Patent ID: 6712389
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, said device being inflatable from a deflated condition to an inflated condition by inflation fluid from an inflation fluid source, said device comprising:flexible material defining an inflation fluid volume for receiving inflation fluid, said material including a first panel portion and a second panel portion, said first panel portion having a plurality of discrete openings, said second panel portion having a plurality of discrete openings; said first panel portion overlying said second panel portion when said device is in the deflated condition; and a tether interconnecting said first panel portion and said second panel portion, said tether including a single thread, said single thread extending through said plurality of openings in said first panel portion and through said plurality of openings in said second panel portion in a serpentine manner, said single thread having loop thread portions located outside said inflation fluid volume; wherein said thread is tightly looped through said plurality of openings in said first panel portion and through said plurality of openings in said second panel portion, said thread having a first length of slack at a first end portion of said thread and a second length of slack at a second end portion of said thread when said device is in the deflated condition.