Hybrid inflator

摘要

A hybrid inflator for a gas bag safety restraint system for use in a motorized vehicle comprises a compressed supply of stored gas heated by means of a gasless pyrotechnic material in sheet form. The sheeted pyrotechnic material may advantageously be located within the compressed gas storage vessel in a thin container or in direct contact with the gas. The invention also includes a heating element for a hybrid inflator. The preferred pyrotechnic material comprises a substrate of an oxidizing polymeric material for example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), coated with an oxidizable material, for example magnesium, which is capable of reacting exothermally with the oxidizing polymeric material. The pyrotechnic sheet produces solid products in very fine particle form which gives improved energy transfer to the stored gas. The invention facilities simple, cheaper constructions of hybrid inflators.