Air bag cover

• US 6,099,026 A
• Filed: 03/05/1998
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Michio, Asaoka, Michihisa, Ando, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIRKER, DANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US09/034,944
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 428/36.1, 442/181, 280/728.3, 280/728.2, 280/728.1
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/201 Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/30 Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]

Abstract

An air bag cover made from a woven textile and adapted to be used to cover a folded air bag, wherein a breakable portion allowed to be ruptured at the time of inflation of the air bag is constituted by a plurality of slits provided intermittently. An auxiliary slit is formed on a side of a connection portion between the slits so that threads disposed in the connection portion and intersecting extension line of the slits at the connection portion are cut.

Claims

1. A woven textile air bag cover with warp and weft threads to be used for a folded air bag, comprising:

a breakable portion to be ruptured upon inflation of the air bag, said breakable portion comprising

a plurality of slits spaced apart such that any two adjacent slits do not cut a singular strand of either of said warp or weft threads more than once, the space between the nearest ends of any two adjacent slits forming a connection portion; and

an auxiliary slit formed adjacent to the connection portion so that threads disposed within said connection portion are cut at a point offset from the connection portion, thus, upon inflation of said air bag, rupture of said breakable portion comprises the pulling of the cut threads from within the woven textile fabric.

2. The woven textile air bag cover according to claim 1, wherein auxiliary slits are formed adjacent both sides of said connection portion.

3. The woven textile air bag cover according to claim 1, wherein said woven air bag cover comprises a body portion shaped like a rectangle, and two pairs of attachment pieces projecting outwardly from opposing edges of said body portion, and said breakable portion is formed centrally within said body portion.

4. The woven textile air bag cover according to claim 1, wherein the distance between said plurality of slits and said auxiliary slits in a direction perpendicular to each other ranges between 5 to 15 mm.

5. The woven textile air bag cover according to claim 1, wherein the length of said connection portion is 2 mm.

6. The woven textile air bag cover according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of slits are formed parallel with said warp threads.

7. The woven textile air bag cover according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of slits are formed so as to intersect warp and weft threads.

8. The woven textile air bag cover according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of slits are formed along a single line.

9. The woven textile air bag cover according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary slit is positioned parallel to said plurality of slits.