Patent ID: 7823920

Claim:
An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having an upper portion and a lower portion; an inflator having a flange and inflation fluid outlets, the inflator being actuatable to provide inflation fluid through the inflation fluid outlets to inflate the protection device; and a retainer comprising: a base portion for clamping the flange of the inflator to a support member; and a cover portion having a deflector portion that extends transversely from the base portion and a top portion that extends transversely from the deflector portion, the cover portion including a plurality of openings for providing fluid communication between the inflation fluid outlets and the protection device, the deflector portion directing inflation fluid from the inflator into the protection device in a direction substantially parallel to a central axis of the inflator, the cover portion directing inflation fluid from a first half of the cover portion into the upper portion of the protection device at a first volumetric flow rate, the cover portion directing inflation fluid from a second half of the cover portion into the lower portion of the protection device at a second volumetric flow rate that is greater than the first volumetric flow rate.