Inflatable airbag and method of making the same

• US 6,830,261 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2001
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Original Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Inventors: Sollars, John A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US09/884,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20010042980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 280/730.2, 280/728.1
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23547 one piece weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/02 Inflatable articles

Abstract

An inflatable airbag cushion (10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510) is provided. The bag includes a face portion and a rear portion formed from first and second fabric layers (30, 32). The bag further includes a number of straight line woven in joints (16) defining flow barrier elements (14). The flow barrier elements (14) serve to contain the inflation gases and to restrict inflation of the cushion.

Claims

1. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:

a woven bag of non-jacquard construction, wherein said bag comprises a face portion and a rear portion formed from a first fabric layer and a second fabric layer, each of said first and second fabric layers being defined by a plurality of polymeric warp yarns running in a warp direction interposed by a plurality of polymeric weft yarns running in a weft direction substantially transverse to said warp direction;

said bag further comprising a plurality of woven in joints, said woven in joints being arranged so as to define flow barriers between said face portion and said rear portion such that upon introduction of a gas into said bag, the flow of the gas within the bag is limited by said woven in joints thereby containing the gas in locations where inflation is desired and restricting inflation of said bag at locations where said woven in joints are present;

at least a portion of at least one of said woven in joints extending in both the warp direction and the weft direction between said face portion and said rear portion, and all of said woven in joints in said woven bag consisting essentially of one or more straight line segments, at least one of said woven-in joints forming at least one of a closed edge and end between said face portion and said rear portion to prevent gas from escaping from said airbag cushion upon the introduction of gas into said cushion, and wherein at least one of said flow barriers comprises at least one of a box structure, an extended box configuration, an island, a stepped corner profile, and a cross shape.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said flow barriers comprise box structures disposed across the interior of said bag.

3. The invention according to claim 2, wherein said box structures are of multiple cornered construction.

4. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said warp yarns and said weft yarns are formed from a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyester, Nylon 6 and Nylon 6.6.

5. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said bag further comprises a porosity blocking coating.

6. An invention according to claim 1, wherein said parallel woven in joints are separated from one another by no more than eight yarns in each layer of fabric.

7. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said woven in joints are separated from one another by no more than four yams in each layer of fabric.

8. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the woven-in joints are separated by an area of said first and second layers of fabric.

9. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the airbag cushion is in the shape of a rectangle.

10. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:

a woven bag of non-jacquard construction, wherein said bag comprises a face portion and a rear portion formed from a first fabric layer and a second fabric layer, each of said first and second fabric layers being defined by a plurality of polymeric warp yarns running in a warp direction interposed by a plurality of polymeric weft yarns running in a welt direction substantially transverse to said warp direction;

said bag further comprising a plurality of woven in joints, said woven in joints being arranged so as to define flow barriers between said face portion and said rear portion such that upon introduction of a gas into said bag, the flow of the gas within the bag is limited by said woven in joints thereby containing the gas in locations where inflation is desired and restricting inflation of said bag at locations where said woven in joints are present, at least one of said woven in joints defining an interior flow barrier, a plurality of said woven in joints defining closed perimeter joints, said bag having at least one inlet opening along the perimeter thereof, and all of said woven in joints in said woven bag consisting essentially of one or more straight line segments.

11. The invention according to claim 10, wherein said at least one interior flow barrier comprises box structures disposed across the interior of said bag.

12. The invention according to claim 11, wherein said box structures are of multiple cornered construction.

13. The invention according to claim 10, wherein said warp yarns and said weft yarns are formed from a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyester, Nylon 6 and Nylon 6.6.

14. The invention according to claim 10, wherein said bag further comprises a porosity blocking coating.

15. The invention according to claim 10, wherein the at least one interior flow barrier comprises at least one of a box structure, an extended box configuration, an island, a stepped corner profile, and a cross shape and wherein the airbag cushion is in the shape of a rectangle.

16. The invention according to claim 10, wherein said at least one interior flow barrier extends in both the warp direction and weft direction.

17. The invention according to claim 10, wherein said at least one interior flow barrier forms an extended box configuration which projects from an edge of said bag into the interior thereof.

18. The invention according to claim 10, wherein said at least one interior flow barrier comprises a plurality of extended box configurations each of which project from an edge of said bag into the interior thereof.

19. The invention according to claim 10, wherein said at least one interior flow barrier forms an island in the interior of said bag not connected to an edge of said bag.

20. The invention of claim 10, wherein said at least one interior flow barrier comprises a plurality of islands in the interior of said bag not connected to an edge of said bag.

21. The invention of claim 10, wherein said at least one interior flow barrier has a stepped corner profile so as to have two or more corners so as to distribute the stress of inflation more uniformly.

22. The invention of claim 10, wherein said at least one interior flow barrier is in the shape of a cross.

23. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:

a woven bag of non-jacquard construction, wherein said bag comprises a face portion and a rear portion formed from a first fabric layer and a second fabric layer, each of said first and second fabric layers being defined by a plurality of polymeric warp yarns running in a warp direction interposed by a plurality of polymeric weft yarns running in a weft direction substantially transverse to said warp direction;

said bag further comprising a plurality of woven in joints, said woven in joints being arranged so as to define flow barriers between said face portion and said rear portion such that upon introduction of a gas into said bag, the flow of the gas within the bag is limited by said woven in joints thereby containing the gas in locations where inflation is desired and restricting inflation of said bag at locations where said woven in joints are present, all of said woven in joints consisting essentially of one or more straight segments, and wherein at wherein at least one of said flow barriers comprises at least one of a box structure, an extended box configuration, an island, a stepped corner profile, and a cross shape.

24. The invention according to claim 23, wherein said flow barriers comprise box structures disposed across the interior of said bag.

25. The invention according to claim 24, wherein said box structures are of multiple cornered construction.

26. The invention according to claim 23, wherein said warp yarns and said weft yarns are formed from a polyester selected from the group consisting of polyester, Nylon 6 and Nylon 6.6.

27. The invention according to claim 23, wherein said bag further comprises a porosity blocking coating.

28. The invention according to claim 23, wherein said parallel woven in joints are separated from one another by no more than eight yarns in each layer of fabric.

29. The invention according to claim 23, wherein said parallel woven in joints are separated from one another by nor more than four yarns in each layer of fabric.

30. The invention according to claim 23, wherein the woven-in joints are separated from one another by at least two yarns and no more than twelve yarns in each layer of fabric.

31. The invention according to claim 23, wherein the airbag cushion is in the shape of a rectangle.

32. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:

a woven bag of non-jacquard construction, wherein said bag comprises a face portion and a rear portion formed from a first fabric layer and a second fabric layer, each of said first and second fabric layers being defined by a plurality of polymeric warp yarns running in a warp direction interposed by a plurality of polymeric weft yarns running in a weft direction substantially transverse to said warp direction;

said bag further comprising a plurality of woven in joints, said woven in joints being arranged so as to define flow barriers between said face portion and said rear portion such that upon introduction of a gas into said bag, the flow of the gas within the bag is limited by said woven in joints thereby containing the gas in locations where inflation is desired and restricting inflation of said bag at locations where said woven in joints are present, all of said woven in joints in said woven bag consisting essentially of one or more straight line segments, at least some of said woven-in joint forming closed edges between said face portion and said rear portion to prevent gas from escaping from said airbag cushion upon the introduction of gas into said cushion, and wherein said woven in joints form an inflatable portion having more than four interior sides.

33. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:

a woven bag of non-jacquard construction, wherein said bag comprises a face portion and a rear portion formed from a first fabric layer and a second fabric layer, each of said first and second fabric layers being defined by a plurality of polymeric warp yarns running in a warp direction interposed by a plurality of polymeric weft yarns running in a weft direction substantially transverse to said warp direction;

said bag further comprising a plurality of woven in joints, said woven in joints being arranged so as to define flow barriers between said face portion and said rear portion such that upon introduction of a gas into said bag, the flow of the gas within the bag is limited by said woven in joints thereby containing the gas in locations where inflation is desired and restricting inflation of said bag at locations where said woven in joints are present, all of said woven in joints in said woven bag consisting essentially of one or more straight line segments, and at least one of said woven in joints forming an extended box configuration which projects from a side of the bag into the interior thereof.

34. The invention according to claim 33, wherein at least two of said woven in joints form extended box configurations.

35. The invention according to claim 33, wherein said extended box configurations has substantially parallel woven-in joints.

36. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:

a woven bag of non-jacquard construction, wherein said bag comprises a face portion and a rear portion formed from a first fabric layer and a second fabric layer, each of said first and second fabric layers being defined by a plurality of polymeric warp yarns running in a warp direction interposed by a plurality of polymeric weft yarns running in a weft direction substantially transverse to said warp direction;

said bag further comprising a plurality of woven in joints, said woven in joints being arranged so as to define flow barriers between said face portion and said rear portion such that upon introduction of a gas into said bag, the flow of the gas within the bag is limited by said woven in joints thereby containing the gas in locations where inflation is desired and restricting inflation of said bag at locations where said woven in joints are present, all of said woven in joints in said woven bag consisting essentially of one or more straight line segments, and at least one of said woven in joints forming an island not connected to a side of the bag.

37. The invention according to claim 36, wherein a plurality of said woven in joints form an island not connected to a side of the bag.

38. The invention according to claim 36, wherein said island is formed of substantially parallel woven in joints.

39. An inflatable airbag cushion comprising:

a woven bag of non-jacquard construction, wherein said bag comprises a face portion and a rear portion formed from a first fabric layer and a second fabric layer, each of said first and second fabric layers being defined by a plurality of polymeric warp yarns running in a warp direction interposed by a plurality of polymeric weft yams running in a weft direction substantially transverse to said warp direction;

said bag further comprising a plurality of woven in joints, said woven in joints being arranged so as to define flow barriers between said face portion and said rear portion such that upon introduction of a gas into said bag, the flow of the gas within the bag is limited by said woven in joints thereby containing the gas in locations where inflation is desired and restricting inflation of said bag at locations where said woven in joints are present, all of said woven in joints in said woven bag consisting essentially of one or more straight line segments, and wherein said woven in joints form an inflatable portion having more than four interior sides.