1. An airbag inflatable with inflation gas and adapted to be housed in a housing in a folded-up configuration, the airbag comprising:
a mounting region adapted to be attached to the housing;
a protection inflatable region disposed at a leading end of the airbag apart from the mounting region and being deployable towards an object of protection;
an intermediate region disposed between the mounting region and the protection inflatable region;
two panels that forms at least an area of the airbag from the protection inflatable region to the intermediate region, the two panels being continuous with each other at leading end regions of the panels apart from the mounting region;
a joint that connects opposite edges of the two panels in an overlapping state together in the area of the airbag from the protection inflatable region to the intermediate region; and
a folded region disposed at a leading end of the protection inflatable region, the folded region being formed by bringing the leading end regions of the two panels in a flattened and overlapping state closer to the mounting region in such a manner as to reduce a length of the airbag from the mounting region, such that four or more layers of the panels are formed in a sectional shape of a region of the folded region from a root end brought closer to the mounting region and a leading end apart from the mounting region taken along an overlapping direction of the layers, the folded region including at least two inflatable spaces between the layers of the panels and a crease that is continuous with the joint.
2. The airbag of claim 1 further including in the intermediate region a seam region that partially connects the two panels in such a manner as to bring the panels into contact with each other.
3. The airbag of claim 1 including three or more of the inflatable spaces.
4. The airbag of claim 1, wherein the folded region includes an outfold region which is formed by placing the leading end regions of the two panels before forming the folded region on an outside of one of the two panels.
5. The airbag of claim 1, wherein the folded region includes an infold region which is formed by invaginating the leading end regions of the two panels before forming the folded region between the two panels.
6. The airbag of claim 2, wherein:
the folded region includes an infold region which is formed by invaginating the leading end regions of the two panels before forming the folded region between the two panels; and
the seam region includes an extended region that connects a part of the infold region to the two panels opposed to each other.
7. The airbag of claim 2, wherein:
the airbag is adapted to be used in an airbag device for a front passenger seat;
the two panels are deployable one above the other at airbag deployment; and
the folded region includes:
an infold region which is formed by invaginating the leading end regions of the two panels before forming the folded region between the two panels; and
an upper outfold region and a lower outfold region superimposed on and under the infold region and formed by placing each of the leading end regions of the two panels before forming the folded region on an outside of each of the panels.
8. The airbag of claim 7, wherein the seam region includes an extended region that connects a part of the infold region to the two panels opposed to each other.
9. The airbag of claim 2, wherein:
the airbag is adapted to be used in an airbag device for a front passenger seat;
the two panels are deployable side by side in a left and right direction at airbag deployment;
the folded region includes:
an infold region which is formed by invaginating the leading end regions of the two panels before forming the folded region between the two panels; and
a left outfold region and a right outfold region superimposed on left and right sides of the infold region and formed by placing each of the leading end regions of the two panels before forming the folded region on an outside of each of the panels; and
the seam region includes an extended region that connects a part of the infold region to the two panels opposed to each other.
10. The airbag of claim 2, wherein:
the airbag is adapted to be used in an airbag device for knee protection;
the two panels are deployable one above the other at airbag deployment; and
the folded region includes an upper outfold region and a lower outfold region superimposed on and under the panels and formed by placing each of the leading end regions of the two panels before forming the folded region on an outside of each of the panels.
11. The airbag of claim 10, wherein the intermediate region is deployable in front of shins of an occupant as the object of protection.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for processing a surface of a substrate having a surface normal and a surface pattern, comprising:
a radiation source adapted to emit a photonic beam;
a stage adapted to support and move the substrate;
a relay adapted to direct the photonic beam from the radiation source toward the substrate at an incidence angle relative to the surface normal;
an alignment system adapted to position the substrate on the stage so the pattern is disposed at an orientation angle relative to the beam;
a controller operably coupled to the radiation source, relay, alignment system andor stage, wherein the controller is adapted to provide relative scanning movement between the stage and the beam while maintaining the orientation angle and incidence angle at values selected to minimize substantially substrate surface reflectivity variations andor minimize the substrate surface reflectivity during scanning.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiation source is a CO2 laser.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected incidence angle value is within a range of about 65\xb0 to about 85\xb0 relative to the surface normal.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photonic beam has a polarization plane, the surface pattern is formed from structures having lengths, and the selected orientation angle value is such that the polarization plane is substantially perpendicular to lengths of the structures.
5. A method for processing a surface of a substrate having a surface normal and a surface pattern, comprising:
a. producing a photonic beam;
b. directing the photonic beam toward the substrate surface at an incidence angle with respect the surface normal and at an orientation angle of the beam relative to the surface pattern; and
c. scanning the beam across the substrate while maintaining the orientation angle and incidence angle at values selected to minimize substantially substrate surface reflectivity variations andor minimize the substrate surface reflectivity during scanning.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein substrate surface exhibits a Brewster’s angle and the selected incidence angle value is within about \xb110\xb0 of the Brewster’s angle.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the beam is scanned in a manner so that substantially the entire substrate surface is heated to a uniform peak temperature.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the photonic beam has a polarization plane, the surface pattern is formed from structures having lengths, and the substrate is oriented such that the polarization plane is substantially perpendicular to lengths of the structures.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the peak temperature is greater than about 900\xb0 C.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the beam is scanned in a manner such that substantially the entire substrate surface is heated to the uniform peak temperature for a period of time that does not exceed about 1 ms.
11. An apparatus for processing a surface of a substrate, wherein the surface has surface normal and a surface pattern that exhibits directionally andor orientationally different reflectivities in relative to radiation of a selected wavelength and polarization, comprising:
a radiation source adapted to emit a photonic beam of the selected wavelength and polarization;
a relay adapted to direct the photonic beam from the radiation source toward the substrate at an incidence angle relative to the substrate surface normal;
a stage supporting the substrate at an orientation angle relative to the beam; and
a controller operably coupled to the radiation source, relay, andor stage, wherein the controller is adapted to provide relative scanning movement between the stage and the beam while maintaining the orientation angle and incidence angle at values selected to minimize substantially substrate surface reflectivity variations andor minimize the substrate surface reflectivity during scanning.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor material.
13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the pattern comprises an electrically conductive material.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the pattern comprises a plurality of aligned structures.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the orientation angle corresponds to an orthogonal relationship between the beam polarization and the lengthwise axes of the aligned structures.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the incidence angle corresponds to an orthogonal relationship between the beam polarization and the lengthwise axes of the aligned structures.
17. A method for processing a surface of a substrate, wherein the surface has a surface normal and a surface pattern that exhibits directionally andor orientationally different reflectivities relative to radiation of a selected wavelength and polarization, comprising:
a. producing a photonic beam of the selected wavelength and polarization;
b. directing the beam toward the substrate; and
c. providing relative scanning movement between the stage and the beam while maintaining the substrate at a orientation angle value relative to the beam and the beam at incidence angle value relative to the substrate surface normal during scanning to minimize substantially substrate surface reflectivity variations andor minimize the substrate surface reflectivity during scanning.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein step c. is carried out so that the substrate surface reflectivity variations does not exceed about 10%.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein step c. is carried out so that the maximum substrate surface reflectivity does not exceed about 20%.
20. A method for selecting an optimal orientation angle andor incidence angle for processing a surface of a substrate with a photonic beam of a selected wavelength and polarization, wherein the surface has a surface normal and a surface pattern that exhibits directionally andor orientationally different reflectivities relative to radiation of the selected wavelength and polarization, comprising:
a. directing the photonic beam toward the substrate surface at an incidence angle;
b. scanning the photonic beam with respect to the substrate surface;
c. measuring radiation reflected from the substrate during step b.; and
d. repeating steps a. through c. while rotating the substrate about the normal andor changing the incidence angle to find the optimal orientation andor incidence angles that correspond to a minimum in substrate surface reflectivity variations andor minimize the substrate surface reflectivity.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein step d. is carried out employing a beam power level less than that required to process the surface.
22. The method of claim 20, further comprising, after step d.:
e. programming the optimal orientation angle into an apparatus for processing the substrate surface.
23. The method of claim 20, further comprising, after step d.:
e. programming the optimal incidence angle into an apparatus for processing the substrate surface.
24. The method of claim 22, further comprising after step e.:
f. operating the apparatus at a beam power level required to process the surface.
25. The method of claim 24, further comprising after step e.:
f. operating the apparatus at a beam power level required to process a surface of another substrate.