Abstract: Apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle (12) that has a side structure (16) including a side door (18) includes an inflatable tubular structure (14) and an inflation fluid source (34) for providing inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable tubular structure. The inflatable tubular structure (14) has a stored position in which the inflatable tubular structure is deflated and stored in the side door (18). The inflatable tubular structure (14) is inflatable from the stored position to a deployed position in which the inflatable tubular structure is inflated and positioned between the side structure (16) of the vehicle (12) and a vehicle occupant.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (32). The vehicle occupant protection device (32) has a stored condition and an inflated condition in which the occupant protection device extends across an upper portion (20) of a vehicle windshield (14). The occupant protection device (32) has first and second end portions (38,40) located adjacent first and second A pillars (18,16) of the vehicle when in the inflated condition. An inflator (34) emits inflation fluid to inflate the occupant protection device (32) from the stored condition to the inflated condition. The inflator (34) is mounted in one of the first and second A pillars (18, 16) of the vehicle.