Patent ID: 7735862

Claim:
A method of folding an inflatable airbag cushion for storage within a vehicle, wherein the airbag cushion in an unfolded state comprises a front side for contacting a vehicle occupant, and an underside opposite the front side, a top edge and a bottom edge both extending generally transverse to a longitudinal centerline of the airbag cushion, the bottom edge opposite the top edge, the method comprising: stowing the bottom edge; stowing the top edge; wherein stowing the bottom edge and stowing the top edge of the airbag cushion creates a first arm of the airbag cushion and a second arm of the airbag cushion, the first arm extending away from the second arm, and the first arm and the second arm extending generally transversely from the longitudinal centerline; and after stowing the bottom edge and the top edge, folding the first arm towards the longitudinal centerline of the airbag cushion and folding the second arm inwardly towards the longitudinal centerline of the airbag cushion, the first arm folded on top of the second arm, whereby during deployment without an obstruction, the first arm and the second arm do not contact the obstruction and the airbag cushion deploys normally; and whereby during deployment of the airbag cushion with an obstruction, the first arm contacts the obstruction while being deployed generally toward the center of the vehicle in an inboard direction before completely unfolding such that the inflation gas is at least partially detoured away from inflating the first arm to at least partially bias the deployment of the airbag cushion away from the obstruction as the second arm of the airbag cushion is deployed in an outboard direction generally away from the center of the vehicle.