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US 5,060,973 AGranted
Liquid propellant inflator for vehicle occupant restraint apparatus
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorAnthony J. Giovanetti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To deploy an inflatable member, such as an occupant restraint safety bag in a motor vehicle, a liquid propellant is expelled from a storage reservoir into a reaction chamber through ports created at frangible pressure points in the reservoir wall and ignited by detonation of an explosive charge to generate a non-toxic, bag inflating gas by exothermic reaction.
Claims19
Apparatus for deploying an inflatable member comprising, in combination:
- A. a reaction chamber connected in fluid flow communication with the inflatable member;
- B. a reservoir disposed within said reaction chamber, said reservoir having a plurality of ports communicating with said reaction chamber and pressure sensitive sealing means normally closing said ports;
- C. a quantity of liquid propellant stored in said reservoir;
- and
- D. means for pressurizing said liquid propellant to open said sealing means and to expel said liquid propellant from said reservoir into said reaction chamber through said ports and for igniting said liquid propellant only after entry into said reaction chamber, thereby generating gas by exothermic reaction to inflate the inflatable member.
2 more elements
Occupant restraint apparatus for a motor vehicle, said apparatus comprising, in combination:
- A. an inflatable safety bag;
- B. a reaction chamber connected in fluid flow communication with said safety bag;
- C. a reservoir disposed in fluid flow relation with said reaction chamber;
- D. a quantity of liquid propellant stored in said reservoir;
- and
- E. an inflation initiator responsive to a high impact vehicle accident for expelling said liquid propellant from said reservoir into said reaction chamber and igniting said liquid propellant therein to generate by exothermic reaction a large volume of gas for
- inflating said safety bag, said initiator including means for preventing ignition of said liquid propellant while in said reservoir.
4 more elements
A method for deploying an inflatable member comprising the steps of:
- A. providing a reaction chamber in fluid flow communication with the inflatable member;
- B. providing a reservoir containing a liquid propellant;
- C. positioning the reservoir within the reaction chamber;
- D. forcing the liquid propellant from the reservoir into the reaction chamber to initiate deployment;
- and
- E. igniting the liquid propellant solely in the reaction chamber to generate by exothermic reaction a large volume of gas for inflating the inflatable member.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.