Method of folding an inflatable restraint cushion

• US 4,286,954 A
• Filed: 12/03/1979
• Issued: 09/01/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Heintz, Robert A., McArthur, Donald N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coan, James F.
• Application Number:
  US06/099,886
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 93/32, 93/84 TW, 93/84 R, 280/743, 280/728-730, 280/732, 280/734, 280/740, 270/68 R, 270/78, 493/244, 493/243, 493/409, 493/405
• US Class Current: 493/244
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

A method of folding an inflatable restraint cushion for storage in a support housing which is mountable to the lower portion of the instrument panel of a vehicle. The method involves forming pleats in the cushion in a manner that, during initial deployment, the cushion mass acting on an occupant located in the proximity of the instrument panel is reduced.

Claims

1. A method of folding an inflatable restraint cushion for storage in a support housing having a cavity in which a gas generator is located within a diffuser and is fixedly secured in said cavity, said cavity being defined by an upper wall, a lower wall and a pair of side walls, and said inflatable restraint cushion including two overlying flat sheets of flexible material arranged to form a top sheet and a bottom sheet with the sheets being joined together along a front edge, a pair of laterally spaced side edges and a rear edge, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) mounting said front edge of said sheets to said diffuser;

(b) placing said rear edge of said sheets along an imaginary line which is parallel to said front edge and spaced from the latter a distance which causes said top and bottom sheets to be taut;

(c) successively moving a portion of said top sheet towards said diffuser so as to form a series of overlying pleated sections which are progressively shorter in length until the overall fore and aft dimension of said cushion approximates the distance between said top and bottom walls of said cavity;

(d) and rotating said cushion as a unit into said cavity for storing said cushion until the latter is inflated by said gas generator.

2. A method of folding an inflatable restraint cushion for storage in a support housing having a cavity in which a gas generator is located within a diffuser and is fixedly secured in said cavity, said cavity being defined by an upper wall, a lower wall and a pair of side walls, and said inflatable restraint cushion including two overlying flat sheets of flexible material arranged to form a top sheet and a bottom sheet with the sheets being joined together along a front edge, a pair of laterally spaced side edges and a rear edge, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) mounting said front edge of said sheets to said diffuser;

(b) placing said rear edge of said sheets along an imaginary line which is parallel to said front edge and spaced from the latter a distance which causes said top and bottom sheets to be taut;

(c) grasping a portion of said top sheet along an imaginary transverse line located substantially midway between said front edge and said rear edge;

(d) moving said portion of said top sheet to a position adjacent said front edge to form a pleated section and a new rear edge spaced forwardly from a line along which the original rear edge was located;

(e) repeating steps (c) and (d) until said cushion attains an overall fore and aft dimension which approximates the distance between said top and bottom walls of said cavity;

(f) and rotating said pleated sections as a unit into said cavity for storing said restraint cushion until the latter is inflated by said gas generator.