Twelve-sided polygon-shaped air bag
First Claim
1. An inflatable fabric cushion for use in a vehicle occupant restraint system, said cushion having a face panel and a rear panel, wherein said face panel is in the shape of a first twelve-sided polygon and said rear panel is in the shape of a second, congruent twelve-sided polygon, said face panel and said rear panel being joined along the respective coincident cut edges.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A twelve-sided polygon-shaped air bag comprised of fabric for use in vehicle restraint systems and method of manufacture is disclosed. The air bag is constructed from fabric panels in the shape of congruent, twelve-sided polygons, which may be regular dodecagons or dodecagons having alternating short and long sides. The individual panels may be in the form of a single dodecagon, or in the form of two abutting dodecagons. The use of dodecagon-shaped panels allows for economical fabric utilization and increased fabrication efficiency, compared with panels having a circular shape.
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Citations
25 Claims
- 1. An inflatable fabric cushion for use in a vehicle occupant restraint system, said cushion having a face panel and a rear panel, wherein said face panel is in the shape of a first twelve-sided polygon and said rear panel is in the shape of a second, congruent twelve-sided polygon, said face panel and said rear panel being joined along the respective coincident cut edges.
- 7. 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 twelve-sided polygon, 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.
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17. A process for manufacturing an inflatable restraint cushion, said process comprising the steps of:
- (a) cutting a first twelve-sided panel and a second, congruent twelve-sided panel from a fabric blank;
(b) superimposing said first panel and said second panel in congruent fashion, thereby causing said twelve sides of said first panel and said twelve sides of said second panel to coincide; and
(c) securing together said first panel and said second panel by forming a perimeter seam along each of their respective coincident sides. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
- (a) cutting a first twelve-sided panel and a second, congruent twelve-sided panel from a fabric blank;
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22. A process for manufacturing an inflatable restraint cushion comprising the steps of:
- (a) cutting from a fabric blank at least one panel in the shape of two congruent, twelve-sided polygons that are contiguous along a common uncut side and that form a dual-lobed panel, each lobe having the shape of a twelve-sided polygon having eleven cut sides and an uncut twelfth side which is coincident with a side of the other lobe;
(b) folding said dual-lobed panel along said uncut coincident side and superimposing said two polygonal lobes in congruent fashion, thereby causing each of said cut sides of each lobe to coincide with the corresponding cut side of the other lobe; and
(c) securing together said first lobe and said second lobe by forming a perimeter seam along each of their respective coincident cut sides. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
- (a) cutting from a fabric blank at least one panel in the shape of two congruent, twelve-sided polygons that are contiguous along a common uncut side and that form a dual-lobed panel, each lobe having the shape of a twelve-sided polygon having eleven cut sides and an uncut twelfth side which is coincident with a side of the other lobe;
Specification