Patent ID: 6231075
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
An air bag system installed in a vehicle comprising:an air bag;an impact sensor for measuring a magnitude of impact exerted on the vehicle;an inflator comprising;a first gas generating means for generating a gas for inflating said air bag;a housing with gas jettison openings in a wall thereof for jettisoning said gas into said air bag;gas flow restricting means for restricting flow of the gas through the gas jettison openings of the housing;second gas generating means for operating said gas flow restricting means;a controller for controlling said first and second gas generating means on the basis of a collision signal provided by said impact sensor; andsaid controller initiating said first gas generating means to inflate said air bag upon the reception of said collision signal and initiating said second gas generating means to adjust said gas flow restricting means to a gas flow limiting setting so as to limit a flow rate of the gas into said air bag when a sensed magnitude of impact is below a predetermined threshold value, and wherein said gas flow restricting means includes a moveable shutter which is dimensioned to preclude gas flow from a first side of said movable shutter, which first side receives the impact of the gas flow of said first gas generating means, to a second side of said movable shutter, which second side contacts with gas produced by said second gas generating means, such that a pressure balancing is achieved when said movable shutter is in the gas flow limiting setting.