Vehicle Air-Bag Tether Interweaving for Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle air-bags face difficulties in manufacturing due to unused tether yarns that interfere with the insertion of reinforcing elements, as they extend freely within the air-bag's internal chamber, complicating the reinforcement process.
Innovation Solution
The air-bag design integrates unused tether yarns by interweaving them with warp yarns, eliminating free hanging lengths and enhancing the structural properties of the fabric layers, thereby allowing for easier reinforcement and improved gas permeability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If unused tether yarns are left to hang freely within the air-bag, then the air-bag can be easily manufactured with integrated tethers, but the unused yarns interfere with the insertion of reinforcing elements during manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the interfering unused tether yarns from the internal chamber by routing them through the inlet aperture and securing them externally to the air-bag body. This removes the harmful presence of loose yarns that blocked reinforcement insertion, while maintaining the tether's structural function.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet aperture serves as an intermediary pathway that guides the tether yarns from their functional position within the air-bag to an external secured position. This intermediary route allows the yarns to be integrated into the air-bag structure without leaving loose ends in the internal chamber.
2Strength
If tether yarns are integrated into the fabric layers, then the structural strength is enhanced, but the gas permeability of the fabric is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by integrating tethers only in specific regions where structural reinforcement is needed (such as along the periphery or in high-stress areas) rather than uniformly throughout the entire fabric. This localized integration maintains overall gas permeability while providing strength where required.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric layers are designed as porous materials with controlled weave density, allowing gas to pass through even where tether yarns are integrated. The porosity is maintained by carefully selecting fabric properties that accommodate the tether integration without significantly blocking gas flow paths.
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle air-bag (1) comprising first and second layers of fabric (2, 3) which each comprise a plurality of interwoven warp and weft yarns an inlet aperture (4) positioned in at least one of the first and second layers of fabric (2, 3), the inlet aperture (4) being configured to be connected to a source of gas; a chamber (6) which is at least partly provided between the first and second layers of fabric (2, 3), the chamber (6) being in fluid communication with the inlet aperture (4) and configured to be inflated by gas from the inlet aperture (4) and an elongate tether (8) comprising a first portion (9) which is interwoven with at least one warp yarn (10a) in a first part (11) of the air-bag (1) a second portion (12) which is not interwoven with any warp yarns, the second portion (12) of the tether (8) extending from the first part of the air-bag (11) to a second part of the air-bag (1) and a third portion (13) which is interwoven with at least one warp yarn (10b) in the second part of the air-bag (1), such that the interweaving of the first and third portions (9, 13) of the tether (8) modifies the structural properties of the first and second parts of the air-bag (1), wherein at least one of the first and second parts of the air-bag (1) is positioned at or adjacent to the inlet aperture (4).