Trw Limited

Jon J Freesmeier

Halley O Stevens

John P O'Loughlin

Thomas H Deming

An apparatus ( ) helps to protect an occupant of a vehicle ( ). The apparatus ( ) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device ( ) that is inflatable into a position between a vehicle part ( ) and a vehicle occupant. The apparatus ( ) also includes an inflation fluid source ( ) that provides inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device ( ). The inflation fluid source ( ) contains a stored inflation fluid ( ) consisting essentially of 65-95% helium gas and 5-35% nitrogen gas stored under pressure.

Inflatable vehicle occupant protection device

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).

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Higley, AZ, United States of America

Jon J Freesmeier