초록 ▼

A hybrid inflator for a vehicle airbag module produces an initial release of essentially unheated, stored, pressurized gas from the gas storage chamber of the inflator by way of a projectile, releasable from a nozzle opening in a combustion chamber housing upon combustion of a gas-generating combust

A hybrid inflator for a vehicle airbag module produces an initial release of essentially unheated, stored, pressurized gas from the gas storage chamber of the inflator by way of a projectile, releasable from a nozzle opening in a combustion chamber housing upon combustion of a gas-generating combustible material housed within the combustion chamber housing, which ruptures and passes through a frangible burst element retaining the stored, pressurized gas in the gas storage chamber of the inflator, thereby permitting, initially, the unheated, stored, pressurized gas to discharge through the ruptured burst element and flow externally past the combustion chamber housing in an isolation housing and then to exit the inflator through gas exhaust ports in the inflator.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A pressurized gas inflator for a vehicle airbag module, said inflator comprising:a) a pressure bottle having an outlet opening at one end, said outlet opening receiving and securing therein a first end of a tubular isolation housing,b) the tubular isolation housing defining a sidew

[ We claim:] [1.] A pressurized gas inflator for a vehicle airbag module, said inflator comprising:a) a pressure bottle having an outlet opening at one end, said outlet opening receiving and securing therein a first end of a tubular isolation housing,b) the tubular isolation housing defining a sidewall projecting into the pressure bottle to a second end of the isolation housing, said second end of the isolation housing defining a mouth closed by a frangible burst means thereby forming in the pressure bottle a closed gas storage chamber containing stored, pressurized gas,c) a combustion chamber coaxially positioned within the isolation housing and secured, at a first end thereof, in the outlet opening of the pressure bottle, said combustion chamber having an ignition source at said first end thereof and defining a sidewall having a neck terminating in a nozzle with a nozzle opening at a second end thereof, said nozzle having releasably positioned therein a projectile axially aligned with the frangible burst means in the isolation housing, the combustion chamber containing gas-generating combustible material adjacent the projectile,d) gas exhaust ports located peripherally and exteriorly of the first end of the combustion chamber, and interiorly of the first end of the isolation housing adjacent the outlet opening of the pressure bottle, the projectile being explosively releasable from the nozzle opening for being propelled through the burst means by pressure created in the combustion chamber upon ignition of the combustible material for causing the projectile to rupture the burst means and pass into the gas storage chamber whereby, initially, unheated, stored, pressurized gas in the gas storage chamber is dischargeable into the mouth of the isolation housing for flowing between the sidewall of the combustion chamber and the sidewall of the isolation housing to and out the gas exhaust ports.