Method of preparing polyester fabric for airbag

Abstract

A method of preparing a polyester fabric for an airbag is provided, and particularly, a method of preparing a fabric for an airbag by inserting a predetermined weave into a selvage to provide the whole fabric with uniform tension upon weaving a high-density fabric for an airbag using a polyester yarn is provided.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a polyester fabric for an airbag, comprising weaving a raw fabric for an airbag using a polyester fiber to obtain a woven fabric, wherein the weaving comprises inserting a higher-density weave region in warp or weft direction into a selvage of the raw fabric for an airbag, wherein the higher-density weave region has a larger number of yarns and a higher tension than other part of the raw fabric, and is separately inserted into the selvage of the raw fabric, wherein the selvage is removed from the woven fabric by cutting in a cutting process to acquire an airbag cushion, wherein each of warpwise weaving density and weftwise weaving density of the polyester fabric is 36 to 65 yarns/inch, and wherein the higher-density weave region is a 22 basket weave, a 33 basket weave, or a mixed weave of one or more thereof, and comprises 20 yarns to 100 yarns.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polyester fiber has a total fineness of 200 to 1000 denier.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the raw fabric for an airbag is weaved by an one piece woven method.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising coating the woven fabric with a rubber component.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the rubber component is one or more selected from the group consisting of a powder-type silicone, a liquid-type silicone, polyurethane, chloroprene, a neoprene rubber, polyvinyl chloride, and an emulsion-type silicone resin.

6. (The method according to claim 4, wherein a coating weight of the rubber component is 30 to 150 g/m.sup.2.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a coating weight deviation of the rubber component per unit area of m.sup.2 is within 20% in the width direction of the fabric.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the higher-density weave region is composed of 40 yarns to 90 yarns/inch.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polyester fabric has a cover factor of 1780 or more according to the following Equation 1:
Cover Factor (CF)=warp density{square root over ((warp denier))}+weft density{square root over ((weft denier))}[Equation 1].

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows (a) a weave diagram of a 33 basket weave which is inserted into a selvage of a polyester fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a cross-section thereof (b);

(2) FIG. 2 shows (a) a weave diagram of a 22 basket weave which is inserted into a selvage of a polyester fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a cross-section thereof (b); and

(3) FIG. 3 shows (a) a weave diagram of a plain double-layered weave of a partially co-woven type which is inserted into a selvage of a polyester fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a cross-section thereof (b).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(4) Hereinafter, preferred examples are provided for better understanding of the present invention. However, the following examples are only illustrative of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

(5) A polyester fabric for an airbag was prepared under conditions as shown in the following Table 1.

(6) First, a raw fabric for an airbag having a cover factor of 2370 was woven using a multifilament polyester fiber (the number of filaments: 144) of 500 denier by a Jacquard air jet loom and by applying a warp density of 57 yarns/inch and a weft density of 49 yarns/inch as a weaving density. At this time, a 33 basket weave of 60 yarns as shown in FIG. 1 was inserted into a selvage of the raw fabric for an airbag in the weaving process.

(7) Both sides of the fabric thus woven was subjected to silicone resin coating of 75 g/m.sup.2 by a knife-over-air method. The coating weights of the left, middle, and right parts of the fabric for an airbag thus prepared were measured and are shown in the following Table 1.

Example 2

(8) A polyester fabric for an airbag was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a 22 basket weave of 60 yarns as shown in FIG. 2 was inserted into the selvage of the raw fabric for an airbag in the weaving process.

(9) Both sides of the fabric thus woven was subjected to silicone resin coating of 75 g/m.sup.2 by a knife-over-air method. The coating weights of the left, middle, and right parts of the fabric for an airbag thus prepared were measured and are shown in the following Table 1.

Example 3

(10) A polyester fabric for an airbag was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a 33 basket weave of 80 yarns as shown in FIG. 1 was inserted into the selvage of the raw fabric for an airbag in the weaving process.

(11) Both sides of the fabric thus woven was subjected to silicone resin coating of 75 g/m.sup.2 by a knife-over-air method. The coating weights of the left, middle, and right parts of the fabric for an airbag thus prepared were measured and are shown in the following Table 1.

Comparative Example 1

(12) A polyester fabric for an airbag was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that no additional basket weave was inserted into the selvage of the raw fabric for an airbag in the weaving process.

(13) Both sides of the fabric thus woven were subjected to silicone resin coating of 75 g/m.sup.2 by a knife-over-air method. The coating weights of the left, middle, and right parts of the fabric for an airbag thus prepared were measured and are shown in the following Table 1.

Comparative Example 2

(14) A polyester fabric for an airbag was prepared in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the 22 basket weave of 120 yarns as shown in FIG. 2 was inserted into the selvage of the raw fabric for an airbag in the weaving process.

(15) However, in the above-described weaving process, the tension of the selvage was excessively increased to thereby damage the weaving machine. Therefore, weaving of the fabric was impossible.

Comparative Example 3

(16) A polyester fabric for an airbag was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the 33 basket weave of 18 yarns as shown in FIG. 1 was inserted into the selvage of the raw fabric for an airbag in the weaving process.

(17) Both sides of the fabric thus woven was subjected to silicone resin coating of 75 g/m.sup.2 by a knife-over-air method. The coating weights of the left, middle, and right parts of the fabric for an airbag thus prepared were measured and are shown in the following Table 1.

(18) Conditions for preparing the polyester fabrics according to Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3, and the results of measuring coating weights of the prepared fabrics, are as shown in the following Table 1.

(19) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Fiber Fabric Weaving Selvage Coating weight (g/m.sup.2) machine weave Left Middle Right Example 1 PET 57 49 75 g/m.sup.2 Jacquard 3 3 80 74 78 500D/144f Coated OPW Air jet basket fabric 60 yarns Example 2 PET 57 49 75 g/m.sup.2 Jacquard 2 2 79 72 76 500D/144f Coated OPW Air jet basket fabric 60 yarns Example 3 PET 57 49 75 g/m.sup.2 Jacquard 3 3 81 77 80 500D/144f Coated OPW Air jet basket fabric 80 yarns Comparative PET 57 49 75 g/m.sup.2 Jacquard 98 76 100 Example 1 500D/144f Coated OPW Air jet fabric Comparative PET 57 49 75 g/m.sup.2 Jacquard 2 2 Example 2 500D/144f Coated OPW Air jet basket (non- (non- (non- fabric 120 yarns weavable) weavable) weavable) Comparative PET 57 49 75 g/m.sup.2 Jacquard 3 3 95 75 98 Example 3 500D/144f Coated OPW Air jet basket fabric 18 yarns

(20) As shown in Table 1, it can be seen that since the fabrics of Examples 1 to 3 were prepared by inserting the optimized 33 basket weave or 22 basket weave into the selvage of the raw fabric for an airbag in the weaving process according to the present invention, tension of the finally-prepared whole fabric was controlled to be uniform and the coating agent was evenly applied onto the whole fabric upon processing and coating.

(21) In contrast, when no additional basket weave was inserted into the selvage by the existing method in Comparative Example 1, a force applied to a weft insertion region was not the same as a force applied to a region opposite to the weft insertion region. Therefore, in Comparative Example 1, the force applied to a yarn in the weft insertion region became higher than a force applied to a yarn in the region opposite to the weft insertion region, and the fabric in the region opposite to the weft insertion region was not woven firmly, resulting in wrinkle generation in the selvage of the fabric. For this reason, the coating agent was not evenly applied onto the whole polyester fabric of Comparative Example 1 upon processing and coating. Further, it was confirmed that when the 33 basket weave of 18 yarns was inserted into the selvage in the weaving process in Comparative Example 3, wrinkles were generated in the selvage. Also, in Comparative Example 3, the coating agent was not evenly applied to the whole fabric upon coating. Meanwhile, it can be seen that when the 23 basket weave of 120 yarns was inserted into the selvage in the weaving process in Comparative Example 2, selvage tension was excessively increased to thereby damage the weaving machine, and the weaving of the fabric was impossible.