Patent ID: 7665762

Claim:
A gas generator for a vehicle occupant restraint system: a rigid outer housing ( 12 ), a chamber ( 14 ) within said outer housing ( 12 ), in which a compressed gas is present at least upon activation of said gas generator ( 10 ), a component ( 20 ; 34 ; 62 ) immovable relative to said outer housing ( 12 ), at least one outflow opening ( 22 ) formed in said immovable component ( 20 ; 34 ; 62 ) and at least one resilient element ( 26 ), which is clamped inside said outer housing ( 12 ) and rests against said immovable component ( 20 ; 34 ; 62 ) at least in its normal position, wherein said resilient element ( 26 ) in its normal position closes a flow path between said chamber ( 14 ) and external surroundings of said gas generator ( 10 ) and under the influence of compressed gas is deformed elastically, whereby it clears a flow cross-section ( 30 ) whose size is increasing with increasing pressure.