An airbag apparatus includes airbag having a vent hole formed therein, an inflator configured to emit gas for inflating the airbag, and a chamber configured to accommodate the inflator therein inside the airbag, the chamber having at least one discharge aperture for discharging gas emitted from the inflator to an inside of the airbag, and having a wall part configured to guide the emitted gas to the discharge aperture, wherein an external surface of the wall part is configured to partially cover the vent hole upon collapse of the chamber toward the vent hole.

Method for controlling a vehicle including a smartphone-engaging coupling element. Data about operational status of the vehicle is transferred from one or more vehicle-resident systems to a smartphone when the smartphone is engaged with the coupling element. Commands are received by the vehicle from the smartphone when the smartphone is engaged with the coupling element, which commands being based in part on data previously transferred from the vehicle-resident system(s) to the smartphone when the smartphone is engaged with the coupling element. A vehicular system, e.g., seat positioning system, mirror positioning system, passenger compartment temperature control system, route guidance or navigation system, changes its operation in accordance with the commands received by the vehicle from the smartphone when the smartphone is engaged with the coupling element.

In one embodiment, a passenger-side airbag is inflated and deployed between a passenger's seat and an instrument panel. The airbag includes an airbag body; and a patch cloth provided on an outer surface of a forward part of the airbag body. A side patch cloth provided on respective side parts of the airbag body has a slit.

A vehicle airbag device is provided, the vehicle airbag device including (1) an airbag that is folded and stowed inside an airbag case, the airbag being inflated and deployed on being supplied with gas, (2) a mid-collision gas supply section that supplies gas into the airbag during a vehicle collision, and (3) a pre-collision gas supply section that, in a case in which it has been determined prior to a vehicle collision that a vehicle collision is unavoidable, supplies gas into the airbag at a lower temperature than a temperature of gas supplied into the airbag from the mid-collision gas supply section.

In an airbag comprising at least one aperture (14) which is provided in an airbag shell (12) and to which a closure element (16) is attached a tether (34) via which the closure element (16) can be maintained in a closed position acts on the closure element (16). The invention moreover relates to a method of operating a vehicle occupant protection system.

An actuator, especially for a vehicle protection system, comprises at least one wire (14) variable in shape depending on temperature made from a shape memory alloy and an elongate pyrotechnical element (12) connected to the shape-variable wire (14) so that upon ignition of the pyrotechnical element (12) the wire (14) is heated and experiences a change of length. The vehicle protection system is, for example, an airbag system comprising an airbag and a regulating mechanism for the internal airbag pressure, wherein the wire (14) of the actuator (10) is connected to the regulating mechanism so that a change of shape of the wire (14) exerts a force on the regulating mechanism.

In an airbag comprising at least one aperture (14) which is provided in an airbag shell (12) and to which a closure element (16) is attached a tether (34) via which the closure element (16) can be maintained in a closed position acts on the closure element (16). The invention moreover relates to a method of operating a vehicle occupant protection system.