Folded air bag
First Claim
1. An inflatable restraint for use with a source of inflation fluid and for, when inflated, restraining a passenger of a vehicle, said restraint comprising:
- a panel of fabric material having first and second opposite end portions and first and second opposite side portions;
said panel being folded along spaced apart first fold lines such that said first end portion of said panel overlies said second end portion, a first stitching line joining said first and second end portions of said panel;
said panel including said first stitching line being folded along spaced apart second fold lines extending at an angle other than 90°
to said first stitching line, said second fold lines also defining a plurality of folded portions of said panel which overlie each other and are in abutting engagement with each other, said second fold lines also defining a plurality of folded portions of said first stitching line which are spaced apart from and not in overlapping alignment with each other.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A folded air bag (10) is made from a panel (40) of fabric material which is folded and sewn to define an inflation fluid volume. The panel (40) is sewn along stitching lines (110, 120) which extend at an angle other than 90° to fold lines (170, 172, 174, 200, 202) and which intersect the fold lines. Thus, when the panel (40) is folded along the fold lines (170, 172, 174, 200, 202), the stitching lines (110, 120) are folded into portions (190-196, 220-224, 230-236, 240-244) which are not in overlying relationship with each other and which are spaced apart from each other. This minimizes the thickness of the folded air bag (10).
32 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An inflatable restraint for use with a source of inflation fluid and for, when inflated, restraining a passenger of a vehicle, said restraint comprising:
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a panel of fabric material having first and second opposite end portions and first and second opposite side portions; said panel being folded along spaced apart first fold lines such that said first end portion of said panel overlies said second end portion, a first stitching line joining said first and second end portions of said panel; said panel including said first stitching line being folded along spaced apart second fold lines extending at an angle other than 90°
to said first stitching line, said second fold lines also defining a plurality of folded portions of said panel which overlie each other and are in abutting engagement with each other, said second fold lines also defining a plurality of folded portions of said first stitching line which are spaced apart from and not in overlapping alignment with each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An inflatable restraint for use with a source of inflation fluid and for, when inflated, restraining a passenger of a vehicle, said restraint comprising:
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a generally rectangular panel of fabric material having first and second opposite side edges which extend generally parallel to each other and first and second opposite end edges which extend between said side edges, said panel having first and second opposite side portions and first and second opposite end portions; said panel being folded and said first end portion of said panel overlying said second end portion; a first stitching line joining said overlying first and second end portions of said panel, said first stitching line extending between said first and second side edges in a direction generally parallel to said first and second end edges; said panel including said first stitching line being folded along spaced apart fold lines defining a plurality of folded portions of said panel which overlie each other and which are in abutting engagement with each other, each of said fold lines intersecting said first stitching line at an angle other than 90°
to define a plurality of folded portions of said first stitching line which are spaced apart from and not in overlapping engagement with each other. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification