An airbag having an outer skin having an inner side and an outer side is described. The outer skin has an inflator attachment region in which an opening structure for an inflator is provided. The airbag is a part of an airbag assembly further having a flange and an inflator extending through the opening structure and being attached to the flange. In order to provide the possibility of an easy and automatable mounting process, the opening structure having at least two basically radially extending cut-outs, so that the attachment region has at least two flap sections being separated by the cut-outs. These flap sections can be pulled apart during the mounting process, such that the inflator can be attached to the flange.

An airbag comprises a textile substrate and a coating on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate. An airbag module comprises an airbag, a gas generator connected to the airbag, and a cover at least partially enclosing the airbag and the gas generator. A process for producing an airbag comprises the steps of providing a textile substrate, providing a coating composition, applying the coating composition to the substrate, and heating the textile substrate. A system for producing a filled, cross-linked silicone polymer comprises a first part and a second part. Each part comprises a polysiloxane compound and a plurality of filler particles.

Provided is a flame-resistant airbag having a low rate of combustion. The flame-resistant airbag is obtained by forming, on a cloth substrate, a cured film of a composition containing: (A) 100 parts by mass of a liquid organopolysiloxane containing an alkenyl group bonded to a silicon atom; (B) 5 to 100 parts by mass of a three-dimensional network-structured organopolysiloxane resin in which 0.05 to 0.15 mol/100 g alkenyl groups are bonded only to D units, the ratio of M units to T and/or Q units is 0.65 to 1.40, and hydroxyl group content is 0.040 mol/100 g or less; (C) 0.1 to 50 parts by mass micropulverized silica having a specific surface area of at least 50 m.sup.2/g; (D) an organohydrogen polysiloxane comprising a hydrogen atom bonded to a silicon atom, in an amount such that the number of hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon atoms in component (D) is 1 to 10 per total 1 alkenyl group bonded to a silicon atom in components (A) and (B); (E) an effective amount of a platinum group metal catalyst; and (F) 0.1 to 10 parts by mass of an organic silicon compound. The composition is applied in an amount of 5 to 150 g/m.sup.2.

Device for fixing a connection to an OPW airbag, with an expansion sleeve (2), with a plurality of expansion shells (4), and a mandrel (6) extending longitudinally through the expansion sleeve (2) having a stretching piece (8) arranged in the vicinity of the expansion shells (4), the outer diameter of which stretching piece is greater than the inner diameter of the expansion shells (4).

Airbag configurations and systems are provided to protect a vehicle occupant in an oblique crash event. In one embodiment an airbag includes first and second side panels and a main panel coupled to the first side panel along a first seam and coupled to the second side panel along a second seam. The main panel can include a curved configuration to match expansion of the second side panel. The airbag configuration is provided for protection for an oblique crash event to absorb energy from occupant movement in the oblique direction and to retain and reduce head rotation of an occupant. In one embodiment, a method for controlling an airbag system is provided that includes detecting a crash event and activation of an airbag and a side curtain airbag (SCAB). The SCAB may be activated to contact the airbag and to control volume/loading of the airbag.

A process for modifying a silicone elastomeric-based surface of a textile article where the coefficient of friction (COF) of the silicone elastomeric-based surface is generally reduced by at least 5% is disclosed. The process comprises subjecting the silicone elastomeric-based surface of the textile article to vacuum ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

An airbag (1) including two opposing side walls (3) a lower wall (4) and an upper wall (5) forming an inflation opening (2) and a front wall (6). The airbag (1) is formed by sections of a one-part cut fabric (7). The upper wall (5) or the lower wall (4) is formed by two sections (8) of the cut fabric (7) along a connection (9), wherein the cut fabric (7) is folded and only the upper wall (5) or only the lower wall (4) is formed from two sections (8) and from the inflation opening (2) one connection (9) of the one-part cut fabric (7) extends toward the front wall (6). The one-part cut-fabric (7) forms a fitting section (10) for a gas generator. In a flatly extended state the fitting section (1) is adjacent to the two sections (8) forming lower wall (4) or the upper wall (5).

A method of manufacturing a folded airbag comprising the steps of: providing an airbag cushion; heating the airbag material, folding the heated airbag material; compressing the folded airbag material obtained in step c) and optionally cooling the compressed airbag.

A cover for an airbag cushion has a fabric for enclosing a folded airbag cushion forming the cover and a frangible tear seam extending across the length of the cover. The tear seam has a plurality of slits. Each slit includes a linear main slit portion arranged in a straight line, an inclined leading end slit portion and an inclined trailing end slit portion. A space between each adjacent slit forms a single fabric tear portion defined by a trailing end slit portion of one slit overlapping an inclined oppositely leading end slit portion of an adjacent slit. Each fabric tear portion is formed as short cut woven yarns cut axially and perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis, the plurality of fabric tear portions forms the frangible tear seam.

Vehicle safety devices, heat shields used in such devices and related methods are provided. The heat shield for use in vehicle airbags can include a woven base substrate and a needlepunched nonwoven substrate comprising silicon-containing fibers. The needlepunched nonwoven can be needlepunched to the woven base substrate such that, when the heat shield is positioned within an interior space of an airbag, the needlepunched nonwoven substrate faces apertures of an inflator within the airbag.