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:
May. 08, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 04, 1999
Eric R. McFarland, Mesa, AZ (US);
Lloyd G. Green, Jr., Mesa, AZ (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An apparatus (,) for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (,) includes a housing (,) and an inflation fluid source (,) in the housing actuatable to provide inflation fluid under pressure. The housing (,) has a fluid passage (,) for directing flow of inflation fluid out of the housing (,) to the inflatable device (,). The housing (,) deforms due to the pressure of inflation fluid in the housing upon actuation of the inflation fluid source (,). The flow area of the fluid passage (,) increases due to deformation of the housing (,) and varies in accordance with the pressure of inflation fluid in the housing upon actuation of the inflation fluid source (,). The apparatus also includes a flow control member (,) defining a control passage (,) located between the inflation fluid source (,) and the fluid passage (,). The control passage (,) has a smaller flow area than the fluid passage (,). The flow area of the control passage (,) increases due to deformation of the housing (,) and varies in accordance with the pressure of inflation fluid in the housing (,) upon actuation of the inflation fluid source (,).