Damage mitigating apparatus operable by pressurized deployment of a fabric

A damage mitigating apparatus, comprising:

• a) a chamber in which an undeployed damage mitigating fabric is retained and secured to a platform;
• b) a manifold positioned within an interior of, and fixed to, said chamber, with said manifold being releasably coupled to a single vessel within which pressurized gas is generated;
• c) a gas generator which cooperates with said vessel;
• d) a plurality of hollow tubes which extend distally from, and are in fluid communication with, said manifold;
• and
• e) a plurality of projectiles, each of which is attached to a corresponding portion of said undeployed fabric and termed with a rod that is receivable in a corresponding one of said tubes;
• wherein the pressurized gas which is generated upon triggering of said gas generator is flowable through each of said tubes to propel said plurality of projectiles and to cause said fabric to become deployed,
• wherein said apparatus is configured to cause said fabric to achieve a desired expanded dimension simultaneously with ejection of said plurality of projectiles from said chamber and to perform a damage mitigating operation;
• and
• wherein the chamber has a discontinuous exterior wall configured with a plurality of hollow portions, each of said hollow portions extending inwardly from said exterior wall into the chamber interior, spaced from the manifold and having a hollow portion interior within which a corresponding hollow tube extending from the manifold and receiving one of the projectile rods is positioned.

Fire extinguishing apparatus, comprising:

• a) a chamber in which an undeployed fire suppressing fabric in a folded condition is stored;
• b) a manifold positioned within an interior of, and fixed to, the chamber, with said manifold being releasably coupled to a single vessel within which pressurized gas is generated;
• c) a gas generator which cooperates with said vessel;
• d) a plurality of hollow tubes which extend distally from, and are in fluid communication with, said manifold;
• e) a plurality of projectiles, each of which is formed with a rod that is receivable in a corresponding one of said tubes and is attached to a corresponding portion of said undeployed fire suppressing fabric;
• and
• f) a manually manipulatable input device provided with said chamber which, when manually manipulated, is configured to trigger the gas generator and to cause the fire suppressing fabric to be propelled by a generated pressurized gas for a predetermined distance to achieve a desired expanded dimension that facilitates smothering of a fire.