Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi – Bending – Folding
Patent
1999-01-08
2000-08-29
Kim, Eugene
Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi
Bending
Folding
493471, 2807281, B31B 0156
Patent
active
061100943
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for folding an airbag of an airbag system connected to a gas generator in which at least a part of the tailored, laid flat fabric consisting of two fabric layers defining the airbag volume is folded by rolling.
A method of the aforementioned kind is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,367. The described airbag to be folded has a cylindrical gas generator inserted in its longitudinal direction between fabric layers of the tailored fabric such that the tailored fabric has a projecting length on both sides of the gas generator which in the disclosed method of folding is selected to be asymmetric. In a first folding step, the portions of the fabric laid out flat at the end faces of the gas generator are folded inwardly in the direction toward the gas generator. The thus formed partially folded tailored fabric is then partially folded further by rolling whereby the portion having the greater length is rolled from the exterior in the direction toward the gas generator and, subsequently, the roll formed on one side of the gas generator is then covered by the fabric portion on the other side of the gas generator still laid out flat and then folded in a direction toward the gas generator.
This known folding method is relatively cumbersome due to the individual folding steps. Also, due to the different degree of folding of the fabric portions on opposite sides of the gas generator, the inflation of the airbag is not sufficiently fast. It is therefore an object of the invention to improve a folding method of the aforementioned kind such that the folding of the airbag is simplified to facilitate mounting and that the unfolding time of the folded airbag becomes shorter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The solution to this object results, including advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention, from the contents of the claims which are following this description.
The invention is in principle based on the idea that the tailored fabric laid out flat is engaged at the center of its length by a tool and is rolled in a direction toward the gas generator so that the portion of the tailored fabric positioned at a side of the tool facing away from the gas generator, upon rotation of the tool in the direction toward the gas generator is pulled into the resulting roll such that a double layer roll of the folded airbag results and that at the end of the folding process the tool can be moved out of the roll. The invention has the advantage that due to the double layer rolled folding action performed by a tool mounting is simplified and is thus suitable for mechanization by the use of the tool. Due to the double layer roll the unfolding time of the folded airbag is shortened. With a suitable shape of the laid flat, tailored fabric, the invention in its simplest embodiment suggests, especially for a tailored fabric connected only to one side of the gas generator, to perform folding by rolling in the direction toward the gas generator without a previous partial folding step of portions of the tailored fabric.
According to one embodiment of the invention, it is suggested that the folding process is performed by a two prong fork as a tool whereby one of the prongs upon engaging the spread-out fabric is positioned above and the other prong is positioned below the fabric.
According to one embodiment of the invention, it is suggested that for a tailored fabric that extends to both sides of the gas generator both portions of the fabric adjacent to the gas generator are engaged by the tool and respectively transformed by rolling into the form of the double layer roll positioned on both sides of the gas generator.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the formation of a relief fold may be provided which is formed between the outer circumference of the gas generator and the outer circumference of the roll resting thereat, whereby, for example, the rolling process of the tailored fabric is stopped at a spacing to the gas generator and the portion of the laid flat, tai
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Wallentin Rainer
Weberpals Thomas
Autoliv Development AB
Kim Eugene
LandOfFree
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