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AssigneeTRW Airbag Systems GmbH
InventorsManfred Biebl, Michael Gabler, Achim Hofmann, Dieter Leier, Ning Wei
Estimating the term…
A vehicle safety system includes a module including an airbag and an inflator. The inflator includes a housing (12) in which a combustion chamber (16) containing a pyrotechnic propellant is arranged in which hot gas is generated and which housing includes at least one escape orifice (22) toward the environment of the inflator (10), as well as a coolant reservoir (24) arranged in the housing (12) in which coolant is accommodated prior to activation of the inflator (10) and which has at least one coolant outlet orifice (28′). The coolant outlet orifice (28) is arranged in direct vicinity of the outlet orifice (22). Upon activation of the inflator (10) coolant flows out of the inflator into the protection system and wets an adjacent wall (32) of the protection system against which also the hot gas is flowing.
A method of operating a vehicle occupant protection system comprising an inflator including a pyrotechnic propellant and a coolant reservoir arranged in a housing of the inflator as well as comprising a protection system operated by hot gas escaping from the housing via at least one escape orifice, the method comprising directing, upon activation of the inflator, coolant to flow from the inflator into the protection system to wet an adjacent wall of the protection system against which the hot gas is flowing, and adapting the inflator so that the at least one escape orifice is arranged annularly about a side wall of the housing and so that the coolant exits the coolant reservoir at locations arranged annularly about the coolant reservoir.
A method of operating a vehicle occupant protection system having an inflator with a pyrotechnic propellant and a coolant reservoir arranged in a housing of the inflator as well as comprising a protection system operated by hot gas escaping from the housing via at least one escape orifice, the method comprising:
A method of operating a vehicle occupant protection system comprising an inflator including a pyrotechnic propellant and a coolant reservoir arranged in a housing of the inflator as well as comprising a protection system operated by the hot gas escaping from the housing via at least one escape orifice, the method comprising directing, upon activation of the inflator, coolant to flow from the inflator into the protection system to wet an adjacent wall of the protection system against which the hot gas is flowing, and adapting the inflator so that the coolant exits the coolant reservoir at locations arranged successively in an axial direction (A) along the coolant reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.