Airbag with slit vent
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An airbag comprising:
- a panel defining at least a portion of an inflatable chamber that is configured to receive inflation gas from an inflator;
a slit vent comprising an elongated aperture that extends in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end and is at least partially defined by opposing first and second portions of the panel, wherein the slit vent is configured to transition from a closed orientation to an open orientation, wherein the first and second portions of the panel are approximated to each other in a transverse direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction to inhibit venting of the inflatable chamber when the slit vent is in the closed orientation, and wherein the opposing portions of the panel are separated from each other in the transverse direction to permit venting of the inflatable chamber when the slit vent is in the open orientation;
a first reinforcing seam elongated in the longitudinal direction, wherein the first portion of the panel comprises a portion of the first reinforcing seam that borders the slit vent from the first end to the second end of the slit vent; and
a second reinforcing seam elongated in the longitudinal direction, wherein the second portion of the panel comprises a portion of the second reinforcing seam that borders the slit vent from the first end to the second end of the slit vent,wherein the first and second reinforcing seams cross one another at a position that is spaced in the longitudinal direction from the first end of the slit vent and also cross one another at a position that is spaced in the longitudinal direction from the second end of the slit vent to encompass the slit vent, andwherein the first and second reinforcing seams permit the slit vent to naturally remain in the closed configuration in the absence of stresses to the panel other than any stresses provided by the first and second seams.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An airbag can include a panel that defines at least a portion of an inflatable chamber. The airbag can also include a slit vent that is at least partially defined by the panel. One or more seams can encompass the slit vent and can permit the slit vent to naturally be in a closed orientation.
175 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An airbag comprising:
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a panel defining at least a portion of an inflatable chamber that is configured to receive inflation gas from an inflator; a slit vent comprising an elongated aperture that extends in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end and is at least partially defined by opposing first and second portions of the panel, wherein the slit vent is configured to transition from a closed orientation to an open orientation, wherein the first and second portions of the panel are approximated to each other in a transverse direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction to inhibit venting of the inflatable chamber when the slit vent is in the closed orientation, and wherein the opposing portions of the panel are separated from each other in the transverse direction to permit venting of the inflatable chamber when the slit vent is in the open orientation; a first reinforcing seam elongated in the longitudinal direction, wherein the first portion of the panel comprises a portion of the first reinforcing seam that borders the slit vent from the first end to the second end of the slit vent; and a second reinforcing seam elongated in the longitudinal direction, wherein the second portion of the panel comprises a portion of the second reinforcing seam that borders the slit vent from the first end to the second end of the slit vent, wherein the first and second reinforcing seams cross one another at a position that is spaced in the longitudinal direction from the first end of the slit vent and also cross one another at a position that is spaced in the longitudinal direction from the second end of the slit vent to encompass the slit vent, and wherein the first and second reinforcing seams permit the slit vent to naturally remain in the closed configuration in the absence of stresses to the panel other than any stresses provided by the first and second seams. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An airbag comprising:
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a panel defining at least a portion of an inflatable chamber that is configured to receive inflation gas from an inflator; a slit vent comprising an aperture that defines a straight line between a first end and a second end, wherein the aperture is bordered by opposing first and second portions of the panel and is configured to transition from a closed orientation to an open orientation, wherein the first and second portions of the panel are approximated to each other to inhibit venting of the inflatable chamber when the slit vent is in the closed orientation, and wherein the opposing portions of the panel are separated from each other to permit venting of the inflatable chamber when the slit vent is in the open orientation; a first reinforcing seam at a first side of the slit vent that extends parallel to the slit vent from the first end to the second end of the aperture; and a second reinforcing seam at a second side of the slit vent that extends parallel to the slit vent from the first end to the second end of the aperture, wherein the first and second reinforcing seams extend toward each other at a position that is spaced from the first end of the slit vent, cross each other at a position that is spaced further from the first end of the slit vent, and extend away from each other at a position that is spaced even further from the first end of the slit vent, wherein the first and second reinforcing seams extend toward each other at a position that is spaced from the second end of the slit vent, cross each other at a position that is spaced further from the second end of the slit vent, and extend away from each other at a position that is spaced even further from the second end of the slit vent, and wherein the first and second reinforcing seams fully encompass the slit vent. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of manufacturing an airbag, the method comprising:
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forming a slit-shaped aperture in a panel that is elongated between a first end and a second end, wherein the aperture defines a longitudinal axis; providing a first seam that borders the aperture on a first side of the longitudinal axis and that crosses over to a second side of the longitudinal axis at both a position that is spaced from the first end of the aperture and a position that is spaced from the second end of the aperture; providing a second seam that borders the aperture on the second side of the longitudinal axis and that crosses over to the first side of the longitudinal axis and also crosses the first seam at both the position that is spaced from the first end of the aperture and the position that is spaced from the second end of the aperture; and forming an inflatable chamber that is at least partially defined by the panel. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification