Fully extended pleat for passenger air bag fold
US5501489A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 30, 1995 |
| Grant date | Mar 26, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 30, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60R21/2171
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A fully extended pleat for a passenger side air bag cushion employs folds which extend fully across the folded cushion rather than terminating near the center of the folded cushion. A packing advantage of this fold is that there is no free volume or dead space between the pleats thereby reducing the pack size. A performance advantage is that surface friction between the pleats acts to retards somewhat the cushion deployment to reduce hitting and slapping of the occupants in the event of a crash. Finally, a process advantage is that the pleats do not have to be controlled to a specific depth, thereby allowing the folding mechanisms to be concerned only with the final width of the pleats and allowing one less control in the folding operation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.