Hybrid inflator and vehicle safety system comprising said hybrid inflator as well as method of forming a shock wave

The invention relates to a hybrid inflator (10) includes at least one combustion chamber (15) in which propellant charge is arranged and which has a discharge end (20), the propellant charge being formed of at least one propellant element (26), at least one igniting unit (12) by which the propellant charge can be ignited. The hybrid inflator (10) also includes at least one bursting element (14, 14′, 14″) which in the inactivated state of the hybrid inflator (10) delimits the combustion chamber (15) against a gas supply chamber (16) at the discharge end (20). The bursting element (14, 14′, 14″) and a restraint element (18, 18′, 18″) maintain the propellant charge in its position and/or the bursting element (14, 14′, 14″) and the propellant charge delimit a shock gas volume (SGV), wherein in the activated state of the hybrid inflator (10) the shock gas volume (SGV) acts on the bursting element (14, 14′, 14″) like a gas pressure spring.