Airbag inflator with pressure relief and increased combustion efficiency

An airbag inflator comprising:

• a lower pressure vessel supporting an initiator assembly;
• a booster can centrally mounted in the lower pressure vessel and secured to the initiator assembly;
• an energetics canister secured over the booster can such that the energetics canister is positioned radially between the lower pressure vessel and the booster can;
• an energetics cover enclosing a circumferential space between the booster can and the energetics canister;
• a flow diverter closing the booster can and retaining the energetics cover on the energetics canister, the flow diverter including inlet vent openings downstream of the energetics cover;
• an upper pressure vessel positioned over the flow diverter and engaging the lower pressure vessel, the upper pressure vessel including an exit orifice sealed with a rupturable membrane;
• and
• a manifold secured over the upper pressure vessel,
• wherein the initiator assembly comprises an initiator, and wherein the initiator assembly is secured in the lower pressure vessel such that the initiator detaches from the initiator assembly upon an excessive increase in internal pressure such that the internal pressure is safely vented without an inflator fragmentation event.

An airbag inflator comprising:

• a lower pressure vessel supporting an initiator assembly;
• a booster can centrally mounted in the lower pressure vessel and secured to the initiator assembly;
• an energetics canister secured over the booster can such that the energetics canister is positioned radially between the lower pressure vessel and the booster can;
• an energetics cover enclosing a circumferential space between the booster can and the energetics canister;
• a flow diverter closing the booster can and retaining the energetics cover on the energetics canister, the flow diverter including inlet vent openings downstream of the energetics cover;
• an upper pressure vessel positioned over the flow diverter and engaging the lower pressure vessel, the upper pressure vessel including an exit orifice sealed with a rupturable membrane;
• and
• a manifold secured over the upper pressure vessel,
• wherein the upper pressure vessel is welded to the lower pressure vessel, and wherein the booster can is secured without a weld.

An airbag inflator comprising:

• a lower pressure vessel supporting an initiator assembly;
• an upper pressure vessel engaging the lower pressure vessel, the upper pressure vessel including an exit orifice sealed with a rupturable membrane;
• an inert gas or gas mixture contained in the lower and upper pressure vessels;
• a first pressure zone containing a generant, the first pressure zone comprising outlet vent openings through which combustion and stored gases exit;
• a second pressure zone functioning at an operating pressure lower than an operating pressure of the first pressure zone, wherein combustion and stored gases from the first pressure zone flow through the outlet vent openings into the second pressure zone;
• a flow diverter disposed in the second pressure zone and including inlet vent openings, wherein the flow diverter is configured to direct the combustion and stored gases through the exit orifice;
• and
• a manifold secured over the upper pressure vessel, the manifold including manifold vents through which the combustion and stored gases from the exit orifice pass,
• wherein the initiator assembly is detachably secured in the lower pressure vessel such that the initiator assembly detaches from the lower pressure vessel upon an increase in internal pressure without a deployment event.

An airbag inflator comprising:

• a lower pressure vessel supporting an initiator assembly;
• an upper pressure vessel engaging the lower pressure vessel, the upper pressure vessel including an exit orifice sealed with a rupturable membrane;
• an inert gas or gas mixture contained in the lower and upper pressure vessels;
• a first pressure zone containing a generant, the first pressure zone comprising outlet vent openings through which combustion and stored gases exit;
• a second pressure zone radially outward of the first pressure zone and functioning at an operating pressure lower than an operating pressure of the first pressure zone, wherein combustion and stored gases from the first pressure zone flow through the outlet vent openings into the second pressure zone;
• a flow diverter disposed in the second pressure zone and including inlet vent openings, wherein the flow diverter is configured to direct the combustion and stored gases through the exit orifice;
• a manifold secured over the upper pressure vessel, the manifold including manifold vents through which the combustion and stored gases from the exit orifice pass;
• and
• a booster can centrally mounted in the lower pressure vessel within the first pressure zone and secured to the initiator assembly, wherein the booster can comprises directional vents such that combustion and stored gases from the booster can are not uniformly distributed in the first pressure zone.

An airbag inflator comprising:

• a lower pressure vessel supporting a hermetically sealed initiator assembly;
• an upper pressure vessel engaging the lower pressure vessel, the upper pressure vessel including an exit orifice sealed with a rupturable membrane;
• an inert stored gas mixture at pressures at least fifty times greater than atmospheric pressure contained within the upper and lower pressure vessels;
• a booster can with directional vents that confines outwards flow to an angular quadrant, the booster can centrally mounted in the lower pressure vessel and secured to the initiator assembly;
• a main energetics canister secured over the booster can such that the main energetics canister is positioned radially between the lower pressure vessel and the booster can;
• an internal energetics canister located inside the main energetics canister and positioned between the main energetics canister and the booster can, the internal energetics canister enclosing an angular region inside the main energetics canister;
• an energetics cover enclosing a circumferential space between the booster can and the main energetics canister;
• a flow diverter closing the booster can and including inlet vent openings downstream of the energetics cover;
• and
• a manifold secured over the upper pressure vessel.