1. A gas generating system comprising:
a gas generator for production of gas; and
a flame retardant positioned exterior to the gas generator, said flame retardant comprising at least one metal oxide,
wherein upon activation of the gas generator, the gas is at least partially reactable with the flame retardant, and, said flame retardant is provided in a molar amount sufficient to oxidize a predetermined amount of carbon monoxide formed upon activation of said gas generator.
2. The gas generating system of claim 1 wherein said gas generating system is a seatbelt pretensioner, and said gas generator and flame retardant are contained within the seatbelt pretensioner.
3. The gas generating system of claim 1 wherein said metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of manganese dioxide, iron oxide, copper oxide, aluminum oxide, lithium oxide, and mixtures thereof.
4. The gas generating system of claim 1 wherein said metal oxide is formed by mixing two or more metal oxides selected from the group consisting of manganese dioxide, copper oxide, aluminum oxide, and lithium oxide.
5. The gas generating system of claim 1 wherein said gas generator contains a gas generant that produces carbon monoxide upon combustion thereof.
6. The gas generating system of claim 1 wherein said gas generator contains nitrocellulose as a gas generant.
7. A seatbelt device comprising:
a housing:
a gas generator contained within said housing;
a gas generating composition contained within said gas generator, said gas generating composition combusted to produce gas including carbon monoxide;
a flame retardant positioned within said housing and exterior to the gas generator, said flame retardant comprising at least one metal oxide,
wherein upon activation of the gas generator, the gas is at least partially reactable with the flame retardant, and, said flame retardant is provided in a molar amount sufficient to oxidize a predetermined amount of carbon monoxide formed upon activation of said gas generator.
8. The seatbelt device of claim 7 wherein said metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of manganese dioxide, iron oxide, copper oxide, aluminum oxide, lithium oxide, and mixtures thereof.
9. The seatbelt device of claim 7 wherein said metal oxide is formed by mixing two or more metal oxides selected from the group consisting of manganese dioxide, copper oxide, aluminum oxide, and lithium oxide.
10. The gas generating system of claim 7 wherein said gas generator contains a gas generant that produces carbon monoxide upon combustion thereof.
11. The gas generating system of claim 7 wherein said gas generating composition comprises nitrocellulose.
12. A vehicle occupant protection system comprising:
a gas generator contained within said vehicle occupant protection system;
a gas generating composition contained within said gas generator, said gas generating composition combusted to produce gas including carbon monoxide; and
a flame retardant positioned within said housing and exterior to the gas generator, said flame retardant comprising at least one metal oxide,
wherein upon activation of the gas generator, the gas is at least partially reactable with the flame retardant, and, said flame retardant is provided in a molar amount sufficient to oxidize a predetermined amount of carbon monoxide formed upon activation of said gas generator.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. In a kernel processor including a pair of processor rollers between which chopped harvested material is passed, and with one of the processor rollers being adjustable toward and away from the other so as to alter a spacing between them, the improvement comprising: a powered element coupled to said one processor roller; a control device coupled to said powered device and being responsive to a control signal for controlling said powered device for effecting movement of said one processor roller; and a sensor coupled to said control device and being mounted for sensing a characteristic of the harvested material and issuing said control signal which corresponds to the sensed characteristic, whereby said powered device is controlled in accordance with said sensed characteristic.
2. The kernel processor defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor is a moisture sensor, which determines the moisture content of the harvested material, whereby said powered device is controlled in accordance with the moisture content of the harvested material.
3. The kernel processor defined in claim 2 wherein said sensor and control device respond to the moisture content of the harvested material in such a way that the powered device is caused to adjust said spacing between said processor rollers so that it is made increasingly smaller with increasing moisture content.
4. The kernel processor as defined in claim 2 wherein said sensor and control device respond to the moisture content of the harvested material in such a way that the powered device is caused to adjust a contact pressure between said processor rollers such that said contact pressure increases as said moisture content increases.
5. The kernel processor defined in claim 2 wherein a rocker arm is coupled to said powered device and to said one processor roller; a potentiometer coupled to said rocker arm for sensing its position at any one time so as to produce a spacing signal indicative of the spacing between said processor rollers; said spacing signal being coupled to said control device.
6. The kernel processor defined in claim 2 wherein said powered device is a one-way hydraulic cylinder; a rocker arm being coupled to said cylinder and said one processor roller; a spring being coupled to said rocker arm in opposition to said hydraulic cylinder and biasing said rocker arm to an extreme position in a range of positions disposing said one processor roller such that said spacing is at, and between, a minimum spacing and a maximum spacing.