Gas bag for a vehicular restraint system and fabric for its manufacture

• US 6,135,488 A
• Filed: 07/07/1998
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Walz, Guido, Bosio, Allen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Application Number:
  US09/111,153
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.1, 280/728.1, 442/301, 442/302, 442/203, 442/136
• US Class Current: 280/728.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23123 Heat protection panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/02 Inflatable articles
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/76 with carbon oxides or carbonates D06M11/75 takes precedence; with percarbonic acids or their salts D06M11/50; with urea D06M13/432
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 2101/34 Polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2631 Coating or impregnation provides heat or fire protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3179 Woven fabric is characterized by a particular or differential weave other than fabric in which the strand denier or warp/weft pick count is specified

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gas bag for a vehicular restraint system, comprising a wall of a non-coated fabric, the wall having an inner surface facing away from a vehicle interior in an inflated condition of the gas bag, wherein a heat dissipating means is provided on the inner surface of the wall. In a preferred embodiment, the heat dissipating means consist of long floating plastic threads oriented in a weft or warp direction and interwoven with said fabric.

Claims

1. A gas bag for a vehicular restraint system, comprising:

a wall of non-coated fabric, the wall having an inner surface facing away from a vehicle interior in an inflated condition of the gas bag, the inner surface defining a volume which receives gas for inflating the gas bag, and

a heat dissipating means on the inner surface of the wall, said heat dissipating means reducing the temperature of gas streaming into the gas bag upon inflation of the gas bag by melting due to the heat dissipating means being heated by the gas,

wherein said heat dissipating means consists of long floating plastic threads oriented in a weft or warp direction and interwoven with said fabric at predetermined locations, and said long floating plastic threads being spaced apart from said inner surface of said fabric between said predetermined locations.

2. The gas bag as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plastic threads exist in a thread count of 4 to 6 threads per cm.

3. The gas bag as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plastic threads are interwoven at predetermined locations in a spacing of about 1 cm.

4. The gas bag as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plastic threads consist of polyamide having a melting point of about 180 to 440°

C.

5. A gas bag for a vehicular restraint system, comprising:

a wall of non-coated fabric, the wall having an inner surface facing away from a vehicle interior in an inflated condition of the gas bag, the inner surface defining a volume which receives gas for inflating the gas bag, and

a heat dissipating means on the inner surface of the wall, said heat dissipating means reducing the temperature of gas streaming into the gas bag upon inflation of the gas bag by melting due to the heat dissipating means being heated by the gas,

wherein said heat dissipating means is selected from the group consisting of sodium hydrocarbonate, ammonium hydrocarbonate, ammonium carbonate or potassium bicarbonate, and is dusted on the inner surface of said fabric.

6. A fabric for producing a gas bag for a vehicular restraint system, which gas bag is inflated by a gas directed into the gas bag, the fabric comprising an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to said outer surface, said inner surface being to define an inflatable volume of the gas bag, and

a heat dissipating means provided on said inner surface of said fabric, said heat dissipating means reducing the temperature of gas streaming into the gas bag upon inflation of the gas bag by melting due to the heat dissipating means being heated by the gas,

wherein said heat dissipating means consists of long floating plastic threads oriented in a weft or warp direction and interwoven with said fabric at predetermined locations, and said long floating plastic threads being spaced apart from said inner surface between said predetermined locations.

7. The fabric as set forth in claim 6, wherein said plastic threads are provided in a thread count of 4 to 6 cm.

8. The gas bag as set forth in claim 6, wherein said plastic threads are interwoven at said predetermined locations in a spacing of about 1 cm.

9. The gas bag as set forth in claim 6, wherein said plastic threads consist of polyamide having a melting point of about 180 to 440°

C.

10. A fabric for producing a gas bag for a vehicular restraint system, which gas bag is inflated by a gas directed into the gas bag, the fabric comprising an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to said outer surface, said inner surface being to define an inflatable volume of the gas bag, and

a heat dissipating means provided on said inner surface of said fabric, said heat dissipating means reducing the temperature of gas streaming into the gas bag by melting due to the heat dissipating means being heated by the gas,

wherein said heat dissipating means is selected from the group consisting of sodium hydrocarbonate, ammonium hydrocarbonate, ammonium carbonate or potassium bicarbonate, and is dusted on the inner surface of said fabric.