Autoliv Asp, Incorporated

Steve Taylor

Robert E Lewis

William D Staheli

Gregory J Lang

Mats Bohman

An inflator device for an inflatable restraint system. The inflator device includes a tubular body with a center discharge opening disposed in a center portion of reduced diameter. First and second end closures each join an initiator to a respective opposing end of the tubular body to define a sealed chamber. First and second generant housings are disposed within the sealed chamber, define generant chambers containing a supply of generant material and include a plurality of openings providing fluid communication between the generant chambers and the sealed chamber. Rupturable initiator seals are disposed between the initiators and a respective generant chamber. A supply of pressurized stored gas and the supply of generant material are disposed within the sealed chamber.

Center discharge hybrid inflator device

An airbag inflator is provided including a housing defining a storage chamber containing contents including a supply of a gas source material in a fluid form and a propagation member contained at least in part within the storage chamber and defining a propagation chamber having a volume containing a supply of a reactive material that reacts to at least produce heat. The propagation member having a first end and a second end and including a plurality of gas exit holes. A first initiator at the first end of the propagation member is in discharge communication with the supply of reactive material and effective to initiate the reactive material and a second initiator at the second end of the propagation member is in discharge communication with the supply of reactive material and effective to initiate the reactive material. At least one of the first and second initiators is actuated to produce a supply of inflation gas for inflating an airbag. The first and second initiator devices can be actuated substantially simultaneously or the second initiator can be actuated at a selected time interval subsequent to actuation of the first initiator, thereby providing various selected rates of inflation gas production.

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Sunset, UT, United States of America

Steve Taylor