Airbag assembly with reduced exit gas temperature inflator and related method

A curtain airbag assembly for a motor vehicle, the curtain airbag assembly comprising:

• an inflator configured for generating inflation gases, the inflation gases having an effective exit gas temperature (EGT), the EGT being less than or equal to 350 degrees Kelvin;
• an inflatable airbag elongated along a length and formed from one or more panels defines an interior volume, including a plurality of inflatable chambers expandable upon deployment from a stowed state to a deployed state, the inflatable airbag including a fill tube and a throat, the interior volume of the inflatable airbag in fluid communication with the inflator such that inflation gases are passed through the throat and directed to the plurality of inflatable chambers by the fill tube, the one or more panels constructed from at least one material selected from a group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, and combinations thereof;
• and
• a protection device for protecting the throat and fill tube of the inflatable airbag, the protection device including a Y-shaped portion and a further portion, the Y-shaped portion having a first arm and a second arm connected at a base, the first arm defining an inlet for receiving at least one of the inflator and the inflation gases, the second arm defining a first channel for directing a first portion of the inflation gases in a first direction, the further portion defining a second channel for directing a second portion of the inflation gases in a second direction, the second direction being generally opposite the first direction,
• wherein the protection device lines the throat and at least a portion of the fill tube proximate the throat to protect the one or more panels of the inflatable airbag from heat and pressure of the inflation gases, and
• wherein the inflatable airbag is substantially constructed from at least one material.