US Patent 9016718 Vehicle occupant restraint system

In a vehicle occupant restraint, a sub bag is inflated and deployed in an early stage at a high pressure prior to a main bag as a gas that is discharged from an inflator to the sub bag is supplied to the main bag via a communication opening. Accordingly, a lower section of the sub bag can favorably be interposed in a narrow space between a waist of a occupant and a console box. In addition, an upper section of the sub bag is supported by a top surface of the console box, and this the sub bag is firmly supported by the console box. Therefore, the main bag is supported to a same degree as when the console box is extended upward by a height of the sub bag.