Patent ID: 7044501

Claim:
An inflator for a safety system for a vehicle, comprising: an inflator housing having a gas discharging port, the inflator housing defining therein a pressurized medium accommodation chamber charged with a pressurized medium, and an igniter chamber for accommodating an igniter; a first retainer having a first cylindrical peripheral wall portion; a second retainer having a second cylindrical peripheral wall portion arranged in alignment with said first cylindrical peripheral wall portion; said first and second retainers having opposed substantially juxtaposed ends, and said first cylindrical peripheral wall portion and said second cylindrical peripheral wall portion defining, inside thereof, a first passage for guiding activation energy from said igniter towards said pressurized medium accommodation chamber, and defining, outside thereof, a second passage, extending between the gas discharging port and the pressurized medium accommodation chamber, for guiding said pressurized medium to said gas discharging port, the first passage being provided independently from the second passage at least prior to activation of the inflator; and a single rupturable plate extending through a communicating space, formed between said opposed substantially juxtaposed ends of said first and second retainers for sealing said pressurized medium accommodation chamber from said igniter chamber and said discharging port.