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Air bag with adaptive vent

  • US 9,272,685 B2
  • Filed: 12/01/2014
  • Issued: 03/01/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle comprising:

  • an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a front panel presented towards the occupant and being inflatable between a vehicle surface and the occupant;

    a vent for releasing inflation fluid from the protection device, the vent having an actuated condition and a non-actuated condition, the vent being in the non-actuated condition prior to deployment of the protection device;

    a vent tether having a first end connected to the vent and a second end having a releasable connection with the protection device; and

    a trigger tether having a first end connected to the front panel and a second end connected to the protection device at the releasable connection;

    wherein the trigger tether is slackened when the protection device deploys less than a predetermined degree such that the releasable connection remains intact to allow the vent tether to place the vent in the actuated condition, deployment of the protection device to the predetermined degree tensioning the trigger tether to release the releasable connection such that the vent remains in the non-actuated condition.

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