Patent ID: 6908106

Claim:
Apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle including a side structure, said apparatus comprising: an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device inflatable to an inflated condition for helping to protect the occupant of the vehicle, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device when in said inflated condition being positioned between the side structure of the vehicle and the vehicle occupant; and an inflator actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflator comprising: a single container for storing inflation fluid under pressure, said inflator being free from any other means for storing inflation fluid under pressure, said pressure being at least 4,000 psi, said inflation fluid stored in said single container being sufficient to inflate said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to said inflated condition, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device once in said inflated condition remaining in said inflated condition for at least seven seconds; passage means for discharging said inflation fluid from said single container, said passage means including only passage means having a fixed flow area, said inflator being free from any other means through which inflation fluid is discharged from said inflator upon actuation of said inflator; and an initiator actuatable to cause said inflator to discharge said inflation fluid through said passage means toward said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to inflate said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to said inflated condition.