Patent ID: 7407184

Claim:
A seatbelt device comprising: a seatbelt refractor comprising a spool; a seatbelt wound about said spool; and a seatbelt pretensioner comprising a gas generator, wherein said gas generator comprises a perforated housing having a first end, a second end, a circumference about said housing, and a plurality of gas exit orifices spaced circumferentially about said housing, said gas exit orifices spanning an arc less than half of said circumference to provide a directed gas flow from the housing; a propellant contained within said housing; an initiator fixed within said first end to ignite said propellant upon actuation of said pretensioner; and an initiator blast shield fixed about said initiator thereby insulating said propellant from said initiator, whereby upon activation of said pretensioner, said initiator produces pressurized combustion products within said initiator blast shield, said shield employed to modify the force of the initiator combustion products as it passes into the propellant for combustion thereof.