Air bag tether construction

• US 20010030418A1
• Filed: 06/07/2001
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ramesh Keshavaraj
• Original Assignee: Ramesh Keshavaraj
• Inventors: Keshavaraj, Ramesh
• Granted Patent: US 6,938,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/743.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/322 Warp differs from weft

Abstract

The present invention relates to air bag tethers and to a pattern-wise arrangement of such tethers in relation to air bag panels on a fabric blank, thus resulting in increased fabric utilization per tether and an overall cost savings per finished air bag. The air bag tether system of the present invention is comprised of two congruent tether panels that are joined to one another and to a respective air bag panel. In a preferred embodiment, the tether panel that is attached to the face panel of the air bag is cut in alignment with the warp and the fill of the fabric blank, while the rear tether panel that is attached to the rear panel of the air bag is cut on the bias with respect to the warp and the fill of the fabric blank. The two tether panels are then connected to one another to form a functional tether system. This two-piece construction, with one bias-cut piece, decreases the amount of fabric that is used in the manufacture of the air bag and tethers, while providing sufficient elongation for the tether system to be functional.

Claims

1. A fabric blank comprising a woven fabric on which a pattern-wise configuration of air bag panels, first tether panels, and second tether panels is arranged in nesting relation, said first tether panels being cut in alignment with the warp and fill of said woven fabric, and second tether panels being cut on the bias with respect to the warp and fill of said woven fabric.

2. The fabric blank of claim 8 wherein said first tether panels and said second tether panels are substantially rectangular in shape and are congruent.

3. The fabric blank of claim 8 further including a plurality of circular reinforcements, said circular reinforcements having a diameter that approximates the width of said first and second tether panels.

4. The fabric blank of claim 7 further including a plurality of circular vent reinforcements, said vent reinforcements having a diameter that is less than the diameter of said circular reinforcements.