Patent ID: 7316416

Claim:
An airbag comprising: a first, lateral portion of the airbag for being deployed in a predetermined direction toward a vehicle occupant; a second, lateral portion of the airbag for being deployed in the predetermined direction toward the vehicle occupant, the lateral airbag portions being laterally spaced from each other transverse to the predetermined deployment direction; and a gas flow path that extends between the laterally spaced first and second airbag portions at an intermediate position along the deployment direction so that respective internal spaces of the first and second lateral airbag portions are in communication with each other via the gas flow path to substantially equalize internal pressure of the first and second airbag portions for generally uniform expansion thereof, wherein the first and second airbag portions each include outer sides and inner sides, the inner sides having an open lateral gap therebetween that is outside the airbag and extends in the deployment direction along the inner sides and a connection between the inner sides for the gas flow path with the connection interrupting and extending across the open lateral gap so that gas flows through the gas flow path across the open lateral gap between the inner sides of the airbag portions.