Kerry C Walker
Engineers in Perry, UT

5732972, Mar 31, 1998

Apr 10, 1996

8/631724

Darrin L. Johnson - Uintah Highlands UT
David W. Lindsey - Ogden UT
Scott A. Jackson - Centerville UT
Kerry C. Walker - Perry UT
Eugene R. Dearden - Clearfield UT

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL

B60R 2126

280737

A passenger air bag inflator using pressurized inert gas upon initial deployment to provide cool gas to the folded air bag. After the bag has started to unfold, the remaining gas is provided by pyrotechnic gas generant. Pyrotechnic gas expands against a piston. The piston compresses the inert gas and forces it to exhaust from the inflator. Upon expulsion of the inert gas, the piston then becomes a filter for the pyrotechnic. The system provides a reduction in air bag stresses from fast hot gas deployments.

6709011, Mar 23, 2004

Feb 21, 2001

09/790433

Martin R. Neunzert - Ogden UT
Kerry C. Walker - Perry UT

Autoliv ASP, Inc. - Ogden UT

B60R 2126

280736, 280741

An inflator is provided that can reduce the occurrence of virtual and masked leaks in inflator testing. The inflator may have an outer wall surrounding a main internal compartment containing compressed inflation gases. Additionally, the inflator may have a pyrotechnic assembly containing a generant, or pyrotechnic material, and an initiator configured to ignite the pyrotechnic material upon receipt of an electric signal from a vehicles electrical system. The initiator may be separated from the pyrotechnic material, and from the compressed gases, by a pressure dome that effectively creates a cavity around the initiator. The initiator may be accessible to outside contact through an opening in the outer wall. An insert may be positioned around the initiator to control flows of gas leaving the cavity through the opening. Thus, during testing, residual gases within the cavity are able to escape the inflator within a predictable time period, so that the inflator can reliably be checked for gases exiting the main internal compartment.