Patent ID: 7618060

Claim:
An apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant, the apparatus comprising: an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device; an inflator for providing inflation fluid to inflate the protection device, the inflation fluid flow from the inflator being transverse to a central axis of the inflator; and a shield comprising a piece of material folded about the inflator and having a wall portion interposed between at least a portion of the inflator and the protection device and against which inflation fluid initially exiting from the inflator is directed; the wall portion having a plurality of tear seams that rupture due to inflation fluid pressure acting on the shield to enable the wall portion to form a plurality of flaps within the protection device, each flap moving away from the central axis of the inflator about a respective axis that extends in a direction transverse to the central axis of the inflator to block inflation fluid contact with portions of the protection device.