Multiple chamber airbags and methods
AssigneeMilliken & Company
InventorsYunzhang Wang, Ramesh Keshavaraj
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A two or more chambered airbag provides much improved safety and/or performance. A modified single chamber airbag can be used as the primary chamber of the two-chamber airbag. A piece of fabric of appropriate size is sewn to the inside or outside surface of the front panel of the primary chamber to create the secondary chamber. One or more apertures are opened between the primary and secondary chambers. In order for the secondary chamber to inflate properly, the tethers of the primary chamber are shortened to 50% to 80% of their original length. The size or location of the tether sewing to the inner surface of the front panel of the primary chamber is also adjusted to create a desired shape of the secondary chamber when deployed.
Claims13
In an airbag cushion filled by gas during inflation, having at least first and second panels connected by edge seams and forming a primary chamber, the improvement comprising a secondary chamber being formed by an third panel attached to a central portion of the second panel, said third panel being smaller than said second panel, and at least one vent hole in the second panel to provide for gas to fill the secondary chamber after the filling of the primary chamber during inflation, and tethers having a length of about 160-180 mm extending between said first and second panels, said tethers being seamed to said second panel near the center of said second panel by way of a circular seam, and forming a concave area in said second panel, below said third panel, when the primary chamber is inflated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.