Patent ID: 7172213

Claim:
A gas bag protection device comprising: a gas bag which has an outer wall defining an inflatable volume, said outer wall being made of a first material; said outer wall having at least one outflow opening; a membrane made of an extensible, second material which is fastened to said outer wall and covers said outflow opening in a not fully inflated state of said gas bag; and a device provided outside said gas bag and serving for destroying said membrane; said gas bag and said device being arranged spaced apart from each other such that said membrane meets said device only when a predetermined internal pressure of said gas bag has been reached; wherein said membrane is arranged inside said gas bag volume and bulges outwards through said outflow opening before reaching said device, wherein said membrane defines a recess that extends inwardly of said gas bag from said outflow opening prior to inflation of said gas bag, said recess of said membrane having a pair of side walls that face each other and extend inwardly from said outflow opening.