Side restraint assembly

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention provides alternatives and advantages over the prior art by providing a restraint assembly which provides initial inflated coverage and extended inflated coverage of predetermined vehicle locations.
Advantageously, the assembly preferably provides sustained or lengthened inflated coverage of a predetermined vehicle location for extended protection of a vehicle occupant during any secondary events subsequent to an initial event which triggers release of inflation gas and deployment of an inflatable restraint device.
Also advantageously, the assembly efficiently utilizes inflation gas for initial and extended inflated coverage of the vehicle at predetermined locations such that selective initial and extended inflated coverage is accomplished for longer amounts of time while utilizing less inflation gas.
In addition, the restraint assembly preferably includes noninflatable portions that provide noninflated vehicle coverage and restraint, but which do not need to be filled with inflation gas.
These advantages and alternatives are accomplished in a preferred form of the invention by providing a restraint assembly including an inflator for generating inflation gas and a restraint cushion including an inflatable transfer portion in fluid communication with the inflator for initial inflation by the inflation gas.
The cushion further includes an inflatable bladder portion in fluid communication with the transfer portion for extended inflation by transfer of inflation gas from the transfer portion into the bladder portion.
The bladder portion has a fully inflated condition in which the bladder portion is filled with inflation gas from the transfer portion and in which the bladder portion engages the transfer portion to limit the amount of gas further transferred into the bladder portion and to seal the bladder portion such that inflation gas is held in the bladder portion for lengthened and extended inflation of the bladder portion even after deflation of the transfer portion for extended coverage of a preselected vehicle location