Patent ID: 7654565

Claim:
A gas generating system comprising: an outer housing including a combustion chamber, a first end, and a second end; an end closure coupled to the housing at said first end in a metal-to-metal seal; a smokeless gas generant composition positioned in the combustion chamber; and a baffle system including: a plurality of flow orifices defining a flow path for gases generated by combustion of the gas generant composition, the flow path extending between the combustion chamber and an exterior of the gas generating system, and a plurality of particulate aggregation surfaces positioned along the flow path of the gases for changing a flow direction of gases impinging on the aggregation surfaces, wherein particulates in gases impinging on the aggregation surfaces aggregate on the surfaces; an inner housing defining the combustion chamber, the inner housing being positioned with the outer housing to define a gas flow passage extending between the inner housing and the outer housing, the inner housing including at least one first orifice formed therealong to enable fluid communication between the combustion chamber and the gas flow passage; a baffle member defining a baffle member interior in fluid communication with the gas flow passage; and a nozzle in fluid communication with the baffle member interior and coupled to the outer housing, the nozzle having at least one gas exit orifice to enable fluid communication between an interior of the outer housing and an exterior of the outer housing, wherein the baffle member has an annular base portion and an annular sleeve extending from the base portion into the inner housing, the inner housing has at least one second orifice formed therealong opposite the annular sleeve to enable fluid communication between the gas flow passage and the baffle member interior, and wherein an aggregation surface of the plurality of aggregation surfaces is located along a surface of the annular sleeve extending opposite the at least one second orifice formed along the inner housing.