KR102411654B1 - Side Curtain Airbag - Google Patents

Abstract

Despite being manufactured by the Cut & Sew method, it has parts properties and pressure resistance comparable to those manufactured by the One-Piece Weaving (OPW) method, and the manufacturing process is easier compared to the Seam Sealing method, resulting in high productivity There is provided a side curtain airbag that can be manufactured as The side curtain airbag of the present invention includes an inflating part; a perimeter non-inflating part surrounding the inflatable part; a perimeter seam part between the inflatable part and the peripheral non-inflatable part; and a first sealing tape attached to the peripheral joint.

Description

Side Curtain Airbag

The present invention relates to a side curtain airbag, and more specifically, has parts properties and pressure resistance comparable to those manufactured by a one-piece weaving (OPW) method despite being manufactured by a cut & sew method, and has a joint portion It relates to a side curtain airbag that can be manufactured with high productivity due to an easier manufacturing process compared to the sealing method.

When the impact sensor detects an impact applied to the vehicle during a collision or overturn of a vehicle traveling at a speed higher than a predetermined speed, the airbag is inflated and deployed by the high-temperature and high-pressure air provided from the inflator, thereby protecting the driver and passengers from accidents. do.

Side curtain airbags, which must be maintained in an inflated form for a relatively long time to protect occupants in a roll-over accident, are generally i) manufactured by cutting and sewing the fabric, ii) manufactured by a seam sealing method in which the seam formed by the cutting and sewing method is treated with a sealant (eg, silicone-based sealant), or iii) in the weaving process of the fiber substrate It is manufactured by a One Piece Woven (OPW) method that forms an expanded part of a double layer structure.

The Cut & Sew method has the advantages of relatively low manufacturing cost, freedom in design implementation, and low weight of the final airbag product, which is advantageous for vehicle weight reduction, while needle holes are formed during the sewing process. There is a problem in that parts properties and pressure resistance are weak because air leakage at the joint is relatively severe.

The one-piece weaving method has the advantage that the manufacturing process is relatively simple because the joint is formed in the weaving step without a separate sewing process, but it requires special equipment such as Jacquard and has some limitations in design. Accordingly, since a relatively high weaving density and a relatively large amount of resin application are required to improve parts properties and pressure resistance, there is a problem in that it is disadvantageous to weight reduction as well as a high manufacturing cost.

On the other hand, the seam sealing method takes the advantages of the above-described cutting and sewing method and at the same time overcomes its disadvantages (low parts properties and pressure resistance). Before performing the sewing process, a sealant is applied to the joint area in advance. And there is a problem that the manufacturing process is relatively difficult because it requires hardening. In particular, since it is necessary to ensure that the sealant can stably express adhesiveness, to ensure uniformity of the sealant to maintain durability, and to satisfy difficult curing conditions, the joint sealing method is very disadvantageous in terms of productivity.

Accordingly, the present invention relates to a side curtain airbag that can satisfy the needs of the related art as described above.

One aspect of the present invention, despite being manufactured by the cut & sew method, has parts properties and pressure resistance comparable to those manufactured by the one-piece weaving (OPW) method, and compared to the joint sealing method An object of the present invention is to provide a side curtain airbag that can be manufactured with high productivity due to an easy manufacturing process.

In addition to the above-mentioned aspects of the present invention, other features and advantages of the present invention will be described below or will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from such description.

According to one aspect of the present invention as above, inflating part (inflating part); a perimeter non-inflating part surrounding the inflatable part; a perimeter seam part between the inflatable part and the peripheral non-inflatable part; and a first sealing tape attached to the peripheral joint.

The first sealing tape may be attached to the peripheral joint part inside the expansion part.

The first sealing tape may include an adhesive layer in direct contact with the peripheral joint portion; and a barrier layer on the adhesive layer.

The adhesive layer may include a polyolefin resin, a polyurethane resin, or a silicone resin having a melting point of 150° C. or less.

The barrier layer may be a woven fabric or a knitted fabric including a yarn formed of a material having a melting point higher than that of the adhesive layer by 50° C. or more.

The barrier layer may be a plain-woven fabric or a tricot knit fabric.

The side curtain airbag of the present invention includes an island non-inflating part surrounded by the inflating part; an island non-inflating part between the inflatable part and the island non-inflating part; and a second sealing tape attached to the island joint portion.

The second sealing tape may be attached to the island joint from the outside of the expansion part.

The second sealing tape may include an adhesive layer in direct contact with the island joint; and a barrier layer on the adhesive layer.

The adhesive layer may include a polyolefin resin, a polyurethane resin, or a silicone resin having a melting point of 150° C. or less.

The barrier layer may be a fabric or knitted fabric including a yarn formed of a material having a melting point higher than that of the adhesive layer by 50° C. or more.

The barrier layer may be a plain fabric or a tricot knitted fabric.

It should be understood that both the above general description and the following detailed description are for the purpose of illustrating or describing the present invention only, and are intended to provide a more detailed description of the claimed invention.

The side curtain airbag of the present invention is basically manufactured by the Cut & Sew method, so that it has its unique advantages, i.e., i) relatively low manufacturing cost, ii) free design implementation, iii) jacquard (Jacquard) does not require special weaving equipment, and iv) the weight of the final airbag product is low, which is advantageous for vehicle weight reduction.

In addition, the side curtain airbag of the present invention has parts properties and pressure resistance comparable to those manufactured by the one-piece weaving (OPW) method despite being manufactured by the cut & sew method.

In addition, the side curtain airbag of the present invention can be manufactured with high productivity through an easier process compared to the seam sealing method.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which serve to understand the invention and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, explain the principles of the invention.
1 is a plan view of a side curtain airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a cross-sectional view of a first sealing tape according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments described below are provided for illustrative purposes only to help a clear understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention includes all modifications and variations falling within the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

Hereinafter, a side curtain airbag 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the side curtain airbag 100 of the present invention includes an inflating part 110 that can be inflated by air provided from an inflator (not shown), and the inflating part 110 . a perimeter non-inflating part 121 that surrounds it, and an island non-inflating part 122 surrounded by the inflating part.

A perimeter seam part 131 connecting them exists between the inflatable part 110 and the peripheral non-expandable part 121 , and between the inflatable part 110 and the island non-expandable part 122 . There is an island seam part 132 connecting them.

The inflatable part 110 , the peripheral non-expandable part 121 , the island non-expandable part 122 , the peripheral junction part 131 , and the island junction part 132 are formed by overlapping two fabrics having an appropriate shape through cutting. It may be formed by performing a post-sewing process.

The fabric may include a fabric including polyamide 66 (PA 66) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) yarns having a total fineness of 420 to 500 denier as warp and weft yarns and a coating layer on at least one surface of the fabric. When the coating layer is present on only one surface of the fabric, the coating layer is located on the inner side of the expansion unit 110 .

Warp density and weft density of the fabric may be 40 to 54 th/inch, respectively.

The coating layer is for improving the edge comb resistance of the joint portions 131 and 132 and improving the component properties and pressure resistance of the side curtain airbag 100, and includes a polyurethane resin, a polyolefin resin, an acrylic resin, and at least one of silicone resins.

In consideration of adhesiveness with the sealing tapes 140 and 50 of the present invention to be described later, it may be preferable that the coating layer include a polyurethane resin.

The peripheral joint portion 131 and the island joint portion 132 may be formed by sewing the fabrics with stitches of 30 to 100 stitches/100mm using at least one of a nylon-based yarn, a polyester-based yarn, and a p-aramid-based yarn. have.

According to the present invention, in order to prevent air leakage through the needle hole generated when the peripheral joint 131 is formed through the sewing process, the first sealing tape 140 is attached to the peripheral joint 131 . do.

When the first sealing tape 140 is attached to the peripheral joint part 131 from the outside of the expansion part 110 , a lot of stress is applied to the peripheral joint part 131 , thereby increasing air leakage.

Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first sealing tape 140 is attached to the peripheral joint portion 131 from the inside of the expansion part 110 so that the first sealing tape 140 is pulled out. Air-tightness of the side curtain airbag 100 can be further improved by directly blocking the air to go out.

The first sealing tape 140 of the present invention may be attached to the peripheral joint portion 131 inside the expansion portion 110 through a simple method of thermal bonding.

The first sealing tape 140 of the present invention may be composed of at least two layers. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2 , the first sealing tape 140 includes an adhesive layer 141 in direct contact with the peripheral joint 131 and a barrier layer 142 on the adhesive layer 141 . ) may be included.

In order for the first sealing tape 140 of the present invention to be attached to the peripheral joint 131 through a simple method of thermal bonding, the adhesive layer 141 is a polyolefin resin having a melting point of 150° C. or less, polyurethane It may include a resin, or a silicone resin.

Meanwhile, the barrier layer 142 may be a woven fabric or a knitted fabric. More specifically, the barrier layer 142 may be a plain-woven fabric or a tricot knit fabric.

The fabric or knitted fabric may be made of yarns formed of any material, but since the barrier layer 142 should not be melted together with the adhesive layer 141 during the thermal bonding process of the first sealing tape 140 , the adhesive layer It is preferable to be made of a yarn formed of a material having a melting point higher than the melting point of at least 50 °C.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the sight curtain airbag 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a second sealing tape 150 attached to the island joint 132 .

In the case of the island junction part 132 , since it is impossible to attach the second sealing tape 150 inside the expansion part 110 due to the process characteristics, the second sealing tape 150 is removed from the outside of the expansion part 110 . It may be attached to the island junction 132 . According to one embodiment of the present invention, by attaching the second sealing tape 150 to the island joint 132 on both the front and rear surfaces of the side curtain airbag 100 , air leakage through the island joint 132 is maximized. can be prevented

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second sealing tape 150 may also be attached to the island joint 132 through a thermal bonding method. Accordingly, the second sealing tape 150 may be manufactured in the same manner as the first sealing tape 140 .

That is, the second sealing tape 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an adhesive layer in direct contact with the island joint 132 and a barrier layer on the adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer has a melting point of 150° C. or less. A woven fabric (eg, plain weave) or knitted material (eg, a plain weave) or knitted material comprising a resin, a polyurethane resin, or a silicone resin, wherein the barrier layer is formed of a material having a melting point 50° C. or higher higher than the melting point of the adhesive layer. For example, tricot knitting).

Hereinafter, the effects of the present invention will be described through specific examples and comparative examples of the present invention. However, the following examples are provided only to help the understanding of the present invention, and these do not limit the scope of the present invention.

Example One

After preparing a fabric having a warp/weft density of 46×46 th/inch using a PET yarn having a total fineness of 420 denier, one side of the fabric was coated with a polyurethane resin to complete the fabric for an airbag. Next, the fabric for the airbag was cut with a laser according to the shape of the side curtain airbag cushion. After overlapping the obtained in-board panel and out-board panel so that the coated surfaces face each other, a sewing process was performed with stitches of 80 stitches/100 mm. At this time, the sealing tape having a two-layer structure was thermally bonded under hot air at 150° C. along the peripheral joint inside the expansion part. In addition, the side curtain airbag was completed by thermally bonding the sealing tape under hot air at 150° C. along the island joint from the outside of the inflatable part.

comparative example One

A side curtain airbag was completed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a sealing tape was not attached to the joint.

comparative example 2

A side curtain airbag was completed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the step of coating one side of the fabric with a polyurethane resin was omitted, it was simultaneously sewn with a ribbon, and the joint was not treated with a sealing tape.

comparative example 3

A side curtain airbag was completed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that one side of the fabric was coated with a silicone resin, and the ribbon was simultaneously sewn, and the joint was not treated with a sealing tape.

The withstand pressure retention after 6 seconds of Examples and Comparative Examples prepared as above was measured by the following method, respectively, and the results are shown in Table 1 below.

Pressure retention rate after 6 seconds

The pressure resistance performance of the airbag was measured according to its own internal test standard. The pressure resistance performance evaluation device used in the test was MICROSYS's SUREFIRE airbag deployment system, and the gas used for the pressure test was nitrogen (N ₂ ) gas. In consideration of the cushion volume, the inflation test was conducted by setting the inflating pressure condition so that the initial maximum internal pressure of the cushion was 100 kpa, and the pressure change by time was measured in real time through the pressure sensor attached to the cushion. After 6 seconds in the breakdown pressure graph for each time period obtained in the experiment, the withstand pressure (kpa) was measured to calculate the withstand pressure retention from the initial peak to 6 seconds later.

Example 1 Comparative Example 1 Comparative Example 2 Comparative Example 3 Initial pressure (kpa) 108 92 98 105 Withstand pressure after 6 seconds (kpa) 47 0 0 9 Pressure retention rate after 6 seconds (%) 43.5 0 0 8.6

100; side curtain airbag 110: inflatable part
121: peripheral non-expanded part 122: island non-expanded part
131: peripheral junction 132: island junction
140: first sealing tape 141: adhesive layer
142: barrier layer 150: second sealing tape

Claims (8)

inflating part;
a perimeter non-inflating part surrounding the inflatable part;
a perimeter seam part between the inflatable part and the peripheral non-inflatable part; and
It characterized in that it comprises a first sealing tape attached to the peripheral joint,
The first sealing tape,
an adhesive layer in direct contact with the peripheral junction; and
a barrier layer on the adhesive layer;
The adhesive layer includes a polyolefin resin, a polyurethane resin, or a silicone resin having a melting point of 150° C. or less,
The barrier layer is characterized in that it is a woven fabric or a knitted fabric including a yarn formed of a material having a melting point 50° C. or higher higher than the melting point of the adhesive layer,
side curtain airbags. According to claim 1,
The first sealing tape is characterized in that it is attached to the peripheral joint in the interior of the inflatable portion,
side curtain airbags. delete According to claim 1,
The barrier layer is characterized in that the plain-woven fabric (plain-woven fabric) or tricot knit fabric (tricot knit fabric),
side curtain airbags. According to claim 1,
an island non-inflating part surrounded by the inflating part;
an island non-inflating part between the inflatable part and the island non-inflating part; and
Characterized in that it further comprises a second sealing tape attached to the island joint portion,
side curtain airbags. 6. The method of claim 5,
The second sealing tape is characterized in that it is attached to the island joint from the outside of the expansion part,
side curtain airbags. 7. The method of claim 6,
The second sealing tape,
an adhesive layer in direct contact with the island junction; and
a barrier layer on the adhesive layer;
The adhesive layer includes a polyolefin resin, a polyurethane resin, or a silicone resin having a melting point of 150° C. or less,
The barrier layer is characterized in that the woven or knitted fabric including a yarn formed of a material having a melting point higher than 50 ℃ higher than the melting point of the adhesive layer,
side curtain airbags. 8. The method of claim 7,
The barrier layer is characterized in that the plain fabric or tricot knitted fabric,
side curtain airbags.

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