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:
Nov. 07, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 05, 1999
Darin P Mika, Mesa, AZ (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An inflator (10) for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device includes a housing (20) defining a generally ring-shaped propellant chamber (200) extending around an axis (50) of the inflator. The housing (20) has a fluid outlet (52) for directing flow of inflation fluid out of the housing to the inflatable device. A quantity of ignitable propellant (240) is located in the propellant chamber for, when ignited, producing inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable device. The housing (20) has a fluid passage (90) between the propellant chamber (200) and the fluid outlet (52). The fluid passage (90), which is normally closed, opens upon actuation of the inflator (10) to enable fluid flow from the propellant chamber (200) to the fluid outlet (52). The fluid passage (90), when open, has a variable flow area depending upon the pressure in the housing (20). A heat sink (270) is located in the propellant chamber (200) between the ignitable propellant (240) and the fluid passage (90) for cooling and filtering inflation fluid flowing from the propellant chamber through the fluid passage. The inflator (10) includes a retainer (280) in the propellant chamber (200) between the ignitable propellant (240) and the fluid passage (90) for retaining the heat sink (270) in the propellant chamber upon actuation of the inflator.