Trw Limited

Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Halley O Stevens

John P O'Loughlin

Homer William Fogle, Jr

Eric R McFarland

Craig M Fischer

Thomas H Deming

Robert R Debbs

Keven D Thomas

Jon J Freesmeier

Darrin L Johnson

David G Magoteaux

Fred J Cook

Kenneth K Gudewich

An inflator () includes a container () having a chamber (). An exit opening () is provided in the container () and is connected to the chamber (). A substance () is stored in the chamber () and is responsive to heat for providing inflation fluid. An igniter () is associated with the container () and is actuatable to provide combustion products for heating the substance (). A nozzle () is interposed between the igniter () and the chamber (). A passage () extends from the igniter () and through the nozzle (). The passage () includes a divergent portion () for focusing a flow of combustion products from the igniter () into the chamber ().

Inflator having an ignition nozzle

An actuatable fastener () includes a body () including a head () and a shank (). The body () includes an interior chamber () partially defined by a side wall () extending from the head () into the shank () and an end wall () positioned in the shank. A member () is disposed in the chamber (). An initiator () is actuatable to produce combustion products in the chamber () that act on the member () to move the member in a first direction in the chamber to strike the end wall (). The member () strikes the end wall () creating a fracture () in the shank () separating at least a portion of the shank from a remainder () of the shank. The combustion products moving the member () beyond the fracture () at least a predetermined distance () to move the portion of the shank () at least the predetermined distance from the remainder () of the shank.

Actuatable fastener

An inflator () for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device () includes structure that defines a chamber () and inflation fluid stored in the chamber. The inflation fluid includes in mixture a fuel gas, an oxidizer gas, and an inert gas mixture. The inflator () also includes an actuator for initiating a combustion reaction between the fuel gas and the oxidizer gas. The inert gas mixture includes at least two different inert gases and has a composition selected to produce desired performance characteristics of the inflator ().

Heated gas inflator

Apparatus () for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device () inflatable between the vehicle side structure () and a vehicle occupant. The device () defines an inflatable volume () that includes a forward portion () and a rearward portion (). An inflation fluid source () is in fluid communication with a fill tube () and provides helium inflation fluid for inflating the device (). The fill tube () includes outlet apertures () that direct the inflation fluid into the inflatable volume to inflate the device () initially to a first pressure and maintain the device inflated above a second pressure for a predetermined time. The inflation fluid directed into the inflatable volume () has a temperature and a pressure that are generally the same in the forward and rearward portions (and) during initial inflation of the device. The temperature is about equal to an ambient temperature in which the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflated for at least 95% of the predetermined time.

Inflatable side curtain with fill tube

A vehicle occupant safety apparatus (,) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (,) and a container (,) for storing gas (,) under pressure. The container (,) has an outlet (,). The apparatus (,) includes a mechanism (,) for opening the container (,) to release the gas (,) to flow from the outlet (,) at supersonic speed. The apparatus (,) also includes a pyrotechnic material (,) which is ignitable to generate gas for helping to inflate the inflatable device (,). The pyrotechnic material (,) is ignitable in response to being impacted by the gas (,) flowing from the outlet (,) at supersonic speed. The apparatus (,) further includes a conduit (,) directing at least a first portion of the gas (,) flowing from the container (,) to the pyrotechnic material (,) to ignite the pyrotechnic material.

Apparatus for inflating a side curtain

An inflator (10) for providing inflation fluid to inflate an inflatable device includes a container (12) containing a stored pressurized gas. The container (12) has a primary chamber (24) and a secondary chamber (26). The container (12) has a wall (32) separating the primary and secondary chambers (24, 26). An orifice (34) communicates the primary chamber (24) with the secondary chamber (26). The container (12) has an outlet passage (42) communicating with the secondary chamber (26). The flow area of the outlet passage (42) is greater than the flow area of the orifice (34). A member (46) has a first condition blocking flow through the outlet passage (42) and a second condition permitting flow through the outlet passage. An initiator (52) causes the member (46) to assume the second condition so as to permit flow from the secondary chamber (26) through the outlet passage (42) and create a pressure differential between the primary and secondary chambers (24, 26) acting on the wall (32). The pressure differential ruptures the wall (32).

Inflator

An apparatus (10) for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (12) comprises an inflator structure (14) defining a primary chamber (18), a secondary chamber (48), a primary outlet (50) for enabling fluid flow from the primary chamber to the secondary chamber, and a secondary outlet (70) for directing fluid flow from the secondary chamber to the inflatable device. A primary burst disk (60) extends across the primary outlet (50). The primary burst disk (60) is rupturable in response to the pressure differential across the primary burst disk exceeding a first predetermined pressure differential. A secondary burst disk (80) extends across the secondary outlet (70) and is rupturable in response to the pressure differential across the secondary burst disk exceeding a second predetermined pressure differential. Inflation fluid (20) is stored at a first pressure in the primary chamber (18). Inflation fluid (90) is stored in the secondary chamber (48) at a second pressure less than the first pressure, so that the pressure differential across the primary burst disk (60) is less than the first predetermined pressure differential. The apparatus includes actuatable means (16) for rupturing the secondary burst disk (80) to initiate flow of inflation fluid (90) out of the secondary chamber (48) into the inflatable device (12). The flow of fluid (90) from the secondary chamber (48) decreases the pressure in the secondary chamber sufficiently to raise the pressure differential across the primary burst disk (60) to a level exceeding the first predetermined pressure differential. In a preferred embodiment, the actuatable means (16) is an energizable device for, when energized, increasing the pressure in the secondary chamber (48) to a level exceeding the second predetermined pressure differential, thereby effecting rupturing of the secondary burst disk (80).

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Mesa, AZ, United States of America

Halley O Stevens