VEHICLE OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM COMPRISING AN INFLATABLE GAS BAG

• US 20110266782A1
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Germany GmbH (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata-Petri AG
• Inventors: SCHWANN, Martin, HALLBAUER, Karsten
• Granted Patent: US 8,292,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2395 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

A vehicle occupant restraint system is provided. The vehicle occupant restraint system comprising a gas bag inflatable with gas, which includes at least one first fabric layer and one second fabric layer, which are connected with each other along their edge by means of a peripheral seam, and at least one outflow opening via which gas can flow out of the gas bag, wherein the outflow opening is formed by an interruption of the peripheral seam, wherein the peripheral seam is interrupted such that it comprises on both sides of the outflow opening a portion extending substantially vertical to the adjoining edge of the gas bag and ending at the edge of the gas bag, and at least one additional seam formed in the region of the outflow opening is provided, which at least partly closes the outflow opening, wherein the additional seam is designed such that it opens during the inflation process.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising

a gas bag inflatable with gas, which includes at least one first fabric layer and one second fabric layer, which are connected with each other along their edge by means of a peripheral seam, and

at least one outflow opening via which gas can flow out of the gas bag, wherein

the outflow opening is formed by an interruption of the peripheral seam, wherein the peripheral seam is interrupted such that it comprises on both sides of the outflow opening a portion extending substantially vertical to the adjoining edge of the gas bag and ending at the edge of the gas bag, and

at least one additional seam fanned in the region of the outflow opening is provided, which at least partly closes the outflow opening, wherein the additional seam is designed such that it opens during the inflation process.

2. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the additional seam is designed such that it closes the outflow opening until reaching a condition which occurs during an inflation process.

3. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the additional seam is designed such that it opens before a vehicle occupant to be restrained comes into contact with the gas bag.

4. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the outflow opening is arranged in the peripheral seam of the gas bag such that it is not closed by contact of the gas bag with a vehicle occupant to be restrained or with intruding vehicle components.

5. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 4, wherein in a gas bag formed as side gas bag the outflow opening is formed at a front region of the gas bag with respect to the vehicle direction.

6. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein in the region of the outflow opening at least one additional seam is arranged, which extends substantially parallel to the outer contour of the gas bag in the region of the outflow opening.

7. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein in the region of the outflow opening at least one additional seam is arranged, which extends substantially vertical to the outer contour of the gas bag in the region of the outflow opening.

8. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the additional seam completely closes the outflow opening.

9. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claims 1, wherein the additional seam partly closes the outflow opening.

10. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the additional seam intersects the peripheral seam at least once.

11. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the outer contour of the gas bag is substantially continuous in the region of the outflow opening.

12. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the outer contour of the gas bag is substantially linear in the region of the outflow opening.

13. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 11, wherein the outer edge of the gas bag has no recesses or indentations in the region of the outflow opening.

14. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein in the inflated condition of the gas bag the outflow opening forms a substantially cylindrical region.

15. The vehicle occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the strength of the additional seam is adapted to an OOP situation in the sense that the additional seam opens before the internal pressure in the gas bag becomes OOP-critical.