Patent ID: 8585090

Claim:
A linear pretensioner for use as part of a motor vehicle occupant belt restraint system mountable to a motor vehicle structure and coupled with a belt restraint system component, and upon being activated, pulls the belt restraint system component to pretension the belt restraint system, the pretensioner comprising: a stroking housing forming a longitudinal bore, a cable coupled with the stroking housing and to the belt restraint system component, the cable being coupled to the stroking housing at an attachment location laterally offset from and longitudinally overlapping with the bore; and a main housing adapted to be fixed to the motor vehicle structure, the main housing positioned in the bore of the stroking housing, the stroking housing telescopically overfitting the main housing and being axially guided only on an internal surface of the stroking housing, the main housing and the stroking housing forming an expanding chamber that enlarges when pressurized by a gas generator, wherein upon activation, the gas generator drives the stroking housing along the main housing to exert tension on the cable, the main housing further comprising a guide feature laterally extending therefrom and configured to contact and guide the cable generally parallel to the bore from the attachment location to the guide feature.