Initiators for air bag inflators

An inflator for an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflator comprising:

• a housing;
• a solid body of ignitable material in said housing for, when ignited, generating inflation fluid for inflating the protection device;
• a plurality of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices in said housing at spaced locations adjacent said body of ignitable material, said MEMS devices being electrically energizable to generate combustion products for fracturing said body of ignitable material at said spaced locations to promote ignition of said body of ignitable material;
• and
• at least one terminal pin electrically connected with said plurality of MEMS devices for receiving an electric current for energizing at least one of said MEMS devices.

An inflator for an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, comprising:

• a container having an opening;
• a burst disk closing said opening in said container;
• inflation fluid stored under pressure in said container;
• a plurality of individually energizable microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices supported at predetermined locations adjacent said burst disk;
• and
• a controller for energizing selected ones of said plurality of MEMS devices to make an opening of a selected configuration in said burst disk.

An inflator for an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, comprising:

• a container defining a chamber;
• an actuatable inflation fluid source in said chamber;
• and
• an actuation module in said chamber, said actuation module including:
• a plurality of individually energizable microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices for, when energized, actuating said inflation fluid source, and
• a receiver for receiving a control signal from outside said chamber for energizing at least one of said MEMS devices to actuate said inflation fluid source;
• said inflator being free of wires extending into said chamber.

An inflator for an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflator comprising:

• a container having an opening;
• a burst disk closing said opening in said container;
• inflation fluid stored under pressure in said container;
• a body of ignitable material in said container;
• and
• an initiator comprising a first plurality of electrically energizable microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices for opening said burst disk and a second plurality of electrically energizable devices MEMS devices for igniting said ignitable material;
• said first plurality of MEMS devices being energizable independently of said second plurality of MEMS devices.