Patent ID: 7188567

Claim:
An inflatable member system, comprising: an inflatable member expandable from a stowed condition to a deployed condition; a gas generant, initially located within the inflatable member; and an initiator; a housing having upstream and downstream ends and an interior space and wherein the initiator is mounted in the upstream housing end; and a sustainer gas generant initially positioned within the housing; wherein: the initiator is positioned to, upon triggering, cause ignition of the gas generant so that the gas generant combusts over a first time interval so as to generate inflation gas in a sufficient amount to substantially fully inflate the inflatable member from the stowed condition to the deployed condition in which the inflatable member contains a first volume of inflation gas; and the initiator is positioned to, upon triggering, cause ignition of the sustainer gas generant so that the sustainer gas generant combusts over a second time interval, ending after an end of the first time interval, so as to generate sustainer gas in a sufficient amount to substantially maintain the inflatable member in the deployed condition containing approximately the first volume of inflation gas.