface and a plurality of caps ignited by an ignition pin of said igniter are disposed on the top wall of said space, a hole for communicating a priming charge room with the front surface of said caps is disposed inside said closure of said housing besides a cap hole for communicating the back surface of said caps with said priming charge room so as to prevent delayed ignition of said caps.