Patent ID: 8353525

Claim:
An inflatable airbag assembly, comprising: an inflatable airbag; an inflatable airbag housing coupled to the inflatable airbag; a tether release assembly mounting member attached to the airbag housing; a tether release assembly that is reversibly coupled to the tether release mounting member; wherein the tether release assembly comprises an interior chamber that contains a pyrotechnic squib and a piston, wherein, upon activation, the squib causes the piston to fracture such that a portion of the piston remains in the interior chamber of the release assembly and another portion of the piston travels away from the pyrotechnic squib and acts on the mounting member to uncouple the tether release assembly from the mounting member; and a tether reversibly coupled to, the tether release assembly; wherein upon receipt of a signal from a vehicle sensor, the tether becomes uncoupled from the tether release assembly to release the tether, due to the tether release assembly becoming uncoupled from the mounting member.