AIRBAG CUSHION FOLDING METHODS
First Claim
1. A method for folding an airbag cushion into a housing, comprising:
- obtaining an airbag cushion defined by an upper panel and a lower panel, wherein the airbag cushion is attached to a housing;
tucking a first portion of the airbag cushion into a second portion of the airbag cushion such that the upper and lower panels of the first portion are positioned in between the upper and lower panels of the second portion;
directly stitching at least two adjacent layers of the tucked portion of the airbag cushion together, wherein the step of directly stitching is performed after the step of tucking a first portion of the airbag cushion into a second portion of the airbag cushion;
reverse rolling the tucked portion in towards the housing;
accordion folding a first half of the airbag cushion in towards the housing, wherein the first half of the airbag cushion includes approximately half of the tucked portion;
accordion folding a second half of the airbag cushion in towards the housing, wherein the second half of the airbag cushion includes approximately half of the tucked portion; and
accordion folding each of the accordion folded first and second halves of the airbag cushion into the housing.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The methods for folding an airbag cushion into a housing provide for a predetermined deployment trajectory. The airbag cushion is defined by an upper panel and a lower panel. A first portion of the airbag cushion is tucked into a second portion of the airbag cushion such that the upper and lower panels of the first portion are positioned in between the upper and lower panels of the second portion. The tucked portion is folded in towards the housing. First and second halves of the tucked airbag cushion are folded in towards the housing. Finally, the folded first and second halves of the airbag cushion are folded into the housing.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for folding an airbag cushion into a housing, comprising:
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obtaining an airbag cushion defined by an upper panel and a lower panel, wherein the airbag cushion is attached to a housing; tucking a first portion of the airbag cushion into a second portion of the airbag cushion such that the upper and lower panels of the first portion are positioned in between the upper and lower panels of the second portion; directly stitching at least two adjacent layers of the tucked portion of the airbag cushion together, wherein the step of directly stitching is performed after the step of tucking a first portion of the airbag cushion into a second portion of the airbag cushion; reverse rolling the tucked portion in towards the housing; accordion folding a first half of the airbag cushion in towards the housing, wherein the first half of the airbag cushion includes approximately half of the tucked portion; accordion folding a second half of the airbag cushion in towards the housing, wherein the second half of the airbag cushion includes approximately half of the tucked portion; and accordion folding each of the accordion folded first and second halves of the airbag cushion into the housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for folding an airbag cushion into a housing, comprising:
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obtaining an airbag cushion defined by an upper panel and a lower panel, wherein the airbag cushion is attached to a housing; tucking a first portion of the airbag cushion into a second portion of the airbag cushion such that the upper and lower panels of the first portion are positioned in between the upper and lower panels of the second portion; directly joining at least two adjacent layers of the tucked portion of the airbag cushion together, wherein the step of directly joining at least two adjacent layers is performed after the step of tucking a first portion of the airbag cushion into a second portion of the airbag cushion; reverse rolling the tucked portion until one side of the folded tucked portion is at least approximately even with a first side of the housing; accordion folding a first half of the airbag cushion until a first side of the folded first half of the airbag cushion is at least approximately even with a second side of the housing, wherein the first half of the airbag cushion includes approximately half of the tucked portion, and wherein the step of folding a first half of the airbag cushion is performed after the steps of tucking a first portion of the airbag cushion and folding the tucked portion; accordion folding a second half of the airbag cushion until a first side of the folded second half of the airbag cushion is at least approximately even with a third side of the housing, wherein the second half of the airbag cushion includes approximately half of the tucked portion, and wherein the step of folding a second half of the airbag cushion is performed after the steps of tucking a first portion of the airbag cushion and folding the tucked portion; and accordion folding the folded first half and the folded second half of the airbag cushion into the housing. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An airbag assembly, comprising:
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an airbag housing; and
,a packaged inflatable cushion membrane located within the housing, comprising; a reverse rolled and accordion folded first half of an upper portion; a reverse rolled and accordion folded second half of the upper portion; a tucked, reverse rolled, and reverse rolled first half of a lower portion; and
,a tucked, reverse rolled, and reverse rolled second half of the lower portion, wherein the tucked, reverse rolled, and reverse rolled first and second halves of the lower portion are located adjacent a base portion of the housing and the reverse rolled and accordion folded first and second halves of the upper portion are located on top of the lower portion.
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Specification