Patent ID: 7547040

Claim:
A side impact protective apparatus for a motor vehicle occupant that is incorporated into a door of a motor vehicle that includes an external sheet and a door interior element, said apparatus comprising: a pressure gas source, a one-piece covering ( 11 ) including a downward projecting shoulder ( 22 ) at its upper edge that reaches behind a part of said door interior element to suspend the covering from said door interior element, and a gas bag ( 6 ) having respective longitudinal ends which can be inflated by the pressure gas source, the gas bag being folded together and arranged in a resting position behind the covering, and, when inflated by the pressure gas source, releasing the downward projecting shoulder and exiting upwardly in a region of a side wall railing through a slot formed between the upper edge of the covering and a side window, thereby extending upward along an interior of the side window as impact protection for a head region of the occupant, wherein the covering is connected on opposed peripheral sides of the covering with the door of the motor vehicle by two detachable spaced fastenings ( 32 , 33 ) and wherein an ideal connection line ( 31 ) is defined on the one-piece covering through the two detachable spaced fastenings such that a swiveling axis is formed by the ideal connection line for pivoting an upper edge region ( 28 ) of the one-piece covering on the ideal connection line, and wherein a cross front face ( 34 ) of the covering includes a weakening ( 35 ) defined therein, wherein the cross front face extends substantially perpendicular to a face of the covering that faces a passenger space ( 20 ) of the motor vehicle and wherein the weakening runs parallel to an external contour ( 40 ) of the covering turned towards the passenger space, and wherein the one-piece covering is tearable in a region of the weakening when the upper edge region ( 28 ) of the one-piece covering pivots.