Appeal No. 95-2124
Application 08/076,789
synthetic film material which when subjected to forces from the
expanding airbag initially stretches, providing a growing
resistance to the expansion of the airbag. Subsequently, the
film is in an over-stretched condition and provides a slowly
declining resistance to expansion of the airbag. Lastly, the film
ruptures to allow the airbag to expand to its greatest extent.
Claim 5 reproduced below, is further illustrative of
the claimed subject matter.
5. Collision protection system for passengers of motor
vehicles comprising:
an airbag which is accommodated in a folded up storage
condition in a vehicle-side receptacle and which is automatically
expanded by an assigned gas generator in an event of an accident
to form an airbag cushion protecting a passenger, and
a casing at least partially enclosing the airbag in its
folded up storage condition, said casing serving to delay and
control the expansion of the airbag,
wherein said casing is composed of a tough plastically
deformable synthetic film material which, when subjected to
forces from the expanding airbag, initially stretches and
provides growing resistance to initial expansion of the airbag,
secondly stretches further in an overstretching phase and
provides slowly declining resistance to further expansion of the
airbag, and lastly provides release of resistance to expansion of
the airbag upon bursting of the film material.
The references of record relied upon as evidence of
obviousness are:
Bishop et al. (Bishop) 4,964,654 Oct. 23, 1990
Miller et al. (Miller) 5,004,226 Apr. 2, 1991
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