Shock absorption system for a motor vehicle

Claim 1

A shock absorption system for use in motor vehicles for minimizing the danger of injury to occupants of the vehicle in the event of an accident, including an inflatable bag, a device for supplying gas for inflating said bag, and means for initiating the inflating process, wherein the improvement comprises that said device for supplying gas includes means forming an enclosed reaction chamber, said reaction chamber having openings communicating with said inflatable bag, means for forming a closure across the openings between said reaction chamber and the inflatable bag, a solid charge positioned within said reaction chamber for generating gas, said means forming an enclosed reaction chamber comprises an axially symmetrical housing comprising a lower housing part and an upper housing part threadedly secured to said loweR housing part, said lower and upper housing parts combining to provide the reaction chamber with an annular configuration, a perforated cylinder positioned within the reaction chamber and concentrically of the axis of symmetry of said housing and extending between said upper and lower housing parts and forming an annular-shaped antechamber in communication with the remainder of said annular-shaped reaction chamber, and said means for initiating the inflation process located within said antechamber, so that said means for initiating the inflation process within said antechamber initiates the generation of gas from said solid charge within the remainder of said reaction chamber for the passage of the gas from said reaction chamber into said inflatable bag with said closure means displaced due to the initiation of the generation of gas.