Patent ID: 7059635

Claim:
A hybrid inflator for an inflating-type safety system of a vehicle provided with an air bag, comprising: an inflator housing containing a pressurized medium including an inert gas; a gas generator provided in said inflator housing, said gas generator including, a gas generator housing provided with a plurality of communication holes, a gas generating chamber in which a gas generating agent is accommodated, said gas generating chamber and said inflator housing being in communication with each other through said communication holes, and each of said communication holes provided in said gas generator housing having such a size that a combustion gas generated in said gas generating chamber is permitted to flow out into said inflator housing while preventing the gas generating agent from moving out of said gas generating chamber; and an ignition means chamber having an ignition means connected to said gas generator, wherein the hybrid inflator satisfies at least one requirement selected from the following requirements (1) to (3): (1) A molar ratio between an amount (A mol) of the pressurized medium and an amount (B mol) of a gas generated due to combustion of the gas generating agent is 8/2 to 1/9; (2) A weight ratio (X/Y) of the weight (X) of the pressurized medium to the weight (Y) of the gas generating agent is 0.1 to 7; and (3) A pressure index determined by the following formula: rb=αP n (wherein, rb: burning rate, α: coefficient, P: pressure, n: pressure index), at the combustion of the gas generating agent, is smaller than 0.8.