Patent ID: 7357408

Claim:
An inflatable curtain module comprising: an inflatable curtain comprising an inflatable portion; a plurality of retention tabs configured for attaching the inflatable curtain to a vehicle such that the inflatable portion is below the retention tabs after attachment, wherein each retention tab has a folded portion which is folded against itself; and wherein each retention tab comprises a frangible energy absorption mechanism configured to temporarily hold the folded portion of each retention tab in its folded configuration, wherein the frangible energy absorption mechanism is configured such that, upon deployment of the inflatable portion of the inflatable curtain, the frangible energy absorption mechanism breaks and no longer holds the retention tab in its folded configuration and the retention tab moves to a deployed configuration, wherein the initial folded configuration prevents the retention tabs from being both taut and fully extended, and wherein a greater amount of the length of each retention tab tautly extends to support the inflatable portion of the curtain below the retention tabs once the retention tabs are in the deployed configuration as compared with the folded configuration of the retention tabs.