GB2383303A - Material for an air-bag - Google Patents

Material for an air-bag Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2383303A
GB2383303A GB0130357A GB0130357A GB2383303A GB 2383303 A GB2383303 A GB 2383303A GB 0130357 A GB0130357 A GB 0130357A GB 0130357 A GB0130357 A GB 0130357A GB 2383303 A GB2383303 A GB 2383303A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
fibres
air
bag
film
adhesive
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB0130357A
Other versions
GB0130357D0 (en
Inventor
Conrad Fricke
James Reeves
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Autoliv Development AB
Original Assignee
Autoliv Development AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Autoliv Development AB filed Critical Autoliv Development AB
Priority to GB0130357A priority Critical patent/GB2383303A/en
Publication of GB0130357D0 publication Critical patent/GB0130357D0/en
Priority to AU2002358369A priority patent/AU2002358369A1/en
Priority to PCT/SE2002/002255 priority patent/WO2003051681A1/en
Publication of GB2383303A publication Critical patent/GB2383303A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
    • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
    • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
    • B60R21/23—Inflatable members
    • B60R21/235—Inflatable members characterised by their material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B27/00—Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin
    • B32B27/12—Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B7/00—Layered products characterised by the relation between layers; Layered products characterised by the relative orientation of features between layers, or by the relative values of a measurable parameter between layers, i.e. products comprising layers having different physical, chemical or physicochemical properties; Layered products characterised by the interconnection of layers
    • B32B7/04—Interconnection of layers
    • B32B7/12—Interconnection of layers using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B2305/00—Condition, form or state of the layers or laminate
    • B32B2305/10—Fibres of continuous length
    • B32B2305/20—Fibres of continuous length in the form of a non-woven mat
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B2305/00—Condition, form or state of the layers or laminate
    • B32B2305/22—Fibres of short length
    • B32B2305/28—Fibres of short length in the form of a mat
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B2307/00—Properties of the layers or laminate
    • B32B2307/50—Properties of the layers or laminate having particular mechanical properties
    • B32B2307/582—Tearability
    • B32B2307/5825—Tear resistant
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B2398/00—Unspecified macromolecular compounds
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B37/00—Methods or apparatus for laminating, e.g. by curing or by ultrasonic bonding
    • B32B37/12—Methods or apparatus for laminating, e.g. by curing or by ultrasonic bonding characterised by using adhesives
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
    • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
    • B60R21/16—Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags
    • B60R21/23—Inflatable members
    • B60R21/235—Inflatable members characterised by their material
    • B60R2021/23504—Inflatable members characterised by their material characterised by material
    • B60R2021/23523—Composite

Abstract

An air-bag is formed from a reinforced material. The material is formed from a thin layer, such as a layer (10) of plastics material which is reinforced by randomly orientated fibres (12) which are adhered to the layer (10) by adhesive (11). The reinforced fabric is tear-resistant.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1>
DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION "IMPROVEMENTS IN RELATING TO AN AIR-BAG" THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to an air-bag and more particularly relates to an airbag for use in a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a material for use in making an air-bag and to a method of making such a material.
It has been proposed to provide air-bags located at many positions within motor vehicles, with the air-bags being adapted to be inflated in the event that an accident should occur to provide protection for an occupant of the vehicle. It has been proposed to make air-bags from various fabrics and materials. A woven fabric has been widely used, but it has been found that when a tear appears in the fabric, it is commonplace for the tear to increase in size rapidly due to the fact that the fabric is woven, and, at any one instant, the load appearing between the two opposed edges of the tear is applied to only one or two fibres. Thus the fibres break sequentially enabling the tear to grow rapidly.
It has been proposed to provide an air-bag formed from a plastics material film and a reinforcing member arranged in connection with the film for arresting the propagation of a tear in the film. US-A-5746446 shows an arrangement of this type, but the member associated with the plastics material film is a net. Thus this arrangement also suffers from the problem of a tear being prone to extend in length due to the sequential breaking of parts of the net.
<Desc/Clms Page number 2>
According to one aspect of this invention, there is provided an air-bag, the air-bag being formed from a layer of material, the layer being reinforced by randomly orientated fibres.
Preferably, the fibres are extruded.
Conveniently, the fibres are relatively long having average length in excess of 25mm.
Preferably, the fibres are adhered to the plastics film.
Alternatively, the fibres are embedded in the plastics film.
Conveniently, at least one area of the material forming the air-bag has a larger proportion of fibres than another area of the material forming the air-bag.
Preferably, at least one area of the material forming the air-bag have different properties to the properties of the fibres in the rest of the material.
Conveniently, said layer is a plastics material film.
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a material for use in forming an air-bag the material comprising a plastics film to which is adhered a plurality of fibres in a random orientation.
Preferably the fibres are extruded fibres.
Conveniently the fibres have a average length in excess of 25mm.
<Desc/Clms Page number 3>
According to the further aspect of this invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a material for use in making an air-bag, the method comprising the steps of taking a layer of material, applying adhesive to one side of the layer, and bonding a plurality of fibres in a random orientation to the adhesive.
In one embodiment of the invention the fibres are applied to the adhesive by a spreading machine which spreads the fibres across an adhesive coated side of the plastics material.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention the fibres are air-blown on to the adhesive.
In a further embodiment of the invention the fibres are initially located on a first surface and the adhesive coated film is lowered on to the fibres, with the adhesive coating coming into contact with the fibres.
Preferably, the layer of material is a film of plastics 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: FIGURE I is a view illustrating the tearing of a fabric or net, FIGURE 2 is a plan view of part of a material in accordance with the invention, FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of part of the material of Figure 2 and FIGURE 4 is a view of an air-bag made from the material of Figures 2 and 3.
<Desc/Clms Page number 4>
Referring initially to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings a woven or net-like material 1 is shown consisting of generally parallel yams or fibres 2 constituting a "weft " and also generally parallel yarns or fibres 3 constituting a "warp". A "tear" has commenced as shown as the tear 4. It can be seen that the tear separates two distinct areas 5,6 of the woven material, and if these areas tend to move further apart a substantial force is applied to the particular yam or fibre 7 appearing at the base or apex of the tear. That particular yam or fibre 7 may thus readily break, increasing the size of the tear 4 and then applying a similar pressure or force to the next adjacent weft yam or fibre 8. Thus the tear can rapidly grow in size.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate a material in accordance with the invention. The material of Figures 2 and 3 comprises a thin layer of material which in this embodiment is a plastics film 10. One surface of the film 10 is provided with an adhesive layer 11 which adheres randomly orientated fibres to the film 10.
The plastics material film may initially be spread out flat on a bed or table. A layer of adhesive 11 may be applied to the top of the film and long fibres, such as extruded fibres 12, may be randomly spread out on the adhesive layer 11. The fibres may be spread using a fibre spreading machine which may deposit fibres on the adhesive film 11 and, by means of a knife or blade having its lower edge spaced immediately above the adhesive film 11, may move the fibres across the top of the adhesive film until the fibres are spread evenly across and adhered to the adhesive film. Finally, the plastics film 10, the adhesive 11 and fibres 12 on top of the adhesive may be passed through an appropriate roller unit to ensure that the fibres 12 are firmly bonded, by the adhesive layer 11, to the film 10. As can be seem in Figure 2 the fibres adopt a random orientation or pattern. Figure 2 shows part of the film surrounding a hole or aperture 13.
The fibres used in performing the invention are preferably extruded fibres and may thus be fibres of a polyamide material or some other polymer material. However, other fibres may be utilized. Fibres may be long or short but it is preferred to use long fibres, as
<Desc/Clms Page number 5>
long fibres provide enhanced strength. It is preferred for the average length of the fibres to exceed 25mm.
While one method of applying the fibres to the adhesive coated layer or film has been described, the fibres may be applied to the adhesive using many alternative techniques. For example, fibres may be air-blown on to the adhesive layer. Alternatively the fibres may be spread out upon a table or other surface, and then the plastics material film, with one side thereof coated with adhesive, may be lowered on to the table, with the adhesive coating coming into contact with the fibres. A roller or other mechanism may be used to press the plastics film 10 downwardly so that the adhesive 11 becomes firmly bonded to the fibres 12.
Figure 3 illustrates an air-bag 20 made from a material as described above. The airbag 20 is mounted in a steering wheel 21 of a motor vehicle to provide protection for an occupant 22 of the vehicle. The air-bag is shown as it inflates. It may be desirable for a specific area of the material forming the air-bag, such as the area 23 which is the area of the air-bag which, when fully inflated, will be impacted by the occupant of the vehicle 22, to be somewhat stiffer than other areas of the air-bag. Thus the material used in the manufacture of the air-bag 20 may be such that the number of fibres present in the material will be increased or enhanced in the area 23 as opposed to the remaining areas of the material, thus enhancing the stiffness of this area. The air-bag has a vent hole 24. The area 25 of the material around the vent hole may have fibres with different properties as compared with the fibres in other parts of the material forming the air-bag. The fibres may be stronger, for example by being of greater diameter, to withstand the high load generated adjacent the vent hole.
Whilst the invention has been described with reference to embodiments in which fibres are adhered to a plastics film, it is to be appreciated that a material in accordance with the invention may be fabricated using other techniques. For example, fibres may be incorporated into a hot-melt of polymer, with that hot-melt of polymer subsequently being
<Desc/Clms Page number 6>
processed to produce a film of plastics, that film of plastics having the elongate fibres incorporated therein.
In the present specification"comprise"means"includes or consists of'and "comprising"means"including or consisting of.
The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (20)

CLAIMS:
1. An air-bag, the air-bag being formed from a layer of material, the layer being reinforced by randomly orientated fibres.
2. An air-bag according to Claim 1 wherein the fibres are extruded.
3. An air-bag according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the fibres are relatively long, having an average length in excess of 25mm.
4. An air-bag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the fibres are adhered to the plastics film.
5. An air-bag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the fibres are embedded in the plastics film.
6. An air-bag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one area of the material forming the air-bag has a larger proportion of fibres than another area of the material forming the air-bag.
7. An air-bag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one area of the material forming the air-bag has different properties to the properties of the fibres in the rest of the material.
8. An air-bag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said layer is a plastics material film.
9. A material for use in forming an air-bag the material comprising a plastics material film to which is adhered a plurality of fibres in a random orientation.
<Desc/Clms Page number 8>
10. A material according to Claim 9 when the fibres are extruded fibres.
11. A material according to Claims 9 and 10 wherein the fibres have an average length in excess of 25mm.
12. A method of manufacturing a material for use in making an air-bag, the method comprising the steps of taking a layer of material, applying adhesive to one side of the layer, and bonding a plurality of fibres in a random orientation to the adhesive.
13. A method according to Claim 12 wherein the fibres are applied to the adhesive by a spreading machine which spreads the fibres across an adhesive coated side of the plastics material.
14. A method according to Claim 12 wherein the fibres are air-blown on to the adhesive.
15. A method according to Claim 12 wherein the fibres are initially located on a first surface and the adhesive coated film is lowered on to the fibres, with the adhesive coating coming into contact with the fibres.
16. A method according to any one of the Claims 12 to 15 wherein the layer of material is a film of plastics.
17. An air-bag substantially described with reference to and as shown in Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
18. A material for forming an air-bag substantially described with reference to and as shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
19. A method of making a material for an air-bag substantially described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
<Desc/Clms Page number 9>
20. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.
GB0130357A 2001-12-19 2001-12-19 Material for an air-bag Withdrawn GB2383303A (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0130357A GB2383303A (en) 2001-12-19 2001-12-19 Material for an air-bag
AU2002358369A AU2002358369A1 (en) 2001-12-19 2002-12-06 "an air-bag"
PCT/SE2002/002255 WO2003051681A1 (en) 2001-12-19 2002-12-06 'an air-bag'

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0130357A GB2383303A (en) 2001-12-19 2001-12-19 Material for an air-bag

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0130357D0 GB0130357D0 (en) 2002-02-06
GB2383303A true GB2383303A (en) 2003-06-25

Family

ID=9927934

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0130357A Withdrawn GB2383303A (en) 2001-12-19 2001-12-19 Material for an air-bag

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2002358369A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2383303A (en)
WO (1) WO2003051681A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2005324646A (en) 2004-05-13 2005-11-24 Toyobo Co Ltd Inflator gas introducing and distributing hose
DE102005019228A1 (en) 2005-04-20 2006-11-02 Takata-Petri (Ulm) Gmbh Fabric for an airbag
US7803724B2 (en) * 2006-06-02 2010-09-28 Honeywell International Inc. Multilayer airbag using non-woven fabric and reinforced scrim

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0692218B2 (en) * 1987-12-11 1994-11-16 旭化成工業株式会社 Shock absorbing bag and manufacturing method thereof
US5046759A (en) * 1989-04-07 1991-09-10 Uniroyal Plastics Co., Inc. Braided fabric structure for seamless fabric confinements
JPH04228648A (en) * 1990-12-27 1992-08-18 Bridgestone Corp Air bag
US5110666A (en) * 1991-05-06 1992-05-05 Reeves Brothers, Inc. Coated fabric structure for air bag applications
US5863068A (en) * 1994-05-23 1999-01-26 Automotive Technologies International, Inc. Plastic film airbag
US5501259A (en) * 1994-05-02 1996-03-26 Palm; Edward B. Inflatable restraint device and method of manufacturing same

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0130357D0 (en) 2002-02-06
WO2003051681A1 (en) 2003-06-26
AU2002358369A1 (en) 2003-06-30

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)