Vehicle occupant restraint system

An air bag passenger safety device as set forth in claim wherein said gathering means comprises stitching through layers of said material adjacent said free edge thereby forming said radial pleats.

An air bag passenger safety device as set forth in claim wherein said blank is rectangular and forms a cylindrically shaped inflated air bag.

An air bag passenger safety device for use in a motor vehicle having an air bag inflating apparatus comprising:

• a single continuous piece of fabric material which is foldable, resists permeability of gases, and defines a perimeter edge,
• said fabric material defining plurality of apertures adjacent its outer peripheral edge, and
• a retainer ring element with a central opening and having a plurality of posts, each of said posts receiving two or more of said apertures whereby said ring element gathers said fabric perimeter edge thereby defining a plurality of pleats of said fabric.

An air bag passenger safety device for use in a motor vehicle having an air bag inflating apparatus comprising:

• a single continuous piece of fabric material which is foldable and resists permeability of gases and defines a perimeter edge,
• a cord passing through a pocket of fabric formed along the perimeter edge of said fabric and causing said fabric to be gathered at said edge to define radial pleats and defining an opening which is smaller in its cross-dimension than the cross-dimension of said blank.

An air bag passenger safety device for use in a motor vehicle having an air bag inflating apparatus comprising:

• a single continuous piece of fabric material which is foldable, resists permeability of gases, and defines a perimeter edge,
• a sewing ring having a central aperture through which substantially all of the perimeter edge of said fabric passes, said central aperture having a cross-dimension less than all the cross-dimensions of said fabric whereby said fabric is gathered before folding forming radial pleats when placed through said central aperture and said sewing ring supporting substantially all of said perimeter edge.

A method of fabricating an air bag passenger safety device for use in a motor vehicle having an air bag inflating apparatus comprising:

• providing a single continuous piece of fabric material which is foldable and resists permeability of gases and defines a perimeter edge,
• gathering said fabric together along substantially all of said edge to define a plurality of radial pleats and defining an opening for inflating gases from said inflating device which is smaller in its cross-dimension than a cross-dimension of said blank, and
• providing means for mounting said air bag such that said opening is in fluid communication with said inflating apparatus.

An air bag passenger safety device for use in a motor vehicle having an air bag inflating apparatus comprising:

• a single continuous piece of fabric material which is foldable, resists permeability of gases, and defines a perimeter edge,
• a retaining ring for gathering said fabric perimeter edge to define an opening which is smaller in its cross-dimension than the cross-dimension of said blank before gathering thereby defining a plurality of pleats of said fabric, said retaining ring having posts which engage apertures around the perimeter edge of said fabric wherein a first group of adjacent of said air bag apertures are placed upon one of said posts and a second group of adjacent of said air bag apertures are placed upon a second of said posts, and
• mounting means for securing said air bag assembly to said vehicle such that said air bag opening is in communication with said inflating apparatus.

An air bag passenger safety device for use in a motor vehicle having an air bag inflating apparatus comprising:

• a single continuous piece of fabric material which is foldable, resists permeability of gases, and defines a perimeter edge,
• a retaining ring for gathering said fabric perimeter edge to define an opening which is smaller in its cross-dimension than the cross-dimension of said blank before gathering thereby defining a plurality of pleats of said fabric, said retaining ring having posts which engage apertures around the perimeter edge of said fabric and forming a set of projections adjacent said posts to engage said fabric to aid in preventing said air bag from being withdrawn from said retaining ring, and
• mounting means for securing said air bag assembly to said vehicle such that said air bag opening is in communication with said inflating apparatus.

An air bag passenger safety device for use in a motor vehicle having an air bag inflating apparatus comprising:

• a single continuous piece of fabric material which is foldable, resists permeability of gases, and defines a perimeter edge,
• a sewing ring for gathering said fabric perimeter edge to define an opening which is smaller in its cross-dimension than the cross-dimension of said blank before gathering thereby defining a plurality of pleats of said fabric, said sewing ring having an inside opening through which said fabric passes and wherein said material adjacent said free edge is flared out and stitching through layers of said material adjacent said free edge and through said sewing ring to form said radial pleats, and
• mounting means for securing said air bag assembly to said vehicle such that said air bag opening is in communication with said inflating apparatus.

An air bag passenger safety device for use in a motor vehicle having an air bag inflating apparatus comprising:

• a single continuous piece of fabric material which is foldable, resists permeability of gases, and defines a perimeter edge,
• an elastic cord for gathering said fabric perimeter edge to define an opening which is smaller in its cross-dimension than the cross-dimension of said blank before gathering thereby defining a plurality of pleats of said fabric, said elastic cord passing through a pocket of said material adjacent said free edge which contracts to gather said material, and
• mounting means for securing said air bag assembly to said vehicle such that said air bag opening is in communication with said inflating apparatus.

An air bag passenger safety device for use in a motor vehicle having an air bag inflating apparatus comprising:

• a single continuous piece of fabric material which is foldable, resists permeability of gases, and defines a perimeter edge,
• an inelastic cord for gathering said fabric perimeter edge to define an opening which is smaller in its cross-dimension than the cross-dimension of said blank before gathering thereby defining a plurality of pleats of said fabric, said inelastic cord passing through a pocket of said material adjacent said free edge which can be drawn through said pocket to gather said free edge, and
• mounting means for securing said air bag assembly to said vehicle such that said air bag opening is in communication with said inflating apparatus.

An air bag passenger safety device for use in a motor vehicle having an air bag inflating apparatus comprising:

• a single continuous piece of fabric material which is foldable, resists permeability of gases, and defines a perimeter edge,
• a ring sewn to said fabric for gathering said fabric perimeter edge to define an opening which is smaller in its cross-dimension than the cross-dimension of said blank before gathering thereby defining a plurality of pleats of said fabric, said ring having a plurality of apertures for fasteners to secure said air bag to said vehicle, and
• mounting means for securing said air bag assembly to said vehicle such that said air bag opening is in communication with said inflating apparatus.

An air bag passenger safety device for use in a motor vehicle having an air bag inflating apparatus comprising:

• a single continuous piece of fabric material which is foldable, resists permeability of gases, and defines a perimeter edge,
• a clamping ring and a retainer and a cord trapped into a pocket adjacent said free edge for gathering said fabric perimeter edge to define an opening which is smaller in its cross-dimension than the cross-dimension of said blank before gathering thereby defining a plurality of pleats of said fabric, and
• mounting means for securing said air bag assembly to said vehicle such that said air bag opening is in communication with said inflating apparatus.