Patent ID: 7475904

Claim:
A side impact restraint device for protection of an occupant sitting on a vehicle seat ( 10 ) in a motor vehicle, the device being responsive to whether the occupant is a first occupant ( 20 a ) or a second occupant ( 20 b ), the second occupant ( 20 b ) being larger than the first occupant ( 20 a ), the device comprising: a gas bag ( 14 ), which unfolds between a lateral structure ( 12 ) of the vehicle and the occupant ( 20 a ; 20 b ), the gas bag ( 14 ) having an outflow opening ( 24 ) which is arranged in a region of the gas bag ( 14 ) facing the occupant, the vertical position of the outflow opening ( 24 ) being selected so that said outflow opening ( 24 ) is not covered by an upper body region of the first occupant ( 20 a ) but covered by-an upper body region of the second occupant ( 20 b ) in an inflated state of the gas bag ( 14 ) such that the gas bag ( 14 ) has an internal pressure controlled by the outflow opening ( 24 ) as a function of the size of the occupant, wherein the gas bag ( 18 ) unfolds out from the vehicle seat ( 10 ).