Mark L Garcia
Land Surveyors in Logan, UT

5494314, Feb 27, 1996

Dec 21, 1994

8/361022

Thomas M. Kriska - Kaysville UT
Mark L. Garcia - Logan UT

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL

B60R 2126

280740

A device is provided for controlling the forward momentum of the front surface of an automotive air bag cushion during deployment thereof. A diffuser is installed inside the air bag cushion near the gets inlet and substantially perpendicular to the flow of gas from the inflator. The diffuser results in reduced forward momentum of the front part of the air bag cushion thus permitting the lower portion of the air bag cushion to deploy toward the occupant of the vehicle so that initial contact of the air bag is made with the lower torso of an occupant. The cushion is thereby moved into a lower position in front of the occupant's torso more quickly than an air bag cushion equipped without a diffuser. The diffuser of this invention also provides secondary filtration of particulate matter from the gas stream.

5803493, Sep 8, 1998

Apr 17, 1997

8/842810

Donald J. Paxton - Romeo MI
Mark L. Garcia - Logan UT
David J. Green - Brigham City UT

Morton International Inc. - Chicago IL

B60R 2126

280737

A hybrid inflator for a vehicle airbag module produces an initial release of essentially unheated, stored, pressurized gas from the gas storage chamber of the inflator by way of a projectile, releasable from a nozzle opening in a combustion chamber housing upon combustion of a gas-generating combustible material housed within the combustion chamber housing, which ruptures and passes through a frangible burst element retaining the stored, pressurized gas in the gas storage chamber of the inflator, thereby permitting, initially, the unheated, stored, pressurized gas to discharge through the ruptured burst element and flow externally past the combustion chamber housing in an isolation housing and then to exit the inflator through gas exhaust ports in the inflator.