Vacuum enhanced method and apparatus for sealing one or more sewn seams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016229371-A1
Application number	US-201415023615-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention is an improved method of sealing a sewn seam ( 22 ) on an airbag ( 10, 60 ) or other inflatable device and apparatus to accomplish this method. The method has the steps of a) creating a sewn seam, b) applying a seam sealant ( 90 ) to an exposed portion of the seam on an exposed surface; and c) locally applying a pressure differential to an opposite exposed surface proximate a portion of the seam on this surface to urge the seam sealant to migrate along the thread from the first exposed surface to regions between the panels to the opposite exposed surface.

First claim

1 . An improved method of sealing a sewn seam comprising the steps of:
a) creating a sewn seam with the use of thread in multiple panels of material, the seam extending from a first exposed surface of one of the panels of material to an opposite exposed surface in a remote panel of material; b) applying a seam sealant to an exposed portion of the seam on the first exposed surface; c) locally applying a pressure differential to the opposite exposed surface proximate the seam on this surface to urge the seam sealant to migrate along the thread from the first exposed surface to regions between the panels to the second exposed surface and d) removing the pressure differential.

2 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of applying a pressure differential includes applying a vacuum at a determinable level to the second exposed surface.

3 . The method according to claim 2 wherein the level of vacuum applied is in the range of about 2.5 cm to 35 cm (1 to 14 inches) of vacuum.

4 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of applying a seam sealant to the seam includes applying the seam sealant to adjacent portions of the first exposed surface.

5 . The method according to claim 4 wherein seam sealant is applied in a band of about 6 mm.

6 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the method includes the step of locally elevating those portions of the material having a seam relative to portions of the material without the seam prior to the step of applying the seam sealant and wherein the step of applying the seam sealant includes applying sealant to those elevated portions of material having the seam.

7 . The method according to claim 1 including the additional step of applying sealant to the second exposed surface after removal of the pressure differential.

8 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of creating a sewn seam includes creating a sewn seam in panels of woven material wherein one or both panels of material include: uncoated material, woven material coated wholly or partially with a coating material or a plastic sheet.

9 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the steps of applying a seam sealant and locally applying a pressure differential are done relatively concurrently.

10 . An improved article of manufacture made with sealed sewn seams made by the method of claim 1 .

11 . The article of claim 10 wherein the article is an airbag.

12 . The airbag of claim 11 wherein the airbag has multiple panels of material sewn together with the use of threads creating sewn seams; and
wherein a seam sealant is applied on an exposed portion of the seam which passes through the seam between the multiple panels to a second exposed surface to form a complete sealed seam sealing all thread holes.

13 . The airbag of claim 12 wherein the multiple panels have a fabric denier in the range of 210 to 840.

14 . The airbag of claim 13 wherein the seam threads have a denier in the range of 92 to 202.

15 . The airbag of claim 14 wherein the seam threads have a denier of about 138.

16 . The airbag of claim 12 wherein the sealant is applied using a minimum of 25 grams/meter.

17 . The airbag of claim 12 wherein the seam has one or more rows of threads, each row having stitches in the range of 12 to 20 per inch (4.7 to 8.0 stitches per cm).

18 . The airbag of claim 17 wherein each row has 14 to 18 stitches per inch (5.5 to 7 stitches per cm).

Assignees

• Key Safety Systems Inc
• Key Safety Systems Inc

Inventors

• Kalandek Bruce A

Classifications

• D05B1/26

  for making fluid-tight seams (sewing machines for concurrently making thread and welded seams D05B17/00) · CPC title

• B60R2021/23538

  Sewing · CPC title

• D06B1/10

  by contact with a member carrying the treating material · CPC title

• B60R21/232

  Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge · CPC title

• B60R21/235 Primary

  characterised by their material · CPC title