Airbag inflation gas generation

In an apparatus for inflating an inflatable device wherein a gas generant reactant reacts with oxygen to produce a gaseous inflation medium, the improvement comprising:

• a closed first chamber having contents free of nitrous oxide and which contents include a supply of oxygen and a quantity of an unreactive reaction modifier comprising CO2, and
• an initiator to initiate reaction of at least a fraction of the supply of oxygen with the gas generant reactant to produce a quantity of the gaseous inflation medium;
• wherein the gas generant reactant is oxygen-deficient.

In an apparatus for inflating an inflatable device wherein a gas generant reactant reacts with oxygen to produce a gaseous inflation medium, the improvement comprising:

• a closed first chamber having contents free of nitrous oxide and which contents include a supply of oxygen and a quantity of at least one unreactive reaction modifier selected from a group consisting of CO2, Xe, SF6 and mixtures thereof,
• an initiator to initiate reaction of at least a fraction of the supply of oxygen with the gas generant reactant to produce a quantity of the gaseous inflation medium, and
• a second chamber wherein the gas generant reactant is stored external to the first chamber and in discharge communication with the initiator wherein discharge of the initiator onto the gas generant reactant produces discharge products effective to open the first chamber and place at least a portion of the first chamber contents in contact with one or more of the discharge products, remaining unreacted gas generant and remaining not fully reacted gas generant.