Patent ID: 6009810
Filing Date: 2000-01-04
Classification: C06B,C06D

Abstract:
An improved inflator for an automotive inflatable safety system comprising:an inflator housing;a pressurized medium contained within the inflator housing, the pressurized medium consisting essentially of a predetermined amount of an inert gas and a predetermined amount of oxygen;a gas generator assembly interconnected with the inflator housing and comprising a gas generator housing and at least one gas generator outlet;a propellant contained within the gas generator housing; andan inflator activation assembly, wherein the pressurized medium is released from the inflator housing and the propellant is ignited to produce the propellant gases;the improvement comprising: using as the propellant a propellant comprisingA. from 78 to 90 weight percent cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX); andB. from 10 to 22 weight percent of a plasticizer-free polymer binder formed by curing a mixture of(1) from about 3 to about 6 weight percent of an polyoctenamer, and(2) from about 94 to about 97 weight percent of an acrylate polymer formed by polymerizing a noncrosslinking monomer of the formula C(R.sub.1)H.dbd.CHC(O)OR.sub.2 when R.sub.1 is hydrogen, methyl, or mixtures thereof and R.sub.2 is an alkyl group of from 2 to 8 carbon atoms or a mixture of alkyl groups of from 2 to 8 carbon atoms with a crosslinking monomer having two or more double bonds of substantially the same reactivity in the molecule or one double bond and a crosslinking functional group such as an epoxide ring, a hydroxyl group, or a carbonyl group, wherein the crosslinking monomer comprises from 0.01 to 5 weight percent of the monomers with the noncrosslinking monomer comprising the remainder, and wherein the acrylate polymer has a glass transition temperature of -30.degree. C. or lower.