Abstract: An airbag module is provided. The module includes a housing, an inflator, an inflatable cushion, a vent aperture defined in the housing, and a gas deflecting member. The vent aperture places the interior of the housing in fluid communication with the exterior of the housing. The vent aperture is offset from exhaust ports of the inflator. The gas deflecting member is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, a first portion of the deflecting member deflects a first amount of the inflation gas to the exterior of the housing. In the second position, a second portion of the deflecting member deflects the inflation gas towards the inflatable cushion. A second amount of the inflation gas is ventable from the housing through the vent aperture when the deflecting member is in the second position.

Abstract: An airbag module for restraining an occupant of a vehicle, comprising: a housing; an inflatable cushion being capable of being stored in an un-deployed position in the housing, the inflatable cushion having at least one vent opening disposed on an inboard side and an outboard side of the inflatable cushion, the outboard side being positioned closer to an exterior portion of the vehicle than the inboard side; an inflator for inflating the inflatable cushion, the inflator being in fluid communication with the inflatable cushion; and a biasing device being configured to restrict the deployment of the inflatable cushion in a first direction while allowing for deployment of the inflatable cushion in an inboard direction and an outboard direction, the outboard direction being towards an exterior portion of the vehicle and the inboard direction being opposite to the outboard direction, the biasing device restricts the deployment of the inflatable cushion when a portion of the biasing device makes contact with the oc

Abstract: A variable tether system adapted for use in an inflatable cushion of an airbag module having a first pair of tether elements each having a first end and a second end, the first ends each being secured to inner portions of the inflatable cushion and the second ends each being secured to inner portions of the inflatable cushion, the first ends each being secured to the inflatable cushion at positions remote from the second ends and the second ends being secured to the inflatable cushion at a location closer to an inflation opening of the inflatable cushion than the first ends, wherein each of the first pair of tether elements has a portion between each of the first and second ends which is not secured to the inflatable cushion; and a second pair of tether elements each having a first side and a second side, the first side of one of said second pair of tether elements being secured to a portion of one of the first pair of tether elements and the first side of the other one of the second pair of tether elements b

Abstract: An airbag module is provided. The module includes a housing, an inflator, an inflatable cushion, a vent aperture defined in the housing, and a gas deflecting member. The vent aperture places the interior of the housing in fluid communication with the exterior of the housing. The vent aperture is offset from exhaust ports of the inflator. The gas deflecting member is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, a first portion of the deflecting member deflects a first amount of the inflation gas to the exterior of the housing. In the second position, a second portion of the deflecting member deflects the inflation gas towards the inflatable cushion. A second amount of the inflation gas is ventable from the housing through the vent aperture when the deflecting member is in the second position.

Abstract: A deployment flap for use with an inflatable cushion is provided. The deployment flap includes a fabric or other flexible, foldable material; a plurality of securement tabs each having a weakened area; and a cover area defined in the fabric. The fabric is connectable to the inflatable cushion to cause the inflatable cushion to be biased in a selected direction upon inflation of the inflatable cushion. The cover area covers the inflatable cushion prior to inflation of the inflatable cushion. The securement tabs secure the fabric to a retainer. The weakened area releases the fabric from the retainer upon the inflation of the inflatable cushion.

Abstract: A frontal air bag system for a vehicle includes an air bag module having a housing for mounting to vehicle structure of the vehicle and an air bag operatively connected to the air bag module. The frontal air bag system also includes an inflator disposed in the housing for inflating the air bag with an inflation gas. The frontal air bag system further includes at least one tether interconnecting the air bag and either one of the housing and the inflator to cause some of the inflation gas to vent through the housing to atmosphere.

Abstract: A supplemental inflatable restraint is provided including an air bag housing positioned in an instrument panel lower surface with an open end extending toward the seated occupant, the open end having a top and a bottom; and an air bag which has a lower lobe for contact with lower extremities of a seated occupant and an upper lobe for contact with the torso of a seated occupant. The upper and lower lobes are separated by a first tether extending from an area generally adjacent to the top of the housing projecting generally toward the seated occupant. The air bag has a pressure restrictor creating a pressure differential between the upper and lower lobes. The upper lobe is subdivided by a second tether from an area adjacent to the top of the housing to an end of the upper lobe generally opposite the lower lobe.

Abstract: A method and system for folding an air bag for a supplemental inflatable restraint system for use in a vehicle wherein the air bag includes a front face, a rear face, upper and lower edges, an inflation opening located on the front face, and an upper portion defined between the upper edge and the inflation opening and a lower portion defined between the lower edge and the inflation opening. The air bag is initially placed in a flattened position and the lower portion is provided with a series of unidirectional folds to define a rolled portion of the air bag. Subsequently, the upper portion is folded over the rolled portion. During deployment, the upper portion is initially deployed and the lower portion subsequently unrolls generally downwardly and across the lap of an occupant in the vehicle.

Abstract: A supplemental inflatable restraint system including an air bag for use in a vehicle to restrain an occupant during an accident. The air bag is folded and placed in the module such that inflation of the air bag causes the air bag to be expelled from the module in a substantially folded condition whereby a contact face of the air bag defines a substantially flat or unfolded contact surface for initial contact with a vehicle occupant. The air bag is folded such that top and bottom edges thereof are rolled toward a central location on the air bag. During inflation, the rolled portions unroll upwardly and downwardly across the occupant.

Abstract: A vehicle air bag assembly has a housing mounted beneath an opening in a vehicle panel and holding an inflator for discharging gas to inflate an air bag for deployment through the opening. A door normally closes the opening and is forcibly moved out of the opening from a closed position to an open position by the deploying air bag. The housing also includes a plurality of apertures communicable with ambient air. A flap closes the apertures to prevent communication with ambient air so that discharging inflator gas is blocked from escaping out through the apertures and is fully utilized for initial air bag inflation to open the door. A positioning device positions the flap for closing the apertures in the housing. The flap is operatively connected to the door, such as by having an end secured thereto, and is pulled by the opening movement of the door to open the apertures.

Abstract: A restraint cushion is comprised of first and second fabric panels. Each of the two fabric panels is folded and interleaved with the other to form the restraint cushion. A single continuous seam interconnects the mating edges of the two panels. The restraint cushion has a generally cubic shape defined by top, bottom, forward, rearward, left, and right side. Each of the two fabric panels is a generally elongate continuous strip folded to a U-shape and interleaved with the other to form the cubic shape of the restraint cushion. The restraint cushion minimizes the number of panels used in forming the restraint cushion and minimizes the number of seams sewn to interconnect the panels so that the assembly costs of the restraint cushion are reduced.

Abstract: According to the invention, a vehicle body has a passenger seating position and an inflatable restraint system for restraining a passenger. The inflatable restraint system includes an inflatable restraint module mounted to the vehicle body. The module includes a module opening through which an inflatable restraint cushion is deployed. The module includes an inflator for discharging gas out through the module opening to inflate the cushion. The cushion includes a forward wall and a rearward wall. The longitudinal centerline of the module opening is offset in a lateral offset direction, such as inboard or outboard, from the longitudinal centerline of the passenger seating position so that initial cushion inflation occurs offset of the centerline of the passenger seating position. A first tether device extends diagonally from the forward wall towards the lateral offset direction to the rearward wall.

Abstract: A new and improved apparatus for biasing the direction of air bag deployment includes a box-shaped guide member, preferably of fabric construction, and attached to the air bag module and folded to overlie the folded air bag. The box-shaped guide member has an open bottom and is erected to the box shape upon deployment of the air bag through the air bag opening. The box-shape has an open end wall at the inboard side thereof to define a lateral deployment opening through which the air bag may be deployed laterally, and a top deployment opening through which the air bag may deploy upwardly and rearwardly toward the occupant. The box-shape also includes a top flap which selectively closes off the top deployment opening of the box to bias and divert the deploying air bag through the lateral opening until the top flap is unfolded to an extended position opening the top opening to permit the further deployment of the air bag through the top opening.

Abstract: An occupant restraint air bag assembly includes an air bag having a base wall portion communicating with an inflator and a face wall for contacting the occupant upon inflation of the bag. A vent opening is provided in the base wall portion of the air bag for venting a portion of the inflation gas from the air bag to the occupant compartment. A valve flap carried by the air bag is operable to a position closing the vent opening to contain the inflation gas within the air bag. A tether has a first end connected to the valve flap and a second end attached to the face wall so that the inflation of the air bag and consequent displacement of the face wall pulls the tether to close the valve flap. The vent opening is preferably a plurality of spaced apart openings and the tether progressively moves the valve flap across the openings to progressively close the vent opening in response to the progressive travel of the face wall toward the occupant.