Airbag cover

• US 7,198,285 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hochstein-Lenzen, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker; Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US11/058,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/743.1, 280/742, 280/740, 212/5, 212/6, 224/31, 227/5, 112/63, 112/147, 112/470, 112/33
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/201 Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2176 the air bag components being completely enclosed in a soft or semi-rigid housing or cover

Abstract

A cover for an airbag of an airbag module, in particular a side airbag, is made from at least sheet, preferably of a nonwoven material, which is folded along two edge regions to form a longitudinally extending passageway for receiving an airbag. The end regions of the cover are preferably open, with the result that in the region of the laid-together edge regions the two edge regions lie on top of one another and are connected by a frangible seam. The frangible seam is formed, at least in one end region, on only one of the edge regions.

Claims

1. An airbag cover comprising at least one sheet of a fabric that has a pair of end regions and a pair of edge regions, the sheet is folded to form a longitudinally extending passageway for receiving an airbag and the two edge regions are disposed side by side with the side by side edge regions being of different lengths, the edge regions being connected to each other by a frangible seam that extends through both edge regions in a central region of the cover, but in at least one of the end regions, the frangible seam is formed in only one of the edge regions with the frangible seam reinforced therein.

2. The airbag cover according to claim 1 wherein the edge regions have different geometrical configurations.

3. The airbag cover according to claim 1 wherein the edge region wherein the reinforcement is formed is longer than the other edge region.

4. The airbag cover according to claim 1, wherein the edge region at the end region wherein the reinforcement is formed has a projection that protrudes substantially further than a longitudinal extent of the longitudinally extending passageway of the cover.

5. The airbag cover according to claim 1, wherein one edge region has an indentation therein.

6. The airbag cover according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement of the frangible seam comprises a seam that is sewn multiple times and/or over a large area in the end region.

7. The airbag cover according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement of the frangible seam comprises an adhesive.

8. The airbag cover according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement of the frangible seam comprises a weld.

9. The airbag cover according to claim 1, wherein the fabric is a non-woven fabric.

10. The airbag cover according to claim 1, wherein an interior surface of the longitudinally extending passageway of the cover is provided with a coating to facilitate the insertion of an airbag into the cover.

11. An airbag module comprising:

(a) an airbag cover comprising at least one sheet of a fabric that has a pair of end regions and a pair of edge regions, the sheet is folded to form a longitudinally extending passageway and the two edge regions are disposed side by side with the side by side edge regions being of different lengths, the edge regions being connected to each other by a frangible seam that extends through both edge regions in a central region of the cover, but in at least one of the end regions, the frangible seam is formed in only one of the edge regions with the frangible seam reinforced therein; and

an airbag that is folded and disposed within the longitudinally extending passageway of the airbag cover.

12. The airbag module according to one claim 11 wherein the edge regions have different geometrical configurations.

13. The airbag module according to claim 11 wherein the edge region wherein the reinforcement is formed is longer than the other edge region.

14. The airbag module according to claim 11, wherein the edge region at the end region wherein the reinforcement is formed has a projection that protrudes substantially further than a longitudinal extent of the longitudinally extending passageway of the cover.

15. The airbag module according to claim 11, wherein one edge region has an indentation therein.

16. The airbag module according to claim 11, wherein the reinforcement of the frangible seam comprises a seam that is sewn multiple times and/or over a large area in the end region.

17. The airbag module according to claim 11, wherein the reinforcement of the frangible seam comprises an adhesive.

18. The airbag module according to claim 11, wherein the reinforcement of the frangible seam comprises a weld.

19. The airbag module according to claim 11, wherein the fabric is a non-woven fabric.