Patent ID: 7380820

Claim:
An inflator for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflator comprising: structure defining a chamber; inflation fluid stored in said chamber, said inflation fluid comprising in mixture a fuel gas, an oxidizer gas, and an inert gas mixture; and actuatable means for initiating a combustion reaction between said fuel gas and said oxidizer gas; said inert gas mixture comprising at least two different inert gases and having a composition selected to produce desired performance characteristics of the inflator; wherein said fuel gas makes up a fixed molar percentage of said inflation fluid, said oxidizer gas makes up a fixed molar percentage of said inflation fluid, and said inert gas mixture makes up a fixed molar percentage of said inflation fluid, the composition of said inert gas mixture being adjustable to produce said desired performance characteristics of the inflator without changing said fixed molar percentages of said fuel gas, said oxidizer gas, and said inert gas mixture.