Airbag cover tear seam
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A tear seam in a cover of an airbag, comprising:
- a plurality of non-intersecting slits defined in a woven fabric of a cover that is woven with weft yarns oriented generally parallel to a longitudinal axis and warp yarns oriented generally transverse thereto,wherein the plurality of slits are diagonal with respect to the longitudinal axis,wherein the plurality of slits are positioned such that adjacent slits have a pair of overlapping end portions,wherein each pair of overlapping end portions defines a connected portion therebetween in which the warp yarns do not continue beyond the respective pair of overlapping end portions and some of the weft yarns continue beyond the respective pair of overlapping end portions below one adjacent slit and above the other adjacent slit, andwherein inflation of an airbag against the cover results in the separation of the weft yarns from the warp yarns along the plurality of slits without similarly separating the weft yarns from the warp yarns at the connected portions, thereby forming a plurality of tears.
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Abstract
An tear seam in a cover of an airbag includes multiple, non-intersecting slits defined in a fabric of the cover that may be woven with weft yarns oriented generally parallel to a longitudinal axis and warp yarns oriented generally transverse thereto. The multiple slits are diagonal with respect to the longitudinal axis and include end portions. The end portions of substantially all adjacent slits mutually overlap, to weaken the strength of the fabric along the tear seam.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A tear seam in a cover of an airbag, comprising:
a plurality of non-intersecting slits defined in a woven fabric of a cover that is woven with weft yarns oriented generally parallel to a longitudinal axis and warp yarns oriented generally transverse thereto, wherein the plurality of slits are diagonal with respect to the longitudinal axis, wherein the plurality of slits are positioned such that adjacent slits have a pair of overlapping end portions, wherein each pair of overlapping end portions defines a connected portion therebetween in which the warp yarns do not continue beyond the respective pair of overlapping end portions and some of the weft yarns continue beyond the respective pair of overlapping end portions below one adjacent slit and above the other adjacent slit, and wherein inflation of an airbag against the cover results in the separation of the weft yarns from the warp yarns along the plurality of slits without similarly separating the weft yarns from the warp yarns at the connected portions, thereby forming a plurality of tears. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An airbag cover comprising:
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a woven fabric comprising weft yarns running generally parallel to a longitudinal axis and warp yarns woven generally transverse therein; and a tear seam comprising a plurality of slits defined in the fabric in spaced-apart orientation, wherein the plurality of slits comprising adjacent slits that overlap each other at their respective end portions, wherein the overlapping end portions of two adjacent slits define a connected portions in which the warp yarns do not continue beyond the overlapping end portions of the two adjacent slits and some of the weft yarns continue beyond the overlapping end portions of the two adjacent slits below one adjacent slit and above the other adjacent slit, wherein each connected portion has a length L and a width W, and wherein width W is not significantly greater than length L such that the slits are slightly diagonal with respect to the longitudinal axis, wherein inflation of an airbag against the cover results in the separation of the weft yarns from the warp yarns along the plurality of slits without similarly separating the weft yarns from the warp yarns at the connected portions, thereby rupturing the tear seam through which the airbag deploys. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An airbag system comprising:
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an inflatable airbag; an airbag cover comprising a woven fabric of a cover that is woven with weft yarns oriented generally parallel to a longitudinal axis and warp yarns oriented generally transverse thereto; and a tear seam defined in the woven fabric comprising a plurality of spaced-apart, slits cut in the woven fabric such that each slit has opposing first and second sides, wherein the plurality of slits are diagonal with respect to the longitudinal axis such that each slit is defined by discontinuous segments of the weft yarns and warp yarns, wherein the plurality of slits are positioned such that adjacent slits have a pair of overlapping end portions, and wherein each pair of overlapping end portions defines a connected portion therebetween in which the warp yarns do not continue beyond the respective pair of overlapping end portions and some of the weft yarns continue beyond the respective pair of overlapping end portions below one adjacent slit and above the other adjacent slit, wherein inflation of an airbag against the cover causes the tear seam to rupture such that the woven fabric is divided into a first section and a second section to allow the deployment of the airbag through the airbag cover, wherein the first section comprises the first side of each slit and the connected portions with the discontinuous segments of the weft yarns that previously defined the opposing second side of each respective slit extending from each of the connected portions, wherein the second section comprises the discontinuous segments of the warp yarns of the second side of each slit as the discontinuous segments of the weft yarns that defined the second side of each slit and the discontinuous segments of the warp yarns that defined the second side of each slit have been pulled clear of each other. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An airbag cover comprising:
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a portion of a woven fabric configured to contain a folded airbag therein, wherein the woven fabric is woven with weft yarns oriented generally parallel to a longitudinal axis and warp yarns oriented generally transverse thereto; and a tear seam defined in the woven fabric comprising a plurality of spaced-apart, slits cut in the woven fabric such that each slit has opposing first and second sides, wherein the plurality of slits are diagonal with respect to the longitudinal axis such that each slit is defined by discontinuous segments of the weft yarns and warp yarns, wherein the plurality of slits are positioned such that adjacent slits have a pair of overlapping end portions, and wherein each pair of overlapping end portions defines a connected portion therebetween in which the warp yarns do not continue beyond the respective pair of overlapping end portions and some of the weft yarns continue beyond the respective pair of overlapping end portions below one adjacent slit and above the other adjacent slit, wherein inflation of an airbag against the cover causes the tear seam to rupture such that the woven fabric is divided into a first section and a second section to allow the deployment of the airbag through the airbag cover, wherein the first section comprises the first side of each slit and the connected portions with the discontinuous segments of the weft yarns that previously defined the opposing second side of each respective slit extending from each of the connected portions, wherein the second section comprises the discontinuous segments of the warp yarns of the second side of each slit as the discontinuous segments of the weft yarns that defined the second side of each slit and the discontinuous segments of the warp yarns that defined the second side of each slit have been pulled clear of each other. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification