Inflatable fabrics comprising basket-woven attachment points between fabric panels

• US 7,069,961 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Original Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Inventors: Sollars, John A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Calvert, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Muromoto, Jr., Robert H.
• Application Number:
  US10/408,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20030188797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 139/389, 139/414, 139/384.R, 139/410, 139/387.R, 280/728.1, 280/743.1, 428/36.1, 428/166, 428/101, 428/116, 442/203
• US Class Current: 139/389
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23542 Weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/02 Inflatable articles
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 11/02 Fabrics formed with pockets, tubes, loops, folds, tucks or flaps fabrics consisting of a single tube D03D3/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1362 Textile, fabric, cloth, or pile containing [e.g., web, net, woven, knitted, mesh, nonwoven, matted, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24025 Superposed movable attached layers or components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24562 Interlaminar spaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3179 Woven fabric is characterized by a particular or differential weave other than fabric in which the strand denier or warp/weft pick count is specified

Abstract

All-woven inflatable fabrics having areas of two layers and attachment points or “seams” where single layers of fabric are formed. Such single fabric layers may be constructed solely through the utilization of basket weave patterns. These specific single fabric layers provide a relatively effective manner of reducing air permeability within the entire fabric article by decreasing the possibility of yarn shifting upon inflation of the inflatable fabric. Alternatively, the presence of at least a second single fabric layer area adjacent to the first and separated by and narrow double fabric layer area can further reduce the possibility of yarn shifting in the first single fabric layer area. Such a fabric may be utilized in numerous and various applications wherein fabric inflation is desired or necessary. In particular, the inventive fabric may be incorporated within an airbag cushion.

Claims

1. In an inflatable all-woven fabric airbag cushion, the improvement comprising at least two layers of fabric in certain discrete areas of the fabric and at least one single fabric layer at a discrete area within said fabric which forms at least one of a seam and seal which does not exhibit a float of more than three picks, and wherein said at least one single fabric layer has at least one curved portion.

2. The airbag cushion of claim 1, wherein only two separate weave densities are present within the entire fabric structure.

3. The airbag cushion of claim 1 wherein said at least two layers of fabric are formed solely from one type of weave pattern, wherein said weave pattern is not a basket weave pattern.

4. The airbag cushion of claim 3 wherein the weave pattern of said at least two layers of fabric within said inflatable fabric is a plain weave pattern.

5. The airbag cushion of claim 1 wherein said fabric is coated.

6. The airbag cushion as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one narrow single fabric layer forms an edge seal.

7. The airbag cushion of claim 1, wherein said at least one single fabric layer area is constructed solely from basket weave patterns containing at least two yarns per basket pattern and at most four yarns per basket pattern.

8. The airbag cushion of claim 1, wherein said area of at least two layers of fabric comprises an even number of weft yarns.

9. The airbag cushion of claim 8, wherein said area of at least two layers of fabric comprises at most 12 weft yarns and at least 2 weft yarns.

10. The airbag cushion of claim 1, wherein the airbag cushion is a side-curtain airbag.

11. The airbag cushion of claim 1, wherein the airbag cushion has at least one pillow chamber.

12. The airbag cushion of claim 1, wherein said at least one narrow single fabric layer forms at least one of a non-linear seam and seal.

13. The airbag cushion as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one narrow single fabric layer area and said at least two layer fabric area form at least one pillowed chamber.

14. The airbag cushion of claim 1, wherein at least two discrete narrow areas of single fabric layers are present within said inflatable fabric.

15. The airbag cushion of claim 14, wherein said at least two single fabric layer areas are seams through the inflatable fabric.

16. The airbag cushion of claim 1, wherein said fabric is formed on at least one of a jacquard and dobby loom.

17. In an airbag cushion having a multiple layer portion and a single layer portion, the improvement comprising:

a narrow single fabric layer seam margin, followed by a double fabric layer margin, followed by at least one additional narrow single fabric layer seam margin, wherein said at least one narrow single fabric layer has at least one curved portion and wherein said single fabric layer seam margin has floats of three picks or less.

18. In an airbag cushion formed of a single woven item having multiple layer and single layer portions, the improvement comprising at least one seam comprised of a narrow single fabric layer area between two double layer fabric areas, and wherein said at least one narrow single fabric layer has at least one curved portion.

19. The airbag cushion of claim 18, wherein said at least one narrow single fabric layer seam has substantially no floats of greater than 3 picks.

20. The airbag cushion of claim 18, wherein the woven item comprises a woven fabric having only two weave densities in at least the area of the at least one narrow single fabric layer seam.