Air Bag With a Vent

The present invention relates to an air bag, and more specifically to an air bag with an opening for venting inflation fluid from the interior of the air bag.

A known air bag has an opening for venting inflation fluid from the interior of the air bag. Reinforcement material is secured to the air bag and surrounds the opening in the air bag to minimize fraying of the air bag material adjacent the opening when fluid is vented from the interior of the air bag.

The air bag of the present invention includes woven air bag material defining a chamber into which inflation fluid is directed to inflate the air bag. The air bag has surface means for defining an opening for venting inflation fluid from the chamber. The air bag material has a first weave orientation. Woven reinforcement material is fixedly secured to the air bag material and surrounds the opening in the air bag material. The reinforcement material has a second weave orientation extending at an angle to the first weave orientation of the air bag material.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates from reading the following specification with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an inflatable air bag constructed in accordance with the present invention and incorporated in a vehicle occupant restraint system;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the air bag shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of an interior portion of the air bag shown in FIG. 2 taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

An inflatable air bag 10 (FIG. 1) is a part of a vehicle occupant restraint system 12. The vehicle has a forward direction of travel indicated by an arrow A and a rearward direction of travel indicated by an arrow B. Before inflation of the air bag 10, the air bag is typically folded and stored in an air bag storage compartment 16 located, as illustrated, in the instrument panel of the vehicle. The air bag 10 may be folded and stored in an air bag storage compartment at a different location, such as in the vehicle door, vehicle seat or in the steering wheel of the vehicle. The folded and stored air bag 10 is in a condition ready for deployment upon occurrence of a vehicle collision requiring air bag deployment. The illustrated air bag 10 inflates in a rearward direction and, when inflated, helps protect a vehicle occupant 14 during a collision.

The air bag 10 has an opening 18 (FIG. 2) through which inflation fluid flows into an interior chamber 20 of the air bag 10 to inflate the air bag. An actuatable inflator (not shown), when actuated, provides the inflation fluid to inflate the air bag 10. Although the opening 18 is illustrated as rectangularly shaped, the opening 18 may be of another shape.

The air bag 10 has a vent hole 30 (FIG. 2) located on one side 32 of the air bag 10. Although only one vent hole 30 is shown, there could be a number of other vent holes located on the same side 32 of the air bag 10 or at any suitable location on the air bag 10.

A vent reinforcement 36 is preferably sewn to the inside of the air bag 10 so that the reinforcement surrounds the vent opening 30 in the air bag. Preferably, the reinforcement 36 is a ring-shaped piece of material sewn to the air bag 10 by stitches 38, as shown in FIG. 3.

The air bag 10 is made from a woven material. The material of the air bag 10 has a weave orientation defined by the cross-hatching 50 in FIG. 3. The cross-hatching 50 represents the directions in which warp threads 54 and weft threads 56 of the material of the air bag 10 extend. The warp threads 54 and the weft threads 56 extend generally perpendicular to each other. Although FIG. 3 only shows a few warp threads 54 and a few weft threads 56, it is understood that the material of the air bag 10 has many warp and weft threads. Although the warp threads 54 are shown extending vertically in FIG. 3 and the weft threads 56 are shown extending horizontally in FIG. 3, the warp and weft threads could extend in any desired direction.

The vent reinforcement 36 is also made from a woven material. The material of the vent reinforcement 36 has a weave orientation defined by the cross-hatching 52 in FIG. 3. The cross-hatching 52 represents the directions in which warp threads 58 and weft threads 60 of the material of the reinforcement 36 extend. The warp threads 58 and the weft threads 60 extend generally perpendicular to each other. Although FIG. 3 only shows a few warp threads 58 and a few weft threads 60, it is understood that the material of the reinforcement 36 has many warp and weft threads.

The directions that the warp threads 58 and weft threads 60 of the material of the vent reinforcement 36 extend depend on the directions that the warp threads 54 and weft threads 56 of the material of the air bag 10 extend. The warp threads 58 and weft threads 60 of the material of the reinforcement 36 do not extend parallel to or overlie the warp threads 54 or the weft threads 56 of the material of the air bag 10. The warp threads 58 and the weft threads 60 of the material of the reinforcement 36 extend at angles to the warp threads 54 and the weft threads 56 of the material of the air bag 10 such that the weave orientation 52 of the material of the reinforcement extends at an angle to the weave orientation 50 of the material of the air bag. Preferably, the weave orientation 52 of the material of the reinforcement 36 extends at an angle of 45.degree. relative to the weave orientation 50 of the material of the air bag 10.

The air bag 10 has an orientation projection 40 (FIG. 1) extending into the vent opening 30 of the air bag and defining a portion of the vent opening. The reinforcement 36 includes an orientation projection 42 (FIG. 3) which overlies the orientation projection 40 of the air bag 10. The orientation projections 40 and 42 in the air bag 10 and the reinforcement 36, respectively, ensure that the weave orientation 52 of the reinforcement material extends at an angle to the weave orientation 50 of the air bag material. Although the projections 40 and 42 are shown as being triangular in shape, they may have any shape or may be notches in the air bag 10 and in the reinforcement 36.

When a vehicle collision requiring air bag inflation occurs, inflation fluid is directed through the opening 18 into the interior chamber 20 of the air bag 10 to inflate the air bag as shown in FIG. 1. The occupant 14 moves forward against the inflating bag 10 as inflation fluid continues to flow into the interior chamber 20 of the air bag. The air bag 10 absorbs the energy resulting from movement of the occupant 14 against the air bag 10. As the inflating air bag 10 absorbs the energy resulting from movement of the occupant 14 against the air bag, the pressure in the interior chamber 20 of the air bag increases. Inflation fluid in the interior chamber 20 of the air bag 10 flows through the vent opening 30 to relieve the pressure in the interior chamber 20 of the air bag 10.

The reinforcement 36 helps prevent fraying of the air bag 10 as inflation fluid rapidly passes through the vent opening 30 in the air bag 10. Since the weave orientation 50 of the material of the air bag 10 and the weave orientation 52 of the material of the reinforcement 36 extend at an angle relative to each other, the fraying of the reinforcement material and the air bag material is minimized as compared to an air bag without a reinforcement or an air bag with a reinforcement that has a weave orientation extending parallel to the weave orientation of the air bag.

From the above description of the invention, those skilled in the art will perceive improvements, changes and modifications. Such improvements, changes and modifications within the skill of the art are intended to be covered by the appended claims.