Apparatus for folding and packaging an airbag and method thereof

Abstract

An apparatus and method for folding and packaging an airbag includes a tapered concentrator. The airbag can be a head or side-window airbag. The concentrator has an inlet and an outlet whose dimension is smaller than the inlet. Feeding the airbag through the concentrator squeezes or compresses (i.e., folds) the airbag to a predetermined cross section corresponding the outlet size of the concentrator. The airbag can include a strap at one end portion thereof. The strap is feed through the concentrator, such as by pulling the strap therethrough. Pulling the strap pulls the airbag through the smaller outlet, which compresses or folds the airbag. Also, by placing an airbag package having an inlet sized to the outlet of the concentrator adjacent to the outlet of the concentrator, and feeding the strap through the airbag package, the folded airbag is inserted into the package substantially simultaneously with the folding operation. The concentrator can include pre-orienting elements for forming uniform folds.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.