Abstract: A gas generator for inflatable vehicle safety bags comprises a housing defining three independent chambers each containing a charge of gas generating agent in a sealed wrapper surrounding an electrical ignition squib, and layers of heat absorbing wire gauze, a porous plate, and sintered filter sheets overlying the charge. The open top of each chamber is covered by an apertured diffuser, and an apertured deflector plate is secured to the housing above the diffusers. Generated gases passing through the apertures in the deflector plate inflate a relatively small inner knee bag, and laterally diverted gases inflate a larger outer torso bag surrounding the knee bag.The inflation impact may be minimized by delaying the ignition of one or more chambers relative to the other(s), and by igniting only selected chambers in response to low speed collisions.

Abstract: A gas generator for an inflatable vehicle safety bag comprises three concentric chambers defined between a diffuser cup and a centrally recessed base member adapted to fit over a steering wheel hub, including an inner chamber for holding an electric ignition squib, an intermediate chamber for holding a canister of gas generating agent, and an outer chamber filled with stacked and coiled wire mesh, and a sintered metallic fiber body. The squib flashes through openings in the inner chamber to ignite the gas generating agent, and the gas produced thereby (primarily N.sub.2) passes through openings in a partition ring, obliquely through the wire mesh where the heat and chemical residues from the reaction are absorbed, and out openings in the diffuser cup through the sintered fiber filter. A diverter ring in the outer chamber serves to channel the gas flow obliquely or diagonally through the wire mesh.