Vented air bag

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

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprising a panel of material that helps define an inflatable volume of the protection device;

a vent opening for venting inflation fluid from the inflatable volume;

a pleat folded in the panel, the pleat being positioned against a vehicle surface while the protection device is in a normally deployed condition to help block inflation fluid from venting through the vent opening; and

a connection that interconnects the panel with adjacent portions in the protection device to maintain the pleated configuration of the panel adjacent the connection during inflation, pleated portions of the panel spaced from the connection being capable of unfolding from the pleated configuration to vent inflation fluid through the vent opening.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 , wherein the pleat is positioned away from the vehicle surface when the protection device is obstructed from inflating to the normally deployed position, the pleat when spaced from the vehicle surface at least partially unfolding and releasing inflation fluid to flow out of the protection device through the vent opening.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 2 , wherein the vent opening when in the open condition is configured to direct inflation fluid along the vehicle surface in a direction generally laterally in the vehicle.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1 , wherein the protection device is configured such that the pleat is urged against the vehicle surface when the protection device is in the normally deployed condition and a vehicle occupant moves into contact with the protection device.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1 , wherein the protection device comprises a passenger front impact air bag and the vehicle surface comprises a surface of an instrument panel of the vehicle.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 1 , wherein the protection device comprises a driver front impact air bag and the vehicle surface comprises a surface of a steering wheel of the vehicle.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 1 , wherein reaction forces from the vehicle surface urge overlying folded portions of the panel against each other to help prevent the pleat from unfolding when the protection device is in the normally deployed condition.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 1 , wherein the connection comprises stitching.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 8 , wherein the stitching comprises portions that help maintain the pleat in the panel and portions that interconnect adjacent panels of the protection device to help define the inflatable volume of the protection device.

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

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprising a panel of material that helps define an inflatable volume of the protection device;

a vent opening for venting inflation fluid from the inflatable volume;

a pleat folded in the panel, the pleat being positioned against a vehicle surface while the protection device is in a normally deployed condition to help block inflation fluid from venting through the vent opening; and

a connection that interconnects the panel with adjacent portions of the protection device to help maintain the pleated configuration of the panel adjacent the connection, pleated portions of the panel spaced from the connection being capable of unfolding from the pleated configuration to vent inflation fluid through the vent opening, wherein the vent opening is at least partially defined by an edge portion of the panel, the edge portion being folded in the pleat.

11. The apparatus recited in claim 10 , wherein the edge portion when in the pleated condition helps maintain the vent opening in a closed condition at least partially blocking fluid flow through the vent opening, the edge portion when unfolded from the pleated condition placing the vent opening in an open condition permitting fluid flow through the vent opening.

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

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprising a panel of material that helps define an inflatable volume of the protection device;

a vent opening for venting inflation fluid from the inflatable volume; and

a pleat folded in the panel, the pleat being positioned against a vehicle surface while the protection device is in a normally deployed condition to help block inflation fluid from venting through the vent opening, wherein the vent opening is at least partially defined by an edge portion of the panel, the edge portion being folded in the pleat, and wherein the edge portion is defined by a notch in the panel.

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

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprising a panel of material that helps define an inflatable volume of the protection device;

a vent opening for venting inflation fluid from the inflatable volume; and

a pleat folded in the panel, the pleat being positioned against a vehicle surface while the protection device is in a normally deployed condition to help block inflation fluid from venting through the vent opening, wherein the vent opening is at least partially defined by an edge portion of the panel, the edge portion being folded in the pleat, and wherein the edge portion is defined by a slot in the panel.

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

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprising a panel of material that helps define an inflatable volume of the protection device;

a vent opening for venting inflation fluid from the inflatable volume;

a pleat folded in the panel, the pleat being positioned against a vehicle surface while the protection device is in a normally deployed condition to help block inflation fluid from venting through the vent opening; and

a connection that interconnects the panel with adjacent portions of the protection device to help maintain the pleated configuration of the panel adjacent the connection, pleated portions of the panel spaced from the connection being capable of unfolding from the pleated configuration to vent inflation fluid through the vent opening, wherein the vent opening is configured as an elongated slot in the panel, the panel comprising a first edge portion extending along a first side of the slot and a second edge portion extending along a second side of the slot, the pleat extending across the first and second edge portions, the connection maintaining the pleat in the first edge portion, the second edge portion being capable of unfolding from the pleated condition to place the vent opening in an open condition venting inflation fluid from the inflatable volume.

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

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprising a panel of material that helps define an inflatable volume of the protection device;

a vent opening for venting inflation fluid from the inflatable volume;

a pleat folded in the panel, the pleat being positioned against a vehicle surface while the protection device is in a normally deployed condition to help block inflation fluid from venting through the vent opening; and

a connection that interconnects the panel with adjacent portions of the protection device to help maintain the pleated configuration of the panel adjacent the connection, pleated portions of the panel spaced from the connection being capable of unfolding from the pleated configuration to vent inflation fluid through the vent opening, wherein the vent opening is configured as an elongated notch in the panel, the panel comprising opposite end portions extending along opposite ends of the notch and an edge portion extending along the length of the notch between the end portions, the edge portion being folded in the pleat thus positioning the end portions relative to each other a distance shorter than the length of the edge portion, the connections fixing the relative positions of the end portions, the edge portion being capable of unfolding from the pleated condition to place the vent opening in an open condition venting inflation fluid from the inflatable volume.

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

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprising a panel of material that helps define an inflatable volume of the protection device;

a vent opening comprising a notch in the panel, the panel comprising opposite end portions extending along opposite ends of the notch and an edge portion extending along the length of the notch between the end portions;

a pleat folded in the panel, the edge portion being folded in the pleat thus positioning the end portions relative to each other a distance shorter than the length of the edge portion; and

a connection interconnecting the end portions with adjacent panel portions of the protection device, the connection fixing the relative positions of the end portions, the edge portion being capable of unfolding from the pleated condition to place the vent opening in an open condition for venting inflation fluid from the inflatable volume.