Textile gas guide for inflatable curtain

• US 7,883,112 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2008
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nelson, James E., Wold, Dana, Czach, Brian, Hatfield, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US12/154,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20090295134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 280/741, 280/743.1, 280/730.2, 156/93
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23533 characterised by the manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material

Abstract

A textile gas guide may include a fabric member which may include an obverse side, a reverse side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. The fabric member may overlap upon itself at least once such that at least a portion of the obverse side adjacent the leading edge may be disposed to align with at least a portion of the reverse side adjacent the trailing edge to define an overlapping region. A first seam may be sewn through the overlapping region, the first seam being in shear stress when the airbag module is inflated. An airbag module may include the above textile gas guide and an airbag cushion including an inflation throat. At least a portion of the textile gas guide may be located within the inflation throat. An inflator may be inserted into the textile gas guide.

Claims

1. A textile gas guide for an airbag module, said textile gas guide comprising:

a fabric member having an obverse side, a reverse side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, the fabric member overlaps upon itself at least once such that at least a portion of the obverse side adjacent the leading edge is disposed to align with at least a portion of the reverse side adjacent the trailing edge to define an overlapping region, the fabric member further comprises a first edge connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge and a second edge connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge, wherein the fabric member overlaps upon itself to form a sleeve having a first opening defined by the first edge and a second opening defined by the second edge; and

a first seam sewn through or attached to the overlapping region, the first seam being in shear stress when the airbag module is inflated.

2. The textile gas guide of claim 1, wherein the fabric member overlaps upon itself twice or more such that the obverse side adjacent the leading edge is disposed to align with the reverse side adjacent the trailing edge to define a twice overlapped region, the first seam sewn through the twice overlapped region, the first seam being in shear stress when the airbag module is inflated.

3. The textile gas guide of claim 1, wherein the fabric member conically overlaps upon itself to form the sleeve having the first opening and the second opening.

4. The textile gas guide of claim 3, further comprising a second seam pinching the first opening together to divide the first opening into an upper opening and a lower opening such that a channel having a “

y”

shape is created between the upper opening, the lower opening, and the second opening.

5. The textile gas guide of claim 3, further comprising a third seam closing off the second opening.

6. The textile gas guide of claim 1, wherein the fabric member spirally overlaps upon itself to form a sleeve.

7. An airbag module comprising:

a textile gas guide, said textile gas guide comprising;

a fabric member having an obverse side, a reverse side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, the fabric member overlaps upon itself at least once such that at least a portion of the obverse side adjacent the leading edge is disposed to align with at least a portion of the reverse side adjacent the trailing edge to define an overlapping region, the fabric member further comprises a first edge connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge and a second edge connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge, wherein the fabric member conically overlaps upon itself to form a sleeve having a first opening defined by the first edge and a second opening defined by the second edge; and

a first seam sewn through or attached to the overlapping region, the first seam being in shear stress when the airbag module is inflated;

an airbag cushion having an inflation throat, at least a portion of the textile gas guide located within the inflation throat; and

an inflator nestled within the textile gas guide.

8. The airbag module of claim 7, further comprising a clamp for securing together the textile gas guide, the inflation throat, and the inflator.

9. The airbag module of claim 7, wherein the inflation throat is in a recess generally centrally located proximate a top edge of the airbag cushion when the airbag cushion is in an unfolded state.

10. The airbag module of claim 9, wherein the inflation throat is orientated generally parallel to the top edge of the airbag cushion and extends along or beneath the top edge of the airbag cushion.

11. The airbag module of claim 10, wherein the inflator is inserted through an upper opening of the textile gas guide, the inflator axially aligned with the upper opening of the textile gas guide and with the inflation throat.

12. The airbag module of claim 7, wherein the textile gas guide is tack stitched to the airbag cushion.

13. The inflatable airbag module of claim 7, wherein the airbag cushion is fabricated from a single piece of fabric.

14. A method of sewing a textile gas guide, said method comprising:

providing a fabric member having an obverse side, a reverse side, a leading edge, and a trailing edge, a first edge, and a second edge;

overlapping the fabric member upon itself at least once such that at least a portion of the obverse side adjacent the leading edge is disposed to align with at least a portion of the reverse side adjacent the trailing edge to define an overlapping region thereby creating a sleeve having a first opening defined by the first edge and a second opening defined by the second edge; and

sewing a first seam through the overlapping region, the first seam being in shear stress when the airbag module is inflated.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein overlapping the fabric member upon itself at least once comprises overlapping the fabric member upon itself twice such that the obverse side adjacent the leading edge is disposed to align with the reverse side adjacent the trailing edge to define a twice overlapped region, the first seam sewn through the twice overlapped region, the first seam being in shear stress when the airbag module is inflated.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of overlapping comprises overlapping conically the fabric member upon itself to form the sleeve having the first opening and the second opening.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising sewing a second seam pinching the first opening together and dividing the first opening into an upper opening and a lower opening.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising sewing a third seam to close off the second opening.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein overlapping the fabric member upon itself further comprises overlapping spirally the fabric member upon itself to form a sleeve.