Abstract: An air bag inflator for the passenger side of an automobile includes an elongated, tubular housing having a plurality of perforations in its cylindrical wall for discharging gas. Within the housing are a gas generant composition, an igniter and filtering screens. The perforations are normally sealed with 0.003 inch (0.0762 mm.) thick non-tempered aluminum foil which is easily ruptured by the gas pressure when the inflator is ignited. The foil, in addition to serving as a hermetic seal for protecting the gas generant and igniter from moisture and dust, insures that the gas pressure will reach a certain, threshold level before being discharged into an air bag. In very cold weather the inflator attains its peak pressure considerably more slowly than in warm weather. As a result, the air bag may be inflated either too slowly or insufficiently to perform its intended purpose.

Abstract: An electric squib igniter and a gas generant composition surrounding it are enclosed in a hermetically sealed container. This is enclosed in an inner housing which is surrounded by an annular outer housing. An annular filter surrounds the gas generant composition inside the container, which is rupturable through orifices in the inner housing by gases produced when the gas generant composition is ignited. A cooling device in the annular chamber between the two housings is positioned between the orifices of the inner housing and peripheral orifices in the outer housing, through which the filtered, cooled gases may be expelled radially into an inflatable structure. A mounting flange fixed to the outer housing is provided for attachment to related apparatus.