Airbag cushion exhibiting a low fabric weight factor and simultaneously high available inflation airspace volume

Abstract

An airbag cushion is provided which simultaneously exhibits a very low amount of fabric, which corresponds to an overall low weight of total fabric, utilized to produce the target airbag cushion in correlation to an overall high amount of available inflation airspace within the cushion itself. These correlative elements are now combined for the first time in what are defined as an effective fabric usage index (being the quotient of the amount of fabric utilized in the construction of the airbag cushion and the available inflation airspace volume) and a fabric weight index (being the quotient of the total weight of fabric utilized in the construction of the airbag cushion and the available inflation airspace volume). The inventive airbag cushion must possess an effective fabric usage factor of at most 0.0330 or an effective fabric weight factor of at most 8.0. A cushion exhibiting either such a low fabric usage or low fabric weight factor, or both, and also comprising an integrated looped pocket for the disposition of an inflator can is also provided as well as an overall vehicle restraint system comprising the inventive airbag cushion.

What I claim is:  
     
         1 . An airbag cushion having at least one fabric component, wherein said airbag cushion possesses an effective fabric weight factor of at most 8.0.  
     
     
         2 . The airbag cushion of  claim 1  wherein said airbag cushion possesses an effective fabric weight factor of at most about 7.70.  
     
     
         3 . The airbag cushion of  claim 2  wherein said airbag cushion possesses an effective fabric weight factor of at most about 7.5.  
     
     
         4 . The airbag cushion of  claim 3  wherein said airbag cushion possesses an effective fabric weight factor of at most about 7.0.  
     
     
         5 . The airbag cushion of  claim 4  wherein said airbag cushion possesses an effective fabric weight factor of less than about 6.50.  
     
     
         6 . The airbag cushion of  claim 1  wherein said airbag cushion comprises a looped pocket into which an inflator can may be disposed.  
     
     
         7 . The airbag cushion of  claim 7  wherein said airbag cushion further comprises tie-rods.  
     
     
         8 . The airbag cushion of  claim 1  wherein said airbag cushion comprises at least two fabric components connected by at least one seam.  
     
     
         9 . A vehicle restraint system comprising the airbag cushion of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         10 . A vehicle restraint system comprising the airbag cushion of  claim 2 .  
     
     
         11 . A vehicle restraint system comprising the airbag cushion of  claim 3 .  
     
     
         12 . A vehicle restraint system comprising the airbag cushion of  claim 4 .  
     
     
         13 . A vehicle restraint system comprising the airbag cushion of  claim 5 .  
     
     
         14 . A vehicle restraint system comprising the airbag cushion of  claim 6 .  
     
     
         15 . A vehicle restraint system comprising the airbag cushion of  claim 7 .  
     
     
         16 . A vehicle restraint system comprising the airbag cushion of claim  8 .