Classifications

• • 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
  • B32B27/00—Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin
  • B32B27/40—Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin comprising polyurethanes
• • 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
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06N—WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06N3/00—Artificial leather, oilcloth or other material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof
  • D06N3/12—Artificial leather, oilcloth or other material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof with macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. gelatine proteins
  • D06N3/14—Artificial leather, oilcloth or other material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof with macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. gelatine proteins with polyurethanes
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06N—WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06N3/00—Artificial leather, oilcloth or other material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof
  • D06N3/18—Artificial leather, oilcloth or other material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof with two layers of different macromolecular materials
  • D06N3/183—Artificial leather, oilcloth or other material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof with two layers of different macromolecular materials the layers are one next to the other
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06N—WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06N3/00—Artificial leather, oilcloth or other material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof
  • D06N3/18—Artificial leather, oilcloth or other material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof with two layers of different macromolecular materials
  • D06N3/186—Artificial leather, oilcloth or other material obtained by covering fibrous webs with macromolecular material, e.g. resins, rubber or derivatives thereof with two layers of different macromolecular materials one of the layers is on one surface of the fibrous web and the other layer is on the other surface of the fibrous web
• • 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
  • B32B2262/00—Composition or structural features of fibres which form a fibrous or filamentary layer or are present as additives
  • B32B2262/02—Synthetic macromolecular fibres
  • B32B2262/0261—Polyamide fibres
• • 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
  • B32B2375/00—Polyureas; Polyurethanes
• • 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
  • B32B2571/00—Protective equipment
• • 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
  • B32B2605/00—Vehicles
  • B32B2605/08—Cars
• • 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
  • B60R2021/23509—Fabric
  • B60R2021/23514—Fabric coated fabric
• • 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
  • B60R21/231—Inflatable members characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
  • B60R21/232—Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Definitions

• This invention relates generally to coated inflatable fabrics and more particularly concerns airbag cushions to which very low add-on amounts of coating
• inflatable fabrics are primarily for use in automotive restraint cushions that require
• the inventive coated inflatable airbag comprises a film laminated on at
• the film provides a low
• the film is present on the surface in an amount of at most 2.5 ounces per square yard
• Airbags for motor vehicles are known and have been used for a substantial
• a typical construction material for airbags has been a polyester or
• nylon fabric coated with an elastomer such as neoprene, or silicone.
• elastomer such as neoprene, or silicone.
• the coated material has found acceptance because it acts as an impermeable
• This inflation medium is generally a nitrogen gas
• Airbags may also be formed from uncoated fabric which has been woven in a
• Silicone coatings typically utilize either solvent based or complex two
• Dry coating weights for silicone have been in the range
• Patentees fails to disclose any pertinent elasticity and/or tensile strength
• curtain airbags either only for fabrics which are utilized within driver or passenger
• All airbags must be inflatable extremely quickly; upon sensing a
• airbags usually reach peak pressures within 10 to 20 milliseconds.
• driver-side airbags are generally mounted within a vehicle.
• Passenger-side airbags also comprise relatively
• curtain airbags within cylindrically shaped modules. Since these airbags are generally stored within the rooflines of automobiles, and the area available is quite limited,
• curtain airbags have proven to be very cumbersome to store in such cylindrically
• coated portions of the cushion are amplified when such articles are so closely packed
• Such a coated low permeability airbag must provide a necessarily high leak-down time upon inflation and after long-term storage.
• Such a novel airbag and a novel coating formulation
• the coating is present in a very low add-on weight, possessing extremely high leak-
• Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive side
• a further object of this invention is to provide an highly repetitive curtain airbag cushion.
• Another object of this invention is to provide an airbag coating formulation which
• Yet another object of the invention is to provide a low permeability side curtain airbag
• this invention is directed to an airbag cushion comprising a
• this invention concerns an airbag cushion comprising a coated
• said fabric wherein said fabric is coated with a laminate film; wherein said laminate film possesses a tensile strength of at least 2,000 and an elongation of at least 180%;
• the coating on the bag must be strong enough to withstand the shock and stresses
• Bag volume(ft 3 ) t (second) X3600
• the resultant measurement in time would be at least 5 seconds.
• this time is greater than about 9 seconds; more preferably, greater than
• the term "leak-down time” may be measured as the amount of time required
• this time is 9 seconds, more preferably 15
• inventive airbag fabrics must exhibit proper characteristic leak-down times after undergoing such rigorous pseudo- storage testing.
• inventive coating here a film, must possess a tensile strength of at least 2,000 psi and an elongation to break of greater than about 180%.
• the inventive coating here a film, must possess a tensile strength of at least 2,000 psi and an elongation to break of greater than about 180%.
• tensile strength is at least 3,000 psi, more preferably, 6,000, and most preferably at
• the preferred elongation to break is more than about
• the laminate may be applied
• the target cushion may be preferably applied to certain discrete areas of the target cushion while a
• the coating prevents leakage through the interstitial spaces between the yarns and aids in
• inventive coated airbag cushions exhibit excellent heat aging and humidity aging
• Copolymers of polyurethanes, polyamides, and the like maybe utilized, as merely one type of example. Also, such films may or may not be cross-linked on the airbag
• the film is a polyurethane and most preferably is a polycarbonate
• DureflexTM PT9400 This specific film exhibits a tensile strength of 8,000 psi and an
• Such a film may be added in an amount of as low
• weights of other available films may be greater than this preferred one, depending
• the desired films may be added in multiple layers if desired as long the required thickness for the overall coating is not exceeded.
• the multiple layer may be added in multiple layers if desired as long the required thickness for the overall coating is not exceeded.
• the multiple layer may be added in multiple layers if desired as long the required thickness for the overall coating is not exceeded.
• film/coating system may also be utilized as long as at least one film possessing the
• antioxidants include flame retardants, coalescent agents, adhesion promoters, and colorants.
• primer adhesive coating is first applied to the target cushion surface. Upon drying of
• the desired film is then laminated through heat and pressure to the selected areas of the target surface for a sufficient time to effectuate lamination.
• the preferred film will not include any silicone, due to the extremely low tensile strength (typically below about 1,500 psi) characteristics
• such components may be applied to the film as a topcoat as long as
• the add-on weight of the entire film and topcoat does not exceed 2.5 ounces per square
• elastomers comprising polyester or polyether segments or other
• elastomers may be utilized in topcoat formulations as long, again, as the 2.5 ounces
• films are heat stabilizers, flame retardants, primer adhesives, and materials for
• a potentially preferred thickener is marketed under the trade
• NATROSOLTM 250 HHXR by the Aqualon division of Hercules
• a flame retardant is also preferably added to the compounded mix.
• One potentially preferred flame retardant is AMSPERSE F/R
• primer adhesives may be utilized to facilitate adhesion between the surface of the target fabric and the film
• the film is the sole component of the
• promoters such as isocyanates, epoxies, functional silanes, and other such resins with
• a topcoat component as
• Such a topcoat may perform various functions, including, but not limited to, improving aging of the film (such as
• coating materials are particularly noticeably with the preferred polyurethane polycarbonates.
• Airbag fabrics must pass certain tests in order to be utilized within restraint
• One such test is called a blocking test which indicates the force required to
• this time is greater than 50 grams, or the time required to separate the fabrics utilizing
• a 50 gram weight suspended from the bottom fabric layer is greater than 10 seconds
• topcoat components may be utilized, such as talc, silica, silicate clays, and starch powders, as
• oven (heat) aging and humidity aging tests are also simulate the storage of an airbag fabric over a long period of time upon exposure at high temperatures and at
• this test was used basically to analyze the air permeability
• polyurethanes the preferred elastomers in this invention, may be
• Antioxidants, antidegradants, and metal deactivators may be utilized for this purpose.
• topcoat examples include, and are not intended to be limited to, Irganox® 1010 and Irganox® 565, both available from CIBA Specialty Chemicals. This topcoat may also
• topcoat aging improvement materials such as, and not limited to, polyamides, NBR rubbers, EPDM
• base fabric in accordance with the present invention is preferably a woven fabric
• yarns comprising synthetic fibers, such as polyamides or polyesters.
• Such yarn preferably has a linear density of about 105 denier to about 840 denier,
• Such yarns are preferably formed from multiple filaments wherein the filaments have linear densities of about 7
• denier per filaments or less more preferably about 6 dpf or less, and most preferably
• nylon 6,6 formed from fibers of nylon, and most preferred is nylon 6,6. It has been found that
• Such polyamide materials exhibit particularly good adhesion and maintenance of resistance to hydrolysis when used in combination with the coating according to the
• Such substrate fabrics are preferably woven using fluid jet weaving
• Such woven fabric will be hereinafter referred to as an airbag base fabric.
• the inventive airbag must exhibit extremely high
• side curtain airbag As noted previously and extensively, such side curtain airbags (a.k.a., cushions) must retain a
• curtain airbag may be utilized in combination with the low add-on coating to provide
• curtain airbags are produced through labor-intensive sewing or stitching (or other
• airbag cushions exist which are of the one-piece woven variety. Basically, some
• inflatable airbags are produced through the simultaneous weaving of two separate
• the utilized one-piece airbag is made
• inventive one-piece woven bags are still problematic in that the weave intersections
• inventive coating composition provides similar low permeability benefits to
• inventive coatings themselves clearly provide a marked improvement over the standard, commercial,
• compositions, at the inventive add-on amounts, etc. provide the same types of
• airbag may be constricted to a cylindrical shape having a diameter of at most 23
• the necessary volume of such a container would equal about 830 cm 3 . (with the volume calculated as 2[Pi]radius ) Standard rolled packing diameters are at least
• the required cylindrical container volume would be at least 980
• the rolled diameter of the inventive airbag cushion during storage is
• this quotient should be about 21.6 (20 millimeter diameter), and, at
• sides of a side curtain airbag fabric surface at a weight of at most 2.7 ounces per square yard, and preferably below about 2.5, more about 2.2, and most preferably less
• the preferred airbag cushion of this invention was produced in accordance with the following Example:
• an adhesive primer formulation having the composition:
• This primer coating was applied to both sides of a 2.5 liter size Jacquard woven nylon
• the leakage rate was thus measured at 10 psi to be about 4 SCFH.
• characteristic leak-down time was an astonishing amount, greater than 80 seconds.
• FIG. 1 depicts the side, inside view of a vehicle prior to deployment of the inventive side curtain airbag.
• FIG. 2 depicts the side, inside view of a vehicle after deployment of the
• the vehicle 10 includes a front seat 12 and a
• a cylindrically shaped container 22 comprising the inventive side curtain airbag (not illustrated). Also present within the roofline 20 is an inflator
• FIG. 2 shows the inflated side curtain airbag 26. As noted above, the airbag 26

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
• Air Bags (AREA)
• Treatments For Attaching Organic Compounds To Fibrous Goods (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)
• Woven Fabrics (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (8)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=27502518

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (11)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (7)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2000
  • 2000-06-15 EP EP00941468A patent/EP1119471A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-06-15 JP JP2001504761A patent/JP4657547B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-06-15 AU AU56174/00A patent/AU5617400A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-06-15 CN CNB008017018A patent/CN1159179C/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-06-15 BR BR0006932-9A patent/BR0006932A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-06-15 CA CA002340939A patent/CA2340939A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-06-15 WO PCT/US2000/016566 patent/WO2000078578A1/en active Application Filing
• 2001
  • 2001-02-16 MX MXPA01001743A patent/MXPA01001743A/es unknown

Patent Citations (7)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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