Patent ID: 7712769

Claim:
An airbag for being deployed toward a vehicle occupant, the airbag comprising: a base airbag section; a first lateral airbag section connected to the base airbag section for being deployed along one side of the vehicle occupant; a second lateral airbag section connected to the base airbag section for being deployed along the other side of the vehicle occupant; a folded body including the first and second lateral airbag sections folded in a predetermined configuration; a shape-retaining panel connected to the base airbag section and being wrapped around the folded body to cover only an outer surface of the folded body; and at least one viewing opening in the shape-retaining panel for viewing the folded body, the opening being configured and arranged such that a portion of both the first and second lateral airbag sections of the folded body can be viewed through the viewing opening; wherein the base airbag section is substantially flattened with the folded body placed thereon and wherein a flap portion of the flattened base airbag section is pulled out therefrom to extend beyond a periphery of the overlying folded body adjacent thereto and folded so that at least a portion of the flap portion can be viewed through the at least one viewing opening.