Warp knitted fabric for air belt cover

• US 6,837,079 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1999
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): WORRELL JR, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US09/328,890
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• Field of Search: 661/98, 661/69.R, 661/70, 661/96, 661/71, 662/02, 280/733, 280/728.1, 280/729, 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/742
• US Class Current: 66/198
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/14 Fabrics characterised by the incorporation by knitting, in one or more thread, fleece, or fabric layers, of reinforcing, binding, or decorative threads; Fabrics incorporating small auxiliary elements, e.g. for decorative purposes pile fabrics D04B21/02; non-woven fabrics in general D04H

Abstract

A warp knitted fabric is for enclosing a pouched belt constituting an inflatable air belt and folded into a shape of a belt. The warp knitted fabric has good stretching characteristics, strength and comfortableness. The warp knitted fabric includes a knitting yarn 20 and an additional yarn 30 inserted into the knitting yarn 20. The thickness of the additional yarn 30 is 3000 d or below, and the thickness of the knitting yarn 20 is the same or below that of the additional yarn.

Claims

1. A warp knitted fabric for an air belt for enclosing a bag belt folded into a shape of a band and constituting an inflatable air belt comprising:

a knitting yarn; and

an additional yarn inserted into the knitting yarn, wherein the additional yarn comprises;

a first additional yarn positioned to prevent the warp knitted fabric from stretching in the longitudinal direction; and

a second additional yarn positioned to prevent the warp knitted yarn from stretching in the transverse direction, wherein the second additional yarn has a thickness less than the first additional yarn;

wherein when a sufficient force is applied to the second additional yarn to cause the second additional yarn to break the warp knitted fabric is thereby permitted to stretch in the transverse direction.

2. A warp knitted fabric for an air belt according to claim 1, wherein the knitting yarn is arranged in successive loops which engage with adjacent loops on both sides alternately, and

wherein the first additional yarn is positioned to establish a link between closest loops of the knitting yarn, and

wherein the second additional yarn is positioned to establish a link between the next closest loops.

3. A warp knitted fabric for an air belt according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the second additional yarn is 3000 denier or below.

4. A warp knitted fabric for an air belt according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the second additional yarn is 3000 denier or below.

5. A warp knitted fabric for an air belt according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the first additional yarn ranges from 1000 to 3000, and the thickness of the knitting yarn is the same as or below that of the first additional yarn.

6. A warp knitted fabric for an air belt according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the first additional yarn ranges from 1000 to 3000, and the thickness of the knitting yarn is the same as or below that of the first additional yarn.

7. A warp knitted fabric for an air belt according to claim 3, wherein the thickness of the first additional yarn ranges from 1000 to 3000, and the thickness of the knitting yarn is the same as or below that of the first additional yarn.

8. A warp knitted fabric for an air belt according to claim 1, wherein the knitting yarn and the first additional yarn are made of thermoplastic synthetic filament yarn of which the base yarn strength is at least 8.0 g/d.

9. A warp knitted fabric for an air belt according to claim 2, wherein the knitting yarn and the first additional yarn are made of thermoplastic synthetic filament yarn of which the base yarn strength is at least 8.0 g/d.

10. A warp knitted fabric for an air belt according to claim 3, wherein the knitting yarn and the first additional yarn are made of thermoplastic synthetic filament yarn of which the base yarn strength is at least 8.0 g/d.

11. A warp knitted fabric for an air belt according to claim 4, wherein the knitting yarn and the first additional yarn are made of thermoplastic synthetic filament yarn of which the base yarn strength is at least 8.0 g/d.

12. A warp knitted fabric for an air belt according to claim 5, wherein the knitting yarn and the first additional yarn are made of thermoplastic synthetic filament yarn of which the base yarn strength is at least 8.0 g/d.

13. An inflatable air belt including a cover, the cover comprising:

a knitting yarn configured into a warp knitted fabric;

a first additional yarn inserted into the fabric in a position to prevent the fabric from stretching a longitudinal direction;

a second additional yarn inserted into the fabric in a position to prevent the fabric from stretching in a transverse direction; and

wherein the cover is configured so that when the air belt inflates sufficient force is applied to the second additional yarn to cause the second additional yarn to break thereby allowing the warp knitted fabric to stretch in the transverse direction.

14. The inflatable air belt of claim 13, wherein the knitting yarn is arranged in longitudinal rows of successive loops, each successive loop formed from knitting yarn from adjacent loops located on one side of the successive loop, wherein the successive loops are arranged so that the loops alternate the side on which the adjacent loops are located, and

wherein the first additional yarn passes through the fabric in a longitudinal direction is positioned to establish a link between adjacent loops of the knitting yarn in the longitudinal direction;

and

wherein the second additional yarn passes through the fabric in the longitudinal direction and is positioned to establish a link between alternating loops of the knitting yarn in the transverse direction.

15. The inflatable air belt of claim 14, wherein the first additional yarn has a thickness of equal to or less than 3000 denier.

16. The inflatable air belt of claim 15, wherein the thickness of the second additional yarn is equal to or less than 300 denier.

17. The inflatable air belt of claim 15, wherein the thickness of the second additional yarn is greater than or equal to 30 denier and less than or equal to 300 denier.

18. The inflatable air belt of claim 15, wherein the thickness of the second additional yarn is greater than or equal to 50 denier and less than or equal to 150 denier.

19. The inflatable air belt of claim 15, wherein the second additional yarn comprises thermoplastic material.