Inflatable airbag and method of making the same
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inflatable airbag cushion (10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510) is provided. The bag includes a face portion and a rear portion formed from first and second fabric layers (30, 32). The bag further includes a number of straight line woven in joints (16) defining flow barrier elements (14). The flow barrier elements (14) serve to contain the inflation gases and to restrict inflation of the cushion.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1-9. -9. (canceled)
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10. An inflatable airbag cushion having multiple fabric layers and closely spaced interconnected woven in joints that resist gas permeation, comprising:
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(a) a first woven fabric layer and a second woven fabric layer, said first and second woven fabric layers each having a plurality of yarns running in the weft direction and a plurality of yarns running in the warp direction, (b) a first interconnected joint and a second interconnected joint, said first and second interconnected joints running generally parallel and in the warp direction, said first and second interconnected joints each forming a woven union of said first and second woven fabric layers along the length of said interconnected joints, the number of yarns running in the warp direction between said first and second interconnected joints being no more than about twelve yarns in said first layer and no more than about twelve yarns in said second layer;
(c) at least some of said weft yarns comprising crossover yarns, said crossover yarns of said first layer switching from a position within said first layer to a position within said second layer at said first interconnected joint, said crossover yarns further switching from a position within said second layer to a position within said first layer at said second interconnected joint; and
(d) wherein said crossover yarns are substantially free of floats at said interconnected joints. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An inflatable airbag cushion having multiple layers and closely spaced interconnected woven in joints that resist gas permeation, comprising:
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(a) a first woven fabric layer and a second woven fabric layer, said first and second woven fabric layers each having a plurality of yarns running in the warp direction and a plurality of yarns running in the weft direction, (b) a first interconnected joint and a second interconnected joint, said first and second interconnected joints running generally parallel and in the weft direction, said first and second interconnected joints each forming a woven union of said first and second woven fabric layers along the length of said interconnected joints, the number of yarns running in the weft direction between said first and second interconnected joints being no more than about twelve yarns in said first layer and no more than about twelve yarns in said second layer;
(c) at least some of said warp yarns comprising crossover yarns, said crossover yarns of said first layer switching from a position within said first layer to a position within said second layer at said first interconnected joint, said crossover yarns further extending from a position within said second layer to a position within said first layer at said second interconnected joint; and
(d) wherein said crossover yarns are substantially free of floats at said interconnected joints.
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18. An inflatable airbag cushion having multiple layers and closely spaced interconnected woven in joints, comprising:
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(a) a first woven fabric layer and a second woven fabric layer, said first and second woven fabric layers each having a plurality of first yarns extending in a first direction and a plurality of second yarns extending in a second direction, said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction, (b) a first interconnected joint and a second interconnected joint, said first and second interconnected joints extending generally parallel and in the first direction, said first and second interconnected joints each forming a woven seam joining said first and second woven fabric layers along the length of said interconnected joints, wherein the number of first yarns extending in the first direction positioned between said first and second interconnected joints is between about two and twelve yarns in each of said first and second layers, (c) said second yarns alternating from a position in said first layer to a position in said second layer, further wherein said second yarns are provided in a plain weave, said plain weave being maintained across each of said interconnected joints. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising a woven fabric of dobby construction, said fabric comprising an inflating portion and a non-inflating portion, wherein said airbag comprises woven in joints, comprising:
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(a) a first woven fabric layer and a second woven fabric layer, said first and second woven fabric layers each having a plurality of first yarns running in a first direction and a plurality of second yarns running in a second direction, said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction, (b) a first interconnected joint and a second interconnected joint, said first and second interconnected joints running generally parallel and in the first direction, said first and second interconnected joints each forming a woven seam joining said first and second woven fabric layers along the length of said interconnected joints, wherein the number of first yarns running in the first direction positioned between said first and second interconnected joints is between about two and twelve yarns for each of said first and second layers, and (c) said second yarns alternating from a position in said first layer to a position in said second layer, further wherein said second yarns are provided in a plain weave, said plain weave being maintained by said second yarns across said interconnected joints.
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24. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising a woven fabric of jacquard construction, said fabric comprising an inflating portion and a non-inflating portion, wherein said airbag comprises woven in joints, comprising:
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(a) a first woven fabric layer and a second woven fabric layer, said first and second woven fabric layers each having a plurality of first yarns running in a first direction and a plurality of second yarns running in a second direction, said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction, (b) a first interconnected joint and a second interconnected joint, said first and second interconnected joints running generally parallel and in the first direction, said first and second interconnected joints each forming a woven seam joining said first and second woven fabric layers along the length of said interconnected joints, wherein the number of first yarns running in the first direction positioned between said first and second interconnected joints is between about two and twelve yarns for each of said first and second layers, and (c) said second yarns alternating from a position in said first layer to a position in said second layer, further wherein said second yarns are provided in a plain weave, said plain weave being maintained by said second yarns across said interconnected joints; and
(d) wherein said interconnected joints are provided in a curved format in a jacquard weave.
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25. An inflatable airbag cushion having closely spaced woven in joints, comprising:
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(a) a first woven fabric layer and a second woven fabric layer, said first and second woven fabric layers each having;
i) a plurality of first yarns running in a first direction and ii) a plurality of second yarns running in a second direction, wherein said second direction is perpendicular to said first direction;
(b) a first joint and a second joint, said first and second joints extending generally parallel and in said first direction, said first and said second joints comprising regions of yarn entanglement which associate said first and second woven layers to each other, wherein between about 2 and about 12 generally parallel first yarns are provided in said first direction between said first and second joints for each of said layers, thereby forming a relatively small distance between said first and second joints, said relatively small distance contributing to the gas impermeability of said inflatable airbag cushion; and
(c) wherein at least some of said second yarns are provided in a plain weave pattern, said plain weave pattern extending across said first and second joints. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising a fabric having woven in joint seams with substantially float-free yarn construction along the woven in joint seams, comprising:
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(a) a first woven fabric layer and a second woven fabric layer, said first and second woven fabric layers being interconnected to each other, each of said first and second layers having;
i) a plurality of first yarns extending in a first direction and ii) a plurality of second yarns extending in a second direction, said first and second yarns being woven together;
iii) said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction;
iv) wherein at least some of said second yarns are shared between said first layer and said second layer;
(b) a first joint and a second joint, said first and second joints extending generally parallel and in said first direction, said first and said second joints comprising regions of yarn interconnection and crossover between said first and second woven layers, wherein between about 2 and about 12 generally parallel first yarns are provided in said first direction between said first and second joints in each of said layers; and
(c) said second yarns being positioned within both of said first and said second layers, said second yarns forming a crossover from one of said first and second layers to the other of said layers at said joints, further wherein said crossover is provided such that said second yarn assumes a plain weave pattern;
wherein in said crossover and across said joint said second yarns pass alternatively over and then under successive first yarns, thereby forming a substantially gas impermeable seam at said joints. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification