US 5,263,740 AGranted

Hybrid air bag inflator

AssigneeTRW Inc.

InventorsStuart M. Frey, Paul S. Headley, John H. Semchena, Richard J. Thompson, Ernst M. Faigle, Gregory B. Grace

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Abstract

An inflator assembly for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint includes a container defining a chamber with a rupturable wall. The chamber contains a first ignitable material and gas. The gas is directed from the container to the inflatable vehicle occupant restraint when the rupturable wall of the chamber is ruptured. The assembly further includes an initiator for rupturing the rupturable wall of the chamber and for igniting the first ignitable material inside the chamber. The initiator includes a second ignitable material. The second ignitable material produces a pressure wave and emits products of combustion when it is ignited by the initiator. The rupturable wall of the chamber is located in the path of the pressure wave and is ruptured by the pressure wave. The first ignitable material inside the chamber is located in the path of the products of combustion emitted by the second ignitable material and is ignited by the products of combustion.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An apparatus for inflating an inflatable device, said apparatus comprising:

container means for defining a sealed chamber, said chamber containing gas, said container means including a rupturable container wall which is rupturable to define a gas exit opening through which said gas flows outward from said chamber;
said chamber further containing a first ignitable means for increasing the temperature and pressure of said gas in said chamber by producing products of combustion which increase the temperature and pressure of said gas in said chamber, said first ignitable means including a first ignitable material which is contained in said chamber with said gas and which, when ignited, produces said products of combustion;
directing means for directing said gas flowing outward from said chamber through said gas exit opening into the inflatable device when said rupturable container wall is ruptured;
and
initiator means for first rupturing said rupturable container wall and for then igniting said first ignitable material in said chamber after rupturing said rupturable container wall, said initiator means including a second ignitable material which, when ignited, produces a pressure wave and emits products of combustion;
said pressure wave moving against said rupturable container wall and rupturing said rupturable container wall, said products of combustion of said second ignitable material moving into contact with said first ignitable material in said chamber and igniting said first ignitable material in said chamber.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.