An inflator (10) is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The inflator (10) includes a volume of stored gas and a propellant (52) that is ignitable to undergo a reaction that produces reaction products. The reaction products include heat and gas that mix with the stored gas to produce a mixture of inflation fluid. The inflator (10) is configured to discharge the inflation fluid to inflate the protection device. The propellant (52) comprises an open cell foam fuel propellant (140). The reaction includes a combustion reaction in which the foam fuel propellant (140) reacts with a gas oxidizer comprising oxygen to produce heat and gas reaction products that mix with the stored gas.

The present invention provides a gas generator, including:

an ignition device disposed on the side of a first end portion of a cylindrical housing;

a diffuser portion provided with a gas discharge port, welded and fixed to the cylindrical housing on the side of a second end portion axially opposite to the first end portion;

a combustion chamber accommodating a gas generating agent and being arranged on the side of the first end portion;

a pressurized gas chamber being filled with a gas and arranged on the side of the second end portion;

a partition wall provided with a through hole in a thickness direction thereof and separating the combustion chamber from the pressurized gas chamber;

a rupturable plate closing between the pressurized gas chamber and the diffuser portion; and

a stopper means formed on an inner wall surface of the cylindrical housing, the stopper means stopping movement of the partition wall or reducing movement speed of the partition wall, before the partition wall collides with the diffuser portion, by coming into contact with the partition wall which moves in an axial direction upon receipt of a pressure of a combustion gas generated by combustion of the gas generating agent in the combustion chamber at the time of actuation.

The present invention provides a gas generator, including:

an ignition device disposed on the side of a first end portion of a cylindrical housing;

a diffuser portion provided with a gas discharge port, welded and fixed to the cylindrical housing on the side of a second end portion axially opposite to the first end portion;

a combustion chamber accommodating a gas generating agent and being arranged on the side of the first end portion;

a pressurized gas chamber being filled with a gas and arranged on the side of the second end portion;

a partition wall provided with a through hole in a thickness direction thereof and separating the combustion chamber from the pressurized gas chamber;

a rupturable plate closing between the pressurized gas chamber and the diffuser portion; and

a stopper means formed on an inner wall surface of the cylindrical housing, the stopper means stopping movement of the partition wall or reducing movement speed of the partition wall, before the partition wall collides with the diffuser portion, by coming into contact with the partition wall which moves in an axial direction upon receipt of a pressure of a combustion gas generated by combustion of the gas generating agent in the combustion chamber at the time of actuation.

The present invention provides a gas generator, including; a combustion chamber accommodating an igniter and a gas generating agent; a pressurized gas chamber filled with a gas selected from a rare gas or a nitrogen gas; a diffuser chamber located between the combustion chamber and the pressurized gas chamber and provided with a gas discharge port; a first closing member closing between the combustion chamber and the diffuser chamber, a second closing member closing between the pressurized gas chamber and the diffuser chamber; the combustion chamber having at least one of a space in which the first closing member deforms or moves, and a member which forms the space for enabling the first closing member to deform or move, when the gas generator is placed in a high-temperature atmosphere, due to a pressure increase or an impact caused by the gas inflow into the diffuser chamber, the first closing member being deformed or the first closing member being moved toward the combustion chamber, thereby making the combustion chamber and the diffuser chamber communicate with each other and making an inside of the combustion chamber and an outside of the gas generator communicate with each other.

The present invention provides a gas generator including an ignition device chamber provided with the ignition device, a gas inflow chamber provided with a gas discharge port, and a pressurized gas chamber being arranged in order from the first end; a closing member including a fixing portion and a rupturable plate fixed to the fixing portion and closing between the pressurized gas chamber and the gas inflow chamber; and a breaking device for the rupturable plate being arranged between the ignition device chamber and the gas inflow chamber, the breaking device including a base portion, which has an outer circumferential surface abutted against an inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing, and a rod extending from the base portion to the rupturable plate, the fixing portion of the closing member including an annular plate surface portion, extending radially inward from the inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing, and a cylindrical wall portion extending from an inner circumference of the annular plate surface portion towards the gas inflow chamber, the rupturable plate of the closing member being fixed by welding to the annular plate surface portion of the fixing portion from the pressurized gas chamber, the breaking device being disposed such that a tip end of the rod is enclosed by the cylindrical wall portion of the fixing portion of the closing member.

The present invention provides a gas generator including an ignition device chamber provided with the ignition device, a gas inflow chamber provided with a gas discharge port, and a pressurized gas chamber being arranged in order from the first end; a closing member including a fixing portion and a rupturable plate fixed to the fixing portion and closing between the pressurized gas chamber and the gas inflow chamber; and a breaking device for the rupturable plate being arranged between the ignition device chamber and the gas inflow chamber, the breaking device including a base portion, which has an outer circumferential surface abutted against an inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing, and a rod extending from the base portion to the rupturable plate, the fixing portion of the closing member including an annular plate surface portion, extending radially inward from the inner circumferential wall surface of the cylindrical housing, and a cylindrical wall portion extending from an inner circumference of the annular plate surface portion towards the gas inflow chamber, the rupturable plate of the closing member being fixed by welding to the annular plate surface portion of the fixing portion from the pressurized gas chamber, the breaking device being disposed such that a tip end of the rod is enclosed by the cylindrical wall portion of the fixing portion of the closing member.

A gas generator includes a supply of stored gas containing carbon dioxide, and a magnesium supply or source, such as magnesium mesh, that is readily ignitable in the presence of carbon dioxide in the presence of heat.

A gas generator includes a supply of stored gas containing carbon dioxide, and a magnesium supply or source, such as magnesium mesh, that is readily ignitable in the presence of carbon dioxide in the presence of heat.

A vehicle airbag device is provided, the vehicle airbag device including (1) an airbag that is folded and stowed inside an airbag case, the airbag being inflated and deployed on being supplied with gas, (2) a mid-collision gas supply section that supplies gas into the airbag during a vehicle collision, and (3) a pre-collision gas supply section that, in a case in which it has been determined prior to a vehicle collision that a vehicle collision is unavoidable, supplies gas into the airbag at a lower temperature than a temperature of gas supplied into the airbag from the mid-collision gas supply section.

A vehicle airbag device is provided, the vehicle airbag device including (1) an airbag that is folded and stowed inside an airbag case, the airbag being inflated and deployed on being supplied with gas, (2) a mid-collision gas supply section that supplies gas into the airbag during a vehicle collision, and (3) a pre-collision gas supply section that, in a case in which it has been determined prior to a vehicle collision that a vehicle collision is unavoidable, supplies gas into the airbag at a lower temperature than a temperature of gas supplied into the airbag from the mid-collision gas supply section.