Inflator assembly
First Claim
1. An apparatus for inflating a vehicle occupant restraint, said apparatus comprising:
- container means having a chamber for storing gas;
a body of ignitable material;
means for igniting the body of ignitable material to form combustion products including gaseous and other materials; and
means for causing the combustion products to flow along a generally helical path in said chamber to at least partially separate the other materials from the gaseous materials while heating the gas in said chamber.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for inflating a vehicle occupant restraint includes a container which stores gas. A body of pyrotechnic material is ignitable to supply combustion products to heat the gas in the container and to add generated gas to supplement the gas in the container. The combustion products from the ignitable body of pyrotechnic material are conducted along a helical path in the container chamber to separate certain materials from gaseous materials in the combustion products while heating the gas in the chamber with the combustion products. A flow of combustion products is directed along a first portion of the helical path toward a closed end of the container opposite to an outlet from the container. The flow of combustion products contacts the closed end of the container and is deflected back toward an outlet end of the container along a second portion of the helical path. The second portion of the helical path has a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the first portion of the helical path.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An apparatus for inflating a vehicle occupant restraint, said apparatus comprising:
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container means having a chamber for storing gas; a body of ignitable material; means for igniting the body of ignitable material to form combustion products including gaseous and other materials; and means for causing the combustion products to flow along a generally helical path in said chamber to at least partially separate the other materials from the gaseous materials while heating the gas in said chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification