Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.

Raymond George Evans

Shaun Peter Ruddick

Andrew John Downie

Kenneth Williamson

Douglas Alan Bainbridge

David Smith

David Edward Chicken

John Hewetson Burgess

A housing ( ) for mounting a gas generatot ( ) in a pyrotechnic pretensioner, the housing comprising a hollow container for supporting the gas generator, the container having an opening through which the gas generator ( ) may be inserted and having a tapered end section ( ) arranged to be adjacent and to co-operate with a gas outlet end of the gas generator to provide a seal around the gas outlet, and the hpusing having a cover ( ) for closing the container opening, the cover having a tapered wedge member ( ) extending into the container in use at the opposite end to the tapered end section ( ) to urge the gas generator ( ) towards the tapered end section ( ) of the container, in a close fit manner. The wedge( ) is preferably integral with the housing cover ( ). This housing makes fitting of the gas generator easier and improves the seal between it and the pretensioner thus improving performance.

Gas generator housing

A vehicle safety apparatus has a 3-point seatbelt, with a buckle head, and a crash sensor. A pretensioner is connected at the buckle head of the seatbelt for pulling in a length of seatbelt webbing in response to the crash sensor detecting a crash. The pretensioner has a force reservoir and a piston located within and for movement along a pretensioner cylinder under the force of gas from a gas generator. The piston is connected by a cable to the buckle head of the seatbelt. A cable bracket has an inner and outer guide, and wherein the pretensioner cylinder is attached to the inner guide and the buckle mounting is connected to the outer guide.

Pretensioner

Safety belt pretensioner

A pretensioner for a vehicle safety restraint having a cylindrical hollow tube and a piston connected via a cable to a part of the vehicle safety restraint for tightening the safety restraint in the event of a crash. The piston having a gas generator with gas vents directed with a component in the opposite direction to that of the piston movement for belt tightening. The piston also having locks and seals, the locks being operable only against the belt loosening direction, and wherein the gas generator is positioned forward of the locking mechanism in the direction of piston movement for belt tightening. A more compact, cost effective pretensioner is possible.

Pretensioner for vehicle safety restraint

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Fareham, United Kingdom

Raymond George Evans