Tube, airbag, and method of making the same

• US 5,098,125 A
• Filed: 01/16/1991
• Issued: 03/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stern & Stern Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stern & Stern Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Cone, Stanley H., Thornton, Peter B., Woodworth, Fred P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US07/642,025
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728, 280/743, 280/739, 139/389, 383/107, 383/109, 428/137
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23547 one piece weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/02 Inflatable articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 Composite web or sheet

Abstract

A tube suitable for use in a vehicular airbag comprises a seamless tube of integral, unitary, one-piece woven construction. The tube defines a pair of opposed panels of substantial area formed in a plain weave of a first yarn density. A pair of intermediate margins of slight width joins an opposed pair of sides of the opposed panels together, the intermediate margins being formed in a plain interweave of a second yarn density greater than the first yarn density. A pair of outer margins is provided, each of substantially greater width than one of the intermediate margins and extending about the outer side of a respective one of the intermediate margins, the outer margins being formed in a weave looser than the plain interweave. The airbag is made by joining a second opposed pair of sides of the opposed panels together to form a bag, inverting the bag and positioning inflation means in gaseous communication with the interior of the inverted bag for inflating the inverted bag.

Claims

1. A tube suitable for use in an airbag comprising:

a seamless tube of integral, unitary, one-piece woven construction, said tube defining;

(i) a pair of opposed panels of substantial area formed in a plain weave of a first yarn density;

(ii) a pair of intermediate margins of slight width joining an opposed pair of sides of said opposed panels together, said intermediate margins being formed in a plain interweave of a second yarn density greater than said first yarn density; and

(iii) a pair of outer margins, each outer margin being of greater width than one of said intermediate margins and extending about the outer side of a respective one of said intermediate margins, said outer margins being formed in a weave looser than said plain interweave.

2. The tube of claim 1 formed of a material having a Frazier porosity of less than 8 cubic feet per minute.

3. The tube of claim 1 wherein said second yarn density is twice said first yarn density.

4. The tube of claim 1 wherein said first yarn density is about 45×

45 and said second yarn density is about 90×

90.

5. The tube of claim 1 wherein said outer margin is formed in a non-plain weave.

6. The tube of claim 5 wherein said outer margin has a yarn density about equal to said second yarn density.

7. The tube of claim 6 wherein said outer margin is formed in a non-plain weave.

8. The tube of claim 1 wherein each of said opposed panels is of substantially rectangular configuration and has a width substantially greater than the width of one of said outer margins.

9. The tube of claim 1 wherein each of said outer margins has a width of about 6.0 mm and each of said intermediate margins has a width of about 2.0 mm.

10. The tube of claim 1 wherein said intermediate margin has a total of about 4 ends and 4 picks.

11. The tube of claim 1 wherein said tube is devoid of any sewing or stitching.

12. The tube of claim 1 in inverted form and additionally including means closing the axial ends thereof to form a bag, and inflation means in gaseous communication with the interior of said inverted bag for inflating said inverted bag.

13. The tube of claim 1 wherein said opposed pair of sides is the opposed pair of longitudinal sides of said opposed panels.

14. The tube of claim 1 wherein said opposed pair of sides is the warp pair of sides of said opposed panels.

15. The tube of claim 1 wherein said tube is an axially extending bag with a pair of open opposed axial ends.

16. The tube of claim 15 in combination with non-interwoven means for joining the other opposed pair of sides of said opposed panels together, thereby to close each of said sides and form a bag.

17. The tube of claim 16 wherein said tube is axially extending and defines an opposed pair of axial ends, and said opposed pair of sides and said other opposed pair of sides are the opposed pair of longitudinal sides and the opposed pair of axial ends, respectively.

18. A tube suitable for use in an airbag, comprising:

a seamless tube of integral, unitary, one-piece woven construction, devoid of any sewing or stitching and having a Frazier porosity of less than 8 cubic feet per minute, said tube defining;

(i) a pair of opposed panels of substantial area formed in a plain weave of a first weave of about 45×

45, each of said opposed panels being of substantially rectangular configuration,

(ii) a pair of intermediate margins having a total of about 4 picks and 4 ends and a width of about 2.0 mm. joining the longitudinal warp sides of said opposed panels together, said intermediate margins being formed in a plain interweave of about 90×

90, and

(iii) a pair of outer margins, each outer margin having a width of about 6.0 mm and extending about the outer side of a respective one of said intermediate margins, said outer margins being formed in a non-plain weave of about 90×

90 looser than said plain interweave.

19. The tube of claim 18 in combination with non-interwoven means for joining the axial end or woof sides of said opposed panels together, thereby to close the axial ends of said tube and form a bag.

20. An airbag comprising:

(A) an inverted seamless tube of integral, unitary, one-piece woven construction, said tube prior to inversion defining;

(i) a pair of opposed panels of substantial area formed in a plain weave of a first count,

(ii) a pair of intermediate margins of slight width joining an opposed pair of sides of said opposed panels together, said intermediate margins being formed in a plain interweave of a second count greater than said first count; and

(iii) a pair of outer margins, each outer margin being of substantially greater width than said one of intermediate margins and extending about the outer side of a respective one of said intermediate margins, said outer margins being formed in a weave looser than said plain interweave; and

(B) non-interwoven means for joining the other opposed pair of sides of said opposed panels together to form an inverted bag from said tube; and

(C) inflation means in gaseous communication with the interior of said inverted bag for inflating said inverted bag.

21. The airbag of claim 20 wherein said inflation means is in gaseous communication with the interior of said inverted bag through an aperture formed in one of said opposed panels.

22. The airbag of claim 20 wherein said second count is substantially double said first count, and said outer margin is a non-plain weave of said second count.

23. The airbag of claim 20 wherein said construction has a Frazier porosity of less than 8 cubic feet per minute.

24. A method of making a tube for an airbag, comprising the step of:

weaving a seamless tube of integral, unitary, one-piece woven construction, said tube defining;

(i) a pair of opposed panels of substantial area formed in a plain weave of a first yarn density; and

(ii) a pair of intermediate margins of slight width joining an opposed pair of sides of said opposed panels together, said intermediate margins being formed in a plain weave of a second yarn density greater than said first yarn density; and

(iii) a pair of outer margins, each outer margin being of substantially greater width than one of said intermediate margins and extending about the outer side of a respective one of said intermediate margins, said outer margins being formed in a weave looser than said plain weave.

25. The method of claim 24 including the subsequent step of joining the other opposed pair of sides of said opposed panels together, thereby to form a bag from said tube.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein said construction has a Frazier porosity of less than 8 cubic feet per minute.

27. A method of making an airbag, comprising the steps of:

(A) making a bag according to claim 25;

(B) inverting the bag; and

(C) positioning inflation means in gaseous communication with the interior of the inverted bag for inflating the inverted bag.