An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14b) includes a front panel (102b) and a rear panel (122b) that are interconnected to at least partially define an inflatable volume (54b) of the protection device. The rear panel (122b) has a conical configuration resulting from portions of the rear panel being interconnected with each other. The rear panel (122b) comprises portions interconnected along a seam (214), the seam being configured to deviate laterally from a deployment direction so that portions of the air bag that engage and move along the seam shift laterally during deployment to reduce damage due to friction with the seam.

A sewn airbag includes a plurality of base fabrics sewn together, wherein in a sewn region where reinforcement is required, a reinforcing coating film made of an adhesive coating material that is adhesive to both a sewing yarn and fibers forming the base fabrics is formed on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the sewn region, the reinforcing coating film having the smallest possible width along a stitching region in the form of one or more strips forming the sewn region made with the sewing yarn.

Side airbags to provide protection to vehicle occupants are provided. The side airbags include an outer skin forming an inflatable chamber having an upper thorax portion and a lower pelvic portion for contact with the thorax region and the pelvic region, respectively, of the associated vehicle occupant. The side airbag includes a loop diffuser for placement about an inflator disposed within the inflatable chamber. The loop diffuser has opposed first and second open ends to permit communication of inflation gas to the upper thorax portion and to the lower pelvic portion, respectively, of the inflatable chamber. The loop diffuser permits significantly greater flow of inflation gas to the lower pelvic portion as compare to flow of inflation gas to the upper thorax portion of the inflatable chamber. The first open end can be significantly smaller in cross section as compared to the second open end.

An airbag cushion for a vehicle may include: a front panel disposed in a direction facing a passenger when the airbag cushion is inflated, and having a front sewed part formed along the edge thereof; and a rear panel coupled to the front panel so as to form a chamber therebetween, having a gas introduction hole to introduce gas into the chamber, and having a rear sewed part formed along the edge thereof, the rear sewed part being coupled to the front sewed part, wherein the rear sewed part has a curvature part formed in a curved shape at the portion coupled to the front sewed part.

Airbag cushion diffusers comprising one or more frangible portions and related airbag cushion assemblies and methods. In some embodiments, an airbag cushion assembly may comprise an airbag cushion having an internal diffuser positioned therein. The internal diffuser may comprise a lower panel that may be sewn or otherwise directly coupled to the airbag cushion and an upper panel coupled to the lower panel about respective entire peripheries of the upper and lower panels so as to define a diffuser chamber between the upper panel and the lower panel. The upper panel may comprise a plurality of openings for delivery of inflation gas therethrough and may comprise one or more openings, slits, and/or weakened regions configured to facilitate tearing in specific locations of the diffuser.

An airbag comprises a front panel (22), a rear panel (24) and an additional panel (26), the front panel (22) and the rear panel (24) being directly connected to each other in a first circumferential portion (28) and the front panel (22) being connected to the additional panel (26) and the additional panel (26) being connected to the rear panel (24) in a second circumferential portion (30). Further, an airbag module (16), a vehicle (10) and a method of manufacturing the airbag (18) are shown.

An airbag device, including: a gas generator that generates expansion gas; an airbag that expands and deploys by the expansion gas to restrain an occupant; and a gas rectifying member provided inside the airbag so as to cover the occupant side of the gas generator, and that controls the flow of the expansion gas. The gas rectifying member is formed from a flat panel including a portion bilaterally symmetrical to a line connecting 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock (X axis) when a plane parallel to a rim of the steering wheel is regarded as a clock face, and has a configuration where a lower opening portion for discharging the expansion gas in a 6 o'clock direction is formed by stitching left and right edge portions of the panel together, and the occupant side of the gas generator is covered.

The side airbag device is composed of a cushion that expands and deploys toward the front of the vehicle in the vehicle cabin to restrain an occupant seated in a seat from the side, and an inflater that is encased in the cushion and supplies the gas that expands and deploys the cushion, wherein the cushion is provided with a first panel facing the side position of the occupant in an expanded and deployed state and a second panel joined to the first panel positioned on the opposite side of the occupant, of the first panel and second panel, an insertion hole is provided at a position near the rear end of one of the panels and a stud bolt is inserted to fasten the inflater to the vehicle structure, and the cushion is attached to the wall facing toward the front of the vehicle.

A cushion of an airbag apparatus may include: a rear panel having a gas inlet formed at the rear thereof, and a first connecting end formed along the edge thereof and deployed forward when gas is introduced into a primary filling room open to the front; and a front panel having a second connecting end formed along the edge thereof at the front of the rear panel and coupled to the first connecting end, and a passenger support region which is formed at the front surface thereof and deployed forward when gas is introduced into a secondary filling room open to the rear.

Problem: To effectively suppress movement toward a collision site of an occupant even when the occupant is seated only in the driver's seat. Resolution Means: a side airbag device 1 provided on a side surface portion on the center side in the width direction of the backrest SB of the seat s of one of the driver's seat Sd and the passenger seat Sn, and is provided with a cushion 2 that constrains movement of the occupant p toward a site where an impact is applied during a collision event. A portion of the inflator 3 is inserted into the cushion 2. The cushion 2 comprises a main chamber 2 a and a sub-chamber 2 b disposed on the base panel 4 b opposite the occupant side base panel 4 a of the main chamber 2 a that is seated by the occupant p seated in the driver seat Sd. Upon collision, when the occupant p seated in the driver's seat Sd moves toward the passenger seat side, the expanded sub-chamber 2 b interferes with the side support SS on the driver side of the passenger seat Sn, and the expanded main chamber 2 a is provided with the reaction force from the passenger seat Sn.