Safety device

• US 10,017,147 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wootton, Gary, Finn, Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilhelm, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US15/029,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20160264090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23509 Fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23542 Weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23547 one piece weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/02 Inflatable articles
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 11/02 Fabrics formed with pockets, tubes, loops, folds, tucks or flaps fabrics consisting of a single tube D03D3/02

Abstract

A safety device for use in a vehicle includes an air-bag inflatable by a gas source. At least part of the air-bag is woven and includes a plurality of generally parallel woven yarns. An elongate tether is attached to the air-bag by an attachment arrangement including a first portion in which part of the tether passes between two adjacent yarns of the air-bag from one side to another side of the air-bag and partly around at least two adjacent yarns on one side of the air-bag. The arrangement incorporates a second portion in which the tether is interwoven with a pre-determined number of single adjacent yarns of the air-bag. The arrangement incorporates a third portion in which the tether passes between two adjacent yarns of the air-bag from one side to another side of the air-bag and partly around at least two adjacent yarns on one side of the air-bag.

Claims

1. A safety device for use in a vehicle, the safety device comprising:

an air-bag configured to be inflated by a source of gas, at least part of the air-bag being woven and including a plurality of generally parallel woven yarns; and

an elongate tether, the tether being connected to a layer of the air-bag by a connection arrangement, the connection arrangement including;

a first portion in which part of the tether passes between two adjacent yarns of the layer of the air-bag from a first side of the air-bag to a second side of the layer of the air-bag and partly around at least two adjacent yarns of the air-bag on the second side of the layer of the air-bag;

a second portion in which part of the tether is interwoven with a predetermined number of single adjacent yarns of the layer of the air-bag; and

a third portion in which part of the tether passes between two adjacent yarns of the air-bag from the first side of the air-bag to the second side of the air-bag and partly around at least two adjacent yarns of the layer of the air-bag on the second side of the air-bag,

wherein the first, second and third parts are all woven into a common fabric layer of the air-bag; and

wherein the tether is formed of a plurality of woven tether yarns and at least one of the tether yarns is interwoven with the plurality of generally parallel woven yarns.

2. The safety device of claim 1, wherein in the first portion of the connection arrangement, the tether passes partly around at least three adjacent yarns of the air-bag on the second side of the layer of the air-bag.

3. The safety device of claim 1, wherein in the second portion of the connection arrangement, the tether is interwoven with at least seven adjacent single yarns of the layer of the air-bag, the at least seven single adjacent yarns all in a common fabric layer.

4. The safety device of claim 1, wherein in the second portion of the connection arrangement, the tether is interwoven with at least thirteen adjacent single yarns of the layer of the air-bag.

5. The safety device of claim 1, wherein in the third portion of the connection arrangement, the tether passes partly around at least three adjacent yarns of the layer of the air-bag on the second side of the layer of the air-bag.

6. The safety device of claim 1, wherein the second portion is between and immediately adjacent the first portion and the third portion.

7. The safety device of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the tether is greater in length than the first portion and greater in length than the third portion.

8. The safety device of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the tether is interwoven between at least six single adjacent yarns and the first and third portions of the tether pass around a lesser number of adjacent yarns on the second side, the at least six single adjacent yarns all in a common fabric layer.

9. The safety device of claim 1, wherein the tether is a flexible elongate tether.

10. The safety device of claim 1, wherein the tether is only woven into the layer of the air-bag at the first, second and third portions.

11. A method of manufacturing a safety device for use in a vehicle, the method comprising:

weaving part of an air-bag to include a plurality of generally parallel woven yarns;

providing an elongate tether; and

connecting the tether to a layer of the air-bag by a connection arrangement; and

forming the connection arrangement by;

passing a first part of the tether between two adjacent yarns of the layer of the air-bag from a first side of the layer of the air-bag to a second side of the layer of the air-bag and partly around at least two adjacent yarns of the air-bag on the second side of the layer of the air-bag;

interweaving a second part of the tether with a predetermined number of single adjacent yarns of the layer of the air-bag; and

passing a third part of the tether between two adjacent yarns of the air-bag from the first side of the layer of the air-bag to the second side of the layer of the air-bag and partly around at least two adjacent yarns of the layer of the air-bag on the second side of the air-bag,

wherein the first, second and third portions are all woven into a common fabric layer of the air-bag, and

wherein the tether is formed of a plurality of woven tether yarns and at least one of the tether yarns is interwoven with the plurality of generally parallel woven yarns.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

passing the first part of the tether partly around at least three adjacent yarns of the layer of the air-bag on the second side of the layer of the air-bag.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

interweaving the second part of the tether with at least seven single adjacent yarns of the layer of the air-bag, the at least seven single adjacent yarns all in a common fabric layer.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

interweaving the second part of the tether with at least thirteen single adjacent yarns of the layer of the air-bag; and

passing the third part of the tether partly around at least three adjacent yarns of the layer of the air-bag on the second side of the layer of the air-bag.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the second part of the tether is greater in length than the first part and greater in length than the third part.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the second part of the tether is interwoven between at least six single adjacent yarns and the first and third parts of the tether pass around a lesser number of adjacent yarns on the second side, the at least six single adjacent yarns all in a common fabric layer.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the tether is a flexible elongate tether.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the tether is only woven into the layer of the air-bag at the first, second and third portions.