Flammable gas initiated pyrotechnic inflator
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An inflator suitable for use with an airbag passive restraint system, comprising:
- a housing containing a solid pyrotechnic gas generant,a quantity of a flammable gas which is sufficient to ignite said solid pyrotechnic gas generant, andan initiator which, upon activation, is capable of igniting said flammable gas.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for igniting a pyrotechnic gas generator, or inflator, such as those used in automotive airbag systems is disclosed. The ignition system uses a flammable gas to ignite the pyrotechnic gas generant. The flammable gas can be stored either throughout interior free space in the inflator or it can be maintained in a separate sealed container either separately or jointly with the pyrotechnic gas generant. The method and apparatus offer both cost savings and a reduction in delay time over conventional pyrotechnic ignition systems.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. An inflator suitable for use with an airbag passive restraint system, comprising:
-
a housing containing a solid pyrotechnic gas generant, a quantity of a flammable gas which is sufficient to ignite said solid pyrotechnic gas generant, and an initiator which, upon activation, is capable of igniting said flammable gas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of producing a product gas suitable for inflating an inflatable article, comprising:
-
providing a quantity of a solid pyrotechnic gas generant capable of producing said product gas in a housing, enclosing a flammable gas within said housing, igniting said flammable gas, igniting said solid pyrotechnic gas generant by contacting it with the ignition products of said ignited flammable gas, and allowing the product gas produced by the ignited gas generant to discharge from said housing. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
Specification