Abstract: A safety device for a motor vehicle, having an inflatable airbag which, to protect a vehicle occupant on a vehicle seat—in particular when an accident or a hazardous situation occurs—is inflated and deployed laterally next to the vehicle occupant, and having a supporting device which interacts with the airbag and prevents or at least reduces a lateral movement of the airbag when the vehicle occupant plunges into the airbag.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gas flow distributor for a lateral airbag module. Said distributor is used to distribute a gas ON flow leaving a gas generator by the outflow openings thereof, in a targeted manner, in a gas bag which is to be inflated by the gas generator. According to the invention, the gas flow distributor is formed by a dimensionally stable receiving element (1) surrounding the gas generator, at least in the region of the outflow openings.

Abstract: A gas bag in which an orifice is opened or closed with the aid of a control band as soon as the gas bag has reached a predetermined state of deployment. One end of the control band is fastened to a gas bag envelope in the region of the orifice. The control band is connected at its other end to the gas bag envelope so that, when the predetermined state of deployment is reached, the control band slips into the gas bag envelope so that the orifice is closed by the slipped-in region of the gas bag envelope by the internal pressure of the gas bag, or the control band slips out of the gas bag envelope so that the previously closed orifice is opened.