Patent ID: 7641232

Claim:
A vehicle occupant protection system comprising: a housing comprising at least one gas exit orifice, said housing farther defining an inner wall; a gas generating composition contained within said housing for producing combustion gases upon activation of said vehicle occupant protection system; a spring-biased gas release member in flush engagement with said inner wall, said gas release member employed for sealing said at least one gas exit orifice prior to activation of said vehicle occupant protection system, and, said gas release member slidably engaged with said inner wall upon production of combustion gases, thereby releasing gas from said at least one gas exit orifice; a spring operably coupled to said gas release member and to said housing, thereby affecting a resilient sealing of said at least one gas exit orifice both before and after activation of said gas generating system, said spring also facilitating sliding engagement of said gas release member with said inner wall; an internal wall secured within the housing to divide an interior of the housing into a first chamber and a second chamber; at least one opening formed in the internal wall to enable fluid communication between the first chamber and the second chamber; and at least one gas exit aperture formed in the housing to enable a flow of gas from the first chamber to an exterior of the housing, wherein the at least one gas exit orifice and the spring-biased gas release member are positioned within the second chamber.