Hybrid gas generator
First Claim
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1. An inflator comprising:
- a housing;
a cold gas chamber within said housing for storage of a stored gas supply;
a pyrotechnic chamber within said housing;
a pyrotechnic charge within said pyrotechnic chamber;
a wall adjoining said cold gas chamber and said pyrotechnic chamber;
a gas orifice defined in said wall for passage of gas between said chambers; and
a perforated flexible member contained within said cold gas chamber,wherein said flexible member is fixed about said orifice for modulation of gas flow through said orifice.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inflator 10 of the present invention contains: a housing 12, a cold gas chamber 16 within the housing 12 for storage of a stored gas supply, a pyrotechnic chamber 18 within the housing 12, a pyrotechnic charge 20 within the pyrotechnic chamber 18, a wall 22 adjoining the cold gas and the pyrotechnic chambers 16, 18, a first orifice 24 defined in the wall 22 for passage of gas between the chambers, and a perforated flexible member 28 contained within the cold gas chamber 16, wherein the flexible member 28 is fixed about the orifice 24 for modulation or controlled variation of gas flow through the orifice 24.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. An inflator comprising:
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a housing; a cold gas chamber within said housing for storage of a stored gas supply; a pyrotechnic chamber within said housing; a pyrotechnic charge within said pyrotechnic chamber; a wall adjoining said cold gas chamber and said pyrotechnic chamber; a gas orifice defined in said wall for passage of gas between said chambers; and a perforated flexible member contained within said cold gas chamber, wherein said flexible member is fixed about said orifice for modulation of gas flow through said orifice. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 8)
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5. An inflator comprising:
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a housing containing a first chamber containing a stored gas supply and a second chamber containing a pyrotechnic gas generant; a wall adjoining said first and second chambers; an orifice defined in said wall for passage of gas there through; and a perforated flexible member fixed about said orifice for modulating gas flow through said orifice, wherein upon actuation of said inflator, hot gases flow through said orifice at variable flow rates. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. An inflator comprising:
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a perforated housing containing a first chamber containing a stored gas supply and a second chamber containing a pyrotechnic gas generant; a wall adjoining and between said first and second chambers; an orifice defined in said wall for fluid flow between said first and second chambers; and a perforated flexible member within said first chamber and fixed about said orifice for modulating gas flow through said orifice, said flexible member forming a concave seal about said orifice prior to inflator actuation, wherein upon actuation of said inflator, hot gases from said second chamber flow through said orifice and into said first chamber and bias the flexible member to form a convex orientation about said orifice, and then hot gases bias the perforated flexible member to again form a concave seal about said orifice, whereby gas flows through said flexible member, then through said orifice and into said second chamber, then out of said perforated housing. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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Specification