Air bag system and method of making the same

• US 6,293,580 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2000
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC
• Original Assignee: Takata Restraint Systems Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Boumarafi, Mohammed, Hurford, Jonathon P., Genslak, Brian K., Lachat, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Application Number:
  US09/541,300
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/732, 280/728.3
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats

Abstract

An air bag system and method of making the same are provided including a reinforced cover for a vehicle seat having an air bag module hidden therein. The reinforced cover includes cover material that is stretchable and a backing reinforcement material that is stiffer than the cover material. The reinforcement material is attached to the cover material to provide a repeatable deployment path for the air bag as it inflates so that the air bag breaks through the seat cover at a preferred location thereon, e.g. bolster seam. The reinforced cover will not expand as the bag inflates as its stiffness or rigidity as provided by the reinforcement material will cause the bag to seek out the area of greater weakness in the cover at the bolster seam which the reinforcement material does not block. As the reinforcement cover provides the repeatable deployment path for the air bag to the bolster seam, there is no need for complicated and expensive modifications to the air bag module for proper and timely deployment thereof simplifying the installation of the present air bag system.

Claims

1. In a motor vehicle having a deployable air bag in a seat thereof, the combination comprising:

a gas generator;

an inflatable air bag having one end connected to the gas generator to receive gas therefrom to inflate the air bag, and an outboard end generally opposite the one end;

a cover sheet on the vehicle seat of a first material with a predetermined rigidity thereof, and having first and second panels each of a predetermined size including a predetermined width and height;

a frangible seam joining the first and second panels and located at a preferred air bag deployment location with the outboard end of the bag adjacent the seam so that upon deployment thereof the outboard end directly engages the seam; and

a fabric reinforcement material of a predetermined rigidity greater than that of the cover sheet material, and attached at predetermined locations on the first and second panels coordinated with the position of the air bag so that the expansion forces of the air bag are taken thereby, and adjacent the frangible seam to cause the inflating air bag to seek the frangible seam and to deploy through the preferred deployment location, the fabric reinforcement material sized to extend for substantially the full width of each of the panels and less than the full height to minimize elongation of the full widthwise expanse of the seat cover sheet panels and keeping the amount of material used for the reinforcement material to a minimum.

2. A combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fabric reinforcement material is secured to the first and second panels on opposite sides of the frangible seam to resist elongation of the first and second panels and to cause breaking of the frangible seam.

3. A combination in accordance with claim 2 wherein the fabric reinforcement material comprises:

a fabric girdle stitched to the first and second panels.

4. A combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein the cover sheet comprises:

an external upholstery material of a vehicle seat.

5. A combination in accordance with claim 4 comprising:

a seat foam pad in the seat disposed substantially about the air bag module.

6. A combination in accordance with claim 5 wherein the fabric reinforcement material comprises:

plies of fabric material stitched to the cover sheet adjacent the frangible seam; and

the frangible seam comprises a bolster seam joining together first and second panels of seat upholstery.

7. A combination in accordance with claim 6 including the vehicle seat with the gas generator and air bag deploying the air bag to serve as a side-impact bag for a passenger on the vehicle seat.

8. A combination in accordance with claim 6 wherein the fabric material comprises:

a girdle secured to the seat upholstery along portions of the seat front, seat back, and at least one side of the seat having the frangible seam therein.

9. A combination in accordance with claim 8 wherein the girdle comprises a fabric of silicone-coated nylon having an elongation less than that of the upholstery material.

10. A combination in accordance with claim 6 wherein:

vertically disposed stitches join vertical edges of the reinforcement plies to vertical edges of the seat cover panels adjacent an associated bolster seam;

horizontally disposed edges of the reinforcement plies being substantially unattached to their associated seat cover panels.

11. A method of making a side-impact air bag installation comprising:

providing a seat frame;

providing a seat pad material on the seat frame;

providing a seat upholstery material including a plurality of panels each of a predetermined size having a predetermined width and height attached over the seat pad material and about the frame;

positioning an air bag module in the seat pad material so that an outer end of the air bag is adjacent the seat upholstery material;

attaching a reinforcing fabric material to the upholstery panels at selected central portions thereof to extend for substantially the full width of each of the panels and less than the full height leaving upper and lower portions of the seat upholstery material panels exposed;

coordinating the position of the air bag module with that of the reinforcing fabric so that expansion forces of the air bag created by gas from a generator are directed at the central portions of the upholstery material with the reinforcing fabric thereat minimizing elongation of the upholstery material in the central portion thereof to cause the inflating air bag to expand in a predetermined deployment path for emerging at a predetermined location on the seat upholstery material; and

stitching together adjacent panels of the reinforcing fabric material at a frangible seam between the upholstery panels located at the predetermined location for air bag deployment.

12. A method of making a side-impact air bag installation in accordance with claim 11 comprising:

encircling the air bag module with a girdle of the reinforcing fabric.

13. A method of making a side-impact air bag installation in accordance with claim 11 comprising:

positioning the air bag module in the seat pad with the outboard end of the air bag substantially flush with an outboard edge of the pad adjacent the frangible seam.

14. A method of making a side-impact air bag installation in accordance with claim 11 comprising:

forming the frangible seam by abutting panel edges of previously stitched together upholstery material and reinforcing fabric; and

stitching across the previously abutted and stitched edges to form the seam.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14 comprising:

providing the reinforcing material in plies stitched along vertical edges to an associated seat cover panel with horizontal edges of the plies being substantially unattached to the seat cover panels.

16. A motor vehicle seat having a side-impact air bag comprising:

an internal seat frame;

padding on the seat frame;

a plurality of interconnected panels of upholstery cover material covering the pad material, the panels each having upper and lower portions with a central portion therebetween;

a plurality of bolster seams stitching together the interconnected panels of upholstery cover material;

an air bag module having an outboard end mounted adjacent a vertical one of the bolster seams which is to serve as a deployment seam; and

a reinforcement material selectively positioned on the upholstery cover material to prevent the air bag from deploying through the other bolster seams and to deploy through the deployment seam adjacent the outboard end of the air bag module, the reinforcement material including a plurality of ply portions each associated with one of the upholstery panels with the ply portions sized and attached to cover the upholstery panel central portions leaving the upholstery panel upper and lower portions exposed to minimize the reinforcement material that is used relative to the upholstery material.

17. A motor vehicle seat in accordance with claim 16 wherein:

the reinforcement material comprises a fabric having a predetermined elongation to resist expansion under pressure from the inflating air bag of the air bag module.

18. A motor vehicle seat in accordance with claim 17 wherein:

stitches join the fabric reinforcing material to the upholstery cover material to form the multiple-ply seat upholstery cover material for being stitched at the bolster seams.

19. A motor vehicle seat in accordance with claim 18 wherein:

the reinforcing material plies are stitched along vertical edges to the panels of the upholstery material with the horizontal edges of the plies being substantially free of stitches and connection to the associated seat cover panel.

20. A motor vehicle seat in accordance with claim 16 wherein:

an encircling girdle of the reinforcement material substantially encircles the air bag module.

21. A motor vehicle seat in accordance with claim 18 wherein the reinforcing fabric comprise a silicone-coated nylon material.