Air belt and air belt device

• US 6,082,763 A
• Filed: 12/03/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kokeguchi, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US09/205,097
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 280/733, 280/801.1, 280/805, 280/808, 297/464, 297/468, 297/482, 297/483
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/201 Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/16 incorporating synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0312 Bulk fabric, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/122 Safety belts

Abstract

To provide an air belt in which a cover is prevented from moving freely relative to an envelope-like belt, and an air belt device employing the air belt. An air belt 2B comprises an envelope-like belt 10, which is folded into a band-like configuration, and a knit cover 12 made of woven fabric and surrounding the envelope-like belt 10. The inner surface of the knit cover 12 and the outer surface of the folded envelope-like belt 10 are bonded to each other by adhesive layers 11. Overlapped portions 12a of the knit cover 12 extending along the sides of the knit cover 12 are bonded by the adhesive layers 11. The knit cover 12 can be stretched in the width direction, but is hardly stretched in the longitudinal direction because it is processed by hot-drawing.

Claims

1. An air belt comprising:

a folded body which is an envelope belt folded into a band configuration; and

a cover extendable for covering the folded body of the envelope belt, the envelope belt being inflatable by introduced gas, said air belt being characterized in that the inner surface of the cover is bonded to the outer surface of the folded body.

2. An air belt as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that substantially the entire outer surface of the folded body is bonded to the inner surface of the cover.

3. An air belt as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that parts of the outer surface of the folded body are bonded to the inner surface of the cover.

4. An air belt as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the bonded portions between the folded body and the cover are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the folded body.

5. An air belt as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the bonding is provided by heating thermoplastic resin interposed between the folded body and the cover.

6. An air belt as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the bonding portion between the cover and the folded body has such strength that-the bonding is cancelled when the folded body is inflated.

7. An air belt as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that overlapped portions of the envelope-like belt in the folded state are bonded to each other.

8. An air belt device comprising:

an air belt which is inflatable;

a gas generator for supplying gas into said air belt to inflate said air belt; and

a belt engagement device including a tongue to which said air belt is connected and a buckle which said tongue is engaged with;

said air belt device being characterized in that said air belt is an air belt as claimed in claim 1.