Airbag module with an airbag exhibiting a vent opening closed in the folded state by an arrester strap and procedure of its manufacture

• US 9,227,592 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Polcwiartek, Marzena, Siwiaszcyk, Mateusz, Mikolajczyk, Pawel, Rozborska-Golec, Sylwia, Lagodzinski, Janusz
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Condra, Darlene P
• Application Number:
  US14/333,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20150028571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23533 characterised by the manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/276 with means to vent the inflation fluid source, e.g. in case of overpressure B60R21/30 takes precedence; venting means on inflatable member walls B60R21/239

Abstract

An airbag formed of an airbag fabric (10) having a slit-shaped adaptive ventilation opening (11) which in the folded-up state of the airbag is held in at least a partially closed state by an arrester strap (20) having an end overlapping the adaptive ventilation opening (11) and fastened to the airbag fabric (10). The arrester strap (20) is guided through a safety-loop opening (31). The safety-loop opening is formed by a reinforcing blank (13) enclosing the ventilation opening (11) and the opening (31) for the arrester strap (20) is formed by an edge area of the reinforcing blank (31) not connected to the airbag fabric (10), and in that the end of the arrester strap is connected with both the airbag fabric (10) and with the reinforcing blank (13) in an area lying opposite with respect the edge section of the ventilation opening (11) forming the opening (31).

Claims

1. An airbag formed of an airbag fabric forming part of an airbag module for installation into a motor vehicle of the type having an inflation device for inflating the airbag in a folded-up state before its activation, the airbag comprising at least one adaptive ventilation opening in the form of a slit made in the airbag fabric which, in the folded-up state, is held in at least a partially closed state by means of an arrester strap placed on the inside of the airbag having a first end and an opposite second end, the second end overlapping the adaptive ventilation opening and firmly connected with the airbag fabric at a securing location, wherein the arrester strap, beginning at the securing location is arranged on one side of the ventilation opening and is guided through a safety loop forming a safety loop opening lying at an opposite side of the ventilation opening, the safety loop being formed in part by the airbag fabric and a reinforcing blank enclosing the ventilation opening and firmly connected with the airbag fabric, the safety loop opening for the arrester strap is formed in part by an edge area of the reinforcing blank not connected to the airbag fabric, and the second end of the arrester strap is arranged between the reinforcing blank and the airbag fabric and is connected with both the airbag fabric and with the reinforcing blank in an area lying opposite with respect to the edge area of the ventilation opening forming part of the safety loop opening;

wherein the reinforcing blank is formed as a ring enclosing the ventilation opening having first and second reinforcing sections lying opposite each other and extending parallel to the ventilation opening are connected by a central area spanning the ventilation opening, wherein a reinforcing blank slit is formed in the central area congruent with the ventilation opening, so that the first and the second reinforcing sections expand on both sides of the reinforcing blank slit, as a result of which the first reinforcing section forms a reinforcing area to attach the arrester strap and the opposite second reinforcing section together with the airbag fabric forms the safety loop opening for the arrester strap,

wherein the second end of the arrester strap connected with the airbag fabric has a two-dimensional expansion formed corresponding to one of the reinforcing sections formed by the reinforcing blank.

2. The airbag according to claim 1, further comprising in that that a first stop hole is formed at both ends of the ventilation opening in the airbag fabric and a second stop hole aligning with the associated first stop hole of the airbag fabric is formed in the interior of the ring forming the reinforcing blank on both sides of a central area of the reinforcing blank.

3. The airbag according to claim 2 wherein the first stop holes formed in the airbag fabric are formed as ventilation openings having an open cross-section.

4. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein, the arrester strap, the airbag fabric, and the reinforcing blank each form positioning openings arranged associated to each other for a mutual positional fixation of the second end of the arrester strap, the airbag fabric, and the reinforcing blank.

5. A process to produce an airbag formed according to claim 1, the process comprising the steps of:

in a first step, sewing the second end of the arrester strap to the first reinforcing section of the reinforcing blank, and

in a second step, placing the reinforcing blank on the airbag fabric such that the second end of the arrester strap sewn on the reinforcing blank comes to rest between the reinforcing blank and the airbag fabric in an attachment position and the arrester strap overlaps the ventilation opening, and

subsequently, sewing the reinforcing blank in an applied position circumferentially to the airbag fabric, wherein the safety loop opening is recessed for the arrester strap during the circumferential sewing of the reinforcing blank with the airbag fabric.

6. The process according to claim 5, wherein the seam connecting the airbag fabric with the reinforcing blank made in the first step forms a funnel-shaped receiving area along the seam forming the opening for the arrester strap for a guide area arranged on the end of the arrester strap, so that in the second step when the arrester strap is placed in the attachment position, the second end of the arrester strap with the guide area of its expansion lying between the airbag fabric and the reinforcing blank is captured by the course of the seam and fixed in position, and as a result the safety loop opening for the arrester strap is sealed.

7. An airbag formed of an airbag fabric forming part of an airbag module for installation into a motor vehicle of the type having an inflation device for inflating the airbag in a folded-up state before its activation, the airbag comprising at least one adaptive ventilation opening in the form of a slit made in the airbag fabric which, in the folded-up state, is held in at least a partially closed state by means of an arrester strap placed on the inside of the airbag having a first end and an opposite second end, the second end overlapping the adaptive ventilation opening and firmly connected with the airbag fabric at a securing location, wherein the arrester strap, beginning at the securing location is arranged on one side of the ventilation opening and is guided through a safety loop forming a safety loop opening lying at an opposite side of the ventilation opening, the safety loop being formed in part by the airbag fabric and a reinforcing blank enclosing the ventilation opening and firmly connected with the airbag fabric, the safety loop opening for the arrester strap is formed in part by an edge area of the reinforcing blank not connected to the airbag fabric, and the second end of the arrester strap is arranged between the reinforcing blank and the airbag fabric and is connected with both the airbag fabric and with the reinforcing blank in an area lying opposite with respect to the edge area of the ventilation opening forming part of the safety loop opening;

wherein the reinforcing blank is formed as a ring enclosing the ventilation opening and the second end of the arrester strap connected with the airbag fabric has a two-dimensional expansion having an outer attachment area and with a guide area adjacent thereon narrowing funnel-like along the arrester strap, wherein the outer attachment area is connected with the reinforcing blank on the one side of the ventilation opening, and the guide area on the side of the ventilation opening lying at the opposite side of the ventilation opening is enclosed by a seam defining an edge of the safety loop opening and connecting the reinforcing blank to the airbag fabric.

8. A process to produce an airbag according to claim 7, the process comprising in a first step, placing the arrester strap in a position on the airbag fabric overlapping the ventilation opening formed in the airbag fabric and then placing the reinforcing blank in position on the arrester strap and the airbag fabric enclosing the ventilation opening and sewing the reinforcing black to the airbag fabric in edge areas positioned outside the overlap of the arrester strap, and, in a second step, moving the arrester strap with respect to the airbag fabric and the reinforcing blank and bringing the arrester strap into an attachment position and is subsequently sewing the arrester strap to the airbag fabric.

9. The airbag according to claim 7, wherein a first stop hole is formed at both ends of the ventilation opening in the airbag fabric and a second stop hole aligning with the associated first stop hole of the airbag fabric is formed in the interior of the ring forming the reinforcing blank on both sides of a central area of the reinforcing blank.

10. The airbag according to claim 9 wherein the first stop holes formed in the airbag fabric are formed as ventilation openings having an open cross-section.

11. The airbag according to claim 7, wherein, the arrester strap, the airbag fabric, and the reinforcing blank each form positioning openings arranged associated to each other for a mutual positional fixation of the second end of the arrester strap, the airbag fabric, and the reinforcing blank.

12. The process to produce an airbag formed of an airbag fabric forming part of an airbag module for installation into a motor vehicle of the type having an inflation device for inflating the airbag in a folded-up state before its activation, the airbag comprising at least one adaptive ventilation opening in the form of a slit made in the airbag fabric which, in the folded-up state, is held in at least a partially dosed state by means of an arrester strap placed on the inside of the airbag having a first end and an opposite second end, the second end overlapping the adaptive ventilation opening and firmly connected with the airbag fabric at a securing location, wherein the arrester strap, beginning at the securing location is arranged on one side of the ventilation opening and is guided through a safety loop forming at an opposite side of the ventilation opening, the safety loop being formed in part by the airbag fabric and a reinforcing blank enclosing the ventilation opening and firmly connected with the airbag fabric, the safety loop opening for the arrester strap is formed in part by an edge area of the reinforcing blank not connected to the airbag fabric, and the second end of the arrester strap is arranged between the reinforcing blank and the airbag fabric and is connected with both the airbag fabric and with the reinforcing blank in an area lying opposite with respect to the edge area of the ventilation opening forming part of the safety loop opening;

the process comprising the steps of;

in a first step, sewing the second end of the arrester strap to the first reinforcing section of the reinforcing blank, and

in a second step, placing the reinforcing blank on the airbag fabric such that the second end of the arrester strap sewn on the reinforcing blank comes to rest between the reinforcing blank and the airbag fabric in an attachment position and the arrester strap overlaps the ventilation opening, and

subsequently, sewing the reinforcing blank in an applied position circumferentially to the airbag fabric, wherein the safety loop opening is recessed for the arrester strap during the circumferential sewing of the reinforcing blank with the airbag fabric;

wherein the seam connecting the airbag fabric with the reinforcing blank made in the first step forms a funnel-shaped receiving area along the seam forming the opening for the arrester strap for a guide area arranged on the end of the arrester strap;

so that in the second step when the arrester strap is placed in the attachment position, the second end of the arrester strap with the guide area of its expansion lying between the airbag fabric and the reinforcing blank is captured by the course of the seam and fixed in position, and as a result the safety loop opening for the arrester strap is sealed.