Patent ID: 7137647

Claim:
An inflatable gas bag for protecting an occupant of a motor vehicle comprising: a fabric having a U-shape when the bag is uninflated and having a surface configured to face the occupant to be protected; a gap that leads into the surface; wherein the gap is defined along longitudinal sides by first and second sections of the gas bag, and wherein the first section and the second section are opposite one another; wherein the gas bag is configured so that a body part of the vehicle occupant outside a normal seating position can penetrate the gap as the gas bag inflates thereby expanding the gap; and wherein the gas bag is configured so that when the gas bag initially inflates, the first and second sections are separated by the gap, and when the gas bag further inflates, the first and second sections of the gas bag are restrained relative to one another so that the first section and the second section close the gap after inflation of the gas bag and the first and second sections abut against one another.