Patent ID: 6974152

Claim:
A vehicle occupants protection system comprising: a pillar garnish mounted on a passenger compartment side of a pillar which supports a roof to define a predetermined amount of space between said pillar and said pillar garnish; a roof side airbag accommodated in said space, said roof side airbag being inflated by gas generated when an impact of a predetermined magnitude or more is applied to a side of a vehicle so as to expand into the passenger compartment side of said vehicle while forcibly opening one end portion of said pillar garnish; a small impact absorbing member accommodated in said space, for absorbing an impact of such a small magnitude that said roof side airbag remains unopened; and wherein a bottom plate of said small impact absorbing member includes a first portion is located closer to said roof side airbag that is free from being attached to said pillar garnish, and a second portion is located farther away from said roof side airbag that is attached to said pillar garnish, the first portion defining a bottom surface that does not impact the pillar garnish upon deployment of the airbag.