Abstract: In an airbag restraint system for automobile passenger safety, an airbag having a flexible fabric airbag wall defining an inflation chamber with a mouth in said airbag wall for communication of the closed inflation chamber with an inflator, has a portion of said airbag wall tucked inside the inflation chamber and held there by strips permanently attached to panels of the airbag wall parallel to fold lines on said panels where the tucked in portion of the airbag wall turns into the airbag. Those strips extend outward beyond said fold lines and are joined there by a weak seam that can be broken by tension in the airbag walls caused by inflation of the airbag to a desired inflation pressure. When the weak seam breaks, the strips are released and the tucked in portion of the airbag will be deployed and inflated to increase the volume capacity of the airbag and thereby decrease pressure in the airbag.

Abstract: A device for protecting a vehicle occupant in the event of a collision includes an array of semi-rigid inflatable cells which support a portion of the vehicle's interior lining. Upon occurence of a crash of sufficient magnitude, the cells are inflated by a gas to advance the lining in the occupant's direction.

Abstract: This invention relates to an inflator housing construction for an air bag inflation system. The inflator housing construction includes first and second aluminum structural components, the diffuser and base. The diffuser and base components are made from different aluminum alloys and are inertia welded to provide an improved hermetic inflator construction.

Abstract: A dual cushion air bag unit for cushioning contact between an occupant and interior side members of a vehicle during a side impact collision includes a lower bag portion and an upper bag portion which are joined by a relatively short and narrow neck portion in communication with both of said upper and lower bag portions and in which is located, in sealed relation, at least the outlet ports of a gas generator or inflator. Both of the lower and the upper bag protions are filled simultaneously by one inflator.