Multipart airbag cutting for an airbag of an occupant protection device for motor vehicles and method for producing an airbag from said airbag cutting

• US 7,503,582 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2003
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sendelbach, Hans-Peter, Weyrich, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Toan C
• Application Number:
  US10/516,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20060071458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,122 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23332 using independent bags, one within the other
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to an airbag cutting for an airbag of an occupant protection device for motor vehicles. Said cutting comprises two deployed, mutually overlapping airbag parts (1, 2; 3, 4) that are linked with each other in the area of overlap (U), and a folding axis (A) about which the two airbag parts (1, 2; 3, 4) can be folded in such a manner as to form an airbag having two separate compartments (K1, K2; K3, K4) by linking the airbag sections that lie one on top of the other after folding.

Claims

1. A multipart airbag cutting for an airbag of an occupant protection device for motor vehicles, it being possible for the airbag to be produced by connecting the edges of the airbag cutting, comprising:

at least two mutually overlapping airbag parts connected to each other in an overlapping region;

a first airbag part, in the inflated state of the airbag, forming a covering which surrounds a first chamber of the airbag in a bell-shaped manner; and

a second airbag part forming a covering which encloses a second chamber of the airbag and, in the overlapping region, forms a boundary surface between two chambers of the airbag, in the region of which surface the two coverings of the inflated airbag are supported on each other to stabilize the airbag.

2. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutting is configured so that, in the inflated state of the airbag, one airbag part surrounds the first chamber in a bell or hood-shaped manner.

3. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the boundary surface between the two chambers is formed by the second airbag part which, in the inflated state, surrounds the second chamber of the airbag.

4. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two airbag parts, in the inflated state of the airbag, are supported on each other in the overlapping region.

5. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two airbag parts are connected together in the overlapping region so that a connecting line, which annularly surrounds the boundary surface of the airbag in the inflated state, is formed, it being possible for the connecting line to be formed by one airbag part, in the inflated state of the airbag, being pressed on account of the internal pressure in the associated chamber at least along the connecting line toward the other airbag part which forms the covering for an associated chamber.

6. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutting includes a folding axis about which the two airbag parts can be folded to create airbag sections, which lie one above the other after folding, that by connection of the airbag sections, an airbag having two chambers is formed.

7. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 6, wherein the folding axis forms an axis of symmetry with respect to the airbag cutting, the two airbag parts preferably being formed symmetrically with respect to the folding axis.

8. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 6, wherein the airbag sections, which lie one above the other after the airbag cutting has been folded over around the folding axis, are connected to each other only along the outer edges of the airbag parts, which edges form an outer contour of the entire airbag.

9. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 8, wherein the airbag sections, which lie one above the other, are connected to each other along the entire outer contour of the airbag.

10. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the overlapping region of the two airbag parts, one airbag part, having an outer edge is connected along part of its outer edge to the other airbag part.

11. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 10, comprising:

connecting points; and

fastening points for connecting airbag parts,

wherein line-like connecting points, connecting one airbag part to the other airbag part are situated in the overlapping region so close to the outer edge of the first airbag part that no further fastening points are situated between the line-like connecting points and a corresponding region of the outer edge.

12. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 11, wherein in the overlapping region, one airbag part is connected to the other airbag part in a region of the other airbag part which is situated outside the edge region of the other airbag part.

13. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 12, wherein further fastening points for connecting airbag parts are situated between the connecting points of the other airbag part to the first airbag part and the outer edge of the other airbag part.

14. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 10, wherein one airbag part is connected to the other airbag part along the entire outer edge that is situated in the overlapping region.

15. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 10, wherein one airbag part is connected to the other airbag part only along a subsection of the outer edge that is situated in the overlapping region.

16. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 15, wherein one airbag part is connected to the other airbag part only along a central subsection of the subsection of the outer edge, which is situated in the overlapping region.

17. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 10, wherein a holder for a gas generator is fixed on at least one of the airbag parts.

18. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 17, wherein the subsection of the outer edge of one airbag is situated in the overlapping region of the holder with the outer edge.

19. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 17, wherein one airbag part is completely enclosed by the other airbag part.

20. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 17, wherein one chamber of the airbag is completely enclosed by one airbag part and the other chamber of the airbag is enclosed by the other airbag part, part of the first airbag part additionally bounding the other chamber.

21. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 20, wherein the two chambers are separated from each other by a section just of one airbag part.

22. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 20, wherein the two chambers of the airbag are connected to each other by an opening in the partition between the two chambers.

23. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 22, wherein the gas generator is to be arranged in the region of the opening.

24. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 22, wherein the gas generator partially reaches through the opening.

25. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two airbag parts only partially overlap with the other airbag part.

26. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein one airbag part overlaps completely with the other airbag part.

27. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connections are formed by seams.

28. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two airbag parts are assigned to a chamber of the airbag as covering.

29. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein one airbag part serves to completely enclose one chamber of the airbag.

30. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 29, wherein one airbag part only partially encloses one chamber of the airbag and is connected to the other airbag part in such a manner that the other airbag part together with the first airbag part completely encloses the one chamber.

31. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 30, wherein one airbag part has an open side surface, along the edge of which it is connected to the other airbag part so that the other airbag part together with the first airbag part completely encloses the one chamber.

32. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the airbag cutting is provided and designed for an airbag of a side airbag module.

33. The airbag cutting as claimed in claim 1, wherein different chambers of the airbag are provided for protecting different regions of the body, in particular of the upper body, of an occupant.

34. A method for producing an airbag from an airbag cutting comprising the steps of:

spreading out at least two airbag parts of the airbag so that they overlap each other;

connecting the airbag parts to each other in the overlapping region so that one airbag part forms a covering which encloses one chamber of the airbag and forms a boundary surface between at least two chambers of the airbag;

placing sections of the airbag cutting, which is composed of the airbag parts one above the other, so that they can be connected along the edge of the airbag cutting; and

connecting the airbag sections, which lie one above the other, to each other to form an airbag, so that, in the inflated state of the airbag, one airbag part forms a covering which surrounds one chamber of the airbag in a bell-shaped manner and being supported on the covering of the airbag, which covering is formed by the first-mentioned airbag part in the region of the boundary surface to stabilize the airbag.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein

a first airbag part is connected to a second airbag part along that section of its outer edge which is situated in the overlapping region of the at least two airbag parts;

the at least two connected airbag parts are folded once around a folding axis;

the subsections of the outer edge of the second airbag part, resting on each other in the overlapping region, are connected to each other; and

the sections of the at least two overlapping airbag parts, lying one above the other, are connected to each other along the entire outer contour of the edges.

36. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the two airbag parts are folded along a folding axis, so that airbag sections which were previously situated on both sides of the folding axis lie one above the other.