Heat resistant coating for use in airbags and methods of their manufacture

• US 9,475,255 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2013
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbag Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Airbag Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Lowe, Vernon John, Nielsen, Steven F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Freedman, Laura
• Application Number:
  US14/423,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20150266264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/02 on fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/10 on synthetic resin layer or on natural or synthetic rubber layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/205 Metallic coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/26 Polymeric coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/10 Inorganic particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/306 Resistant to heat
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2571/00 Protective equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/00 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/08 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/14 applied in spaced arrangements, e.g. in stripes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23514 coated fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/264 using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic B60R21/268 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/259 Silicic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/263 Coating layer not in excess of 5 mils thick or equivalent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/30 : Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/60 : Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]

Abstract

A heat shield is generally provided, along with methods of making the heat shield and its use in a vehicle safety device (e.g., an airbag). In one embodiment, the heat shield includes a base substrate (e.g., a nonwoven fabric, a woven fabric, or a film); a heat resistant coating on the base substrate; and a first point-bonded sheet laminated to the heat resistant coating such that the first point-bonded sheet forms an outer surface of the heat shield with the heat resistant coating positioned between the first point-bonded sheet and the base substrate. The heat resistant coating generally comprises particles of an inorganic mineral (e.g., vermiculite, mica, or a combination thereof) dispersed within a film-forming binder (e.g., an acrylic resin, a styrene-butadiene rubber, a polyvinyl alcohol, an ethyl vinyl acetate resin, a phenolic resin, or a combination thereof).

Claims

1. A vehicle safety device, comprising:

an airbag comprising a base fabric and forming an interior space, wherein the airbag defines an aperture;

a pyrotechnic device positioned within working proximity to the aperture defined in the airbag, wherein the pyrotechnic device is configured to fill the interior space of the airbag with a gas upon ignition; and

a heat shield positioned within the interior of the airbag and proximate to the aperture, wherein the heat shield comprises;

a base substrate;

a heat resistant coating on the base substrate, wherein the heat resistant coating comprises particles of an organic material dispersed within a film-forming binder, wherein the organic material comprises vermiculite, mica, or a combination thereof; and

a first point-bonded sheet laminated to the heat resistant coating such that the first point-bonded sheet forms an outer surface of the heat shield with the heat resistant coating positioned between the first point-bonded sheet and the base substrate, and wherein the heat shield is positioned such that the first point-bonded sheet faces the interior space of the airbag.

2. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the heat shield further comprises:

a second point-bonded sheet laminated to the base substrate such that the second point-bonded sheet is positioned opposite to the first point-bonded sheet.

3. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the base substrate is a nonwoven fabric, a woven fabric, or a film.

4. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the film-forming binder comprises an acrylic resin, a styrene-butadiene rubber, a polyvinyl alcohol, an ethyl vinyl acetate resin, a phenolic resin, or a combination thereof.

5. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the particles have an average thickness of less than about 50 nm, and wherein the particles have a largest dimension of about 0.5 μ

m to about 50 μ

m.

6. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the particles have an aspect ratio of between about 500:

1 to about 1000;

1.

7. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the heat resistant coating further comprises a surfactant, a plasticizer, or a combination thereof.

8. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the inorganic material comprises about 50% by weight to about 95% by weight of the heat resistant coating upon drying.

9. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the heat resistant coating has an average thickness of about 10 μ

m to about 100 μ

m.

10. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the first point-bonded sheet comprises a point-bonded nonwoven web of thermoplastic and/or thermoset polymers.

11. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the heat shield defines a laminate having a total thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 1 mm.

12. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the base substrate comprises a plastic film having a thin metal coating.

13. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the thin metal coating comprises aluminum.

14. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the plastic film comprises a polyester.

15. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the heat resistant coating is directly adjacent to the thin metal film.

16. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the base substrate is point-bonded.

17. The vehicle safety device as in claim 1, wherein the heat shield surrounds the aperture.