Inflatable fabrics comprising basket-woven attachment points between fabric panels

• US 7,543,609 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• 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): MUROMOTO JR, ROBERT H
• Application Number:
  US12/221,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20080302438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 2/25, 139/383.R, 139/391, 139/394, 139/420.R, 139/426.R
• 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. An inflatable fabric comprising two layers of fabric in first discrete areas and at least one single layer of fabric positioned at a second discrete area, wherein the two layer(s) and the single layer meet at an interface, the single layer being comprised in part of a two-by-two basket weave pattern adjacent the interface.

2. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the single layer of fabric within the inflatable fabric is formed solely from one or more basket weave patterns.

3. The fabric of claim 1 wherein said single layer comprises at least two portions, the two portions being divided by a separator two layer fabric area.

4. The fabric of claim 3 wherein the separator two layer fabric area comprises an even number of weft yarns.

5. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the single layer two-by-two basket weave pattern positioned adjacent the interface is 4 total yarns in width.

6. The fabric of claim 1 wherein the single layer comprises at least two portions, the first portion comprising a two-by-two basket weave pattern positioned adjacent the interface and a second portion comprising an additional basket weave pattern having three or four yarns per basket.

7. An inflatable fabric comprising at least one non-rectangular seam, the seam being formed in part by a curved narrow discrete single layer area and a least one adjacent two layer area within the inflatable fabric, wherein the single layer area and the two layer area meet at a single/double layer interface, the single layer area being formed from a basket weave having an even number of yarns.