A process for modifying a silicone elastomeric-based surface of an 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 article to vacuum ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

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 is inflatable in such a manner as to separate a vehicle-side wall which is deployable towards a vehicle body structure and an occupant-side wall which is deployable towards an occupant for catching the occupant. The airbag is configured to be supported by the vehicle body structure on the vehicle-side wall when catching the occupant with the occupant-side wall. The airbag includes a recessed section on left and right sides of and in a vicinity of the center of the occupant-side wall and a tether that connects the bottom of the recessed section to the vehicle-side wall in order to form the recessed section. Opposing walls of the recessed section press each other in a separable fashion when the airbag is inflated. The tether allows gas communication between a central region of the airbag and a peripheral region of the airbag which surrounds the central region, inside the airbag.

A front airbag (10) comprising a cut including two substantially triangular side portions (30, 32) facing toward each other by a respective side which form at least the side walls (18, 20) and at least portions of the upper and lower walls (22, 24) as well as a central portion (44) located between the side portions (30, 32) which is adjacent to the sides of the triangular side portions (30, 32) facing each other and forms at least the front wall (16), wherein in the area of the side walls (18, 20) a respective transitional portion (34, 36) is present between a side portion (30, 32) and the central portion (44), wherein at least one connecting portion (46, 48, 50, 52) projecting from the central portion (44) or the side portions (30, 32) in an outspread state of the cut is provided for the transitional areas (34, 36) associated with the lower and/or upper wall (22, 24) and wherein the connecting portion (46, 48, 50, 52) of the finished front airbag (10) is connected both to the central portion (44) and to at least one side portion (30, 32).

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a cloth which, when used as an air bag main body cloth, does not undergo the damage caused by a high-temperature gas generated from an inflater, and therefore has high heat resistance and is suitable for an air bag. The means for solving the problem is a coated cloth for an air bag, which is produced by applying an elastomer resin layer on at least one surface of a three-dimensional woven fabric in an amount of 50 to 500 g/m.sup.2 per one surface, said coated cloth being characterized by having void spaces formed therein, wherein the void content in the coated cloth is 15 to 60%. Preferably, the coated cloth is used in applications in which the coated cloth is attached onto the periphery of an inflater connection opening in an air bag.

An airbag that includes a center chamber extending in a width direction of the vehicle in the vicinity of a lower edge of a windshield, and side chambers extending upward from both left and right end sections of the center chamber at least along an A-pillar, and is configured such that gas supplied from the inflator flows from the center chamber to the side chamber, a folded section is formed at which the side chamber is folded back toward the center chamber to be overlapped in a stowed state of the airbag, a pair of left and right partition panels for partitioning the center chamber and the side chambers are provided in the vicinity of the folded sections, and each of the pair of partition panels is provided with a check valve that prevents backflow of gas from the side chamber to the center chamber.

An airbag of an airbag device for a driver seat has a front panel and a back panel. In the airbag having undergone spontaneous inflation, when a size between a securing position of the airbag to a retainer member and the most protruding portion of the airbag with respect to the securing position is set as 1, the most protruding portion by the back panel is located at a position spaced from the securing position by 0.5 or greater, a diameter of the inflated airbag of an opposing portion to an inner surface of the wheel is 0.6 to 1.2 times as large as an inner diameter of the wheel, and a diameter of the inflated airbag of a joint portion of the front panel and the back panel is greater than the diameter of the inflated airbag of the opposing portion to the inner surface of the wheel.

A coating composition which comprises a first polymeric component which comprises a first polymeric dispersion, wherein polymers contained in the first polymeric dispersion have a surface free energy of equal to or greater than 28 mJ/m.sup.2 and a volume average particle size diameter of from 0.1 to 10 microns; a second polymeric component which comprises one or more second polymeric emulsions wherein polymers contained in the second polymeric emulsions have a surface free energy equal to or less than 26 mJ/m.sup.2 and a volume average particle size diameter from 0.005 to 1,000 microns; one or more rheology modifiers is provided. An article coated with the coating composition and a method of making the coated article are also provided.

An airbag device includes: an airbag having an inflow opening for introducing an inflation gas and being formed in a folded body; a bag holder attached to a peripheral edge of the inflow opening; an airbag cover attached to the bag holder; and an inflator disposed by inserting an upper side in the folded body from the inflow opening, wherein: the airbag cover has a ceiling wall that covers an upper surface remote from the inflow opening of the folded body; the folded body is equipped with a housing recess that is capable of housing a top of a main body unit of the inflator; a part around the housing recess is supported by the bag holder; and a ceiling surface of the housing recess is formed as a shape in which a clearance is provided between the top of the main body unit of the inserted inflator.

An airbag device, comprising: a gas generation device that is operable to generate gas; and an airbag that includes: a first chamber portion that is disposed at a vehicle front side of a vehicle seat on which a vehicle occupant sits, the first chamber portion being inflated due to gas generated by the gas generation device being supplied into the first chamber portion, a second chamber portion that is inflated due to gas generated by the gas generation device being supplied into the second chamber portion and that is disposed adjacent to the first chamber portion in a vehicle width direction, and a connection portion.