Patent ID: 8172260

Claim:
An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device for being inflated between an occupant of the vehicle and an instrument panel of the vehicle, the protection device comprising: a vertically extending central recess and first and second lobes positioned on opposite sides of the central recess, the central recess and the first and second lobes being defined at least partially by an elongated center panel of the protection device, the center panel comprising: first and second longitudinal edges spaced apart from each other and extending along the length of opposite edge portions of the center panel; and first and second end portions spaced apart and positioned opposite each other along the length of the center panel; the center panel being arranged in a loop, a portion of the first longitudinal edge along the first end portion being interconnected with a portion of the second longitudinal edge along the second end portion of the panel to form a vertically extending seam that helps define the central recess.