Patent ID: 7607689

Claim:
An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device inflatable to an inflated condition for helping to protect the vehicle occupant, the protection device comprising a panel of material that helps define an inflatable volume of the protection device, the panel including a vent opening that has an open condition for venting inflation fluid from the inflatable volume, the vent opening being in the open condition during initial deployment of the protection device; a channel that encircles the vent opening, the channel being at least partially defined by a peripheral portion of the panel that extends along a periphery of the vent opening; and a tether having a first end connected with the protection device at a location spaced from the vent opening and a second end extending through the channel and coupled to a portion of the tether between the first end and the second end to form a loop, the tether drawing together the peripheral portion of the panel to reduce the size of the vent opening when the protection device deploys a predetermined distance toward the inflated condition.