Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1998-12-14
2000-05-23
Culbreth, Eric
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
280729, B60R 2120
Patent
active
060657758
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air-bag.
A typical air-bag is intended to be mounted on a motor vehicle, and is associated with a gas generator which is adapted to inflate the air-bag in the event that an accident should arise, the inflated air-bag then being positioned to provide protection for the driver or other occupant of the vehicle.
Air-bags may be of many different shapes. A conventional air-bag adapted to be mounted in the hub of a steering wheel is circular, when the bag is un-inflated, and substantially spherical when the bag is inflated. Other air-bags may have different shapes.
A typical air-bag is stored, in a folded state, in a housing. The housing protects the air-bag, to minimize the risk of the air-bag being damaged in any way, both during storage and during inflation.
It is difficult to fold a circular or irregularly-shaped air-bag, so that the air-bag will fit snugly within the housing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to provide an improved air-bag.
According to this invention there is provided an air-bag, the air-bag comprising two super-imposed layers of fabric, the layers of fabric being inter-connected by means which define the outer periphery of the air-bag when in the unfolded state, one layer of fabric being provided with an aperture adapted to receive a gas generator, or means connected to a gas generator, there being a breakable seam inter-connecting the upper and lower layers of fabric defining a substantially rectangular area which surrounds said aperture.
Preferably the breakable seam is defined from a plurality of seam portions, there being spaces between adjacent seam portions.
Conveniently the said breakable seam comprises four seam portions, each of substantially "L"-shape.
In one embodiment the means which define the outer periphery of the bag comprise a peripheral seam, the peripheral seam and the said breakable seam being formed simultaneously with the weaving of the fabric, threads from the upper and lower layers of fabric being inter-woven to form the peripheral seam and relatively weak threads, provided in at least one of the fabric layers, being inter-woven with the threads of the other of the fabric layers to form the breakable seam.
The invention also relates to a method of folding an air-bag comprising the steps of taking an air-bag as described above, turning the air-bag inside-out so that the air-bag has a configuration defined by the shape of the breakable seam, and subsequently folding the air-bag with linear folds.
Conveniently the linear folds comprise concertina folds.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be more readily understood and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air-bag in accordance with the invention prior to the commencement of folding,
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the air-bag of FIG. 1 after the commencement of the folding process,
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the air-bag, when in the condition of FIG. 2, illustrating where further folds are to be effected during the subsequent steps in the folding process, and
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of part of an air-bag when inflated.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring initially to FIG. 1, a circular air-bag is illustrated. This air-bag is intended to be mounted within the hub of a steering wheel, to provide protection for the driver of the vehicle. The air-bag 1 is made of two super-imposed layers of fabric. The layers of fabric may be woven simultaneously as a double-layered web, with parts of the web being inter-connected to form seams.
This may be accomplished by, in selected areas of the web, weaving threads from one of the layers of fabric into the other of the layers of fabric. This technique is disclosed in WO90/09295.
As can be seen from FIG. 1, the upper layer of fabric 2 is connected to the lower layer of fabric 3 by a circular se
REFERENCES:
patent: 5094477 (1992-03-01), Togawa
Carter Damian
Valkenburg Simon
Autoliv Development AB
Culbreth Eric
Kinberg Robert
Spencer George H.
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