Patent ID: 7770921

Claim:
A side airbag for protection of an occupant of a vehicle adapted to be inflated by gas from a gas source, wherein when inflated the side airbag positions besides the occupant, the side airbag comprising: a side panel forming an exterior of the side airbag and defining a vent hole for venting the gas to outside the side airbag; a closing panel disposed about the vent hole, the closing panel configured such that the vent hole is unobstructed to vent the gas during inflation of the side airbag until the side airbag is substantially fully inflated, wherein the side and closing panels cooperate to obstruct the vent hole with the closing panel such that the gas is substantially not vented through the vent hole, wherein when the side airbag is obstructed from substantially fully inflating the vent hole remains unobstructed to vent the gas; and a tube panel disposed within the side panel, wherein sides of the tube panel are joined to corresponding portions of the side panel to form a tube which extends upwards generally from a bottom of the side airbag along a rear of the side airbag such that the side airbag is segmented into a forward chamber and the tube, a portion of the tube being open to receive the gas source which communicates the gas to the tube, wherein the tube defines at least one opening to communicate the gas to the forward chamber and wherein one opening of the tube is an upper outlet opening, the vent hole and closing panel are disposed adjacent to the upper outlet opening on a side of the side airbag adjacent to the side of the vehicle when the side airbag is inflated, and wherein the tube panel is arranged at an incline to a rearward edge of the airbag such that the tube is larger at the bottom than at the top so as to bias the volume of gas from the gas source towards a lower portion of the tube.