Patent ID: 7837222

Claim:
An airbag apparatus for a motorcycle, the airbag apparatus comprising: an airbag for being deployed and inflated during emergency conditions; a retainer having a bottom, sides, top so that the retainer has a box-shaped configuration and an interior along which the retainer bottom, sides and top extend, the retainer interior being sized for supporting the airbag therein in a compact configuration thereof; a tether for being secured at one end thereof to the airbag in the retainer interior and extending out from the retainer interior for being anchored to the motorcycle and having a predetermined length so that the tether generally is loose along its length and not subject to tension forces from the attachment thereof to the airbag prior to airbag deployment and is subject to tension forces upon airbag deployment; a cover for the tether separate and spaced from the box-shaped retainer for being mounted to the motorcycle to extend along and above the tether with the tether extending in a space between the cover and motorcycle; a predetermined folded portion of the tether outside of the retainer interior having a predetermined folded configuration thereof so that an upper section of the predetermined folded tether portion is closer to the cover directly thereabove than a lower section of the predetermined folded tether portion with a lower surface portion of the upper section facing and overlapping an upper surface portion of the lower section so that the lower and upper surface portions are in opposing relation to each other; and a temporary holding device for the predetermined folded tether portion distinct from the cover and motorcycle, the temporary holding device being located between the lower and upper surface portions and configured to keep the upper and lower sections of the predetermined folded tether portion connected in the predetermined folded configuration thereof with a low strength connection therebetween prior to airbag deployment and to release the predetermined folded tether portion from the predetermined folded configuration upon airbag deployment with the temporary holding device not needing the strength thereof to resist tension forces from the airbag supported in the retainer interior prior to airbag deployment.