Method to manufacture airbag mini packs
AssigneeKey Safety Systems, Inc.
InventorsMatthias Volkmann, Martin Pieruch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming an airbag cushion (10, 10A) has the steps of providing placing the cushion in a vacuum bag (20) and evacuating the air shrinking the airbag cushion (10, 10A) to a compacted size; conforming the airbag cushion to a predetermined shape; placing the airbag cushion (10, 10A) in a high temperature environment between +50° C. to +140° for a predetermined time to thermally set the fabric material (120) to maintain the compacted airbag cushion (10, 10A) to the predetermined shape; and releasing the vacuum and removing the thermally set airbag cushion (10, 10A) from the vacuum bag (20).
Claims10
A method of forming a folded airbag cushion (10, 10A) comprises the steps of:
- providing an airbag cushion made of fabric material (12);
- placing the cushion (10, 10A) in a vacuum bag (20) and evacuating the air to create a vacuum and shrinking the airbag cushion to a compacted size;
- providing a shape forming contoured surface (102a) of a mandrel (102) against or within which the airbag cushion (10, 10A) is positioned on the mandrel and draped over the contoured surface (102a) of the mandrel to be drawn tightly over the contoured surface (102a) of the mandrel (102) to follow the contour during the step of creating a vacuum and presetting the cushion at a temperature up to 200° C. to set the cushion fabric material (12) to take the contour of the mandrel (102);
- placing the airbag cushion (10, 10A) in a high temperature environment between +50° C. to +140° C. for a predetermined time to thermally set the fabric material (12) to maintain the compacted airbag cushion shape;
- and
- releasing the vacuum and removing the thermally set airbag cushion (10, 10A) from the vacuum bag (20), the cushion maintaining the predetermined shape being formed as a mini pack or compacted airbag cushion (10, 10A).
A method of forming a folded airbag cushion (10, 10A) comprises the steps of:
- providing an airbag cushion made of fabric material (12);
- inserting a simulator of an inflator (40) in the cushion (10, 10A) to mimic the shape of an inflator (40), the simulator providing a contour surface for the airbag, the airbag cushion being folded with the simulator inside;
- placing the folded cushion (10, 10A) with the simulator in a vacuum bag (20) and evacuating the air to create a vacuum and shrinking the airbag cushion to a compacted size;
- providing a shape forming contoured surface (102a) of a mandrel (102) against or within which the airbag cushion (10, 10A) is positioned on the mandrel and draped over the contoured surface (102a) of the mandrel to be drawn tightly over the contoured surface (102a) of the mandrel (102) to follow the contour during the step of creating a vacuum and presetting the cushion at a temperature up to 200° C. to set the cushion fabric material (12) to take the contour of the mandrel (102);
- placing the airbag cushion (10, 10A) in a high temperature environment at 85° C. for 1.5 hours to thermally set the fabric material (12) to maintain the compacted airbag cushion shape;
- releasing the vacuum and cooling the cushion and removing the thermally set airbag cushion (10, 10A) from the vacuum bag (20), after cooling removing the simulator and replacing the simulator with a live inflator, the cushion maintaining the predetermined shape being formed as a mini pack or compacted airbag cushion (10, 10A).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.