Two piece air bag with built in tether

Claim 2

An air bag (12) comprising: two pieces (10a,b) of joined-together material having a front face (43c), two sides (43a, 43b), a neck (48) and a hollow tether means for foreshortening of the air bag (45), wherein each piece (10a,b) of material includes a center portion (13), a first leg (14) extending to one side of the center portion, an opposite leg (16) extending oppositely from the center portion, a first side flap (18a) and an opposite second side flap (18b) extending outwardly relative to the center portion (13); a first seam joins the pieces along a first line defining a line from which each opposite leg extends, each opposite leg joined at respective edges to edges of the first and second side flaps and when so joined the opposite legs and flaps envelop the first leg.

Claim 3

The air bag air bag as defined in claim 1 wherein an end of each leg (14,16) includes mounting holes (30) for overlapping attachment to corresponding mounting studs.

Claim 4

The air bag as defined in claim 2 wherein the first leg is spaced from portions of the first and second flaps, forming part of the tether (45).

Claim 5

The air bag as defined in claim 1 wherein the tether means includes openings therethrough to distribute inflation gas into the air bag in a predictable manner via such openings.

Claim 6

The air bag as defined in claim 1 wherein the tether means includes perforation means for permitting the tether means to separate during air bag inflation.

Claim 7

An air bag (12) comprising: two pieces (10a,b) of material which when joined together defines a front face (43c), two sides (43a, 43b), a neck (48) of the air bag and also forms tether means for foreshortening of the air bag (45) upon deployment, wherein each piece (10a,b) of material includes a center portion (13), a first leg (14) of each piece extends to one side of the center portion, an opposite leg (16) extends oppositely from the center portion, a first side flap (18a) and an opposite second side flap (18b) extending outwardly relative to the center portion (13); each first side flap of each piece joined together along a first sew seam and each second flap joined together along a second sew seam, both the first and second sew seams are generally located between a respective flap and a first leg, a third seam extends generally across the center portion joining the two pieces along a line from which each opposite leg extends, each opposite leg joined at respective edges to edges of the first and second side flaps and when so joined the opposite legs and flaps form a main bag portion positioned about the first legs of each piece of material which are generally positioned facing each other, the facing first legs forming the tether means.

Claim 8

An air bag (12) comprising: two pieces (10a,b) of material which when joined together defines a front face (43c), two sides (43a, 43b), a neck (48) of the air bag and also forms tether means for foreshortening of the air bag (45) upon deployment, wherein each piece (10a,b) of material includes a center portion (13), a first leg (14) of each piece extends to one side of the center portion, an opposite leg (16) extends oppositely from the center portion, a first side flap (18a) and an opposite second side flap (18b) extending outwardly relative to the center portion (13); each first side flap of each piece joined together along a first sew seam and each second flap joined together along a second sew seam, both the first and second sew seams are generally located between a respective flap and a first leg, a third seam extends generally across the center portion joining the two pieces along a line from which each opposite leg extends, each opposite leg joined at respective edges to edges of the first and second side flaps and when so joined the opposite legs and flaps form a main bag portion positioned about the first legs of each piece of material which are generally positioned facing each other, the facing first legs forming the tether means.

Claim 9

The air bag as defined in claim 6 wherein ends of each first leg are not joined to provide access to an interior space between the two first legs.

Claim 10

The air bag defined in claim 7 wherein an end of each leg (14,16) includes mounting holes (30) for attachment to corresponding mounting studs.

Claim 11

The air bag as defined in claim 8 wherein a first side of the first leg is spaced from the first sew seam joining the first flaps and a second side of the first leg is spaced from the second sew seam joining the second flaps.

Claim 12

The air bag as defined in claim 9 wherein the first sides of each first leg are sewn together forming a hollow tether.

Claim 13

The air bag as defined in claim 6 wherein the tether means includes an inlet portion formed by ends of the facing first legs and includes openings through which inflation gas can flow from the tether means into the main bag portion.

Claim 14

The air bag as defined in claim 6 wherein the tether means includes perforation means for permitting the tether means to separate during air bag inflation.

Claim 15

The air bag as defined in claim 9 including an air bag inflator within the hollow tether.

Claim 16

The air bag as defined in claim 11 including an air bag inflator within the inlet portion.