Patent ID: 7926837

Claim:
An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable from a deflated condition to an inflated condition; an inflator having a central axis, a flange and inflation fluid outlets, the inflator being actuatable to provide inflation fluid through the inflation fluid outlets in a direction transverse to the central axis for inflating the protection device; and a retainer having an opening for receiving the inflator, the retainer comprising a continuous thin wall of uniform thickness, the continuous thin wall comprising: a base portion that extends perpendicular to the central axis; and an annular wall that extends transversely from the base portion, the annular wall having a deflector portion and a retaining portion, the deflector portion being positioned radially outward from the retaining portion and extending substantially orthogonal to the base portion to direct inflation fluid from the inflator into the protection device in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis of the inflator, the retaining portion extending radially inward from the deflector portion and clamping the flange of the inflator to a support member, the retaining portion comprising a first portion that extends substantially parallel to the deflector portion and a second portion that extends transverse to the first portion and the deflector portion and interconnects the first portion and deflector portion.