Patent ID: 7350811

Claim:
A side airbag apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a gas generator having a gas port; an airbag having a thickness along a lateral direction of the vehicle when deployed and inflated, wherein, with gas injected from the gas port of the gas generator, the airbag is deployed and inflated between a side portion of a body of the vehicle and a passenger seated on a seat provided in a passenger compartment; a first inflation portion and a second inflation portion provided in the airbag, the first and second inflation portions communicating with each other, wherein the first inflation portion is deployed and inflated at a position that corresponds to a shoulder of a passenger, wherein the second inflation portion is deployed and inflated at a position that corresponds to an abdomen of the passenger, and wherein the gas port is arranged to inject gas into the first inflation portion when the airbag is deployed and inflated; a thickness limiting portion located between the first inflation portion and the second inflation portion, wherein, when the airbag is deployed and inflated, the thickness limiting portion limits the thickness of the airbag; and a tether located in the airbag, wherein the tether is sewn to a part of a periphery of the airbag to connect an upper end of the airbag and the thickness limiting portion to each other and limit upward projection of the airbag.