Polygon-shaped air bag

• US 6,494,484 B2
• Filed: 04/23/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated), Milliken & Company
• Original Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Inventors: Bosgieter, Lance M., Keshavaraj, Ramesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JASMIN, LYNDA C
• Application Number:
  US09/298,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20010020779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.1, 280/728.1, 280/731, 280/730.2, 280/730.1
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23566 Nesting of panels, i.e. for material utilisation
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material

Abstract

A polygon-shaped air bag comprised of fabric for use in vehicle restraint systems is disclosed. The air bag is constructed from fabric panels in the shape of congruent, n-sided equiangular polygons, where n may be between five and eleven, but is preferably six or eight. The individual panels may be in the form of a single polygon, or in the form of two abutting polygons. The use of polygon-shaped panels allows for economical fabric utilization and increased fabrication efficiency, compared with panels having a circular shape.

Claims

1. An inflatable fabric cushion for use in a vehicle occupant restraint system, said cushion having a face side and a rear side, wherein said face side is comprised of a first n-sided equiangular polygon and said rear side is comprised of a second, congruent n-sided polygon, where n is an integer that is at least five and less than eleven.

2. The cushion of claim 1 wherein the numerical value of n is selected from the group consisting of six and eight.

3. The cushion of claim 1 wherein said n-sided polygon is a regular polygon and and the numerical value of n is selected from the group consisting of six and eight.

4. A fabric blank having inscribed therein at least one pair of adjacent and congruent polygon-shaped panels for use in air bag construction, each of said adjacent panels in said pair being comprised of at least one n-sided equiangular polygon, n being an integer that is at least five and less than eleven, wherein one of said polygon-shaped panels comprising said pair of panels has at least one side parallel to a side of said other polygon-shaped panel comprising said pair of panels.

5. The fabric blank of claim 4 wherein the numerical value of n is selected from the group consisting of six and eight.

6. The fabric blank of claim 4 wherein said n-sided polygon is a regular polygon and the numerical value of n is selected from the group consisting of six and eight.

7. The fabric blank of claim 4 wherein each of said panels comprising said pair of panels is a dual-lobed panel having 2n−

2 sides in which each lobe is in the shape of said n-sided equiangular polygon, where n is an integer that is at least five and less than eleven.

8. A process for manufacturing an inflatable restraint cushion, said process comprising the steps of:

(a) cutting a first n-sided panel in the shape of an equiangular n-sided polygon and a second, congruent n-sided panel from a fabric blank, where n is an integer that is at least five and less than eleven (b) superimposing said first panel and said second panel in congruent fashion, thereby causing said n sides of said first panel and said n sides of said second panel by forming a perimeter seam along each of their respective coincident n sides.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the numerical value of n is selected from the group consisting of six and eight.

10. The process of claim 8 wherein said first panel and said second panel are cut from different fabric blanks.

11. The process of claim 8 wherein said pattern for said first panel and said pattern for said second panel are arranged on said fabric blank so that at least one of said n sides of said first panel and at least one of said n sides of said second panel are closely adjacent to each other and are substantially parallel.

12. The process of claim 8 wherein said pattern for said first panel and said pattern for said second panel are arranged on said fabric blank so that at least one of said n sides of said first panel and at least one of said n sides of said second panel are coincident.