Pretensioner with integrated gas generator

A pretensioner for a vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:

• a cylinder;
• a piston mounted in the cylinder for travel therein;
• a recess in one end of the piston;
• an electrical ignitable charge in the recess in the piston;
• gas discharge ducts in the piston for directing gas from the recess into the cylinder to drive the piston;
• an igniter in the recess of the piston for igniting the ignitable charge;
• and
• a crimped end on the piston wall to retain the ignitable charge and igniter in the piston recess.

A belt pretensioner for a vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:

• a cylinder unit having a piston mounted in the cylinder;
• an ignitable charge associated with the cylinder unit to drive the piston in a belt tightening direction;
• a connecting cable connected at one end to the piston;
• a deflection device for deflecting the cable and having the cylinder united mounted thereon;
• and
• a locking device mounted on the deflection device and located externally of the cylinder unit for limiting a pull back of the piston in a direction opposite to the belt tightening direction due to rebound movement of the passenger and the exertion of a tension force on the cable.

A deflection device for a cable of a pretensioner movable by a power device in a cylinder, the deflection device comprising:

• a metal body;
• an attachment portion on the metal body for attachment to the cylinder of the pretensioner;
• a one-way locking device on the metal body for locking the cable against reverse travel in the metal body;
• and
• a curved surface on the metal body for engagement with the cable to change the direction of the cable travel.

A cable pretensioner for a seat belt retractor comprising:

• a gas generating device having an internal straight elongated bore;
• a piston slidably mounted for travel in the elongated bore and attachable to a cable;
• an internal gas generating charge disposed on the piston for generating the gas charge to push the piston forwardly to pull the cable;
• a locking device for locking the cable against reverse travel;
• the gas generator device comprising a straight, metal tubular cylinder for providing the straight elongated bore for gas generation and gas confinement;
• and
• a cable deflection device for deflecting the cable and having the locking device thereon for transferring cable forces from the locked cable directly through the cable deflection device to the vehicle.