Bias-woven side curtain airbag
First Claim
1. A method of making a side curtain airbag, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a side curtain airbag pattern having a longest straight side and a longest dimension; and
weaving a side curtain airbag fabric having a warp with said longest straight side oriented in a bias direction with respect to said warp wherein said bias direction is at most 70°
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1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for making a side curtain airbag by weaving the airbag in a bias direction ranging from 20° to 70° with respect to the warp of the fabric of which the side curtain airbag is made in order to increase contraction of the bag upon inflation and to increase productivity of airbag manufacture. By orienting the airbag pattern on a bias, airbags can be better “nested” in the output of the loom, less material is wasted and high loom utilization achieved. The airbag is preferably made with a low-permeability weave to reduce leakage of inflation medium upon inflation of the airbag. In some applications, the major axis of the airbag is perpendicular to the warp.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of making a side curtain airbag, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a side curtain airbag pattern having a longest straight side and a longest dimension; and weaving a side curtain airbag fabric having a warp with said longest straight side oriented in a bias direction with respect to said warp wherein said bias direction is at most 70°
. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13)
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2. A method of making a side curtain airbag, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a side curtain airbag pattern having a longest straight side and a longest dimension; and weaving a side curtain airbag fabric having a warp with said longest straight side oriented in a bias direction with respect to said warp wherein said bias direction is selected so that plural airbags can be woven simultaneously.
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10. A side curtain airbag made by a process comprising the steps of:
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providing a side curtain airbag pattern having a longest straight side and a longest dimension; and weaving a side curtain airbag fabric according to said side curtain airbag pattern having a warp with said longest straight side of said side curtain airbag pattern oriented in a bias direction with respect to said warp ranging between 20° and
70°
, wherein said weaving step further comprises the step of weaving said side curtain airbag fabric to have at least two layers of fabric in certain discrete areas of said fabric and at least two discrete narrow areas of single fabric layer at discrete areas within said fabric, wherein said at least two discrete narrow areas of single fabric layer are each formed solely from a basket weave pattern of an even number of yarns, at most 12 yarns in width, wherein said at least two discrete narrow areas of single fabric layer are separated by a separator area of at least two layers of fabric, and wherein the lengths of each single fabric layer are from 4 to 8 yarns in length, wherein said at least two single fabric layer areas are seams through said fabric that run parallel to each other, and wherein said separator area of at least two layers of fabric comprises an even number of weft yarns.
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11. A side curtain airbag made by a process comprising the steps of:
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providing a side curtain airbag pattern having a longest straight side and a longest dimension; and weaving a side curtain airbag fabric according to said side curtain airbag pattern having a warp with said longest straight side of said side curtain airbag pattern oriented in a bias direction with respect to said warp ranging between 20° and
70°
, wherein said weaving step further comprises the step of weaving said side curtain airbag fabric to have at least two layers of fabric in certain discrete areas of the fabric and at least two discrete narrow areas of single fabric layer at discrete areas within said fabric wherein said at least two narrow areas of single fabric layer are each formed solely from a basket weave pattern of an even number of yarns, at most 12 yarns in width, wherein said at least two areas of single fabric layers are separated by an area of at least two layers of fabric, wherein the lengths of each single layer is from 4 to 8 yarns in length, and wherein a weave diagram having rows and columns of filled and unfilled blocks for the fabric does not exhibit more than three consecutive unfilled blocks in any row or column.
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12. A side curtain airbag made by a process comprising the steps of:
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providing a side curtain airbag pattern having a longest straight side and a longest dimension; and weaving a side curtain airbag fabric according to said side curtain airbag pattern having a warp with said longest straight side of said side curtain airbag pattern oriented in a bias direction with respect to said warp ranging between 20° and
70°
, wherein said weaving step further comprises the step of weaving said side curtain airbag fabric to have at least two layers of fabric in certain discrete areas of the fabric and at least two discrete narrow areas of single fabric layer at discrete areas within said fabric, wherein said at least two narrow areas of single fabric layer are each formed solely from a basket weave pattern of an even number of yarns, at most 12 yarns in width, wherein said at least two areas of single fabric layers are separated by an area of at least two layers of fabric, wherein the lengths of each single layer is from 4 to 8 yarns in length, and wherein at least a portion of one of said at least two discrete narrow areas of single fabric layer form at least one of a non-linear seam and seal.
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Specification