Patent ID: 7658062

Claim:
A gas generator comprising a casing forming at least a portion of a ring and housing a pyrotechnic charge; the casing having at least a semi-annular shape with respect to a longitudinal axis for integration with a rotary machine and comprising: coaxially inner and outer curved wall portions radially disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis, forward and rearward wall portions spaced axially from each other with respect to the longitudinal axis and connecting the inner and outer curved wall portions, the inner and outer curved wall portions and the forward and rearward wall portions defining a chamber therein, the chamber spaced radially from the longitudinal axis and extending circumferentially with respect to the longitudinal axis, the forward and rearward wall portions defining an axial width of the chamber, and at least one opening for ejecting the gas produced during combustion of the charge; and the pyrotechnic charge comprises a plurality of discrete unit charge elements, wherein: the discrete unit charge elements are disposed in serial succession circumferentially along the circumferential extent of the chamber, serially adjacent ones of the discrete elements are separate from each other at discrete locations spaced circumferentially along the circumferential extent of the chamber, and each of the discrete unit charge elements has a width that fits substantially within the axial width of the chamber to hold the elements in position axially between the forward and rearward wall portions.