Tear resistant elastic crystal gels suitable for inflatable restraint cushions and other uses

• US 6,627,275 B1
• Filed: 08/08/1998
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Elastomerics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Elastomerics Incorporated
• Inventors: Chen, John Youngfu
• Primary Examiner(s): PRATT, CHRISTOPHER C
• Application Number:
  US09/130,545
• Time in Patent Office: 1,879 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 428/35.2, 442/293, 442/399, 420/423.1, 420/423.3, 420/425.1
• US Class Current: 428/35.2
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/00 Devices for cleaning between the teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/041 Dental floss chemical aspects A61Q11/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/24 Graft or block copolymers according to groups C08L51/00, C08L53/00 or C08L55/02; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/00 Compositions of graft polymers in which the grafted component is obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds for ABS polymers C08L55/02; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/00 Compositions of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/02 of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/025 modified
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1334 Nonself-supporting tubular film or bag [e.g., pouch, envelope, packet, etc.]

Abstract

An airbag copmrising crystal gels is disclosed. The crystal gel comprises one or more block copolymers having at least one crystalline midblock and high levels of a plasticizer. The midblock segment has an amount of crystallinity sufficient to achieve improvements in one or more physical properties including improved crack propagation resistance, improved tear resistance, improved resistance to fatigue and resistance to catastrophic failure.

Claims

1. A gas inflatable airbag of a vehicular safety restraint system to cushion an occupant or equipment during collision, said airbag comprising one or more selectively configured diaphragms made from one or more tear resistant crystal gels.

2. A gas inflatable airbag of a vehicular safety restraint system to cushion an occupant or equipment during collision, said airbag comprising one or more selectively configured diaphragms made from one or more tear resistant crystal gels, said diaphragms have one or more selected thickness.

3. A gas inflatable airbag of a vehicular safety restraint system to cushion an occupant or equipment during collision, said airbag comprising one or more selectively configured diaphragms made from one or more tear resistant crystal gels, said diaphragms have one or more selected thickness and one or more selected surface areas.

4. A gas inflatable airbag of a vehicular safety restraint system to cushion an occupant or equipment during collision, said airbag comprising one or more selectively configured diaphragms made from one or more tear resistant crystal gels, said diaphragms have one or more initial selected thickness and one or more selected initial surface areas capable of being transformed from said gel configured diaphragms by expansion of said gas to a predetermined gel defined gas volume, said gel defined gas volume capable of enveloping said occupant or equipment.

5. A gas inflatable airbag of a vehicular safety restraint system to cushion an occupant or equipment during collision, said airbag comprising one or more selectively configured diaphragms made from one or more tear resistant gels;

said gel comprising;

a crystal gel formed from (I) 100 parts by weight of one or more high viscosity linear, branched, star-shaped (radial), random or multiarm block copolymers or mixtures of two or more such block copolymers, said block copolymers having one or more midblocks, said midblocks comprising one or more substantially crystalline polyethylene midblocks and with nil, one or more amorphous midblocks;

optionally in combination with a selected amount of one or more of a (II) polymer or copolymer, and selected amounts of a plasticizing oil (III) sufficient to achieve gel rigidities of from less than about 2 gram Bloom to about 1,800 gram Bloom wherein said block copolymers having nil amorphous midblocks are combined with at least one block copolymer having at least one amorphous midblock, wherein said block midblocks of copolymers forming said crystal gel having a selected amount of crystallinity sufficient to exhibit a melting endotherm of at least about 40°

C. as determined by DSC curve.

6. A gas inflatable airbag of a vehicular safety restraint system to cushion an occupant or equipment during collision, said airbag comprising one or more selectively configured diaphragms made from one or more tear resistant crystal gels, Gn, which is in adhering contact, laminated or physically interlocked with a selected material Mn or another gel, Gn, forming the gel composite combinations GnGn, GnGnGn, GnGnGnGn, GnMn, GnMnGn, MnGnMn, MnGnGnMn, GnMnMnGn, GnMnGnMnGn, MnMnMnGn, MnMnMnGnMnMnMn or a permutation of one or more of said Gn with Mn;

wherein when n is a subscript of M, n is the same or different and wherein the material Mn is selected from the group consisting of paper, foam, plastic, fabric, metal, metal foil, glass fibers, ceramics, synthetic resin, synthetic fibers and refractory materials; and

wherein when n is a subscript of G, n denotes the same or a different. gel rigidity.