Method of folding an inflatable restraint cushion

Claim 1

A method of folding an inflatable restraint cushion for storage in a support housing having a cavity in which a gas generator is located within a diffuser and is fixedly secured in said cavity, said cavity being defined by an upper wall, a lower wall and a pair of side walls, and said inflatable restraint cushion including two overlying flat sheets of flexible material arranged to form a top sheet and a bottom sheet with the sheets being joined together along a front edge, a pair of laterally spaced side edges and a rear edge, said method comprising the steps of: (a) mounting said front edge of said sheets to said diffuser; (b) placing said rear edge of said sheets along an imaginary line which is parallel to said front edge and spaced from the latter a distance which causes said top and bottom sheets to be taut; (c) successively moving a portion of said top sheet towards said diffuser so as to form a series of overlying pleated sections which are progressively shorter in length until the overall fore and aft dimension of said cushion approximates the distance between said top and bottom walls of said cavity; (d) and rotating said cushion as a unit into said cavity for storing said cushion until the latter is inflated by said gas generator.

Claim 2

A method of folding an inflatable restraint cushion for storage in a support housing having a cavity in which a gas generator is located within a diffuser and is fixedly secured in said cavity, said cavity being defined by an upper wall, a lower wall and a pair of side walls, and said inflatable restraint cushion including two overlying flat sheets of flexible material arranged to form a top sheet and a bottom sheet with the sheets being joined together along a front edge, a pair of laterally spaced side edges and a rear edge, said method comprising the steps of: (a) mounting said front edge of said sheets to said diffuser; (b) placing said rear edge of said sheets along an imaginary line which is parallel to said front edge and spaced from the latter a distance which causes said top and bottom sheets to be taut; (c) successively moving a portion of said top sheet towards said diffuser so as to form a series of overlying pleated sections which are progressively shorter in length until the overall fore and aft dimension of said cushion approximates the distance between said top and bottom walls of said cavity; (d) and rotating said cushion as a unit into said cavity for storing said cushion until the latter is inflated by said gas generator.

Claim 3

A method of folding an inflatable restraint cushion for storage in a support housing having a cavity in which a gas generator is located within a diffuser and is fixedly secured in said cavity, said cavity being defined by an upper wall, a lower wall and a pair of side walls, and said inflatable restraint cushion including two overlying flat sheets of flexible material arranged to form a top sheet and a bottom sheet with the sheets being joined together along a front edge, a pair of laterally spaced side edges and a rear edge, said method comprising the steps of: (a) mounting said front edge of said sheets to said diffuser; (b) placing said rear edge of said sheets along an imaginary line which is parallel to said front edge and spaced from the latter a distance which causes said top and bottom sheets to be taut; (c) grasping a portion of said top sheet along an imaginary transverse line located substantially midway between said front edge and said rear edge; (d) moving said portion of said top sheet to a position adjacent said front edge to form a pleated section and a new rear edge spaced forwardly from a line along which the original rear edge was located; (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) until said cushion attains an overall fore and aft dimension which approximates the distance between said top and bottom walls of said cavity; (f) and rotating said pleated sections as a unit into said cavity for storing said restraint cushion until the latter is inflated by said gas generator.

Claim 4

A method of folding an inflatable restraint cushion for storage in a support housing having a cavity in which a gas generator is located within a diffuser and is fixedly secured in said cavity, said cavity being defined by an upper wall, a lower wall and a pair of side walls, and said inflatable restraint cushion including two overlying flat sheets of flexible material arranged to form a top sheet and a bottom sheet with the sheets being joined together along a front edge, a pair of laterally spaced side edges and a rear edge, said method comprising the steps of: (a) mounting said front edge of said sheets to said diffuser; (b) placing said rear edge of said sheets along an imaginary line which is parallel to said front edge and spaced from the latter a distance which causes said top and bottom sheets to be taut; (c) grasping a portion of said top sheet along an imaginary transverse line located substantially midway between said front edge and said rear edge; (d) moving said portion of said top sheet to a position adjacent said front edge to form a pleated section and a new rear edge spaced forwardly from a line along which the original rear edge was located; (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) until said cushion attains an overall fore and aft dimension which approximates the distance between said top and bottom walls of said cavity; (f) and rotating said pleated sections as a unit into said cavity for storing said restraint cushion until the latter is inflated by said gas generator.