Patent ID: 7278656

Claim:
A side impact airbag module for protecting a vehicle occupant, the airbag module comprising: an airbag comprising first and second inflation chambers having different volumes separated from one another by a gas impermeable chamber separator, the airbag containing a housing manifold having at least one first aperture therethrough aligned with the first inflation chamber and at least one second aperture therethrough aligned with the second inflation chamber, the chamber separator being fixed to the housing manifold between the first and second apertures in the housing manifold in a gas tight manner; said housing manifold comprises a recess formed as a groove in the housing manifold; said chamber separator comprising an ellipsoidal cut out portion in the chamber separator to form an opening slot which is fit into said recess of the housing manifold in a gas tight manner; and wherein said slot in said chamber separator is larger than the exterior of said housing manifold recess, said housing manifold containing a single inflator that provides inflation gas to the first and second inflation chambers via the apertures in the housing manifold such that when the airbag is deployed the inflation chambers are inflated to different inflation pressures and the chamber separator prevents gas from passing between the inflation chambers.