Hi-Shear Technology Corporation

Gaybert B Little

Thomas R Mooney

Guy Little

George W Trahan

Robert F Flagg

A gas generator to provide gases under pressure for an air bag. A combustion chamber and an auxiliary chamber contain a fluid gas-generating charge which is auto-ignitable. The combustion chamber has a burst portion which bursts after ignition, and the generated gases flow from it to the air bag. A conduit interconnects the two chambers. For a low pressure/high temperature regime the conduit acts as a flame suppressor to prevent flame from entering the auxiliary chamber so combustion can occur in the auxiliary chamber. For a high pressure/low temperature regime the conduit is a nozzle which passes the flame. Combustion then occurs in both of the chambers.

Air bag inflator using liquid monopropellant and adaptable to produce

This inflator of this invention includes a casing with a chamber containing an oxidizer gas. An exit port is located at one end of the casing which is closed by a burst disk. An exit tube extends into the chamber from the exit port to provide an orderly path for generated gases to leave the chamber. A fuel cell holding a liquid fuel is located at another end of the casing. A piston is driven in the fuel cell by gases from an igniter to drive the liquid fuel into the chamber. An igniter channel interconnects a region containing hot gases from the igniter to a region in the chamber where the liquid fuel and the oxidizer gas are mixed together. An injector tube conveys the fuel from a discharge end of the liquid fuel cell to a combustion region adjacent the igniter channel.

Inflator for vehicle air bags

A gas generator to provide gases under pressure to inflate a vehicular air bag. A capsular enclosure contains a fluid gas-generating charge. The enclosure has a non-pyrotechnic initiator, a frangible wall portion, and a chamber with a major portion of its volume on the other side of the frangible wall portion from the initiator. Various chamber and nozzle configurations provide for different initial pressures and temperatures, and times from maximum pressure or ambient pressure. Successive bursts are possible.

A gas generator for a vehicular air bag. A capsular enclosure forms a reaction chamber with a wall having a frangible portion. An electrically-conductive, heat-generating initiator inside the chamber initiates a liquid gas-generating charge that is auto-ignitable by the initiator. Its reaction is self-sustaining after ignition. The gas generated bursts the frangible portion and supplies the air bag. The active components of the charge are nitrous oxide and oxygen.

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Redondo Beach, CA, United States of America

Gaybert B Little