Side airbag and method of folding
First Claim
1. A side airbag device for use in a vehicle having a forward end, a rearward end and a pair of sides disposed therebetween, comprising:
- an inflatable cushion for deployment from an unexpanded state to an expanded state, said inflatable cushion being configured to traverse a portion one of the pair of sides of the vehicle in said expanded state, said inflatable cushion comprising an inflation opening, a fixed portion and a deploying edge, said deploying edge comprising a majority of a periphery of said inflatable cushion;
an inflator for inflating said inflatable cushion;
wherein said inflatable cushion is folded in a manner that causes said deploying edge to deploy as a first leading edge as said inflatable cushion is inflated to said expanded state by said inflator.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing a side airbag device for use in a vehicle, comprising: an inflatable cushion for deployment from an unexpanded state to an expanded state. The inflatable cushion is positioned behind a headliner of the vehicle in an un-inflated state and the inflatable cushion is configured to traverse a side of the vehicle when it is inflated. The inflatable cushion also comprising a deploying edge that defines a portion of a periphery of the inflated cushion, wherein the inflatable cushion is folded in a manner that causes the deploying edge to deploy as a first leading edge as said inflatable cushion is inflated to an expanded state by an inflator wherein the deploying edge is the first portion of the inflatable cushion to expand around the headliner.
22 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A side airbag device for use in a vehicle having a forward end, a rearward end and a pair of sides disposed therebetween, comprising:
-
an inflatable cushion for deployment from an unexpanded state to an expanded state, said inflatable cushion being configured to traverse a portion one of the pair of sides of the vehicle in said expanded state, said inflatable cushion comprising an inflation opening, a fixed portion and a deploying edge, said deploying edge comprising a majority of a periphery of said inflatable cushion;
an inflator for inflating said inflatable cushion;
wherein said inflatable cushion is folded in a manner that causes said deploying edge to deploy as a first leading edge as said inflatable cushion is inflated to said expanded state by said inflator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method for folding an inflatable cushion of a side airbag device, comprising:
-
providing a securement end of said inflatable cushion;
creating a first fold at a first position away from said securement end, said first fold and said securement end defining one side of the folded inflatable cushion;
positioning a traversing portion of said inflatable cushion away from said first fold, said traversing portion defining another side of the folded inflatable cushion;
creating a plurality of folds from said traversing portion back towards said first fold;
positioning an end portion of said inflatable cushion about said plurality of folds, said end portion defining another two sides of the folded inflatable cushion, wherein said end portion is the first portion of said inflatable cushion to deploy when the inflatable cushion is inflated. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for folding an inflatable cushion of a side airbag device, comprising:
-
providing a securement end of said inflatable cushion;
positioning a traversing portion of said inflatable cushion away from said securement end, said traversing portion defining a side of the folded inflatable cushion;
creating a plurality of folds from said traversing portion back towards said securement end;
positioning an end portion of said inflatable cushion about said plurality of folds, said end portion defining two sides of the folded inflatable cushion, wherein said end portion is the first portion of said inflatable cushion to deploy when the inflatable cushion is inflated. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
Specification