Air bag

• US 5,618,595 A
• Filed: 08/25/1994
• Issued: 04/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
• Inventors: Kimura, Takeshi, Iino, Yasuhiro, Toyosawa, Shinichi, Matsushima, Yosuke, Fukahori, Yoshihide, Noda, Akeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Ellis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dye, Rena L.
• Application Number:
  US08/295,483
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743 A, 280/743 R, 280/728 R, 280/743.2, 280/728.1, 428/226
• US Class Current: 428/35.2
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/00 Layered products having a non-planar shape
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/02 Synthetic macromolecular fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/003 Interior finishings
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/02 characterised by structural features of a fibrous or filamentary layer layer formed of metallic wires B32B15/02; layer formed of natural mineral fibres B32B19/02; layer formed of wood fibres B32B21/02
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23514 coated fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23523 Composite coated fabric B60R2021/23514
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23552 Knitting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23557 Molding
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2359 Welding
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/587 adhesive; fusible
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/902 High modulus filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1334 Nonself-supporting tubular film or bag [e.g., pouch, envelope, packet, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1341 Contains vapor or gas barrier, polymer derived from vinyl chloride or vinylidene chloride, or polymer containing a vinyl alcohol unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1345 Single layer [continuous layer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1362 Textile, fabric, cloth, or pile containing [e.g., web, net, woven, knitted, mesh, nonwoven, matted, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24785 including layer embodying mechanically interengaged strands, strand portions or strand-like strips [e.g., weave, knit, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2929 Bicomponent, conjugate, composite or collateral fibers or filaments [i.e., coextruded sheath-core or side-by-side type]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2931 Fibers or filaments nonconcentric [e.g., side-by-side or eccentric, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2631 : Coating or impregnation provides heat or fire protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3016 : Including a preformed layer other than the elastic woven fabric [e.g., fabric or film or foil or sheet layer, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3024 : Including elastic strand or strip
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3154 : Sheath-core multicomponent strand material

Abstract

A first air bag comprises an upper cloth and a lower cloth, the peripheries of the both cloths being connected, characterized in that the upper cloth consists of an airtight sheet obtained by weaving a composite fiber composed of a filament core and a thermoplastic polymer bonded thereto which has a melting point lower than that of said filament core, and then fusing said thermoplastic polymer so that the surface of said upper cloth has a continuous thermoplastic polymer layer. A second air bag consists of a membranous material having a breaking extension of 100% or more. A third air bag comprises an elastomer body and a shape-retaining member partially attached to the elastomer body, said member being composed of elastic fibers or threads and high-modulus fibers.

Claims

1. An air bag comprising;

an elastomer body defining an air bag, said elastomer body having a spheroid shape when inflated, a shape-retaining member attached to the exterior surface of the elastomer body, said shape-retaining member having a thin elongated string shape and being composed of (a) elastic fibers or threads and (b) high-modulus fibers, said shape-retaining member dividing said surface of said elastomer body into a plurality of separate sections, and said elastomer body formed from a membranous material having an elongation of 100% or more having a higher elongation than that of said elastic fibers or threads.

2. The air bag of claim 1, wherein said shape-retaining member is composed of a fabric made of 10-90% by weight of elastic fibers or threads and 90-10% by weight of high-modulus fibers.

3. The air bag of claim 1, wherein said elastomer body is an elastomer film selected from a thermoplastic or thermosetting elastomer having a higher elasticity than said elastic fibers or threads.

4. The air bag of claim 1, wherein said high-modulus fibers are selected from the group consisting of aramid fibers, aromatic polyester fibers and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fibers.

5. The air bag of claim 1, wherein said elastomer body comprises an elastomer film having a thickness in the range of 100-1,000 um and a breaking extension in the range of 500 to 1,200%.

6. An air bag comprising:

a bag body formed of an elastomer film and a shape-retaining member laminated to the exterior surface of the bag body and surrounding said bag body, said shape-retaining member comprising a composite of (a) elastic fibers or thread and (b) high-modulus fibers having a thin elongated string shape and selected from aramid fibers, aromatic polyester fibers and ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fibers, said bag body formed of an elastomer membranous film having an elongation of 100% or more and is a higher elongation than that of said elastic fibers or thread.