Airbag module having variable tether system

An airbag module having a variable tether system, comprising:

• a housing being configured for installment in a vehicle;
• an inflatable cushion stored in an un-deployed position in said housing, said inflatable cushion being configured for deployment from said housing;
• an inflator stored in said housing in fluid communication with said inflatable cushion, said inflator being configured to generate a quantity of inflation gas to deploy said inflatable cushion from said housing;
• a pair of first tether elements each having a first end and a second end, the first ends each being secured to an inner portion of said inflatable cushion and the second ends each being secured to an inner portion of said inflatable cushion, the first ends each being further away from said housing than the second ends as the inflatable cushion inflates;
• a pair of second tether elements each having a first side and a second side, the first side of one of said pair of second tether elements being secured to a portion of one of said pair of said first tether elements between said first and second ends and the other one of said pair of second tether elements being secured to a portion of the other one of said pair of said first tether elements between said first and second ends;
• and
• an actuation mechanism disposed on said housing, said actuation mechanism being configured to selectively retain or release the second side of each of said pair of second tether elements, said second tether elements restraining said first tether elements, so that said inflatable cushion expands to a first expanded state;
• wherein the releasing of said second tether element allows said pair of first tether elements to expand with the inflation of said inflatable cushion so that said inflatable cushion expands to a second expanded state, said second expanded state being larger than said first expanded state.

An airbag module, comprising:

• a housing;
• an inflatable cushion for deployment from said housing;
• an inflator in fluid communication with said inflatable cushion and for providing a quantity of inflation gas to deploy said inflatable cushion from said housing;
• a variable tether system adapted for use in an inflatable cushion of an airbag module, comprising:
• a first pair of tether elements each having a first end and a second end, the first ends each being secured to inner portions of the inflatable cushion and the second ends each being secured to inner portions of the inflatable cushion, the first ends each being secured to the inflatable cushion at positions remote from the second ends and the second ends being secured to the inflatable cushion at location closer to an inflation opening of the inflatable cushion, wherein each of said first pair of tether elements has a portion between each of the first and second ends which is not secured to the inflatable cushion;
• and
• a second pair of tether elements each having a first side and a second side, the first side of one of said second pair of tether elements being secured to said portion of one of said first pair of tether elements and the first side of the other one of said second pair of tether elements being secured to said portion of the other one of said first pair of tether elements, the second sides being configured for being releasably secured to an actuation mechanism.