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US 5,162,035 AGranted
Bag folding system
AssigneesJamal Saklou, Pierre Metivier
InventorWilliam F. Baker
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AssigneesJamal Saklou, Pierre Metivier
InventorWilliam F. Baker
Estimating the term…
An automated system is disclosed for folding vehicle air bags so that a small folded-bag profile and a desirable bag deployment pattern results. A machine having numerous moveable arms is controlled by a controller. An edge folding assembly (EFA) of the machine has five arms, including a center arm, two outer blades, and two outwardly facing U-channel forks, which reside between respective outer blades and the center arm. The EFA moves forward so that all of its five arms engage an unfolded air bag. The forks then raise upward to a level at which the outer blades are aligned with a gap between tines in the forks. The outer blades mesh with this gap causing two pleats to be formed in the edge of the bag. Pleat clamps then move inwardly sideways to engage the two pleats and form a third pleat. Then, the EFA is removed from the bag. The pleat clamps clamp top and bottom sections of the bag together while tightly gripping the pleats. The bag is then inflated, except that the pleat clamps prevent inflation of the pleated section. Next, the pleat clamps move closer together to poke the pleats into the center of the otherwise inflated bag. The bag is then deflated, and the pleat clamps are withdrawn from the bag.
A method of automatically folding an air bag having top and bottom sections, said folding achieving a folded-bag profile suitable for vehicular installation along with an effective bag deployment upon a crash of said vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
An apparatus for automatically folding an air bag having top and bottom sections, an edge portion, and a central portion, said folding achieving a folded-bag profile suitable for vehicular installation along with an effective bag deployment upon a crash of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
A method of automatically folding an air bag having top and bottom sections, said folding achieving a folded-bag profile suitable for vehicular installation along with an effective bag deployment upon a crash of said vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.