OCCUPANT RESTRAINT CUSHION ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

• US 3,810,654 A
• Filed: 05/05/1972
• Issued: 05/14/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James L. Noll, John Debano Jr
• Original Assignee: James L. Noll, John Debano Jr
• Inventors: Noll, James L., DeBano, John Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schonberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/250,674
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 280/15AB 150/1,28R 141/311,313,114,10
• US Class Current: 280/728.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration

Abstract

An occupant restraint cushion of tapered cross section is manufactured from a single sheet of suitable material which is folded and stitched in a series of steps to complete the cushion. There is no cutting of the material to provide the desired shape to the cushion. The cushion includes a pair of body walls, an end wall integrally connecting the body walls and providing the basal end of the cushion, and side walls integral with the body walls and stitched to the end wall. The side walls have a center stitch line. The side walls adjacent their free ends are folded upon themselves and stitched to the body walls adjacent their free ends to provide the apical end of the cushion. One of the body walls is provided with an opening intermediate the side walls for receiving an inserted portion of a diffuser. The inserted portion of the diffuser is secured to the one body wall.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an occupant restraint cushion comprising:

folding a sheet of material upon itself to provide an open envelope having juxtaposed body walls joined by an end fold and including juxtaposed free side edges and free end edges;

securing the free side edges of the body walls to each other;

moving the body walls apart from each other to form the secured side edges, the portions of the body walls adjacent said secured side edges, and the portions of said free end edges adjacent said secured side edges into generally planar side walls, and to form the end fold and the end portions of the body walls adjacent said end fold into a generally planar end wall bounded by lateral triangular extensions juxtaposed to respective triangular extensions of the side walls;

securing the triangular extensions to each other adjacent the bases thereof;

turning the envelope inside out;

folding the free end edge portions of each side wall upon themselves to partially fold each side wall inward of itself adjacent said free end edge portions thereof;

securing the folded free end edge portions of the side walls and the free end edges of the body walls to each other, and providing an opening in one body wall intermediate the side walls to permit a portion of an elongated diffuser to extend from the cushion intermediate the side walls thereof.

2. An occupant restraint cushion assembly comprising, in combination, an inflatable cushion of generally tapered shape including spaced body walls joined at their basal ends by an end wall, joined at their sides by side walls, and secured to each other at their apical ends, an elongated diffuser member having a portion thereof extending into the cushion through an opening in one of the body walls adjacent the apical end thereof and iNtermediate the side walls, and means securing the portion of the diffuser member within the cushion to the one body wall.

3. A method of manufacturing an occupant restraint cushion comprising:

folding a sheet of material upon itself to provide an open envelope having juxtaposed body walls joined by an end fold and including juxtaposed free side edges and free end edges;

securing the free side edges of the body walls to each other;

moving the body walls apart from each other to form the secured side edges, the portions of the body walls adjacent said secured side edges, and the portions of said free end edges adjacent said secured side edges into generally planar side walls, and to form the end fold and the end portions of the body walls adjacent said end fold into a generally planar end wall bounded by lateral triangular extensions juxtaposed to respective triangular extensions of the side walls;

securing the triangular extensions to each other adjacent the bases thereof;

turning the envelope inside out;

folding the free end edge portions of each side wall upon themselves to partially fold each side wall inward of itself adjacent said free end edge portions thereof;

securing the folded free end edge portions of the side walls and the free end edges of the body walls to each other, providing an opening in one body wall intermediate the side walls to permit a portion of an elongated diffuser to extend from the cushion through such one body wall, and providing means on said one body wall to permit another portion of said diffuser to be secured to said one body wall.

4. A method of manufacturing an occupant restraint cushion comprising:

folding a sheet of material upon itself to provide an open envelope having juxtaposed body walls joined by an end fold and including juxtaposed free side edges and free end edges;

folding the free end edge of each body wall over such body wall to provide each body wall with a double layer free end edge;

securing the free side edges of the body walls to each other;

moving the body walls apart from each other to form the secured side edges, the portions of the body walls adjacent said secured side edges, and the portions of said double layer free end edges adjacent said secured side edges into generally planar side walls, and to form the end fold and the end portions of the body walls adjacent said end fold into a generally planar end wall bounded by lateral triangular extensions juxtaposed to respective triangular extensions of the side walls;

securing the triangular extensions to each other adjacent the bases thereof;

turning the envelope inside out;

folding the double layer free end edge portions of each side wall upon themselves to partially fold each side wall inward of itself adjacent said double layer free end edge portions thereof;

securing the double layer folded free end edge portions of the side walls and the double layer free end edges of the body walls to each other, and providing an opening in one body wall intermediate the side walls to permit a portion of an elongated diffuser to extend from the cushion through said one body wall.

5. An inflatable occupant restraint cushion assembly comprising, in combination, an inflatable cushion including a pair of generally planar body walls tapering with respect to each other and joined adjacent their apical ends, an end wall joining the body walls adjacent their basal ends, and a pair of side walls joined to the body walls and to the end wall, each side wall being folded inward upon itself adjacent the apical ends of the body walls to accommodate the tapering of such body walls with respect to each other, an elongated diffuser member having a portion thereof extending outwardly of the cushion through an opening in one of the body walls adjacent the apical end thereof and intermediate the side walls, and means securing the diffuser member to the cushion.