US Patent 8016066 Pedestrian air bag

An apparatus (10) helps to protect a pedestrian from impacts with a vehicle (12) that has a windshield (24) and a hood (32) covering an engine compartment (30). The apparatus (10) includes an air bag (14) that is inflatable away from the engine compartment (30) through a space (342) between the hood (32) and the windshield (24) from a stored condition to a deployed condition positioned adjacent the windshield (24). A housing (60) stores the air bag (14) in a deflated and stowed condition in the engine compartment (30). A deflector (260) has a portion connected to the housing (60) and a portion for being connected to the vehicle hood (32). The deflector (260) is adapted to deflect the air bag (14) during inflation and direct the air bag (14) to clear the vehicle hood (32) and to deploy through the space (342) between the hood (32) and the windshield (24).