Abstract: An airbag inflator includes a pair of telescoping pistons slidingly mounted within a housing. Pressurization of a combustion chamber by a pyrotechnic initiator acts on one piston to pressurize a hydraulic fluid chamber, which, in turn, acts on the other piston to pressurize a liquid propellant reservoir. Liquid propellant can then be regeneratively pumped from the reservoir into the combustion chamber for combustion to generate an airbag inflation gas. A hydraulic fluid damping chamber is utilized to exert a controllable retarding force on the one piston, such as to control the rate of airbag inflation gas generation.

Abstract: To resist mechanical forces tending to unseat a fluid valve applied to seal against a high fluid pressure, a fluid valve assembly is equipped with a valve block that, in response to the high fluid pressure, causes a locking member to be forcibly wedged into clamping engagement with the stem of a valve, thereby securing the valve in its closed, seated position. When the high fluid pressure is relieved, the valve stem is unclamped, and the valve can then be readily lifted to an open position.