The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 31, 1998
Filed:
Jul. 22, 1996
Roy C Turnbull, Troy, MI (US);
Bonnie L Maier, Capac, MI (US);
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An air bag (10) comprises an elongate panel (20) having first and second longitudinally extending side portions (40,50) and a longitudinally extending central portion (60). The panel (20) has first and second opposite end portions (70,80). A first side seam (102) extends along the first side portion (40) of the panel (20). A second side seam (104) extends along the second side portion (50) of the panel (20). A transverse seam (100) joins the first end portion (70) of the panel (20) to the second end portion (80) of the panel. The seams (100, 102, 104) provide the air bag (10) with a pillow-shaped configuration when inflated. The first side portion (40) of the panel (20) is tucked inside the central portion (60) of the panel and is sewn to the central portion with a first tearable stitching section (110) when the air bag (10) is in the deflated condition. The first tearable stitching section (110) is tearable in response to the application of a force greater than a predetermined force due to inflation of the air bag (10) to enable movement of the first side portion (40) from the tucked position to an inflated position extending laterally outward from the central portion (60).