Airbag cushion exhibiting low fabric usage and simultaneously high available inflation volume

• US 20040124620A1
• Filed: 07/22/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ramesh Keshavaraj
• Original Assignee: Ramesh Keshavaraj
• Inventors: Keshavaraj, Ramesh
• Granted Patent: US 6,910,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23509 Fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23514 coated fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration

Abstract

The present invention relates to an airbag cushion, which simultaneously exhibits a very low amount of fabric utilized to produce the target airbag cushion in correlation to an overall high amount of available inflation airspace within the cushion itself. These two correlative elements are now combined for the first time in what is defined as an effective fabric usage index (being the quotient of the amount of fabric utilized in the construciton of the airbag cushion and the available inflation airspace volume). The inventive airbag cushion must possess an effective fabric usage factor of at most 0.0330. A cushion exhibiting such low seam usage and fabric usage factors and also comprising an integrated looped pocket for the disposition of an inflator can is also provided as well as an overall vehicle restraint system comprising the inventive airbag cushion.

Claims

1. An airbag cushion comprising at least one fabric blank, wherein:

said at least one fabric blank is symmetrical about a first line of symmetry and has a plurality of edges, said edges including;

two edges substantially perpendicular to said line of symmetry, each of said two edges having a respective first end remote from said line of symmetry and extending from said respective first end, toward said line of symmetry, to a respective second end, and

at least one additional edge extending between said respective first ends of said two edges;

said fabric blank comprises a cutout adjacent said line of symmetry and said second ends of said two edges; and

when said fabric blank is folded about said line of symmetry and said two edges are seamed to one another;

a substantially oblong opening is formed;

said at least one additional edge defines a perimeter of said substantially oblong opening; and

said cutout forms a second opening opposite said substantially oblong opening.

2. The airbag cushion set forth in claim 1, wherein said second opening is a mouth.

3. The airbag cushion set forth in claim 1, further including a second blank forming a substantially oblong closure portion, said substantially oblong closure portion being seamed to said substantially oblong opening.

4. The airbag cushion set forth in claim 1, wherein said airbag cushion comprises a looped pocket into which an inflator canister may be disposed.

5. An airbag cushion comprising at least one fabric blank, wherein:

said at least one fabric blank is symmetrical about a first line of symmetry and has a plurality of edges, said, edges including;

first and second edges substantially parallel to said line of symmetry, each of said first and second edges having a respective first end and a respective second end;

a third edge, said third edge having a first end and a second end, said first end of said third edge intersecting said first end of said first edge, said third edge extending from said first edge toward said line of symmetry,

a fourth edge, said fourth edge having a first end and a second end, said first end of said fourth edge intersecting said first end of said second edge, said fourth edge extending from said second edge toward said line of symmetry, and

four additional edges extending between said respective second ends of said first and second edges;

said fabric blank comprises a cutout adjacent said line of symmetry and said second ends of said third and fourth edges; and

when said fabric blank is folded about said line of symmetry and said third edge is seamed to said fourth edge, a substantially oblong opening is formed;

said first and second edges define one side of the perimeter of said oblong opening;

said four additional edges define three sides of the perimeter of said oblong opening; and

said cutout forms a second opening opposite said substantially oblong opening.

6. The airbag cushion set forth in claim 5, wherein said second opening is a mouth.

7. The airbag cushion set forth in claim 5, wherein said airbag cushion comprises a looped pocket into which an inflator canister may be disposed.

8. The airbag cushion set forth in claim 5, further including a second blank forming a substantially oblong closure portion, said substantially oblong closure portion being seamed to said substantially oblong opening.

9. The airbag cushion set forth in claim 5, wherein said third and fourth edges are collinear.

10. An airbag cushion having at least one fabric component, wherein said airbag cushion comprises:

a body fabric panel having a plurality of lateral boundary edges, the body fabric panel being folded along a fold line over itself, and joined along two of its lateral boundary edges adjacent and perpendicular to the fold line by a first substantially straight seam;

a front fabric panel having a plurality of lateral boundary edges, the front fabric panel being joined around its perimeter to the non-joined boundary edges of the body fabric panel by a series of short, substantially straight seams;

a mouth opening for introducing an inflation means, the mouth opening being formed by a cutout in the body fabric panel, said cutout being adjacent the fold line and said first seam.

11. The airbag cushion set forth in claim 10, wherein said body fabric panel is formed by two mirror-image body panel sections joined by a substantially straight seam.

12. The airbag cushion of claim 10, wherein smaller fabric panels are connected to the body fabric panel at the mouth opening, by substantially straight seams.

13. The airbag cushion of claim 12, wherein the mouth opening is reinforced by smaller portions of the body fabric panel which are folded over and connected to themselves as well as to the smaller fabric panels.

14. The airbag cushion of claim 10, further including tie rods positioned adjacent said mouth.