Patent ID: 6220629
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
An inflatable cushion (100,100a) comprising: a first panel (22a) and a second panel (22b) attached together generally along a peripheral joint (30) to form the inflatable cushion which is inflated upon receipt of inflation gas, the joint being subjected to a shearing or peeling load upon inflation of the cushion tending to separate the panels, each of the first and second panels including a first layer (24) comprised of a flexible, structural material and a second bondable layer (26), the bondable layer formed of material that is joinable to an adjacent, facing bondable layer to form the peripheral joint;reinforcement means (50) for preventing the joint (30) from separating including:a first strip of material (52a) having a structural layer and a bondable layer, and a second strip of material (52b) having a structural layer and a bondable layer;the first and second strips being overlaid and sewn together at a seam (56a) to retard separation of the strips, the seam separating each of the strips into two portions (50,60), wherein the structural layers face each other and the bondable layers face outwardly toward a corresponding bondable layer of the first and second panel;wherein the bondable layers of the first and second strips are joined on one or both sides of the seam to a corresponding bondable layer of one or the other panel.