Strap and method for producing same

• US 6,705,244 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johann Berger
• Original Assignee: Johann Berger
• Inventors: Berger, Johann, Märtz, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): NERBUN, PETER P
• Application Number:
  US09/857,888
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 112/475.06, 112/475.01, 112/475.08, 280/733, 280/743.1, 280/801.1, 280/728.1, 139/389
• US Class Current: 112/475.06
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23547 one piece weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0005 Woven fabrics for safety belts
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/02 Inflatable articles

Abstract

A method of fabricating an inflatable seat webbing, more particularly for a seat belt, comprising the steps of weaving a two-ply fabric having an upper ply and a lower ply, folding and placing outermost outer parts on adjoining parts so that all parts are located in sequence above or below a middle part to result in, as viewed in a warp direction, the configuration of a collapsed concertina, and tucking the middle part to the left as viewed from a predetermined direction in relation to fabric threads so that the upper ply and the lower ply of the middle part formerly facing each other now face outwards and sandwiching the folded outer parts and the middle part in between.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an inflatable webbing more particularly for a seat belt, comprising the steps of:

1.1 weaving a two-ply fabric having an upper ply and a lower ply, comprising

a) the fabric including at least one left outer part, a middle part, and at least one right outer part, roughly equal in width,

b) the warp threads of the outer parts are finer than the warp threads of the middle part,

c) in the narrow creases, each located between the middle part and the adjoining outer parts, opposite the broad middle part the warp threads are finer than the warp threads in the middle part, but coarser tan in the outer parts,

d) the upper ply and the lower ply are interwoven in the region of the outermost edges of the outer parts,

e) the upper ply and the lower ply are interwoven at least in the region of the two narrow creases with at least one burst tread running substantially in the warp direction,

1.2 folding and placing the outermost outer parts on adjoining parts so that all parts are located in sequence above or below the middle part to result in, as viewed in the warp directions the configuration of a collapsed concertina,

1.3 tucking the middle part to the left so that the upper ply and the lower ply of the middle part formerly facing each other now face outwards and sandwiching the folded outer parts and the middle part in between.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, in which the two-ply fabric has the following design features:

a) the fabric webbing width is divided into three parts roughly equal in width, namely a left outer part, a middle part, and a right outer part,

b) the dtex of the warp threads of the outer parts is that of warp threads as usual for airbags, more particularly, a dtex of approximately a tenth of the dtex of the warp threads of the middle part,

c) in two narrow creases, each located between the middle part and the adjoining outer parts, the warp threads are finer than the warp threads in the middle part, more particularly, having a dtex roughly half that of the warp threads of the middle part,

d) the two fabric plies are interwoven in the region of the outermost edges of the outer parts,

e) the two fabric plies are interwoven at least in the region of the two narrow creases with at least one burst thread running substantially in the warp direction.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the two fabric plies in the middle portion of the middle part are interwoven with at least two burst threads running in the warp direction.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the fabric is coated on the outside prior to being folded.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 for fabricating a webbing woven to specification, wherein:

the step “

1.1 weaving a two-ply fabric”

is implemented such that the two-ply fabric comprises the following further features;

1.1 f) the fabric is divided into two portions differingly woven in part, namely a retraction portion of the webbing and an inflation portion of the webbing,

g) the upper ply and the lower ply of the outer parts of the webbing are interwoven by means of transverse seams in the weft direction along a predetermined strip between the retraction portion and inflation portion,

h) the upper ply and the lower ply of the outer parts of the webbing are interwoven by means of longitudinal seams in the warp direction along strips running directly along strips running directly alongside the creases in the retraction portion,

prior to the step “

1.3 Tucking the middle part”

the following step is implemented;

1.31 cutting out the outer parts each divided from the remaining webbing by the woven longitudinal and transverse seam.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that after the step “

1.3 Tucking the middle part”

of acut-to-length piece of the webbing the following steps are implemented;

1.5 inserting an end portion of a certain length of a single-ply webbing between the upper ply with outer part and lower ply with outer part of the two-ply fabric,

1.6 stitching the sandwiched upper ply of the middle part with outer part, end portion of specific length of single-ply webbing, lower ply of the middle part with outer part by means of one or more seams spaced away from each other sufficiently so that the overlapping portion of the plies remains floppy.

5. A webbing, more particularly for a seat belt, comprising a woven two-ply fabric having an upper ply and a lower ply comprising:

a) the fabric webbing width is divided into three parts roughly equal in width, namely a left outer part, a middle part, and a right outer part,

b) the warp threads of the outer parts are substantially finer then the warp threads of the middle part,

c) in relation to the middle part, narrow creases each located between the middle part and the adjoining outer parts the warp threads are finer than the warp threads in the middle pan, but coarser than in the outer parts,

d) the upper ply and the lower ply are interwoven in the region of the outer most edges of the outer parts,

e) the upper ply and lower ply are interwoven at least in the region of the two narrow creases with at least one burst thread running in the warp direction,

f) the left outer part is folded along the left crease onto the upper ply of the middle part,

g) the right outer part is folded along the right crease onto the lower ply of the middle part, so that, viewed in the warp directions the configuration of a collapsed concertina materializes,

h) the middle part is tucked to the left so that the upper ply and the lower ply of the middle part formerly facing each other now face outwards and sandwiched the folding outer parts and the middle part in between.

6. The webbing according to claim 5, wherein the one or both burst threads running in the two narrow creases are woven or stitched.

7. The webbing as set forth in claim 5, characterized in that the fabric is coated on the outside.

8. The webbing as set forth in claim 5, characterized in that the weft thread is made of a monofil and/or multifil.