Hidden volume cushion
First Claim
1. An airbag for use in an airbag restraint system for automobile passenger safety, said airbag comprising:
- a first fabric wall enclosing an inflation chamber for inflation by gas from an inflator, said first fabric wall having a mouth for flow of gas from an inflator into the inflation chamber, a second fabric wall received and stored within the inflation chamber so as to be unavailable for contributing to volume capacity of the enclosed chamber during an initial stage of inflation of said airbag, but capable of contributing to volume capacity of the inflation chamber during a later stage of inflation of said airbag, andopposed strip means having first ends non-rupturably joined to said first and second fabric walls, said opposed strip means further having second ends rupturably joined together by a weak seam located outside the enclosed inflation chamber, said weak seam being rupturable at a predetermined level of gas pressure in said airbag inflation chamber, whereby rupture of said weak seam causes the second fabric wall to become available for contributing volume capacity, along with the first fabric wall, to increased volume capacity of the inflation chamber.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In an airbag restraint system for automobile passenger safety, an airbag having a flexible fabric airbag wall defining an inflation chamber with a mouth in said airbag wall for communication of the closed inflation chamber with an inflator, has a portion of said airbag wall tucked inside the inflation chamber and held there by strips permanently attached to panels of the airbag wall parallel to fold lines on said panels where the tucked in portion of the airbag wall turns into the airbag. Those strips extend outward beyond said fold lines and are joined there by a weak seam that can be broken by tension in the airbag walls caused by inflation of the airbag to a desired inflation pressure. When the weak seam breaks, the strips are released and the tucked in portion of the airbag will be deployed and inflated to increase the volume capacity of the airbag and thereby decrease pressure in the airbag.
76 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An airbag for use in an airbag restraint system for automobile passenger safety, said airbag comprising:
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a first fabric wall enclosing an inflation chamber for inflation by gas from an inflator, said first fabric wall having a mouth for flow of gas from an inflator into the inflation chamber, a second fabric wall received and stored within the inflation chamber so as to be unavailable for contributing to volume capacity of the enclosed chamber during an initial stage of inflation of said airbag, but capable of contributing to volume capacity of the inflation chamber during a later stage of inflation of said airbag, and opposed strip means having first ends non-rupturably joined to said first and second fabric walls, said opposed strip means further having second ends rupturably joined together by a weak seam located outside the enclosed inflation chamber, said weak seam being rupturable at a predetermined level of gas pressure in said airbag inflation chamber, whereby rupture of said weak seam causes the second fabric wall to become available for contributing volume capacity, along with the first fabric wall, to increased volume capacity of the inflation chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification