Charles J Woods

US Patent:

53458761, Sep 13, 1994

Filed:

Feb 4, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/013600

Inventors:

James Rose - Fairfax VA
Charles D. Woods - Gainesville VA

Assignee:

Atlantic Research Corporation - Vienna VA

International Classification:

C06D 500

US Classification:

102531

Abstract:

An inflation device including a pressure tank having stored therein a quantity of inflation gas under pressure, the pressure tank including a burst disk which prevents egress of the inflation gas from the tank, a sleeve member extending in substantially axial alignment with the burst disk, a piston having a first end portion slidably received in the sleeve member and having a second end portion which includes a cutting edge thereon for puncturing the burst disk. A first pyrotechnic material is positioned adjacent the first end portion of the piston, and a second pyrotechnic material is positioned externally of the sleeve member. Upon ignition of the first pyrotechnic material, a first combustion gas is produced which drives the piston to rupture the burst disk and permit the egress of the stored inflation gas. The sleeve member and the piston member are constructed to shield the second pyrotechnic material from the first combustion gas until after the piston has moved a predetermined distance and the burst disk has been ruptured. Upon the piston moving the predetermined distance a passage is created which enables the first combustion gas to contact and ignite the second pyrotechnic material to produce a second combustion gas which is operable to increase the temperature of the inflation gas, thereby providing an inflation device which has a delay between the release of the stored inflation gas and the heating thereof.