Airbag fabric including apertures and methods of forming the same

• US 9,873,401 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2016
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Low, Jeffrey Eugene, Richards, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilhelm, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US15/055,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20170247012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23509 Fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23547 one piece weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: D03C 3/00 Jacquards controlling jacquard by scanning design D03C17/06; for gripper Axminster looms D03D39/08
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/02 Inflatable articles
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 11/02 Fabrics formed with pockets, tubes, loops, folds, tucks or flaps fabrics consisting of a single tube D03D3/02
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/124 Air bags

Abstract

Fabrics for inflatable airbags including one or more aperture sections are disclosed. The aperture sections can be formed in woven fabric panels of the inflatable airbags. Methods of weaving fabric panels including aperture sections for inflatable airbags are also disclosed. The aperture sections may define vents, or the aperture sections may receive a portion of an inflator, a lead wire, and/or a mounting hardware component.

Claims

1. A fabric panel for an inflatable airbag, comprising:

a woven section comprising a plurality of first yarns and a plurality of second yarns oriented transverse to the plurality of first yarns, wherein the plurality of first yarns are interwoven with the plurality of second yarns to form the woven section; and

an aperture section surrounded by the woven section, the aperture section comprising a first set of multiple adjacent yarns of the plurality of first yarns and a second set of multiple adjacent yarns of the plurality of second yarns, wherein at the aperture section the first set of multiple adjacent yarns extends over the second set of multiple adjacent yarns such that the second set of multiple adjacent yarns extends under the first set of multiple adjacent yarns, wherein a subset of the first and second sets of multiple adjacent yarns at the aperture section are removed from the aperture section.

2. The fabric panel of claim 1, wherein the first set of multiple adjacent yarns of the plurality of first yarns and the second set of multiple adjacent yarns of the plurality of second yarns are selected to form a predetermined shape of the aperture section.

3. The fabric panel of claim 1, wherein the woven section and the aperture section are integrally formed by a single weaving process.

4. The fabric panel of claim 1, wherein the first yarns comprise warp yarns and the second yarns comprise weft yarns.

5. The fabric panel of claim 1, wherein the first yarns comprise weft yarns and the second yarns comprise warp yarns.

6. An inflatable airbag, comprising:

a first panel of fabric comprising an aperture section, the first panel of fabric formed from a first plurality of first yarns forming a first set of first yarns and a third set of first yarns, and a first plurality of second yarns oriented transverse to the first plurality of first yarns, wherein the first set of first yarns is woven over a first adjacent set of second yarns while the third set of first yarns is woven under the first adjacent set of second yarns, and the first set of first yarns is woven under a second adjacent set of second yarns while the third set of first yarns is woven over the second adjacent set of second yarns, forming a first panel weaving pattern, the first panel weaving pattern being repeated to form a portion of the first panel of fabric; and

a second panel of fabric coupled to the first panel of fabric to define an inflatable chamber for receiving inflation gas from an inflator,

the aperture section formed by weaving the third set of first yarns over at least two adjacent sets of second yarns, and weaving the first set of first yarns over at least two adjacent sets of second yarns, forming an aperture section weaving pattern, the aperture section weaving pattern forming a portion of the aperture section, wherein a subset of the first or second yarns at the aperture section are removed from the aperture section, and wherein the aperture section allows for access through the first panel of fabric into the inflatable chamber.

7. The inflatable airbag of claim 6, wherein the second panel of fabric is formed from a second plurality of first yarns forming a second set of first yarns and a fourth set of first yarns, and a second plurality of second yarns oriented transverse to the second plurality of first yarns, wherein the second set of first yarns is woven over a third adjacent set of second yarns while the fourth set of first yarns is woven under the third adjacent set of second yarns, and the second set of first yarns is woven under a fourth adjacent set of second yarns while the fourth set of first yarns is woven over the fourth adjacent set of second yarns, forming a second panel weaving pattern, the second panel weaving pattern being repeated to form a portion of the second panel of fabric.

8. The inflatable airbag of claim 6, wherein the first panel of fabric and the second panel of fabric are integrally formed by a one-piece weaving process.

9. The inflatable airbag of claim 6, wherein the first yarns comprise warp yarns and the second yarns comprise weft yarns.

10. The inflatable airbag of claim 6, wherein the first yarns comprise weft yarns and the second yarns comprise warp yarns.

11. The inflatable airbag of claim 6, wherein the aperture section is configured to receive a portion of at least one of the inflator, a lead wire, or a mounting hardware component through the first panel of fabric into the inflatable chamber.

12. The inflatable airbag of claim 6, wherein the aperture section is configured to permit the inflation gas to egress from the inflatable chamber through the first panel of fabric.

13. The inflatable airbag of claim 12, wherein the aperture section forms an external vent.

14. The inflatable airbag of claim 6, wherein a subset of the first yarns and the second yarns disposed in the aperture section are substantially loose.

15. The inflatable airbag of claim 6, wherein the first panel is a front panel and the second panel is a rear panel.

16. A method of weaving a fabric for an inflatable airbag, comprising:

forming a first woven fabric layer via a first weaving pattern comprising weaving a first set of first yarns over a first adjacent set of second yarns, weaving a third set of first yarns under the first adjacent set of second yarns, alternately weaving the first set of first yarns under a second adjacent set of second yarns and alternately weaving the third set of first yarns over the second adjacent set of second yarns, and then repeatedly weaving and alternately weaving the first set of first yarns and the third set of first yarns, substantially laterally, with respect to additional adjacent sets of second yarns;

forming an aperture section in a portion of the first woven fabric layer via an aperture section weaving pattern comprising weaving the first set of first yarns over at least two adjacent sets of second yarns and weaving the third set of first yarns over at least two adjacent sets of second yarns;

forming a second woven fabric layer, wherein a portion of the first woven fabric layer is opposite from and spaced apart from a portion of the second woven fabric layer, and wherein the first woven fabric layer and the second woven fabric layer define an inflatable fabric portion that is surrounded by a non-inflatable fabric portion; and

removing a subset of the first yarns and the second yarns disposed in the aperture section.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second woven fabric layer is formed via a second weaving pattern comprising weaving a second set of first yarns over a third adjacent set of second yarns, weaving a fourth set of first yarns under the third adjacent set of second yarns, alternately weaving the second set of first yarns under a fourth adjacent set of second yarns and alternately weaving the fourth set of first yarns over the fourth adjacent set of second yarns, and then repeatedly weaving and alternately weaving the second set of first yarns and the fourth set of first yarns, substantially laterally, with respect to additional adjacent sets of second yarns.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first woven fabric layer and the second woven fabric layer define at least one inflatable chamber within the inflatable fabric portion and wherein the aperture section defines a vent in fluid communication with the at least one inflatable chamber.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first woven fabric layer and the second woven fabric layer are woven to form a single piece of fabric.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first yarns comprise warp yarns and the second yarns comprise weft yarns.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the first yarns comprise weft yarns and the second yarns comprise warp yarns.