Patent ID: 7946619

Claim:
An occupant protection apparatus for protecting a front seat passenger of a vehicle, wherein the protection apparatus includes an airbag module configured to be mounted in an instrument panel of a vehicle in front of the front seat passenger, wherein the module comprises an airbag and a gas generator, and the airbag includes a central panel and left and right inflatable lobes separated by a central gap; wherein each of the inflatable lobes is bounded by an outer panel forming an outer surface of the lobe and an inner panel forming an inner surface of the lobe; wherein a lower edge portion of each of the outer panels is connected to a lower edge portion of one of the inner panels; wherein the inner panels face each other and are connected together along upper edge portions to define the central gap, wherein the central gap is positioned between lower portions of the left and right inflatable lobes; and wherein the central panel is connected to upper edge portions of the outer panels and is configured to extend to a leading-most end of the airbag when deployed.