Air bag with tear stitched tether

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

• an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device inflatable between a vehicle surface and the vehicle occupant, the protection device comprising a front panel having a portion presented toward the occupant when the protection device is in an inflated condition;
• a vent having at least one opening for releasing inflation fluid from the protection device and having an actuated condition and a non-actuated condition;
• a tether connected to the vent and the protection device for actuating the vent;
• and
• tear stitching extending through folded over portions of the tether to form a slackened portion of the tether, the tear stitching remaining intact to prevent the tether from fully tensioning such that the vent is in the non-actuated condition in response to initial deployment of the protection device below a predetermined degree, further deployment of the protection device to the predetermined degree causing the tear stitching to rupture and release the slackened portion which allows the tether to act on the vent and place the vent in the actuated condition.

An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

• an inflatable vehicle occupant protection comprising a front panel having a portion presented toward the occupant when the protection device is in an inflated condition;
• a vent having at least one opening for releasing inflation fluid from the protection device, the vent having an actuated condition and a non-actuated condition;
• a first tether segment that connects the vent to the front panel;
• a second tether segment that connects the front panel to a rear portion of the protection device;
• and
• tear stitching that interconnects overlying portions of the second tether segment and shortens the effective length of the second tether segment,
• wherein the shortened second tether segment inhibits movement of the front panel away from the rear portion during deployment, which inhibits the front panel from tensioning the first tether segment to actuate the vent,
• and wherein the tear stitching when ruptured lengthens the second tether segment, which permits the front panel to move away from the rear portion and thereby allows the front panel to tension the first tether segment to actuate the vent.