Patent ID: 8877137

Claim:
A hydrogen generator comprising: a housing including an access panel; an initiator assembly disposed in the housing and including one or more contact members; a compressible member having opposing first and second surfaces and within which the one or more contact members are disposed; and a fuel unit removably disposed in the housing adjacent the first surface of the compressible member, the fuel unit containing a hydrogen containing material that can release hydrogen gas when heated and an exothermic mixture that can react exothermically upon initiation by energy from the initiator assembly; wherein: when no fuel unit is disposed in the hydrogen generator, the compressible member is uncompressed, and the one or more contact members are at or below the first surface; when a fuel unit is disposed in the hydrogen generator, the compressible member is compressed such that the one or more contact members extend beyond the first surface to make thermal contact with the fuel unit; and energy from the initiator assembly is conducted by the one or more contact members to corresponding one or more quantities of the exothermic mixture to initiate an exothermic reaction therein, thereby providing heat for the release of hydrogen gas from the hydrogen containing material.