Initiator for tire inflator

A light, portable, miniaturized tire inflator for inflating a tire having an inlet valve, and adapted to be carried in one hand, comprising:

• a pyrotechnic material as sole source of inflating gas to generate the inflating gas upon combustion to inflate the tire, without a source of stored fluid;
• an ignitor mechanism located adjacent to said pyrotechnic material to ignite and cause said pyrotechnic material to burn;
• a pressure vessel to hold said pyrotechnic material, said presssure vessel having a tire end and a pyrotechnic end;
• and
• a nozzle mounted on said tire end of said pressure vessel, said nozzle being adapted to be connected directly to the valve of the tire;
• said ignitor mechanism including a firing pin assembly comprising a firing pin and legs extending therefrom movable with a longitudinal bore adjacent said nozzle by said tire valve;
• a spring for biasing said firing pin assembly;
• prongs on the end opposite of said legs to said firing pin;
• shoulder means on said bore adjacent said nozzle for engaging said prongs and retaining said firing pin assembly against said spring unloaded condition;
• a prime spaced from said firing pin in loaded condition and adpated to be actuated by said firing pin by impact of said firing pin upon said primer on disengagement by said tire valve of said prongs from said shoulder means;
• an ignition means adapted to be ignited by said primer and cause combustion of said pyrotechnic material;
• and
• an insulator disposed around substantially the entire exterior surface of said pressure vessel.