Air-bag arrangement and a method of inflating an air-bag

• US 20030107204A1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Drossler, Norbert, Kallhammer, Jan-Erik
• Granted Patent: US 7,025,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23504 characterised by material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23547 one piece weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1307 Bag or tubular film [e.g., pouch, flexible food casing, envelope, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1314 Contains fabric, fiber particle, or filament made of glass, ceramic, or sintered, fused, fired, or calcined metal oxide, or metal carbide or other inorganic compound [e.g., fiber glass, mineral fiber, sand, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1317 Multilayer [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3195 Three-dimensional weave [e.g., x-y-z planes, multi-planar warps and/or wefts, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3203 Multi-planar warp layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3211 Multi-planar weft layers

Abstract

An air-bag arrangement provides protection for the occupant of a motor vehicle. The air-bag arrangement incorporates an airbag (50) formed by two layers of fabric (51, 52) interconnected to form a first set of chambers (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58), having a plurality of elongates substantially parallel chambers. A further fabric layer (61) is connected to one of the two layers (52) forming the main part of the inflatable element to define a second chamber set including two chambers (62, 63). These chambers are off-set from the adjacent chambers (54, 55, 56) defined by the first two layers (51, 52). Apertures (59, 60) provided in the layer (52) provide means for inflating the second set of chambers (62, 63).

Claims

1. An air-bag arrangement for use in a motor vehicle to provide protection for the occupant of the motor vehicle, the air-bag arrangement incorporating an air-bag adapted, on inflation, to be located adjacent an occupant of a vehicle, the air-bag comprising at least three super-imposed layers, each layer being connected to the or each adjacent layer to define a respective chamber set, at least one of the chamber sets incorporating a plurality of chambers, the chambers of one chamber set being off-set relative to the chamber or chambers of another chamber set, means being provided to supply gas to the chamber sets.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein a first outer layer is connected to an intermediate layer to define a plurality of chambers constituting said one chamber set, and a second outer layer is connected to the intermediate layer to define at least one chamber forming a second chamber set.

3. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means to supply gas to the chamber sets comprises at least a first gas duct in communication with one of the chamber sets.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3 wherein the means to supply gas additionally comprise a second gas duct to supply gas to a second chamber set.

5. An arrangement according to claim 3 or 4 wherein the means to supply gas to a chamber set comprise a region of an intermediate layer which is adapted to permit a flow of gas from a chamber set which is receiving gas to an adjacent chamber set which is to receive the gas.

6. An air-bag according to claim 5 wherein the intermediate layer is provided, within said region, with an aperture.

7. An air-bag according to claim 5 wherein the intermediate layer is permeable to high pressure gas within said region.

8. An arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the intermediate layer is adapted to rupture or break within said region when subjected to a high pressure of gas.

9. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least the outer layers are formed of fabric.

10. An arrangement according to claim 9 wherein the or each layer located between the outer layers is of fabric.

11. An arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the air-bag is fabricated using a one-piece weaving technique.

12. An arrangement according to claim 9 wherein the or each layer intermediate the outer layers is formed of foil.

13. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the chambers of one chamber set are elongate and generally parallel.

14. An arrangement according to claim 13 wherein the chambers of a second chamber set are elongate and parallel and are off-set from the chambers of the first chamber set.

15. An arrangement according to claim 13 or 14 in which the air-bag is provided with fixing means adapted to fix the air-bag to part of a motor vehicle extending above the side doors of the vehicle, the cells being located to extend generally transversely of an intended line of tension extending across part of the air-bag.

16. An arrangement according to claim 15 wherein the air-bag is provided with an extending strap adapted to be connected to an anchoring point on the vehicle, said line of tension extending from that anchoring point to one of said fixing means.

17. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the air-bag has a substantially rectangular portion accommodating said chamber sets and an extension, the extension constituting a gas supply duct adapted to supply gas.

18. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each of the said layers of fabric are of substantially identical shape and size.

19. A method of inflating an air-bag according to any one of the preceding claims comprising the steps of initially inflating a first chamber set, and subsequently inflating a second chamber set.