Patent ID: 7401808

Claim:
An inflator comprising a vessel containing compressed gas, the vessel having a gas outlet passageway defined by an annular abutment wall with a central opening, the inflator having a sealing cap closure having a sealing flange sealed to the annular abutment wall to seal the opening of the gas outlet passageway; the interior of the sealing closure cap being a chamber that is open to the compressed gas in the vessel with the chamber comprising a large diameter chamber portion adjacent the sealing flange with the large diameter chamber portion being flared down to a smaller diameter closed end chamber portion with a thin walled frangible seam disposed in a side wall of the sealing closure cap between the two chamber portions; and a triggering device that when activated generates gas that drives a piston in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the inflator such that the piston impacts the side wall of the sealing cap closure and breaks the side wall of the sealing cap closure at the thin walled frangible seam thereby allowing gas to escape from the vessel.