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. 13, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 05, 1999
Darin P. Mika, Mesa, AZ (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An inflator (,) for providing inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device includes an inflator housing (,) and an inflation fluid source (,) in the inflator housing actuatable to provide inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device. The inflator (,) also includes an ignitable material (,) in the inflator housing (,) for, when ignited, actuating the inflation fluid source (,), and an actuatable initiator (,) in the inflator housing for igniting the ignitable material. The inflator (,) includes a first cap (,) over the ignitable material (,) in the inflator housing (,) for containing the ignitable material adjacent the actuatable initiator (,). The first cap (,) is movable away from the initiator (,) upon ignition of the ignitable material (,). The inflator (,) includes a second cap (,) in the inflator housing (,), for limiting movement of the first cap (,) away from the initiator (,) upon ignition of the ignitable material. The inflator housing (,) deforms due to the pressure of inflation fluid in the inflator housing upon actuation of the inflation fluid source (,) to provide a fluid passage (,) for directing inflation fluid out of the inflator housing to the inflatable device. The flow area of the fluid passage (,) varies in accordance with the pressure of inflation fluid in the inflator housing (,).