Patent ID: 8789849

Claim:
An occupant restraint system for a vehicle, comprising: an airbag module that includes: an inflatable airbag cushion; an inflator configured to inflate the airbag cushion; an inflatable tube having a fixed first end and a second end configured to be coupled to a portion of the airbag cushion, the tube has a first length when not inflated and a second length when inflated; and a second inflator configured to inflate the tube; and an occupant classification system configured to detect at least one of a size and a position of an occupant of the vehicle; wherein depending on the at least one of the size and position of the occupant, the airbag cushion is configured to deploy to one of a first depth and a second depth; wherein at the first depth, the airbag cushion is restrained by the first length of the tube; wherein at the second depth, the airbag cushion is restrained by the second length of the tube; wherein the tube includes a central section having at least two portions that are connected at a connection, such that the connection maintains the first length of the tube when the tube is not inflated, and the connection is released to allow the tube to extend to the second length when the tube is first inflated; wherein the connection is a tear stitch that is configured to tear when the tube is inflated: wherein the tear stitch extends through at least four layers of the tube.