AIRBAG FOR A VEHICLE OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEM

• US 20150137488A1
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fischer, Anton
• Granted Patent: US 9,283,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23509 Fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23538 Sewing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23542 Weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23571 characterised by connections between panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2334 Expansion control features
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/02 Inflatable articles
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 11/02 Fabrics formed with pockets, tubes, loops, folds, tucks or flaps fabrics consisting of a single tube D03D3/02
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 13/00 Woven fabrics characterised by the special disposition of the warp or weft threads, e.g. with curved weft threads, with discontinuous warp threads, with diagonal warp or weft

Abstract

An airbag (20) for a vehicle occupant restraint system comprises a first fabric layer (10) and an opposed second fabric layer (12) each being formed of a composite fabric of wefts and warps and delimiting a chamber (14) adapted to be filled with gas. Plural weaving threads (16) are provided which exit the composite fabric of a fabric layer (10, 12) in the direction of the other fabric layer (12, 10) and are freely floating in the chamber (14) before they enter into the composite fabric of the other fabric layer (12, 10). The weaving threads (16) are movable in their longitudinal direction relative to the inlet and outlet points.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. An airbag (20) for a vehicle occupant restraint system, comprising:

a first fabric layer (10) and an opposed second fabric layer (12), each being formed of a composite fabric of wefts and warps and delimiting a chamber (14) adapted to be filled with gas,

wherein plural weaving threads (16) are provided which exit the composite fabric of a fabric layer (10, 12) in the direction of the other fabric layer (12, 10) at plural of inlet and outlet points and are freely floating in the chamber (14) before they enter into the composite fabric of the other fabric layer (12, 10),

and wherein the weaving threads (16) are movable in their longitudinal direction relative to the inlet and outlet points.

9. The airbag (20) according to claim 8, wherein the weaving threads (16) are guided through simple cross loops (18) of the respective composite fabric at the inlet and outlet points.

10. The airbag (20) according to claim 9, wherein the cross loops (18) of the first fabric layer (10) are arranged offset against the cross loops (18) of the second fabric layer (12) related to the longitudinal direction of the weaving threads (16).

11. The airbag (20) according claim 8, wherein the ends of the weaving threads (16) are arranged with tensile strength at one of the fabric layers (10, 12) or at a border area in which the fabric layers (10, 12) are interconnected.

12. The airbag (20) according to claim 8, wherein at least part of the weaving threads (16) is tightly arranged at one end on an airbag extension (24).

13. The airbag (20) according to claim 12, wherein the weaving threads (16) are arranged at their other end in a central area of the airbag (20).