Airbag

• US 6,241,282 B1
• Filed: 04/20/1999
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Specht, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US09/295,627
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01504 detecting bag displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

An airbag, in particular a passenger airbag, is folded in the resting state and is fastened on a fixing device. The airbag is folded double with crossover folds so that a passage for one or more substantially rectilinearly extending measuring elements is formed in the interior of the folded airbag.

Claims

1. An airbag which is folded in the resting state comprising two regions with different folding, wherein, in one region in a front part of the airbag having a span corresponding substantially to the base cross-section of a fixing device to which at least one scanning element is connected, said scanning cement on inflation of the airbag providing a measurement value corresponding to the distance the airbag front part has moved, a bellows is formed by a first set of folds, in which fold lays directed toward on another of, in each case, two internal fold flanks converging in the fold lines are formed on two opposing sides of the airbag and, in the other region, a part of the bellows formed by the first set of folds is folded with a zigzag set of folds orientated perpendicularly to the first set of folds at the other two sides of the airbag to form two stacks which lie side by side and are arranged between the bellows in the first region and the fixing device and in that at least one scanning element is guided between the two stacks of the second region and the internal fold lines of the first region, only the first set of folds has a span corresponding substantially to the base cross-section of the fixing device.

2. Airbag according to claim 1 wherein the second set of folds, the length of lay of a fold lay connected directly to the fixing frame corresponds substantially to the stack height of the two stacks.

3. The airbag according to claim 1 further comprising a fixing device to which the airbag is fastened, the fixing device is designed as a fixing frame of rectangular form and the first set of folds is provided at the two narrow sides and the second set of folds at the two long sides of the fixing device.

4. The airbag according to claim 1 wherein each case outer fold lays of the second set of folds rest on the fixing device as a lower layer of the respective fold stack of the second set of folds.

5. The airbag according to claim 1 wherein the number and/or lengths of the fold lays of the two fold stacks differ.

6. The airbag according to claim 1 wherein the anchoring point of the scanning element lies within the upper part of the airbag on an internal fold line of the first set of folds.

7. The airbag according to claim 1 wherein at least one scanning element is connected to a piece of fabric forming the upper surface of the folded airbag.

8. The airbag according claim 1 wherein for the intended manner of unfolding during inflation of the airbag, the fold lays of the two folds are connected by tear seams, in particular in the region of the fold lines.

9. The airbag according to claim 3 wherein the fixing device designed as a fixing frame comprises a filling orifice through which the airbag is inflated as it unfolds.

10. The airbag according to claim 1 wherein the region of the airbag comprising only the first set of folds is arranged between the two fold stacks comprising the two sets of folds and the piece of fabric forming the top of the folded airbag stack.

11. Airbag according to claim 7 further comprising an additional fold lay below the piece of fabric forming the upper surface of the folded airbag.