Abstract: To prevent generation of a spurious spark at the spark plug if the distributor braker control assembly should have commanded an ignition control transistor to be conductive and when the ignition switch is disconnected under those conditions, thus cutting off power to the ignition control transistor rendering it non-conductive and causing spurious voltage pulses which results in a spark at the ignition, a control path is provided connected to a control transistor for the actual ignition transistor and connected in circuit with the current flow due to the energy stored in the ignition coil to control the emitter-collector path of the ignition switching transistor to continue to remain conductive for a short period of time to drain off the stored energy in the coil, although the main ignition switch has been opened.

Abstract: To prevent a spurious inductive spark when the master ignition switch of the vehicle is opened with the breaker terminals closed, so that current stored in the ignition coil might cause a spurious inductive voltage pulse, a protective circuit branch is connected in parallel across the primary of the ignition coil and includes an auxiliary semiconductor short-circuiting switch, preferably a thyristor, the conduction of which is controlled to close by an auxiliary control circuit which senses opening of the master ignition switch and permits application of a portion of the inductive current flow to the gate of the thyristor to render it conductive, thus short-circuiting the primary of the ignition coil and preventing an inductive voltage kick which might cause a spurious spark.

Abstract: An occupant restraint system including a confinement with a collapsed inoperative condition and an expanded operative condition for restraining movement of an occupant of a vehicle during a collision of the vehicle, a fluid supply, and a diffuser for directing gas from the fluid supply into the confinement. The fluid supply includes a pressure vessel having a chamber for housing a gas generating material and an oxidizing gas. The gas generating material is combusted upon the occurrence of the collision of the vehicle to generate gas. The oxidizing gas is pressurized and reacts with the generated gas to augment the combustion process and thereby reduce the toxicity of the generated gas, and is present in a sufficient quantity to cool the generated gas to an acceptable temperature. A shear disk, seals a passage between the chamber in the pressure vessel and the diffuser. This disk is ruptured by a shear piston propelled by the pressure increase occurring upon combustion of the gas generating material.

Abstract: To improve the operation of semiconductor control ignition systems under widely varying supply voltage conditions, a voltage divider having a division tap point is connected in parallel to the main switching part of the switching transistor of the ignition system, and a voltage breakdown element, typically a Zener diode is connected from the tap point to the control electrodes of the semiconductor switch to provide an additional control voltage thereto if the voltage at the tap point exceeds a value leading to breakdown of the breakdown device (Zener diode); the main control circuit for the main ignition transistor may be conventional.