Inflator for vehicle air bags

摘要

This inflator of this invention includes a casing with a chamber containing an oxidizer gas. An exit port is located at one end of the casing which is closed by a burst disk. An exit tube extends into the chamber from the exit port to provide an orderly path for generated gases to leave the chamber. A fuel cell holding a liquid fuel is located at another end of the casing. A piston is driven in the fuel cell by gases from an igniter to drive the liquid fuel into the chamber. An igniter channel interconnects a region containing hot gases from the igniter to a region in the chamber where the liquid fuel and the oxidizer gas are mixed together. An injector tube conveys the fuel from a discharge end of the liquid fuel cell to a combustion region adjacent the igniter channel.