Vehicle seat assembly with side air bag and guide panel with spaced forward ends for creating a shearing force

A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

• a frame;
• a seat pad adjacent the frame;
• a trim cover extending over at least a part of the seat pad;
• an air bag assembly mounted on the frame, the air bag assembly including an inflator and a folded air bag that is inflatable by the inflator to unfold and project outwardly from the seat assembly;
• and
• an air bag guide extending between and connecting the air bag assembly and the release seam, the air bag guide comprising a panel have a first end secured to the trim cover on a first side of the release seam, a second end spaced from the first end and secured to the trim cover on the first side of the release seam, and an intermediate portion extending between the first and second ends, the first end having a top edge and the second end having a bottom edge, the distance extending between the top edge of the first end and the bottom edge of the second end being at least as wide as the widest portion of the intermediate portion.

A method of making a vehicle seat assembly, said method comprising:

• providing a frame;
• mounting a seat pad on the frame;
• disposing a trim cover having a release seam over at least a portion of the seat pad and the frame;
• securing an air bag assembly adjacent the frame, the air bag assembly including an air bag that is inflatable;
• and
• providing a flexible air bag guide and associating the air bag guide with the air bag assembly so the air bag guide extends between and connects the release seam and the air bag assembly, the air bag guide comprising a first end secured to the trim cover on a first side of the release seam, a second end secured to the trim cover on the first side of the release seam and an intermediate portion that associates the first and second ends with the air bag assembly, the first end having a top edge and the second end having a bottom edge, and the distance between the top edge of the first end and the bottom edge of the second end being at least as long as the widest portion of the intermediate portion.