Unfurled side impact air bag

An air bag assembly in a motor vehicle having an enclosure with an upper portion and a lower portion and an occupant seat mounted to the vehicle adjacent said enclosure comprising:

• an inflator mounted in said lower portion of said enclosure;
• a flexible duct having a first end and a second end and having said first end connected to and in communication with said inflator;
• an air bag having a front side and a back side and said front side being adjacent and substantially parallel to said back side when said air bag is deflated so that said air bag is in an unfurled and unfolded position extending along said upper portion of said enclosure, and said back side of said air bag being connected to and in communication with said second end of said flexible duct;
• and
• said inflator actuable to inflate said flexible duct and said air bag to an inflated position extending along said enclosure between the occupant and said enclosure.

An air bag assembly in a motor vehicle having a door with an upper portion and a lower portion and an occupant seat mounted in the vehicle adjacent said door comprising:

• an inflator mounted in said lower portion of said door;
• a flexible connecting air bag having a first end and a second end and having said first end connected to and in communication with said inflator;
• said door having an inner trim panel and a soft trim material overlying said inner trim panel to provide a cavity between said inner trim panel and said soft trim material that extends along said upper portion of said door;
• an air bag having a front side and a back side wherein said front side is adjacent to and substantially parallel to said back side when said air bag is deflated so that said air bag is stored in said cavity between said inner trim panel and said soft trim material and said cavity having a dimensional height sufficient to store said air bag therein without folding or furling said air bag;
• said back side of said air bag being connected to and in communication with said second end of said connecting air bag;
• and
• said inflator actuable to inflate said flexible connecting air bag and said air bag to an inflated position extending along said door between the occupant and said door whereby said soft trim material yields to said air bag during inflation.