Inflator having combined cutwater and intake/exhaust port

1. An inflator comprising:

a housing including an intake port and an outlet port and at least partially defining a volute between the intake port and the outlet port;

an impeller rotatably coupled to the housing and in airflow communication with the volute to generate an airflow through the volute; and

an airflow guide disposed in the housing and including an air intake portion including a wall and a cutwater monolithically formed with the air intake portion and the wall, the wall disposed flush with a portion of the volute, the air intake portion defining the intake port and a passageway extending from the intake port along an airflow axis, and the cutwater extending from the wall and disposed between the passageway and the outlet port adjacent a circumferential edge of the impeller,

wherein the cutwater is disposed radially outward of the wall such that the wall and the cutwater do not overlap in a direction along the airflow axis.

2. The inflator of claim 1 , wherein the impeller is rotatable about an impeller axis that is coaxial with the airflow axis.

3. The inflator of claim 1 , wherein the air intake portion defines a portion of the volute.

4. The inflator of claim 1 , wherein the wall includes a volute wall at least partially defining a surface of the volute, wherein the passageway extends in a first direction from the volute wall toward the intake port, and wherein the cutwater extends from the volute wall in a second direction toward the outlet port.

5. The inflator of claim 1 , wherein the intake port includes an outer wall, and an inner wall spaced from the outer wall by a gap, and wherein the inner wall has an inner surface with an arcuate profile.

6. The inflator of claim 5 , wherein the arcuate profile is convex relative to the passageway.

7. The inflator of claim 5 , wherein the air intake portion includes one or more ribs extending from the inner wall across the passageway.

8. The inflator of claim 5 , wherein the gap is configured to receive a coupling portion of a nozzle.

9. The inflator of claim 1 , wherein the airflow guide includes at least one mounting tab coupled to the housing.

10. An inflator comprising:

a housing including an intake port and an outlet port and defining a volute between the intake port and the outlet port;

an impeller rotatably supported in the housing and in airflow communication with the volute to generate an airflow through the volute; and

an airflow guide supported in the housing adjacent the impeller, the airflow guide including a cutwater and an air intake portion including an outer wall and an inner wall spaced from the outer wall by a gap defining a hollow interior, the inner wall defining a passageway extending along an axis from the intake port to the impeller,

wherein the passageway has a profile that decreases in cross-section at least partially along the axis,

wherein the gap is configured to receive an end of a nozzle.

11. The inflator of claim 10 , wherein the profile decreases along a curved cross-section.

12. The inflator of claim 11 , wherein the profile is defined by a convex inner surface of the inner wall.

13. The inflator of claim 10 , wherein the outer wall extends to the intake port and is flush with the intake port.

14. The inflator of claim 10 , the air intake portion further includes a volute wall extending from the inner wall and defining a portion of the volute.

15. The inflator of claim 14 , wherein the volute wall has an arcuate transition adjacent the inner wall.

16. The inflator of claim 11 , wherein the profile is defined by a bell shape.

17. The inflator of claim 10 , wherein the profile increases in cross-section at least partially along the axis following the decrease in the cross-section of the profile.

18. The inflator of claim 17 , wherein the profile increases along a curved cross-section.

19. The inflator of claim 10 , wherein

the impeller includes a plurality of blades extending between a first plate and a second plate and defining impeller channels, the impeller channels having a channel height defined between a circumferential edge of the first plate and a circumferential edge of the second plate, and the impeller having an impeller height defined between the circumferential edge of the first plate and the circumferential edge of the second plate,

wherein the cutwater includes a volute face partially defining the volute adjacent the circumferential edge of the second plate,

wherein the impeller is rotatable around an axis and the volute is defined between the circumferential edges of the first plate and the second plate and the wall of the housing, the volute defined by a gradually increasing radius relative to the axis, and

wherein the channel height is less than a distance defined between the impeller edge and the volute face measured along the radius, and a distance defined between the circumferential edge of the second plate and the volute face is less than the impeller height.