Arrangement for protecting an occupant of a vehicle

Claim 1

An arrangement to protect an occupant of a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising a seat including a squab and a back, an inflatable bag, gas generator means to inflate the bag, and a diffuser fluidly connected with said gas generator means, said diffuser extending substantially the length of said back and having a plurality of openings fluidly connected with said bag, the bag having an uninflated form and an inflated form, said inflated form being when said gas generator means inflates said bag and being larger than said uninflated form, the bag, when in its uninflated form, being mounted within the structure of said seat, the bag being mounted in position and configurated for causing the inflated form of the bag to be located between an occupant of the vehicle sitting on the seat, and a side of the vehicle when the bag is inflated by the gas generator means, the inflated form of the bag extending from at least the squab of the seat to the top of the back of the seat, the centre of the inflated form of the bag contacting the occupant of the vehicle and being substantially aligned with the centre of gravity of the torso of the occupant when an occupant is seated on the vehicle seat.