WO2018038139A1 - Inflator processing method and processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention performs processing for disposing of an inflator using a method that includes: placing an unactivated inflator in a blastproof container; passing, via an endless conveyor, the blastproof container through a tunnel furnace set to 150-600°C to heat the inflator; cooling the heated inflator; measuring a weight W2 of the cooled inflator using a load cell; measuring a weight W1 of the inflator prior to passing through the tunnel furnace; and reheating an inflator for which the difference between W1 and W2 is less than a predetermined value in an incinerator, or passing a blastproof container housing an inflator for which the difference between W1 and W2 is less than a predetermined value through the tunnel furnace to reheat said inflator.

Description

Inflator processing method and processing apparatus

The present invention relates to an inflator processing method and processing apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a processing method and a processing apparatus for safely and quickly disposing of an inflator.

The airbag system, one of the auxiliary restraint devices (SRS), operates as follows at the time of collision. First, a satellite sensor (collision detection sensor) attached to the front of the vehicle detects a collision and sends a signal to an ECU (collision diagnosis circuit). The ECU calculates a signal sent from the satellite sensor, and determines the level of collision together with sensor information in the ECU. When it is determined that the collision level is required to inflate the airbag, the ECU issues an ignition instruction to the inflator (gas generator). The inflator is ignited, gas is generated by a chemical reaction caused by combustion, and the airbag begins to swell. The impact of the accident reaches the occupant and the occupant begins to move forward with inertial force. At this time, the airbag has already been bulged and is ready to receive the passenger. The swell of the driver's seat side airbag is usually 20-30 ms after the collision detection, and the swell of the passenger side airbag is normally completed 30-40 ms after the collision detection.

通常 Normally, unused airbag systems are recovered from accident-free vehicles. An igniting agent, a transfer agent, a gas generating agent, etc. remain in an inactive inflator built in an unused airbag system. These contain dangerous substances (oxidizing solids such as nitrates and peroxides) under the Fire Service Act. Therefore, in order to discard the inflator, it is necessary to make the hazardous material harmless.

Under these circumstances, various inflator processing methods or processing apparatuses have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, in an inflator processing apparatus that performs processing of the inflator by heating the inflator charged in the inflator processing furnace with a burner, the inflator processing furnace is charged into the inflator processing furnace. An inflator processing apparatus comprising a basket-shaped explosion chamber for holding the inflator is disclosed.

Patent Document 2 is a method for disposing of an unused gas generator for an air bag, which includes: a) operating the gas generator by heating; b) operating the gas generator after operation. Washing with water, c) dividing the gas generator after operation before or after washing or before and after washing, d) chemically treating the water used for washing, and e) Disclosed is a method for disposing of a gas generator, which comprises selecting a portion of the gas generator that does not dissolve in cleaning water according to material.

In Patent Document 3, the pad module removed from the vehicle is in a temperature atmosphere that is lower than the melting temperature of the aluminum alloy and higher than the higher one of the ignition temperatures of the plastic and the gas generating agent contained in the pad module. A method for treating an air bag device pad module is disclosed in which the gas generator is heated by heating, the gas generating agent inside the gas generator is burned, and the gas generator is taken out from the temperature atmosphere.

Patent Document 4 discloses that an inflator for an automobile airbag that contains a gas generating chemical is heated to a temperature higher than the operating temperature of the chemical, and the metal case is recovered. An inflator processing apparatus is disclosed in which a metal partition wall is provided between a furnace wall inner surface and an inflator of a processing furnace to be performed so as to cover the furnace wall inner surface.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-304130 JP 7-277131 A JP-A-9-253619 JP-A-11-101422

An object of the present invention is to provide a processing method and a processing apparatus for safely and quickly discarding an inflator.

As a result of research to solve the above problems, the present invention including the following modes has been completed.

[1] An inflator including an inactive inflator is placed in an explosion-proof container, passed through the explosion-proof container through a tunnel furnace, the inflator is heated, and the heated inflator is cooled. Processing method.
[2] Put an inoperative inflator in an explosion-proof container, pass the explosion-proof container through a tunnel furnace, heat the inflator, cool the heated inflator, and then cool the inflator Inflator processing method including measuring weight W2.

[3] The method for treating an inflator according to [1] or [2], wherein the tunnel furnace is a roller hearth type, a belt type, or a pusher type.
[4] The method for treating an inflator according to [1], [2] or [3], wherein the tunnel furnace is an electric heating method.
[5] The method for treating an inflator according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the heating temperature in the tunnel furnace is 150 to 600 ° C.

[6] Measure the weight W1 of the inflator before passing through the tunnel furnace, and reheat the inflator where the difference between W1 and W2 is less than the predetermined value in the incinerator, or the difference between W1 and W2 is predetermined The method for treating an inflator according to any one of [1] to [5], further comprising passing an explosion-proof container containing an inflator having a value less than the value through a tunnel furnace and reheating the inflator .

[7] Equipped with tunnel furnace, tunnel furnace preheating zone, endless conveyor installed so as to pass through heating zone and cooling zone, and explosion-proof container installed detachably on endless conveyor at predetermined intervals The inflator processing apparatus can heat the inflator and cool the heated inflator by placing the inflator in an explosion-proof container and passing the explosion-proof container through a tunnel furnace.
[8] Tunnel furnace, endless conveyor installed to pass through the preheating zone, heating zone and cooling zone of the tunnel furnace, explosion-proof container installed detachably on the endless conveyor, and the exit side of the cooling zone Is equipped with a load cell for measuring the weight W2 of the inflator, put the inoperative inflator into the explosion-proof container, pass the explosion-proof container through the tunnel furnace, and heat the inflator The inflator processing apparatus can cool the inflator and then measure the weight W2 of the cooled inflator.
[9] A load cell for measuring the weight W1 of the inflator is further provided on the inlet side of the preheating zone, and the weight W1 of the inflator before passing through the tunnel furnace can be measured. [7] or [8 ]. The inflator processing apparatus as described in the above.

According to the processing method and the processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to perform processing for discarding the inflator safely and quickly. Since the processing method and the processing apparatus of the present invention can be continuously implemented, the processing method and the processing apparatus are suitable for mass processing of unactuated inflators.
A processing method and a processing apparatus according to the present invention include an airbag inflator for a driver's seat, an airbag inflator for a passenger seat, an inflator for a side airbag, an inflator for a curtain, an inflator for a knee bolster, an inflator for an inflatable seat belt, and a tubular system. It can be applied as a processing method for various inflators such as an inflator for a pretensioner and an inflator for a pretensioner.
In the present invention, by using the explosion-proof container, damage to the tunnel furnace due to the impact of the explosion can be suppressed, and safety around the furnace can be improved. The explosion-proof container can prevent the activated inflator from jumping out of the furnace due to the impact of the explosion and ejecting other inoperative inflators from the furnace.

It is a figure which shows an example of the inflator processing apparatus of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be shown and the present invention will be described in detail. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited at all by the following embodiments.

In the inflator processing method of the present invention, an inoperative inflator is put in an explosion-proof container, the explosion-proof container is passed through a tunnel furnace, the inflator is heated, and the heated inflator is cooled. And preferably further includes measuring a weight W2 of the cooled inflator.

As described above, the inoperative inflator 1 contains an oxidizable solid such as nitrate or peroxide. When an inactive inflator is heated, the oxidative solid contained therein ignites, and the gas is explosively released. A non-actuated inflator has a wire harness for receiving signals from the ECU of the airbag system. In order to avoid problems such as generation of harmful gas from the wire harness when heated, it is preferable to remove the wire harness from the inflator 1 before placing it in the explosion-proof container.

The explosion-proof container 3 used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can receive the impact when the inflator is activated and gas is explosively released. Examples of the explosion-proof container include a container formed by bending or pressing a punching metal, a metal lath, a wire mesh, or the like, and a container formed by welding metal wires or the like in a lattice shape. The explosion-proof container is preferably made of a material that can withstand heating in a tunnel furnace. For example, stainless steel, nickel chrome steel, chrome steel, silicon steel, etc. can be mentioned. Moreover, rolled steel materials, such as SS material, can be used. What was made into the container without a junction part by press work is used preferably as an explosion-proof container. When the container is formed by bending, it can be joined by welding, rivets, screws, bolts and nuts. Since durability against thermal shock is high, it is preferable to perform bonding with rivets. The rivet used for joining is preferably made of stainless steel having durability against heat of about 600 ° C.

A steel explosion-proof container joined by welding and a steel explosion-resistant container joined by rivets were prepared, and subjected to 100 thermal shock cycles of 500 ° C. × 10 minutes and room temperature × 10 minutes. When the strength of the joint was measured by performing a destructive test immediately after manufacturing the container, the explosion-proof container manufactured by welding was about 3000 N, and the explosion-proof container manufactured by rivet was about 3700 N. When the strength of the joint was measured by performing a destructive test after applying 100 thermal shocks, the explosion-proof container manufactured by welding was about 2000 N, and the explosion-proof container manufactured by rivet was about 5900 N. It is thought that the strength of the rivet was increased by heat treatment.

The inner dimension of the explosion-proof container is not particularly limited as long as it can accommodate at least one inflator. For example, many driver seat side inflators have a disk shape, and many passenger seat side inflators have a cylindrical shape. Therefore, it is preferable that the driver seat side inflator has an internal dimension that can accommodate them.
The explosion-proof container may or may not have a lid. When using an explosion-proof container without a lid, install the explosion-proof top plate 6 on the ceiling side of the tunnel furnace so as to cover and close the upper opening of the explosion-proof container. Can be carried. It is preferable that the explosion-proof top plate has such a strength that it can receive an impact when the inflator is activated and gas is explosively released. For the explosion-proof top plate, for example, punching metal, metal lath, wire mesh or the like can be used.

The tunnel furnace 4 used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has an internal space through which the explosion-proof container can pass. The inner space of the tunnel furnace is usually divided into a preheating zone 4a, a heating zone 4b, and a cooling zone 4c along the flow direction. The explosion-proof container is first heated from, for example, room temperature to a predetermined temperature in the preheating zone, heated at the predetermined temperature in the heating zone, and then cooled from the predetermined temperature to near room temperature in the cooling zone. The average residence time of the explosion-proof container in the heating zone is preferably 5 to 20 minutes. A conveyor is installed to pass the explosion-proof container through the inner space of the tunnel furnace. Examples of the conveyor include a roller hearth type, a belt type, and a pusher type. Of these, an endless conveyor such as a belt type is particularly preferable. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the explosion-proof container 3 can be installed on the endless conveyor 5 at predetermined intervals, preferably detachably. The explosion-proof container 3 can be attached to the endless conveyor 5 by welding, screws, rivets, bolts and nuts, or the like.

The temperature of the tunnel furnace can be adjusted by a known heating method. Examples of the heating method include an electric heating method (high frequency induction heating, resistance heating, microwave heating, etc.), a combustion heating method (burner heating), and the like. From the viewpoint that the temperature distribution in the furnace tends to be uniform, the electric heating method is preferable, and the resistance heating method is more preferable. There are two types of resistance heating: direct heating to the inflator and heating, direct heating to the explosion-proof container and heating, and heating to the heating element and indirectly heating the explosion-proof container and inflator. . As the heating element, nichrome wire, Kantal [registered trademark] wire, ceramic (SiC or the like), or the like can be used. In the combustion heating method, the flame may be blown out by the blast, so it is preferable to use a burner having a mechanism for automatically igniting when the flame disappears. The temperature of the heating zone of the tunnel furnace is not particularly limited as long as the inflator is operated, and is preferably 150 to 600 ° C, more preferably 350 to 550 ° C, and further preferably 400 to 500 ° C.

The feeder 2 can be installed on the entrance side of the preheating zone of the tunnel furnace. Such a feeder may be a mechanism that allows an inflator to be placed in an explosion-proof container installed on an endless conveyor, for example. Further, a load cell for measuring the weight W1 of the inflator may be provided on the inlet side of the preheating zone of the tunnel furnace. The number of inflators placed in one explosion-proof container is not particularly limited, but in the present invention, it is preferable that one explosion-proof container can contain one inflator.

A mechanism for removing the inflator from the explosion-proof container can be installed at the exit side of the tunnel furnace cooling zone. A mechanism for discharging the inflator by tilting the explosion-proof container as shown in FIG. 1 may be used, or the inflator may be lifted by a crane or the like and taken out from the explosion-proof container. Since the inflator is mainly made of steel, a crane that holds the inflator with an electromagnet is preferable from the viewpoint of ease of lifting work.

A load cell for measuring the weight W2 of the inflator may be provided on the exit side of the cooling zone of the tunnel furnace. When the inflator is activated by heating, the igniting agent, transfer agent, and gas generating agent contained therein are consumed. The total weight of igniter, transfer agent and gas generant is usually about 10% of the total weight of the inflator. The weight of the actuated inflator should be about 10% less than the weight W1 of the unactuated inflator. If the inflator weight W1 measured at the entrance side of the tunnel furnace preheating zone and the inflator weight W2 measured at the exit side of the tunnel furnace cooling zone are in a predetermined relationship, for example, the difference (W1-W2) If is less than a predetermined value or if the ratio of W2 to W1 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, it can be estimated that the inflator was not activated by heating. In addition, since the weight of the explosion-proof container hardly changes even when passing through the tunnel furnace, in order to determine the weight W1 or W2 of the inflator, the inflator may be taken out from the explosion-proof container and the weight may be measured. The weight may be measured with the inflator remaining in the explosion-proof container.

It is preferable to sort inflators that have not been activated by the above processing method. Specifically, for example, a mechanism for separating an inflator whose difference between W1 and W2 is less than a predetermined value (W2≈W1) and an inflator whose difference between W1 and W2 exceeds a predetermined value (W2 <W1) is provided. be able to. For example, the separation mechanism may be a door that is controlled to open and close depending on whether the difference between W1 and W2 is less than a predetermined value as shown in FIG. 1, or the weight W2 is measured when the inflator is lifted. However, it may be a crane whose transport direction is controlled by whether or not the difference between W1 and W2 is less than a predetermined value. An inflator whose difference between W1 and W2 is less than a predetermined value can be reheated in an incinerator, or the inflator can be put again in an explosion-proof container and passed through a tunnel furnace to reheat the inflator. preferable. The inflator can be operated by this reheating.

The activated inflator obtained by the processing method of the present invention can be discarded as it is. In addition, useful materials can be recovered from the activated inflator.

1: Inactive inflator 2: Feeder 3: Explosion-proof container 4: Tunnel furnace 4a: Preheating zone 4b: Heating zone 4c: Cooling zone 5: Endless conveyor 6: Explosion-proof top plate 7: Activated inflator

Claims (9)

Place the inactive inflator in an explosion-proof container,
Passing the explosion-proof container through a tunnel furnace, heating the inflator,
A method for treating an inflator, comprising cooling a heated inflator. 2. The inflator processing method according to claim 1, further comprising measuring a weight W2 of the cooled inflator. The method for treating an inflator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tunnel furnace is a roller hearth type, a belt type, or a pusher type. The method for treating an inflator according to claim 1, wherein the tunnel furnace is an electric heating method. The method for treating an inflator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a heating temperature in the tunnel furnace is 150 to 600 ° C. Measure the weight W1 of the inflator before passing it through the tunnel furnace,
Reheat the inflator where the difference between W1 and W2 is less than the specified value in the incinerator,
6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising re-heating the inflator by passing an explosion-proof container containing an inflator whose difference between W1 and W2 is less than a predetermined value through a tunnel furnace. Inflator processing method. Tunnel furnace,
A tunnel furnace preheating zone, an endless conveyor installed so as to pass through the heating zone and the cooling zone, and an explosion-proof container installed detachably at predetermined intervals on the endless conveyor,
Can put an inactive inflator in an explosion-proof container, pass the explosion-proof container through a tunnel furnace, heat the inflator, and cool the heated inflator.
Inflator processing equipment. A load cell for measuring the weight W2 of the inflator is further provided on the exit side of the cooling zone, and the weight W2 of the cooled inflator can be measured.
The inflator processing apparatus according to claim 7. A load cell for measuring the weight W1 of the inflator on the inlet side of the preheating zone;
Can measure the weight W1 of the inflator before passing it through the tunnel furnace,
The inflator processing apparatus according to claim 7 or 8.

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