Air-bag arrangement and a method of preparing and mounting an air-bag
First Claim
1. An inflatable curtain for a vehicle comprising the inflatable curtain formed from at least two super-imposed layers of fabric and having an upper attachment edge provided with a plurality of mounting elements for mounting the inflatable curtain in the interior of the vehicle for deployment adjacent an interior surface of the vehicle cabin, with one of the fabric layers being an inboard layer, and the other of the fabric layers being an outboard layer, the inflatable curtain also having a lower edge spaced from the upper attachment edge, a gas-flow passage extending along the upper attachment edge, an inflatable region formed between the upper attachment edge and the lower edge which is divided into a plurality of cells by a plurality of partitions extending substantially transversely relative to the axis of the gas-flow passage, the cells communicating with the gas-flow passage, each of the mounting elements being positioned substantially centrally of a corresponding adjacent pair of the partitions such that no portion of each of the mounting elements is aligned with either of the partitions of the corresponding adjacent pair of the partitions, the lower edge of the inflatable curtain being movable from a stowed position in which the curtain is in an uninflated condition to a deployed position when the curtain is in an inflated condition by inflation of the inflatable region of the inflatable curtain, the inflatable curtain being at least partially rolled-up in the stowed position to form a roll with the lower edge within the roll and with the inboard layer of fabric forming the exterior of the roll.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inflatable curtain (2) having an upper attachment edge (6) provided with mounting elements (14) for mounting the inflatable curtain in a vehicle cabin for deployment beside an interior surface (38) of the vehicle cabin. A gas-flow passage (28) extends along the attachment edge, and communicates with cells (32) defined by seams (30) in an inflatable region (4) which has a lower edge (8). Mounting elements (14) are located between the seams (30) of a respective cell (32). The inflatable curtain is formed from an inboard layer of fabric and an outboard layer of fabric, and is rolled from the region of the lower edge (8) with the roll being adjacent the outboard layer and with part of the inboard layer forming the exterior of the roll.
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Citations
17 Claims
- 1. An inflatable curtain for a vehicle comprising the inflatable curtain formed from at least two super-imposed layers of fabric and having an upper attachment edge provided with a plurality of mounting elements for mounting the inflatable curtain in the interior of the vehicle for deployment adjacent an interior surface of the vehicle cabin, with one of the fabric layers being an inboard layer, and the other of the fabric layers being an outboard layer, the inflatable curtain also having a lower edge spaced from the upper attachment edge, a gas-flow passage extending along the upper attachment edge, an inflatable region formed between the upper attachment edge and the lower edge which is divided into a plurality of cells by a plurality of partitions extending substantially transversely relative to the axis of the gas-flow passage, the cells communicating with the gas-flow passage, each of the mounting elements being positioned substantially centrally of a corresponding adjacent pair of the partitions such that no portion of each of the mounting elements is aligned with either of the partitions of the corresponding adjacent pair of the partitions, the lower edge of the inflatable curtain being movable from a stowed position in which the curtain is in an uninflated condition to a deployed position when the curtain is in an inflated condition by inflation of the inflatable region of the inflatable curtain, the inflatable curtain being at least partially rolled-up in the stowed position to form a roll with the lower edge within the roll and with the inboard layer of fabric forming the exterior of the roll.
- 12. A method of preparing an air-bag for a vehicle cabin for deployment beside an interior surface of the vehicle cabin, comprising the steps of providing the air-bag having an inflatable curtain formed from at least two super-imposed layers and having an upper attachment edge provided with a plurality of mounting elements for mounting the inflatable curtain in the vehicle cabin for deployment beside an interior surface of the vehicle cabin, with one of the layers being an inboard layer, and the other of the layers being an outboard layer, the inflatable curtain also having a lower edge spaced from the upper attachment edge, a gas-flow passage extending along the upper attachment edge, and between the upper attachment edge and the lower edge an inflatable region which is divided into a plurality of cells by a plurality of partitions extending substantially transversely relative to the axis of the gas-flow passage, the cells communicating with the gas-flow passage, each of the mounting elements being positioned substantially centrally of a corresponding adjacent pair of the partitions such that no portion of each of the mounting elements is aligned with either of the partitions of the corresponding adjacent pair of the partitions, the lower edge of the inflatable curtain being movable from a stowed position to a deployed position by inflation of the inflatable region of the inflatable curtain, the method further comprising the steps of rolling at least part of the inflatable curtain with the lower edge within the roll and with the inboard layer forming the exterior of the roll.
Specification