Air bag and method for making the air bag

• US 5,514,431 A
• Filed: 12/30/1993
• Issued: 05/07/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Shimomura, Kyoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ball, Michael W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lorin, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US08/176,124
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 156/277, 156/289, 156/290, 156/244.11, 156/244.16, 428/34.8, 428/35.8, 428/35.3, 428/35.7, 428/178, 428/195, 428/200, 428/187, 428/35.5, 383/3, 383/105, 383/107, 383/116, 446/224, 427/250, 427/294
• US Class Current: 428/35.3
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/004 Preventing sticking together, e.g. of some areas of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/133 Fin-type joints, the parts to be joined being flexible the parts to be joined being rigid B29C66/1312
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/432 for making tubular articles or closed loops, e.g. by joining several sheets B29C66/547 takes precedence; bending and joining sheets at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the article being formed and joining the edges B29C53/38; for making hollow articles or hollow preforms
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/433 Casing-in, i.e. enclosing an element between two sheets by an outlined seam for bookbinding B42C11/06; for packaging B65B; by laminating B32B37/00; enclosing tubular articles between substantially flat elements B29C66/53261
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/45 Joining of substantially the whole surface of the articles methods or apparatus for laminating B32B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/472 said single elements being substantially flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72321 consisting of metals or their alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72341 for gases
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/0625 LLDPE, i.e. linear low density polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/0633 LDPE, i.e. low density polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/08 Copolymers of ethylene B29K2023/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/083 EVA, i.e. ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/08 PVDC, i.e. polyvinylidene chloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/12 Polymers of methacrylic acid esters, e.g. PMMA, i.e. polymethylmethacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 : Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/02 : Inflatable articles balls B29L2031/54 ; inner tyres B29L2023/245
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2323/046 : LDPE, i.e. low density polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 : Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2375/00 : Polyureas; Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 : of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 : comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 : comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/40 : comprising polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/0076 : characterised in that the layers are not bonded on the totality of their surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/153 : at least one layer is extruded and immediately laminated while in semi-molten state
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/26 : with at least one layer which influences the bonding during the lamination process, e.g. release layers or pressure equalising layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/06 : permitting easy separation
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/052 : filled with fluid, e.g. inflatable elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1334 : Nonself-supporting tubular film or bag [e.g., pouch, envelope, packet, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1338 : Elemental metal containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1355 : Elemental metal containing [e.g., substrate, foil, film, coating, etc.]

Abstract

An air bag is made by bonding a pair of sheets to each other by heat-sealing with a releasing layer corresponding to a pattern of a number of cellular air chambers sandwiched therebetween. A check valve for air infusion, which is used for filling air in the air bag, is mounted in one of the air chambers. When air is infused into a space between either of a pair of sheets and the releasing layer through an air infusion port of the check valve, the releasing layer and the corresponding sheet are peeled from each other by the air pressure. As a result, the air chambers are formed between the two layers.

Claims

1. An air bag comprising:

a first sheet having an inner surface;

a second sheet having an inner surface; and

a releasing layer, having a pattern corresponding to and defining an air chamber, printed on said inner surface of one of said first sheet and said second sheet;

wherein said first and second sheets comprise an extruded bonding layer bonding said inner surfaces of said first and said second sheets to each other, with said releasing layer between said inner surfaces, by heat fusion extruding lamination; and

wherein said air chamber defined by said releasing layer is between said inner surfaces of said first and second sheets.

2. The air bag of claim 1, wherein said bonding layer is made of a polyethylene.

3. The air bag of claim 2, wherein at least one of said first and second sheets further comprises at least one layer selected from the group consisting of a picture pattern print layer and a vacuum metallizing deposition layer.

4. The air bag of claim 2, wherein said air chamber comprises a plurality of cellular air chambers communicating with each other.

5. The air bag of claim 4, and further comprising a valve extending through said first and second sheets in one of said plurality of cellular air chambers, wherein said valve is a check valve having an air infusion port for infusing air into the one of said plurality of cellular air chambers and a pair of upper and lower flanges positioned outside of said first and second sheets and bonded airtightly to outer surfaces of said first and second sheets.

6. The air bag of claim 5, wherein said valve comprises a valve body having a bottom with said lower flange thereon, a cylindrical leg extending through said first and second sheets, and a valve seat on top of said cylindrical leg, a cap having said upper flange thereon fitted to an upper end of said cylindrical leg, said cap having said air infusion port therein, and a disk-shaped elastic valve member sandwiched between said cap and said valve seat, and wherein said cylindrical leg of said valve body has an axial groove extending through said valve seat such that air infused from said air infusion port in said cap is led to the one of said cellular air chambers through said groove when said elastic valve member is pushed down into said groove.

7. The air bag of claim 5, wherein said valve comprises a valve body having a bottom wall with said lower flange thereon and said air infusion port therein and a cylindrical leg extending through said first and second sheets, said cylindrical leg having a groove therein, a cap fitted to an upper end of said cylindrical leg having said upper flange thereon and a second air infusion port therein, a seat member housed in said cylindrical leg having a valve seat at an upper end and a valve seat at a lower end, a first disk-shaped elastic valve member sandwiched between said cap and said valve seat at said upper end of said seat member and a second disk-shaped elastic valve member sandwiched between said bottom wall and said valve seat at said lower end of said seat member such that air infused from one of said air infusion ports is led to the one of said cellular air chambers through said groove when one of said elastic valve members is pushed down.

8. The air bag of claim 2, and further comprising an air infusion valve for communicating the exterior of said air bag with said air chamber.

9. The air bag of claim 8, wherein said air infusion valve comprises a film valve.

10. The air bag of claim 9, and further comprising a peripheral portion at which said first and second sheets have an opening formed therebetween communicating with said air chamber, said opening having a peripheral part, wherein said film valve is disposed in said opening, and wherein said film valve comprises a pair of films that are bonded to each other, said pair of films comprising outer ends bonded to respective ones of said first and second sheets at said peripheral part of said opening and inner ends maintained in a released state from said first and second sheets.

11. The air bag of claim 9, and further comprising a peripheral portion at which said first and second sheets have an opening formed therebetween communicating with said air chamber, said first and second sheets having respective outer surfaces, and wherein

said air infusion valve comprises a valve body comprising a pair of front and back films each having a tongue piece, a valve member having a V-shape, said valve member comprising an open side and a bent portion, and an air infusion port,

said valve member has sides bonded to respective ones of said front and back films so as to be held between said front and back films of said valve body and such that said bent portion faces toward said air infusion port, and

each said tongue piece is bonded to a respective one of said outer surfaces of said first and second sheets at said opening of said air bag.

12. The air bag of claim 11, wherein each of said outer surfaces of said first and second sheets is provided with a heat-sealable layer to which a respective said tongue piece of said front and back films is bonded.

13. The air bag of claim 8, wherein said air infusion valve comprises an air infusion port communicating said air chamber with the exterior of said air bag and projecting externally of said air chamber and a plug for opening and closing said air infusion port.

14. The air bag of claim 2, and further comprising a peripheral part, wherein an air infusion port is formed between said first and second sheets at a predetermined position on said peripheral part, and wherein said air infusion port communicates with said air chamber through a winding and narrow air infusion passage that is filled with a viscous liquid.

15. The air bag of claim 1, wherein said first and second sheets each comprise a base film.

16. A method of making an air bag comprising the steps of:

printing a releasing layer having a pattern corresponding to a desired air chamber pattern on an inner surface of one of a first sheet member and a second sheet member; and

bonding the first and second sheets to each other with the releasing layer sandwiched therebetween by heat fusion extruding lamination by extruding a bonding layer of one of the first and second sheets and laminating the first and second sheets.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one of the first and second sheet members is formed with the bonding layer on an inner surface thereof as a heat sealable bonding layer, the other of the first and second sheets is formed with a heat sealable bonding layer on an inner surface thereof, and said step of bonding further comprises heating the first and second sheets under pressure.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the releasing layer is printed on one of the bonding layers.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the releasing layer is printed on the bonding layer after it has been extruded.

20. An air bag made by the process of:

forming a first sheet having an inner surface;

forming a second sheet having an inner surface; and

printing a releasing layer having a pattern corresponding to and defining a desired air chamber pattern on said inner surface of one of said first sheet and said second sheet;

wherein said steps of forming first and second sheets includes extruding a bonding layer on one of said first and second sheets; and

bonding said inner surfaces of said first sheet and said second sheet to each other with said releasing layer between said inner surfaces by heat fusion extruding lamination, thereby forming an air chamber defined by said releasing layer between said inner surfaces of said first and second sheets.