Patent ID: 7533902

Claim:
A pretensioner ( 20 ) for use with a seat belt system, the pretensioner comprising: a first tube ( 22 ) having a cylindrical wall ( 22 a ), a first end ( 24 ) and a second end ( 26 ), at least one of the first end or the second end being open ( 32 ), the first tube includes a first opening ( 38 ) in the wall ( 22 a ) to receive a second tube ( 50 ), the second tube ( 50 ) having a first end portion ( 60 ); a second end portion ( 62 ) and a medial portion ( 54 ), the medial portion configured to have a circular curvature of radius R 1 ; the second end portion is situated so that its center is collinear with a central axis ( 64 ) extending through the center of the first tube ( 22 ) and wherein an axis extending through the center of the first end portion is arranged at an acute angle relative to the central axis ( 64 ); a pyrotechnic element ( 40 ) is provided at one end of the first tube to provide products of combustion to drive a piston ( 100 ) down the first tube, the motion of the piston moving a cable ( 80 ) in a direction to move a seat belt buckle ( 84 ) to reduce belt slack about an occupant to be protected.