NON-SLITTED TEAR SEAM FOR MINI-WRAPPERS

摘要

An airbag assembly may include an inflatable airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration, and a restraint member that keeps the inflatable airbag in the stowed configuration. The restraint member may have a frangible portion designed to tear at a pre-established threshold level of tension to permit deployment of the inflatable airbag. The frangible portion may have material that has been pre-stressed such that it has a lower strength than surrounding material. In one example, pre-stressing may be carried out by forming a crease in the frangible portion and, optionally, subjecting the frangible portion to compressive stress. When the airbag deploys, the frangible portion may predictably tear to release the airbag. The airbag assembly may be an inflatable curtain airbag, and the restraint member may one of a plurality of wrappers distributed along the length of the inflatable curtain airbag to encircle it in the stowed configuration.

主权项

1. An airbag assembly, comprising:
an inflatable airbag having a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration into which the inflatable airbag deploys from the stowed configuration to protect vehicle occupants from injury, the inflatable airbag comprising a first interior chamber; and a restraint member coupled to the inflatable airbag in the stowed configuration to keep the inflatable airbag in the stowed configuration until deployment, wherein the restraint member is formed of a flexible material comprising a frangible portion that tears in response to application of a threshold level of tension on the frangible portion to release the inflatable airbag during deployment; wherein the frangible portion comprises pre-stressed material having a lower strength than surrounding regions of the restraint member.