Patent ID: 7118133

Claim:
A pretensioner for a three point seat belt comprising: a cylinder adapted to be attached to a structural member of a vehicle and a piston disposed within the cylinder; a means for moving the piston in a direction that is longitudinal relative to the cylinder in a pretensioning direction; a means for attachment located outside of the cylinder to which a seat belt webbing is attached; a means for guiding the seat belt webbing in directions that are longitudinal with respect to the cylinder such that the seat belt webbing and the means for attachment can freely move in a direction that is longitudinal with respect to the cylinder so long as the means for moving the piston in a direction that is longitudinal relative to the cylinder in a pretensioning direction has not been activated; and a means for pulling that extends from the piston to cause the seat belt webbing to move in a direction that is longitudinal with respect to the cylinder in a pretensioning direction along the means for guiding when the means for moving the piston is activated.