Abstract: A consumable igniter tube for a solid fuel passenger side airbag inflator is provided. The igniter tube is composed of a thin metallic material, such as aluminum foil, that has it walls being at least partially, and preferably essentially fully devoured, almost instantaneously upon ignition of the primary igniter charge that is initially confined within the tube. The entire combustion products produced from the burning igniter charge, including hot gases as well as hot burning particulates, are thereby released through the openings created in the consumed igniter tube walls and vented into the adjacent combustion chamber that contains the solid fuel gas generant. All of the burning igniter products are thus used to ignite the solid fuel gas generant, which, upon ignition, generates inflation gases that eventually exit the inflator into a folded airbag in order to inflate and deploy the airbag into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Abstract: An integral label/gasket for use in crimped sealing engagement with an airbag inflator. The integral label/gasket combines a flat, generally annular label, an annular, deformable outer gasket seal and an annular, deformable inner gasket seal into one component. The outer gasket seal is secured to and extends downwardly from a bottom surface of the label adjacent an outer edge of the label, and the inner gasket seal is secured to and extends downwardly from the bottom surface of the label adjacent an inner edge of the label. The label, for printing handling and operational warnings and other information thereon, has adhesive on a top surface thereof for securing the label to a baseplate of an airbag inflator.

Abstract: A new and improved single side wall air bag inflator includes a housing containing an ignition device, a quantity of pyrotechnic gas generant material and a filter. The housing includes a cup-shaped base member having an annular bottom wall with a central opening for access to the ignition device and an integrally formed, upstanding ported side wall extends upwardly of the bottom wall. The side wall has a radially inwardly deformable, free upper end portion forming a retaining flange for securing a top wall in place spaced above the bottom wall and closing off an upper end portion of the housing. The top wall has a depressed outer peripheral edge portion facing and sealed with the downwardly and radially inwardly deformed upper end flange of the single side wall.

Abstract: A temperature compensating low pressure sensor for verifying loss of gas from an inflator of a vehicle restraint safety system. The sensor includes a housing and a pressure diaphragm in communication with the fluid in the inflator. A temperature sensitive bimetallic thermostat is disposed within the housing. The thermostat expands with relation to a change in temperature of the fluid at the same rate as the pressure diaphragm. A retainer in communication with the pressure diaphragm is movably disposed in the housing. A stack of spring washers is disposed between the retainer and the thermostat for counteracting the pressure of the fluid acting upon the diaphragm. A contact arm in contact with the thermostat moves with the retainer.

Abstract: A dual-walled air bag inflator having a filter and gas generant within a common chamber, with the gas exiting radially from the inflator. Various arrangements are provided to force the generated gas to change its direction of travel at least 90.degree. prior to exiting in order to slow the gas and improve filtration. Gas barriers are placed within the chamber to force the desired flow. The gas flow may be directed radially inward in opposed streams to cancel velocity, and then directed radially outward toward the filter and exits. In one embodiment a mixing chamber is provided for the gas prior to encountering the filter.

Abstract: A new and improved single side wall air bag inflator includes a housing containing an ignition device, a quantity of pyrotechnic gas generant material and a filter. The housing includes a cup-shaped base member having an annular bottom wall with a central opening for access to the ignition device and an integrally formed, upstanding ported side wall extends upwardly of the bottom wall. The side wall has a radially inwardly deformable, free upper end portion forming a retaining flange for securing a top wall in place spaced above the bottom wall and closing off an upper end portion of the housing. The top wall has a depressed outer peripheral edge portion facing and sealed with the downwardly and radially inwardly deformed upper end flange of the single side wall.

Abstract: A process for treating particulate-containing gas of a vehicular safety restraint inflator and improvements in inflatable vehicular safety restraint systems are provided. The invention makes use of an element having at least one layer of an expanded metal.

Abstract: A method of attaching a mounting bracket to an inflator having a cylindrical sidewall and a peripheral inflator flange radially extending from the sidewall that includes: providing a unitary mounting bracket having a annular support, a flange seat adjacent the annular support for receiving the peripheral inflator flange and a cylindrical sleeve extending from the flange seat and having a distal portion; sliding the cylindrical sleeve of the mounting bracket onto the inflator until the inflator flange butts against the flange seat; and applying a suitable amount of axial force to the distal portion of the sleeve so that the distal portion deforms radially inwardly into a clamping band underlying at least a portion of the inflator flange. The inflator flange is clamped between the clamping band and the flange seat to secure the mounting bracket to the inflator. Preferably, a crimping die is used to crimp the distal portion of the sleeve into a clamping band while the inflator is supported in an inflator nest.

Abstract: A new and improved airbag inflator including a varying permeability filter. The inflator includes a housing for holding gas generating materials and has an outer diffuser wall with a plurality of discharge or diffuser ports arranged to direct the gas into an airbag for rapid inflation. The housing includes a ring of diffuser ports spaced apart around the periphery of the outer diffuser side wall and these ports are generally closer to one of the top or bottom end walls of the container than they are to the opposite end wall. A new and improved gas filter of varying permeability is mounted in the housing inside the periphery of the outer diffuser wall adjacent to the ring of ports. The annular filter has a gas permeability characteristic that varies between a maximum permeability rating in a first region farthest away from the ring of ports to a minimum permeability rating adjacent a second region closer to the ports.

Abstract: An air bag inflator including a housing formed of sheet metal includes an annular base having a central opening and a cover for containing gas generating pyrotechnic material including an annular top wall spaced from the base having a central opening in coaxial alignment with the central opening of the base and a cylindrical, ported, outer side wall integrally formed around a periphery of the top wall extending downwardly thereof and having a lower edge secured to a portion of the base outwardly of the central opening. The housing includes a hollow, igniter-containing, rivet having an upper end wall closing over the central opening of the top wall and having a tubular, ported, side wall integrally formed with the upper end wall thereof extending downwardly through the central openings of the base and the top wall.

Abstract: An air bag inflator for inflating an air bag includes a housing for generating gas having only two walled chambers, including a centrally disposed ignition chamber and an outer chamber in coaxial relation therewith. The outer chamber provides a dual function of containing a quantity of gas generating material in an inner portion thereof and holding a filter for cooling and collecting contaminants from the generated gas in an outer portion thereof. The filter is mounted with an inlet face of substantial area in direct contact with and surrounding a body of gas generating material and no wall is provided between the filter and the generating material.

Abstract: An air bag inflator for generating gas to rapidly inflate an air bag includes a housing having spaced-apart opposite end walls with aligned outer peripheral edges, an outer side wall extending between the end walls around the peripheral edges defining an outer chamber for containing gas-generating material and a filter element. The housing also includes an inner side wall extending between the end walls in concentric, centered relation for containing an ignition squib and ignition-enhancing material and provided with ignition ports in communication with the other combustion chamber. The outer side wall is provided with a plurality of ports directing hot products of combustion outwardly to inflate an associated air bag. At least one pair of concentric crimp-formed joints are provided to interconnect the side walls and at least one of the end walls, top or bottom.