Patent ID: 7472922

Claim:
A side impact airbag system for a vehicle having a rocker panel area, a front hinge pillar, a rear body lock pillar, and a beltline, the air bag system comprising: an elongated airbag defined by a tubular textile member; an inflator that selectively emits a gaseous medium into the airbag to inflate the airbag in the event of a collision; the airbag being stored in a compartment in the rocker panel area, the front hinge pillar, and the rear body lock pillar; at least one tether connecting the airbag to the compartment that limits the upward movement of the airbag, wherein the tether is at least one web of textile material that is drawn to a taut condition as the airbag is moved toward the beltline of the vehicle to provide a buffer below the airbag that is not inflated by the inflator; and wherein the airbag is deployed by being filled with the gaseous medium and moving in an upward direction to a position adjacent the beltline of the vehicle.