Inflatable airbag and a method of manufacturing the same

• US 6,183,009 B1
• Filed: 03/17/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Josef Rychter
• Original Assignee: Josef Rychter
• Inventors: Rychter, Joseph, Lehmann, Wilhelm Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KLEBE, GERALD B
• Application Number:
  US09/043,378
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.1, 280/728.1, 428/36.1
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/0045 Perforating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/026 Chemical pre-treatments B29C66/028 takes precedence
• 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 66/341 Measures for intermixing the material of the joint interlayer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• 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 66/72141 Fibres of continuous length
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/723 being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7234 comprising a barrier layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7292 coated B29C66/72941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• 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: B29K 2313/00 Use of textile products or fabrics as reinforcement B29K2105/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/02 Inflatable articles balls B29L2031/54 ; inner tyres B29L2023/245
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/027 Air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3038 Air bag covers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23523 : Composite
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23533 : characterised by the manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23576 : Sewing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2358 : Bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2359 : Welding
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 : characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2205/06 : Melt
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2211/268 : Airbags
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2213/04 : Perforated layer
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 3/183 : the layers are one next to the other

Abstract

The invention relates to an inflatable gas bag (10) for an occupant restraint system of a vehicle, in particular of a motor vehicle. In order to avoid the formation of creases in the inflated state, which occurs with conventional gas bags and in order to be able to employ more lightweight textile materials for the manufacture of a gas bag, the gas bag (10) consists of a multilayered textile composite material which comprises at least one layer of a textile material and one layer of a polymer material whose melting range is lower than the melting range of the textile material. The textile composite material is formed into a specified three-dimensional shape which is to develop during inflation of the gas bag (10), and the individual layers of the textile composite material are joined together in this three-dimensional shape.

Claims

1. An inflatable gas bag for an occupant restraint system in a vehicle, said gas bag comprising a thermally molded multilayer textile composite comprising two layers of textile fabric material and at least one layer of fusible polymer material disposed between said two layers, wherein the melting point of said fusible polymer material is lower than the melting point of said textile fabric material and wherein said fusible polymer material has been fused to said textile fabric material in a predetermined three-dimensional shape substantially corresponding to the inflation profile of said gas bag.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said gas bag comprises two or more molded multilayered textile composites joined together in a three-dimensional shape.

3. The invention according to claim 2, wherein at least two of said two or more molded multilayered textile composites incorporate different textile fabric materials.

4. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said layer of fusible polymer material comprises a plastic film or fleece.

5. The invention according to claim 4, wherein said layer of fusible polymer material comprises a layer of plastic film disposed within a melting adhesive.

6. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said two layers of textile fabric material are different from one another.

7. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said textile fabric material is selected from the group consisting of knitted fabrics, warp-knitted fabrics, and woven fabrics, and further wherein said fusible polymer material has been fused to said textile fabric material between forming tools.

8. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said textile composite is characterized by a mass per unit area of about 100 g/m² to about 150 g/m².

9. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said gas bag has localized regions of enhanced gas permeability.

21. An automotive restraint system comprising an inflatable gas bag as set forth in claim 1.

10. A method for manufacture of an inflatable gas bag for use in a vehicle restraint system comprising the concurrent steps of:

(a) fusing a polymer material to at least one layer of textile fabric material between forming tools to form a multilayered textile composite; and

(b) thermally forming said multilayered textile composite into a three-dimensional shape corresponding to the desired profile of said inflatable as bag.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein two or more forming tools are utilized to form attachable three-dimensional segments to said inflatable gas bag.

12. The method as in claim 10, wherein said polymer material fused to said textile fabric material comprises a film or fleece material.

13. The method as in claim 10, wherein said multilayered textile composite comprises two layers of textile fabric material between which said polymer material is disposed.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein said two layers of textile fabric material are different from one another.

15. The method as in claim 10, wherein said at least one layer of textile fabric material is selected from the group consisting of knitted fabrics, warp knitted fabrics and woven fabrics.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein said multilayered textile composite is characterized by a mass per unit area in the range of about 100 g/m² to about 150 g/m².

17. The method according to claim 10, comprising the additional step of:

(c) perforating localized areas of said multilayered textile composite.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein said polymer material and said textile fabric material have the same chemical identity.

19. An inflatable gas bag formed by the method according to claim 10.

20. An automotive restraint system comprising an inflatable gas bag according to claim 19.