Patent ID: 7188862

Claim:
An air bag device, comprising: an inflatable cushion being configured for deployment from said air bag device; an inflator for inflating said inflatable cushion, said inflator being in fluid communication with said inflatable cushion, said inflator comprising a first initiator for initiating a first stage of inflation and a second initiator for use with said first initiator for initiating a second stage of inflation, said first stage of inflation providing a first inflation output to said inflatable cushion; and a deployable member disposed within said inflatable cushion, said deployable member being in fluid communication with said inflator, wherein said first stage of inflation causes said deployable member to deploy in a first direction; a sensing device operably coupled to said deployable member, said sensing device further comprising a sensing element that provides a signal to a sensing and diagnostic module wherein said sensing and diagnostic module provides said activation signal to said second initiator when said deployable member deploys in an unobstructed manner; wherein unobstructed deployment of said deployable member in said first direction will cause an activation signal to be sent to said second initiator to initiate said second stage of inflation, wherein said sensing device further comprises a tether that is secured to a forward end of said deployable member at one end and said sensing element at the other end wherein the distance between said forward end and said sensing element during unobstructed deployment of said deployable member is longer than said tether and said tether provides a force to said sensing element causing said activation signal to be sent to second initiator.