GB2400586A

GB2400586A - An air bag with a pocket for retaining a strap

Info

Publication number: GB2400586A
Application number: GB0308733A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Nicholson
Original assignee: Autoliv Development AB
Current assignee: Autoliv Development AB
Priority date: 2003-04-15
Filing date: 2003-04-15
Publication date: 2004-10-20
Also published as: GB0308733D0

Abstract

An air bag 1 is disclosed which comprises an inflatable region and which has a strap 4 extending therefrom. The air bag defines a pocket 6, possibly within a mounting lug 5, to receive at least part 8 of the strap. The pocket may have a slit 7 or an open mouth (9 figure 2), and the air bag may be fabricated by a one-piece weaving technique. The invention also relates to a method of rolling or folding an air bag of this type, wherein the method comprises the steps of inserting at least part 8 of the strap into the pocket before effecting the rolling or folding of the air bag. In this way it is intended that the strap will be less likely to interfere with any machinery used during the folding or rolling process.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO AN AIR-BAG" THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to an air-bag, and more particularly relates to an air-bag provided with a strap.

It has been proposed to provide air-bags with integral straps to facilitate the mounting of the air-bag in position within a motor vehicle.

For example it has been proposed to provide air-bags in the form of socalled inflatable curtains. An inflatable curtain is an air-bag which is initially mounted in the roof-line of a motor vehicle and which, when an accident occurs, becomes inflated to extend between the side windows of the motor vehicle and an occupant of the vehicle. Typically such an airbag may include an inflatable region, the inflatable region being provided with external mounting straps. One mounting strap may extend, for example, from a front part of the inflatable region to an anchoring point provided on the "A"-Post of the motor vehicle, and a further strap may extend, for example, from the rear part of the inflatable region to an anchoring point provided on the "C"-Post of the motor vehicle.

When an air-bag of the inflatable curtain type is to be mounted in a motor vehicle, the air-bag, together with the associated straps, are introduced into an appropriate package. This usually involves the rolling or folding of the air-bag. If this rolling or folding is effected in a machine, steps must be taken to ensure that the straps do not become entangled within the folding machinery.

At the present time the straps or tethers may be rolled up by hand and secured, temporarily, by an elastic band during the folding process to prevent the tethers from becoming jammed within the folding machinery. This is, of course, time- consuming and, from time-to-time, one or more tethers escape from their rubber bands, causing the machinery to jam. Also, securing tethers by means of rubber bands may have a bad effect on the quality of the roll or the quality of folding achieved.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved air-bag.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an air-bag, the air-bag comprising an inflatable region and having a strap extending therefrom, the air- bag defining a pocket to receive at least part of the strap.

Preferably, the pocket is a pocket provided with an open mouth to receive at least part of the strap.

Advantageously, the pocket is a pocket having a slit to provide access to the interior of the pocket.

Conveniently, the slit is a laser cut slit.

Preferably, one end of the strap is connected to the main part of the air bag by means of a mounting lug, the mounting lug defining the pocket.

Advantageously, the air-bag is fabricated by a one-piece weaving technique.

The present invention also provides a method of rolling or folding an airbag of the type described above, wherein the method comprises the steps of inserting at least part of the strap into the pocket before effecting the rolling or folding of the air-bag.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a view of part of an air-bag in accordance with the invention, with parts shown in phantom, and FIGURE 2 is a corresponding view of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Referring initially to Figure 1, an air-bag 1 in the form of an inflatable curtain has a side region 2. The side region 2 is provided with a projecting tab 3, and, extending from the tab 3 is a connecting strap 4.

The illustrated air-bag may be formed, for example, using a one-piece weaving technique. In the main region of the air-bag 1, the one-piece weaving technique may produce two super-imposed layers of fabric which define inflatable regions or inflatable cells. In the edge region 2, the two layers of fabric are woven together to form a single layer of fabric which constitutes a substantially gas-tight peripheral seal or edge to the air-bag. Within the tab 3, the peripheral part of the tab, as indicated by the shading 5, may be a part where the one-piece weaving technique produces a single integral layer of fabric, whereas in the central region of the tab, a pocket 6 is formed by two super imposed layers of fabric. A laser cut 7 is illustrated which may provide access to the pocket 6. The strap 4 is formed as an extension of the tab 3, and again is formed as a single layer of fabric.

However, it is to be appreciated that instead of using the above described one-piece weaving technique, the air-bag, and the pocket 6 could instead be formed by stitching, glueing or welding two separate sheets of fabric together, in a more conventional manner.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the free end 8 of the strap 4 is shown introduced into the pocket 6 through the laser cut slit 7. It is thus to be appreciated that by inserting at least the free end of the strap 4 into the pocket 6, the strap may be retained in such a way that the strap will not become jammed in any folding or rolling machinery, and also the quality of the roll or fold will not be effected deleteriously.

Turning now to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings, again the air- bag 1 is illustrated showing the side region 2 and the tab 3 which carries the strap 4. In this embodiment, however, the pocket 6 is formed in such a way that the pocket 6 defines an open mouth 9 adjacent the end of the strap 4. It is to be appreciated, therefore, that the end part of the strap 4 may be inserted into the pocket 6 through the mouth 9, or even the main part of the strap 4 may be inserted into the pocket in an appropriately folded configuration. It is to be appreciated, therefore, that again at least part of the strap may be retained within the pocket during the rolling or folding operation to minimise any risk of the strap becoming jammed in the rolling or folding machinery.

In each of the above-described arrangements, the strap 4 has been described as being formed as an integral part of the air-bag fabric. However, it is to be appreciated that in alternative arrangements, the strap 4 could be formed as a webbing strap which can then be secured to the fabric material defining the air-bag by stitching, such as the stitching 10 shown in phantom in Figure 2.

It is also envisaged that certain embodiments of the invention could be provided with a combination of both the slit 7 in Figure 1, and the mouth 9 shown in Figure 2.

Of course, the pocket 6 could have other configurations instead of those illustrated. For example, the pocket 6 could have a substantially Ushaped or V-shaped configuration.

In the present Specification "comprises" 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

CLAIMS: 1. An air-bag, the air-bag comprising an inflatable region and

having a strap extending therefrom, the air-bag defining a pocket to receive at least part of the strap.
2. An air-bag according to Claim 1 wherein the pocket is a pocket provided with an open mouth to receive at least part of the strap.
3. An air-bag according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the pocket is a pocket having a slit to provide access to the interior of the pocket.
4. An air-bag according to Claim 3 wherein the slit is a laser cut slit.
5. An air-bag according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein one end of the strap is connected to the main part of the air-bag by means of a mounting lug, the mounting lug defining the pocket.
6. An air-bag according to any one of the preceding Claims fabricated by a one-piece weaving technique.
7. A method of rolling or folding an air-bag according to any one of the preceding Claims, the method comprising the steps of inserting at least part of the strap into the pocket before effecting the rolling or folding of the air-bag.
8. An air-bag substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
9. An air-bag substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
10. A method of rolling or folding an air-bag substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
11. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.