Vehicle occupant protection apparatus
First Claim
1. Apparatus for deploying an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said apparatus comprising:
- a pressure vessel having a single chamber containing a stored inflation fluid;
an ignitable source of thermal energy stored in said single chamber and in contact with an inflation fluid and which, when ignited, heats said inflation fluid in said single chamber;
an initiator assembly which, when actuated, initiates an outlet flow of said inflation fluid from said single chamber;
said initiator assembly including a first actuatable device which opens said pressure vessel without igniting said thermal energy in said single chamber;
said initiator assembly further including a second actuatable device which ignites said source of thermal energy to release said thermal energy to heat said inflation fluid in said single chamber; and
means for actuating said initiator assembly in a selected one of a plurality of differing stages which correspond to a plurality of differing deployment conditions, said stages including a stage in which said first actuatable device is actuated and said second actuatable device is never actuated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for deploying an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (12) includes a pressure vessel (16) containing inflation fluid, and a source of thermal energy which heats the inflation fluid. An initiator assembly (17), when actuated, initiates an outlet flow of the inflation fluid from the pressure vessel (16). The initiator assembly (17) includes a first actuatable device (18) which varies the degree to which the thermal energy can heat the inflation fluid, and further includes a second actuatable device (20) which causes the source to release the thermal energy to heat the inflation fluid. The initiator assembly (17) is actuated in a selected one of a plurality of differing stages. The differing stages correspond to a plurality of differing deployment conditions, and include a "softest" stage in which only the first actuatable device (18) is actuated.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. Apparatus for deploying an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said apparatus comprising:
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a pressure vessel having a single chamber containing a stored inflation fluid; an ignitable source of thermal energy stored in said single chamber and in contact with an inflation fluid and which, when ignited, heats said inflation fluid in said single chamber; an initiator assembly which, when actuated, initiates an outlet flow of said inflation fluid from said single chamber; said initiator assembly including a first actuatable device which opens said pressure vessel without igniting said thermal energy in said single chamber; said initiator assembly further including a second actuatable device which ignites said source of thermal energy to release said thermal energy to heat said inflation fluid in said single chamber; and means for actuating said initiator assembly in a selected one of a plurality of differing stages which correspond to a plurality of differing deployment conditions, said stages including a stage in which said first actuatable device is actuated and said second actuatable device is never actuated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. Apparatus for deploying an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said apparatus comprising:
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a closed pressure vessel having a single chamber containing inflation fluid and an ignitable fluid in contact with said inflation fluid and for, when ignited, heating said inflation fluid; a first initiator which, when actuated, opens said pressure vessel to initiate an outlet flow of said inflation fluid and said ignitable fluid from said single chamber without heating said inflation fluid; a second initiator which, when actuated, ignites said ignitable fluid in said single chamber to heat said inflation fluid in said single chamber; and means for actuating said first and second initiators in a selected one of a plurality of differing stages which correspond to a plurality of differing deployment conditions; said differing stages including a stage in which said first initiator is actuated and said second initiator is never actuated. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Apparatus for deploying an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said apparatus comprising:
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a closed pressure vessel having a single chamber containing a stored inflation fluid and an ignitable material in contact with said inflation fluid and, when ignited, for heating said inflation fluid; a first initiator which, when actuated, opens said pressure vessel to initiate an outlet flow of said inflation fluid and said ignitable material from said single chamber without heating said inflation fluid; a second initiator which, when actuated, ignites said ignitable material in said single chamber to heat said inflation fluid in said single chamber; and means for actuating said first and second initiators in a selected one of a plurality of differing stages which correspond to a plurality of differing deployment conditions; said differing stages including a stage in which said first initiator is actuated and said second initiator is never actuated. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification