Airbag cushions and related assemblies configured to protect the lower extremities of a driver by deploying about the contours of a steering column shroud. In some embodiments, the assembly may comprise an inflatable cushion configured to be deployed adjacent to a vehicle steering column to provide protection to a driver's lower extremities during an impact event. The cushion may comprise a primary inflation chamber, a first supplemental inflation chamber fluidly coupled with the primary inflation chamber and configured to deploy on a left side of the vehicle steering column adjacent to the driver's left lower extremity, and a second supplemental inflation chamber fluidly coupled with the primary inflation chamber and configured to deploy on a right side of the vehicle steering column adjacent to the driver's right lower extremity.

A knee airbag arrangement for a vehicle. The knee airbag arrangement includes an inflatable airbag and an external tether. The airbag is adapted to be inflated to a position between an instrument panel of the vehicle and a knee/shin region of a vehicle occupant. The knee airbag is adapted to form a first deployment mode or a second deployment mode when in a deployed state. The external tether controls deployment of the airbag to the second deployment mode. The depth (D.sub.2) of the airbag in the second deployment mode is greater than a depth (D.sub.1) of the knee airbag in the first deployment mode. A depth of the airbag in a deployed state is a greatest extent of the airbag perpendicular to the instrument panel in the knee/shin region.

A knee airbag arrangement for a vehicle. The knee airbag arrangement includes an inflatable airbag. The airbag is adapted to be inflated to a position between an instrument panel of the vehicle and a knee/shin region of a vehicle occupant. A depth (D.sub.1, D.sub.2) of the airbag in a deployed state is a greatest extent of the airbag perpendicular to the instrument panel in the knee/shin region. The airbag is adapted to form a first deployment mode or a second deployment mode when in a deployed state. The depth of the airbag in the second deployment mode is greater than a depth of the airbag in the first deployment mode.

A method for folding a knee airbag may include: folding both sides of an airbag cushion a plurality of times, and fixing the folded portion of the airbag cushion; forming a roll folding part by rolling one side of the airbag cushion of which both sides are folded a plurality of times; and folding the other side of the airbag cushion toward the roll folding part, with the roll folding part formed at the one side of the airbag cushion, and fixing the other side of the airbag cushion.

An automobile vehicle airbag assembly includes an airbag body connected to and extending when inflated downward from an overhead vehicle portion. A cushion extending from the airbag body has a first portion which when inflated positioned directly in front of an occupant. A second portion when inflated extends from the first portion and has a lower end aligned to interact with legs of the occupant to limit rotational motion of a lower leg portion of the legs to prevent hyper-extension of at least one knee of the occupant.

An airbag includes a bag body that includes a first panel and a second panel which are opposed to each other, a partitioning tether that is disposed in such a manner as to partition an interior of the bag body, a communication hole that is formed in the tether for providing gas communication in the interior of the bag body, and first and second joints that respectively join first and second edges of the tether to the first and second panels of the bag body. The communication hole has a generally rectangular contour which has two corners in a vicinity of each of the first and second edges of the tether. In both of the first and second edges of the tether, the corners of the communication hole are disposed closer to the first or second edge of the partitioning tether than a corresponding one of the joints.

A restraint system for a vehicle includes an instrument panel and an airbag supported by the instrument panel. The restraint system includes a right deflector supported by the instrument panel adjacent the airbag. The right deflector is deployable between a retracted position and a deployed position. The restraint system includes a left deflector supported by the instrument panel adjacent the airbag opposite the right deflector in a cross-vehicle direction. The left deflector is deployable between a retracted position and a deployed position. The restraint system includes a first pyrotechnic device coupled to the right deflector and a second pyrotechnic device coupled to the left deflector.

An airbag assembly includes an airbag having a knee chamber and an upper chamber. A wall fluidly isolates the knee chamber and the upper chamber. A sleeve extends from the knee chamber through the wall to the upper chamber and fluidly communicates the knee chamber and the upper chamber. A one-way vent is in the sleeve. The one-way vent allows for the knee chamber and the upper chamber to be maintained at different relative pressures.

An airbag assembly includes an airbag cover having a first panel portion. The first panel portion has first lower edge and a plurality of clips formed at the first lower edge. The clips each have a thickness greater than the first panel portion. A case has a plurality of openings configured to receive the clips of the airbag cover. The openings in the case may each be an elongated slot including a wide portion and a contiguous narrow portion that is narrower than the thickness of the clip. Each slot is configured such that the clip can be inserted through the wide portion and then slid to the narrow portion to retain the airbag cover to the case.

An airbag cushion assembly (10, 100) has an airbag cushion (12) and an inflator (20, 120). The airbag cushion has a plurality of inflatable chambers including a primary chamber (11, 111) configured to receive inflation gas and one or more additional chambers (14, 16, 114, 115, 116) for receiving inflation gas from the primary chamber (11, 111). The inflator (20, 120) is in communication with, or open to, the gas inlet of the primary chamber (11, 111). One or more of the additional chambers has one or more one-way gas flow check valves (30, 130) for receiving inflation gases into the chamber and preventing the received gases from back flowing to maintain the one or more additional chambers at full inflation when the airbag cushion is inflated and loaded.