Bradley L Harris, 71Fort Atkinson, IA

5719351, Feb 17, 1998

Dec 3, 1996

8/770382

Darrin L. Johnson - Fountain Hills AZ
Bradley D. Harris - Farmington UT

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL

B60R 2126

102440

An inflator of a vehicle safety restraint system includes a housing having a reservoir of liquid propellant. A combustion chamber is disposed in the housing in communication with the liquid propellant reservoir. A regenerative piston is movably disposed within the housing for separating the liquid propellant reservoir and the combustion chamber. The piston head includes a plurality of injection ports for delivering the liquid propellant to the combustion chamber in a controlled manner. A pressure relieving bore, normally sealed by the piston stem, is disposed in the housing for relieving pressure in the liquid propellant reservoir. Decomposition or combustion within the propellant storage reservoir will move the piston to open the pressure relief bore which depressurizes the liquid propellant and prevents rupture and fragmentation of the inflator.

5746445, May 5, 1998

Dec 3, 1996

8/770380

Darrin L. Johnson - Fountain Hills AZ
Bradley D. Harris - Farmington UT

B60R 2126

280741

In an inflator of a vehicle safety restraint system utilizing liquid propellant as the inflation gas generator, decomposition of residual liquid propellant within the inflator produces undesirable gases which can result in unacceptable inflator effluent. The injection termination features of the present invention are formed onto an encapsulation or plug of a regenerative piston inflator. Upon completion of the piston stroke, the injection termination feature makes contact with the injection ports and plugs the injection ports to prevent combustion and decomposition reactions from propagating through the piston.

5851030, Dec 22, 1998

Dec 3, 1996

8/759995

Darrin L. Johnson - Fountain Hills AZ
Bradley D. Harris - Farmington UT
Donald R. Lauritzen - Hyrum UT

Autoliv ASP, Inc. - Ogden UT

B60R 2128
B60R 2126
C06D 500

280741

A regenerative monopropellant inflator having improved initiation of the regenerative cycle and improve operating efficiency. The inflator may direct the flow of the monopropellant into a localized volume to create a "hot spot" to increase combustion. This serves to ensure that the regenerative cycle is initiated. Various arrangements are provided to increase the residence time of the combusting monopropellant within the inflator, to ensure complete combustion of the monopropellant, and thus increased efficiency. These arrangements include inducing a helical gas flow to increase the length of the path traveled by the gas. Various barriers may also be placed within the gas flow to force direction changes, which reduce the velocity of the gas.

5806884, Sep 15, 1998

Feb 18, 1997

8/802457

Darrin L. Johnson - Fountain Hills AZ
Bradley D. Harris - Farmington UT
Donald R. Lauritzen - Hyrum UT

Autoliv ASP, Inc. - Ogden UT

B60R 2126

280736

A regenerative monopropellant inflator providing adaptive performance. The inflator includes a housing defining an interior. A piston is received in the housing and divides the interior into a fuel supply chamber and a combustion chamber. The piston moves through the fuel supply chamber during the regenerative combustion cycle to produce an inflation gas from reaction of the fuel in the combustion chamber. The inflation gas exits the combustion chamber via exit ports. To provide adaptive performance a back pressure may be selectively applied to the piston against its travel. This slows the piston, and thus the gas production of the inflator. Alternatively, the total size of the exit ports could be selectively varied to thus vary the pressure within the combustion chamber, known as throttling. Increased pressure within the combustion chamber causes an increase in the rate of inflation gas production. By selectively varying either the piston back pressure or throttling prior to completion of the gas generation, the performance of the inflator may be adapted to the characteristics of a particular vehicle collision.

5918901, Jul 6, 1999

Feb 18, 1997

8/802803

Darrin L. Johnson - Fountain Hills AZ
Bradley D. Harris - Farmington UT
Donald R. Lauritzen - Hyrum UT

Autoliv ASP, Inc. - Ogden UT

B60R 2130

280739

An airbag module providing adaptive performance. The module includes a housing defining an interior. At least an inflator is received within the housing, and preferably the folded, uninflated cushion, also. Various arrangements are provided to selectively block, or create, a vent extending through the housing. This vent, when open, permits the inflation gas provided by the inflator to exit the housing without entering the cushion. The vent may be initially open, and blocked by a sliding cover block, may be initially closed and opened by movement of a slide plug, or may be initially closed and opened by deformation of a portion of the housing. The venting of the inflation gas will at least slow the rate of inflation of the cushion, and may reduce the final pressure within the cushion. As such, the housing will be vented for less severe collisions, and will not be vented for more severe collisions.