The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 01, 1997
Filed:
Oct. 05, 1995
John P O'Loughlin, Mesa, AZ (US);
James R Hocking, Chandler, AZ (US);
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An apparatus (20, 320, 420) for inflating an air bag comprises a cylindrical container (40, 340, 440) that includes a tubular housing (42, 342, 442), a pair of axially opposite end walls (44, 46, 444, 446), and a longitudinal central axis (A, B, C). The container (40, 340, 440) defines a fluid storage chamber (48, 348, 448) for storing inflation fluid at a first pressure. One of the end walls (44 or 46, 444 or 446) of the container (40, 340, 440) has an opening (62, 462) through which inflation fluid may flow from the fluid storage chamber (48, 348, 448). A rupturable closure (102, 502) extends across the opening (62, 462) to block the flow of inflation fluid through the opening. The closure (102, 502) ruptures in response to pressure in the fluid storage chamber (48, 348, 448) increasing to a predetermined second pressure to permit the flow of inflation fluid from the fluid storage chamber through the opening (62, 462). An ignitable material (148, 600) is located in the fluid storage chamber (48, 348, 448) adjacent another end wall (46 or 44, 446 or 444) of the container (40, 340, 440). An actuatable igniter (222, 622) has an end (228, 628) located in the fluid storage chamber (40, 340, 440) and is surrounded by the ignitable material (148, 600). The igniter (222, 622), when actuated, ignites the ignitable material (148, 600) to produce combustion products, including heat, which increase the pressure of the inflation fluid in the fluid storage chamber (48, 348, 448) to the predetermined second pressure for rupturing the closure (102, 502).