Patent ID: 8070183

Claim:
A combination comprising a case and an airbag to be inflated by gas for a vehicle, said airbag being attached to the case at one portion thereof and comprising: a base member for forming the airbag, the base member including, at a side facing a seated occupant, a head-facing portion adapted to receive a head portion of the seated occupant thereagainst when the airbag is inflated; a vent provided in the base member; and a control member for restraining gas from discharging through the vent, said control member closing the vent when an occupant does not contact a front surface of the airbag facing the occupant when the airbag is inflated, and opening the vent when the occupant contacts the head-facing portion and the head-facing portion is pushed in a direction opposite to the occupant, wherein the control member comprises: a vent flap disposed on an external surface of the airbag, and a tether which has: a first end connected to an inner surface of the airbag at a location proximate the head-facing portion above the case when the airbag is inflated so that when the airbag is fully inflated, the head-facing portion is recessed by the tether to form a recessed portion, a portion which extends in an unrestricted, contact free state through an interior of the airbag and which passes out of the airbag through a tether insertion portion provided in the airbag, and a second end connected to the vent flap externally of the air bag, the vent flap and the tether being connected in a manner to maintain the vent closed by the vent flap while a predetermined tension exists in the tether extending through the interior of the airbag.