Inflatable curtain airbag integrated tether

• US 7,571,930 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Downey, Brian, Elliott-Rumberger, Kristi, Osterhout, Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US11/848,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20090058053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23388 having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

An inflatable curtain airbag integrated tether and method of manufacture can include forming an inflatable curtain from at least one panel of material defining at least one expandable chamber, forming a tether integrally from a salvage area of the at one panel of material, and attaching the tether at an attachment point to the inflatable curtain at one end and having opposite end attachable to a structural pillar of the vehicle for anchoring the inflatable curtain during inflation. The side curtain airbag can be for installation in a stowed condition proximate a roof rail of a vehicle and adapted to be inflated to a deployed condition extending downward along an inner side surface of a passenger compartment of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for making a side curtain airbag for installation in a stowed condition proximate a roof rail of a vehicle and to be inflated to a deployed condition extending downward along an inner side surface of a passenger compartment of a vehicle comprising:

forming an inflatable curtain from at least one panel of material defining at least one expandable chamber;

forming a tether from a salvage area of the at least one panel of material;

attaching the tether at an attachment point to the inflatable curtain at one end; and

roll folding an opposite end of the tether on itself to form overlapping layers and sewing the overlapping layers formed by the roll-fold together, the opposite end attachable to a structural pillar of the vehicle for anchoring the inflatable curtain during inflation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming the tether from a salvage area along an area of the at least one panel selected from a group consisting of a front salvage area, a rear salvage area, and a bottom salvage area of the panel.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detaching the tether from the salvage area of the at least one panel of material; and

attaching one end of the tether to the at least one panel defining the inflatable curtain at a desired location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

leaving a portion of the tether intact with the salvage area of the at least one panel of material;

routing the tether to a desired location on the at least one panel defining the inflatable curtain; and

attaching the tether to the at least one panel at a desired location.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

forming a mounting aperture in the overlapping layers.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming the attachment point of the tether at most no higher than a lower edge of the expandable chamber of the airbag.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming the attachment point of the tether spaced apart from a cut line of the airbag.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming the attachment point of the tether spaced apart from a bottom edge of the airbag.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming the attachment point of the tether spaced apart from a front edge of the airbag.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming the tether as trimmed excess from the salvage area.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sewing a pattern at the attachment point of the tether, where the pattern is a square shape with internal “

X”

pattern.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sewing a pattern at the attachment point of the tether, where the pattern is entirely located on the tether.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sewing a pattern at the attachment point of the tether, where the tether is not entirely removed from the airbag, and the pattern passes at least partially through at least three layers of material.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

passing the pattern at least partially through two layers of tether and one layer of airbag.

15. A side curtain airbag to be deployed downward along an inner side surface of a passenger compartment of a vehicle comprising:

at least one panel of material defining an inflatable curtain having at least one expandable chamber; and

a tether formed from a salvage area of the at least one panel of material, the tether having a tether mounting tab formed from at least two roll folded layers of the tether at an outer end thereof, and the tether mounting tab having an aperture that extends through each layer of said at least two roll folded layers, wherein a fastener is receivable in the aperture for anchoring the curtain to a structural pillar of the vehicle during inflation.

16. The side curtain airbag of claim 15, wherein the tether is formed from a salvage area along an area of the at least one panel selected from a group consisting of a front salvage area, a rear salvage area, and a bottom salvage area of the panel.

17. The side curtain airbag of claim 15, wherein the tether is detached from the salvage area of the at least one panel of material, and attached to the at least one panel defining the inflatable curtain at a desired location at one end of the tether.

18. The side curtain airbag of claim 15, wherein the tether remains intact with the salvage area of the at least one panel of material, the tether being routed and attached to the at least one panel defining the inflatable curtain at a desired location.

19. The side curtain airbag of claim 15 further comprising:

a reinforced attachment structure providing multiple material thickness at an attachment point of the tether to panel of material.

20. The side curtain airbag of claim 19, wherein the attachment point is located forward of a front seam of the inflatable curtain.

21. The side curtain airbag of claim 19, wherein the attachment point is located rearward of a rear seam of the inflatable curtain.