CN108437926B

CN108437926B - Packaging method for winding and/or folding an air curtain into a tubular body

Info

Publication number: CN108437926B
Application number: CN201710085588.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 王亮; 张显亮
Original assignee: Autoliv Development AB
Current assignee: Autoliv Development AB
Priority date: 2017-02-16
Filing date: 2017-02-16
Publication date: 2022-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 2037-02-16
Also published as: WO2018149261A1; CN108437926A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a packaging method for winding and/or folding an inflatable curtain into a tubular body. The packaging method comprises the step of providing an inflatable curtain, the inflatable curtain comprising a first end portion, the dimension of the first end portion in the width direction of the inflatable curtain being smaller than the dimension of the other portions of the inflatable curtain in the width direction of the inflatable curtain in the unfolded state of the inflatable curtain, and the packaging method further comprises at least one of the following steps: during the winding and/or folding of the inflatable curtain into a tubular body, winding or folding the first end portion about a first mandrel having a predetermined size; and further winding and/or folding the first end portion after winding and/or folding the inflatable curtain into the tubular body. By the packaging method, the first end part of the air curtain which is wound and/or folded into the tubular body is smaller than the outer circumference of other parts of the air curtain.

Description

Packaging method for winding and/or folding an air curtain into a tubular body

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a packaging method for winding and/or folding an inflatable curtain into a tubular body.

Background

The air curtain may be used to protect an occupant (e.g., a driver and/or passenger), particularly the head of an occupant, in the event of a side impact. When the vehicle is traveling normally, the air curtain is usually in a rolled or folded state and is installed in the accommodation space formed along the a-pillar, the curved side rail of the roof, and the C-pillar. When a vehicle is involved in a collision, the triggering inflatable curtain is inflated and deployed, providing impact protection for the occupant between the occupant and the side structures of the vehicle (such as the door, window, B-pillar, etc.).

Typically, the peripheral dimensions of the air curtain that can be accommodated at the a-pillar are smaller than the peripheral dimensions of the air curtain that can be accommodated at the curved rail and the C-pillar of the roof. Therefore, the outer peripheral dimension of the air curtain at the a-pillar needs to be smaller than the outer peripheral dimensions at the arc-shaped stringers and the C-pillar.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a prior art method for forming an inflatable curtain of the type described above, which includes the following steps. First, a portion of the air curtain is cut away at a position of the air curtain 10 where the required outer circumferential dimension is small and at the fixed side 11 of the air curtain at that position, as in the area surrounded by the circle of fig. 1. The fixed side 11 as described herein refers to the side of the inflatable curtain 10 that is fixed to the vehicle, and the fixed side 10 carries a plurality of securing devices 12 (e.g., mounting lugs) to secure the upper edge of the inflatable curtain to the vehicle. The remaining portion of the air curtain is then rolled or folded into a tube. However, according to this method, the portions of the air curtain that are cut off with the plurality of fastening devices 12. Therefore, an additional fixing device 13 is required to fix the air curtain (as shown in fig. 2), increasing man-hours and costs. In addition, this method may result in that when the air curtain is unfolded, the portion of the air curtain which is originally fixed by the cut-off fixing devices 12 is no longer fixed, which may affect the protection effect of the air curtain.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a novel packaging method for winding and/or folding an air curtain into a tubular body. The tubular air curtain formed by the packing method has a portion having an outer peripheral dimension smaller than that of the other portion, and is thus suitable for being mounted to the side of the vehicle compartment, and the packing method requires short man-hours and is low in cost.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a packaging method for winding and/or folding an inflatable curtain into a tubular body is provided, wherein the packaging method comprises the step of providing an inflatable curtain, the inflatable curtain comprising a first end portion, the dimension of the first end portion in the width direction of the inflatable curtain being smaller than the dimension of the other portions of the inflatable curtain in the width direction of the inflatable curtain in an unfolded state of the inflatable curtain, and the packaging method further comprises at least one of the following steps: during the winding and/or folding of the inflatable curtain into a tubular body, winding or folding the first end portion about a first mandrel having a predetermined size; and further winding and/or folding the first end portion after winding and/or folding the inflatable curtain into the tubular body, wherein the first end portion of the inflatable curtain wound and/or folded into the tubular body has a smaller outer peripheral dimension than other portions of the inflatable curtain by the packaging method. The method according to embodiments of the present invention enables installation of an inflatable curtain in a containment space along an a-pillar, a roof rail and a C-pillar of a vehicle. Further, the packing method requires less man-hours and costs because it requires only a step of winding and/or folding without additional means such as auxiliary fixing means.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the step of winding and/or folding the first end around the first mandrel comprises the steps of: winding and/or folding the first end about the first mandrel; and removing the first mandrel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, removing the first mandrel facilitates further reduction of the outer circumferential dimension of the inflatable curtain after winding/folding, and the first mandrel can be reused.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the step of further winding and/or folding the first end portion comprises the steps of: inserting a second mandrel into the tubular body from the first end, rotating the second mandrel, and further winding the first end by the second mandrel rotating the portion of the air curtain at the first end to reduce the outer circumferential dimension of the first end; and removing the second mandrel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the portion of the air curtain at the first end is rotated by the rotation of the second mandrel, enabling further winding of the first end, thereby reducing the outer circumferential dimension of this portion of the tubular body. Thus, the first end of the inflatable curtain, which is wrapped and/or folded into a tubular body by the wrapping method, can be mounted to the a-pillar of the vehicle.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the step of further winding and/or folding the first end portion further comprises the steps of: positioning the second mandrel to the first end prior to rotating the second mandrel; or further winding of the first end by mutual friction between the second mandrel and the portion of the air curtain at the first end.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, by rotating the second mandrel after it has been positioned to the first end, a way of further winding and/or folding the first end is provided. This provides that the second mandrel is less likely to move relative to the first end, thereby providing a tighter fit between the layers of air curtain material of the tubular body at the first end, thereby reducing the outer circumferential dimension of the tubular body at this portion. Furthermore, further winding of the first end by mutual friction between the second mandrel and the portion of the air curtain at the first end provides another way of further winding and/or folding the first end. This way, by means of the friction between the second mandrel and the air curtains, the layers of air curtain material of the tubular body obtained by winding and/or folding are made more compact, thereby reducing the outer circumferential dimensions of this part of the tubular body.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the second mandrel is provided with a hook, the portion of the gas curtain at the first end is provided with a through hole, and the hook can pass through the through hole such that the second mandrel is positioned to the first end, or the second mandrel is provided with a clamp for clamping the portion of the gas curtain at the first end such that the second mandrel is positioned to the first end.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the air curtain comprises a fixed side mountable to the vehicle, the fixed side being mountable to the vehicle, the first end portion having a notch on the other side opposite the fixed side, such that in the unfolded state of the air curtain, the dimension of the first end portion in the width direction of the air curtain is smaller than the dimension of the other portion of the air curtain in the width direction of the air curtain.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the notch is a wedge-shaped notch, and in the deployed state of the air curtain, the dimension of the wedge-shaped notch in the width direction of the air curtain gradually decreases from the first end portion toward the middle portion of the air curtain in the length direction of the air curtain.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, providing the air curtain comprises the steps of: a portion of the first end portion is removed along the length direction of the air curtain such that, in the deployed state of the air curtain, the dimension of the first end portion in the width direction of the air curtain is smaller than the dimension of the other portion of the air curtain in the width direction of the air curtain.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the first mandrel is a roller around which the portion of the air curtain at the first end is wound and/or folded. The air curtain at the first end is wound by a frictional force between the air curtain and the roller.

The packing method of the present invention requires less man-hours and costs because it requires only a winding and/or folding step without additional means such as auxiliary fixing means.

Drawings

The embodiments are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawing figures. It is emphasized that the various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements.

FIG. 1 shows a partial schematic view of an air curtain formed by a prior art method.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the fixed side of an air curtain formed by a prior art method.

Figure 3 shows a partial schematic view of the unfolded state of the air curtain formed by the packaging method according to the invention.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of the steps of a packaging method according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a step of further winding the first end portion after winding/folding the inflatable curtain into the tubular body, according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6A shows a perspective view of a second mandrel connected to a first end in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6B shows a perspective view of a second mandrel connected to a first end according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

A packaging method for winding and/or folding an air curtain (more specifically, an air curtain in an unfolded state) into a tubular body according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to fig. 3 to 6B.

First embodiment

A packaging method according to a first embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to fig. 3 and 4. Fig. 3 shows a partial view of the deployed state of the air curtain. Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of the steps of a packaging method according to an embodiment of the invention.

The packaging method according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes: the step of providing an air curtain 20 as shown in figure 3. In fig. 3, the longitudinal direction along the drawing is the width direction in the air curtain expanded state, and the lateral direction along the drawing is the length direction in the air curtain expanded state. As shown in FIG. 3, the air curtain 20 includes a first end 21 in the longitudinal direction. In the deployed state of the air curtain 20, the dimension of the first end portion 21 in the air curtain width direction is smaller than the dimension of the other portion of the air curtain 20 in the air curtain width direction. For convenience of explanation, hereinafter, "the dimension of the first end portion in the air curtain width direction" is simply referred to as "the dimension of the first end portion", and "the dimension of the other portion of the air curtain in the air curtain width direction" is simply referred to as "the dimension of the other portion".

In order to form the air curtain to be relatively small in size at the first end, various means may be employed. For example, in the case where the air curtain is formed by non-woven, or the like, the air curtain itself may be formed such that the first end portion 21 is smaller in size than the other portions; alternatively, when the air curtain is formed by sewing or joining a plurality of pieces of material, the material may be cut into an appropriate shape according to the final shape of the air curtain, and the air curtain with the smaller first end portion 21 may be sewn or joined; still alternatively, the first end portion 21 having a smaller size may be obtained by removing a portion of the first end portion 21 in the longitudinal direction of the air curtain after forming the air curtain having a substantially uniform width.

The air curtain 20 has a fixed side 22, and the fixed side 22 is securable to a vehicle. According to an embodiment of the invention, on the other side of the air curtain 20, opposite to the fixed side 22, the first end 21 has a gap 23, as shown in fig. 3 by the area enclosed by the two dashed lines and the boundary of the air curtain. The notch 23 is a wedge-shaped notch, and in the deployed state of the air curtain 20, the dimension of the air curtain 20 in the air curtain width direction gradually decreases from the first end portion 21 toward the middle portion of the air curtain 20 in the air curtain length direction.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the notch 23 may be opened at any position of the first end portion 21 and the notch 23 may be in any shape as long as the size of the first end portion 21 is made smaller than the size of the other portions. For example, the notch 23 may also be provided at a portion of the fixation side 22 where no fixation means are provided. For example, the notch 23 is a rectangular cutout.

After providing the aforementioned inflatable curtain 20, the method of packaging according to the first embodiment of the present invention further includes wrapping and/or folding the inflatable curtain 20 into a generally tubular structure. During the winding and/or folding of the inflatable curtain into a tubular body, the first end portion 21 is wound and/or folded about a first mandrel 24 having a predetermined size. Specifically, for example, fig. 4 shows a schematic view of a step of winding the air curtain with a winding apparatus. As shown in fig. 4, first, the first mandrel 24 is placed at the first end portion 21, and then the first end portion 21 is wound around the first mandrel 24. It will be appreciated that, in the absence of the first mandrel 24, because the material of the inflatable curtain 20 is generally more flexible, although the first end of the inflatable curtain 20 is smaller in size, after being wrapped or folded into a generally tubular body, the outer circumferential dimensions of the tubular body tend to be approximately the same at the first end 21 and other portions due to the overall degree of bulk. Next, the first end 21 is wound around the first mandrel 24. By winding the first end 21 around the first mandrel 24, the friction of the air curtain relative to the mandrel and the friction between the air curtains at the position can be utilized to make the air curtain at the position to be wound more tightly, so that the outer circumference size of the air curtain formed into a tubular body at the first end 21 is advantageously smaller than that of other parts. By "winding first end 21 about first mandrel 24" is meant herein that first end 21 is rotated relative to first mandrel 24 in the winding direction to reduce the outer circumferential dimension of the air curtain adjacent the end. It should be understood that the first mandrel 24 may be fixed, the first end portion 21 rotated; it is also possible to fix the first end portion 21 and rotate the first mandrel 24; or both may be caused to perform a winding action with relative rotation until the end is appropriately sized. Thereafter, the first mandrel 24 is removed. The removed first mandrel 24 may be reused. Furthermore, the first mandrel 24 is typically more rigid than the material of the air curtain 20, which may be made of, for example, plastic, rubber, metal, or wood.

The first mandrel 24 is a roller around which the portion of the air curtain 20 at the first end 21 may wrap and/or fold. The roller can be a solid roller or a hollow roller. By winding the first end 21 around the roller, the friction of the air curtain against the roller at this position can be used to wind the air curtain tightly. Preferably, in order to increase friction between the outer surface of the roller and the air curtain so that the air curtain is smoothly wound, the roller is made of a material having a large friction force (e.g., rubber), or the outer surface of the roller may be coated with a material having a high friction coefficient, or the outer surface of the roller may be provided with a concavo-convex structure (e.g., silica particles).

In addition, the size of the first mandrel 24 may be suitably selected, and generally should be smaller than the desired size of the first end 21 of the air curtain 20 formed into a tubular body, such as being selected to be 10% to 80% of the desired size, 30% to 60% of the desired size, or other suitable proportion. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that where first end 21 is wrapped or folded about first mandrel 24, other portions may be wrapped and/or folded into shape simultaneously without the aid of other mandrels. Of course, other portions may be wound and/or folded around another mandrel having a larger diameter than first mandrel 24.

Preferably, the first mandrel 24 may be cylindrical such that the first end 21 is wound around the cylinder. Alternatively, first mandrel 24 may be oval, oblate, rectangular, triangular, or trapezoidal in cross-section, or first mandrel 24 may be flat such that first end 21 is wound around first mandrel 24. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the first mandrel 24 may be other than the aforementioned shapes so long as it is capable of winding or folding the first end 21.

Further, it should be appreciated that first mandrel 24 may be of any form so long as first mandrel 24 is capable of causing the air curtain to wrap around the portion of first end 21. For example, instead of rollers, the first mandrel 24 may be a shaft. The shaft may be solid or hollow, depending on the particular requirements.

Second embodiment

A packaging method according to a second embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to fig. 3, 5, 6A, and 6B. The packaging method according to the second embodiment of the present invention is substantially the same as the packaging method of the first embodiment, except that the packaging method of the second embodiment does not include the step of winding the air curtain by means of the first mandrel, but instead includes the step of further winding and/or folding the first end portion 21 after the air curtain 20 is wound and/or folded into a tubular body, so that the outer circumferential dimension of the first end portion 21 is smaller than that of the other portions. Referring to fig. 5, fig. 5 shows a schematic view of the step of further winding the first end portion 21 after winding/folding the air curtain into a tubular body. Specifically, the step of further winding the first end portion 21 includes: inserting a second mandrel 25 of a predetermined size into the tubular body formed by the air curtain 20 from the first end 21, positioning the second mandrel 25 to the first end 21, rotating the second mandrel 25, and further winding the first end by the second mandrel 25 rotating the portion of the air curtain 20 at the first end 21, whereby the air curtain is further wound up at this location, thereby reducing the outer circumferential dimension of the first end 21. Thereafter, the second mandrel 25 is removed. The removed mandrel 27 may be reused.

Fig. 6A illustrates one manner of positioning the second mandrel 25 to the first end 21. To clearly illustrate the relative positional relationship between the two, the connection of the second mandrel 25 to the first end 21 is shown when the air curtain is deployed. However, it should be understood that the curtain 21 has been wound into a tubular body prior to the second mandrel 25 being inserted and positioned into the first end 21. Referring again to fig. 3, the air curtain 20 is provided with a through hole 211 at the first end 21. As shown in fig. 6A, the second spindle 25 is provided with a hook 26. The hook 26 is capable of passing through the through hole 21 such that the second spindle 25 is locally positioned to the first end 21, thereby causing the portion of the air curtain 20 at the first end 21 to rotate when the second spindle 25 is rotated. Preferably, the through hole 211 is provided at the first end 21 of the air curtain 20 and at an edge portion of the other side opposite to the fixed side 22. The hook 26 may be L-shaped or arc-shaped extending from the second mandrel 25.

In the case where the size of hook 26 is large, in order to prevent a portion of second mandrel 25 including hook 26 from having a larger cross-sectional size than other portions of the second mandrel so that the air curtain cannot be tightly wound, the cross-sectional size of the portion may be formed smaller than other portions of second mandrel 25. This may be achieved by removing a portion of the material of the second mandrel 25 adjacent to that portion, or by forming that portion into a tapered shape. For example, fig. 6A illustrates an exemplary structure. As shown in fig. 6A, one end 251 of second mandrel 25 is formed to have a cross-sectional dimension that is about half of that of the other portion of second mandrel 25, and hook 26 is provided at this end 251. As shown in fig. 6A, end 251 is semi-circular in cross-section, while the remainder of second mandrel 25 is circular in cross-section. In this case, it is preferable that the hook 26 is a circular arc-shaped (e.g., 1/4 circle) hook extending from the end 251. Preferably, the circular arc shaped hook is concentric with the end 251 and has the same radius. Further, in this case, it is preferable that the hook 26 extends from the end 251 toward the inside of the overall profile of the second mandrel 25, not toward the outside. Forming the end of the second mandrel 25 where the hook is located to be of a smaller size may provide other advantages in addition to avoiding the problem of the hook causing the mandrel to be locally oversized. For example, it may be more convenient to wind first end 21 of the inflatable curtain around second mandrel 25, and to remove second mandrel 25 from the inflatable curtain.

Fig. 6B shows another way of positioning the second mandrel 25 to the first end 21. As shown in fig. 6B, the second mandrel 25 is provided with a clamping portion 27, and the clamping portion 27 is used for clamping a portion near the first end 21 of the air curtain 20, so that the second mandrel 25 is positioned to the air curtain 20, and thus when the second mandrel 25 rotates, the portion at the first end 21 of the air curtain 20 is moved. The grip portion 27 includes a first grip portion 271 and a second grip portion 272. First clamp 271 and second clamp 272 have a gap therebetween to clamp a portion of curtain 20 at first end 21 therebetween to position second mandrel 25 to curtain 20. One ends of the first and

second clamping portions

271 and 272 are free ends, and the other ends (i.e., connection ends) of the second and

second clamping portions

272 and 272 are connected to each other, preferably integrally connected. The first and

second clamping portions

271 and 272 may have elasticity such that free ends of the first and

second clamping portions

271 and 272 can be pressed against each other. The first and

second clamp portions

271 and 272 may have substantially semi-cylindrical shapes, and rectangular surfaces of the two semi-cylindrical shapes face each other. Alternatively, the first clamping portion 271 and the second clamping portion 272 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, a triangular prism shape, a semi-ellipsoidal shape, or the like. Preferably, the clip 27 is integrally formed with the remainder of the second mandrel 25.

In the following, the specific steps of positioning the second mandrel 25 as in fig. 6B to the portion of the air curtain 20 at the first end 21 are described. First, the free ends of the first and

second clamping portions

271, 272 are separated such that the gap therebetween is greater than the thickness of the air curtain to accommodate the first end portion 21. Next, on the other side of the first end portion 21 opposite to the fixed side, an air curtain is inserted from the free end of the clamping portion 27 through the gap to the connection end. Finally, the free ends of the first and

second clamping portions

271 and 272 are released, so that the first and

second clamping portions

271 and 272 tightly clamp the air curtain. By means of the friction between the first clamping portion 271 and the second clamping portion 272 and the air curtain 20 and the pressure of the first clamping portion 271 and the second clamping portion 272 on the air curtain 20, the second mandrel 25 drives the portion of the air curtain 20 at the first end to rotate, so as to further wind the first end, and during further winding of the first end 21, the second mandrel 25 is not easy to move relative to the first end 21.

The size of the second mandrel 25 may be suitably selected and should generally be smaller than the desired size of the first end 21 of the gas curtain 20 formed into a tubular body, such as being selected to be 10% to 80% of the desired size, 30% to 60% of the desired size, or other suitable proportions. Preferably, the second mandrel 25 is cylindrical. It should be understood that second mandrel 25 may be other shapes configured to further wrap around first end 21, such as, for example, a cross-section of second mandrel 25 that is oval, oblate, rectangular, triangular, or trapezoidal, or the like, or second mandrel 25 that is a flat body. Furthermore, the second mandrel 25 may be solid or hollow, depending on the particular requirements.

However, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that other means may be used so long as second mandrel 25 rotates the portion of curtain 20 at first end 21 to further wrap around first end 21. For example, a second mandrel 25 of a predetermined size is inserted into the tubular body formed by the air curtain 20 from the first end 21, the second mandrel 25 is rotated, and the first end 21 is further wound by mutual friction between the outer surface of the second mandrel 25 and the air curtain 20. Whereby the air curtain is further wound up at this position, thereby reducing the outer circumferential dimension of the first end portion 21.

Further, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that other steps may be employed so long as the first end portion 21 is further wound so that the outer peripheral dimension of the first end portion 21 is small. For example, it is possible to apply a circumferential force whose direction changes back and forth from the outer circumferential surface of the tubular body at the first end portion 21 of the air curtain 20 that has been wound and/or folded into the tubular body without using a second mandrel, thereby directly winding the first end portion 21 further, so that the first end portion is reduced in size. Alternatively, in the case of manual operation, the air curtain 20 may be manually wound from the inner circumference of the tubular body by inserting a finger into the tubular body from the first end 21.

In other alternatives, the first end 21 may be further folded. For example, since the first end portion 21 has a size smaller than that of other portions, the first end portion 21 of the air curtain 20 formed into a tubular body is easily folded. By further folding the first end portion 21, for example, simply in half, the outer peripheral dimension of the first end portion 21 is made smaller than the outer peripheral dimension of the other portions in a simple manner. According to embodiments of the present invention, the air curtain 20 is wound and/or folded using a device that winds or folds the air curtain 20 or manually.

In yet another alternative, the first end portion 21 may be further rolled after further folding of the first end portion 21. Alternatively, after further winding the first end portion 21, the first end portion 21 is further folded. Thereby enabling the first end portion 21 to be further reduced in size.

In summary, in the second embodiment, the first end portion 21 is reduced in size by further winding and/or folding the first end portion 21 after the air curtain is wound and/or folded into a tubular body.

Other embodiments

In the second embodiment, the step of winding and/or folding the air curtain with the first end portion 21 around the mandrel in the first embodiment is replaced with further winding and/or folding the first end portion 21 after forming the air curtain into a tubular body. However, both steps may be employed in packaging the inflatable curtain to further reduce the size of the first end 21.

In the first embodiment, an embodiment is provided in which a tubular body is formed by winding around a mandrel from the air curtain side with the first end portion 21 surrounding the first mandrel 24. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The generally tubular body may be formed, for example, by folding the inflatable curtain back and forth or otherwise, or may be formed, for example, by combining folding and winding, such as by folding in half about a mandrel and then winding. The outer peripheral shape of the tubular body is also not limited to a circular shape, but may be a flat shape or an irregular shape affected by the manner of winding and/or folding.

In the second embodiment, an embodiment is given in which the second mandrel 25 is positioned to the portion of the air curtain 21 at the first end 21 by the hook 26 and the grip 27. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the fastening may be by means of a hook and loop fastener, adhesive, snap, magnetic attraction, or the like. Alternatively, an elastic loop is provided on the air curtain, and the second mandrel 25 can be inserted into the elastic loop, so that the second mandrel 25 is clamped by elasticity, so that the second mandrel 25 is not easy to move relative to the first end portion 21.

In the first embodiment, an embodiment in which the air curtain is tightly wound around the first mandrel 24 by friction between the first mandrel 24 and the air curtain 20 is described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, it may be preferable to position first mandrel 24 to a portion of first end 21 prior to winding first end 21 around first mandrel 24. During the process of winding the first end 21 of the air curtain around the first mandrel by friction, the first mandrel 24 may move relative to the first end 21 when the friction is low. Specifically, the first mandrel 24 may move back and forth in the air curtain length direction and may tilt within the wound tubular body. This results in a larger gap between the first mandrel 24 and the air curtain wound therearound, thereby disfavoring the air curtain being wound more tightly around the first mandrel 24 at the first end 21. By positioning the first mandrel 24 to a portion of the first end 21, the air curtain is more securely wrapped tightly around the first mandrel or roller. Therefore, the manner of positioning the first mandrel 24 to the first end 21 is similar to the manner of positioning the second mandrel 25 to the first end 21 in the second embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

The resulting packaging structure of the inflatable curtain 20 according to the method of the present invention may be installed in the receiving space along the a-pillar, roof rail and C-pillar of the vehicle, extending along a particular curve, with the first end portion installed substantially along the a-pillar of the vehicle. Because the outer peripheral dimensions of the first end portion are smaller, it is possible to accommodate the smaller available space around the a-pillar. Further, the packing method requires less man-hours and costs because it requires only a step of winding and/or folding without additional means such as auxiliary fixing means.

As described above, although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in the specification with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described specific embodiments, but may be in many other embodiments, and the scope of the present invention should be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A packaging method for winding and/or folding an air curtain into a tubular body, wherein

The packaging method comprises the step of providing an inflatable curtain comprising a first end portion having a dimension in the width direction of the inflatable curtain which is smaller than the dimension of the rest of the inflatable curtain in the width direction of the inflatable curtain in the unfolded state of the inflatable curtain, and

the packaging method is characterized by further comprising:

after winding and/or folding the inflatable curtain into a tubular body, further winding and/or folding the first end portion, wherein

By the packaging method, the first end part of the air curtain which is wound and/or folded into a tubular body is smaller than the outer circumference of other parts of the air curtain.

2. The packaging method of claim 1, further comprising:

during the winding and/or folding of the inflatable curtain into a tubular body, the first end portion is wound and/or folded about a first mandrel having a predetermined size.

3. The packaging method according to claim 2, wherein the step of winding and/or folding the first end about a first mandrel comprises the steps of:

winding and/or folding the first end about the first mandrel; and

removing the first mandrel.

4. The packaging method of claim 1, wherein the step of further winding and/or folding the first end portion comprises the steps of:

inserting a second mandrel having a predetermined size at least partially into the tubular body from the first end, rotating the second mandrel, further winding the first end by the second mandrel rotating the portion of the air curtain at the first end to reduce the outer circumferential dimension of the first end; and

removing the second mandrel.

5. The packaging method of claim 4, wherein the step of further winding and/or folding the first end further comprises the steps of:

positioning the second mandrel to the first end prior to rotating the second mandrel; or

Further winding the first end by mutual friction between the second mandrel and a portion of the air curtain at the first end.

6. The packaging method of claim 5, wherein the second mandrel is provided with a hook, a portion of the curtain at the first end is provided with a through hole, and the hook is capable of passing through the through hole such that the second mandrel is positioned to the first end, or

The second mandrel is provided with a clamp for clamping a portion of the gas curtain at the first end such that the second mandrel is positioned to the first end.

7. The packaging method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first end portion of the air curtain wound and/or folded into a tubular body by the packaging method is mountable to an A-pillar of a vehicle.

8. The packaging method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the air curtain includes a fixed side mountable to a vehicle, the fixed side being mountable to the vehicle, the first end portion having a notch on another side opposite the fixed side such that a dimension of the first end portion in the air curtain width direction is smaller than a dimension of other portions of the air curtain in the air curtain width direction in a deployed state of the air curtain.

9. The packaging method of claim 8, wherein the notch is a wedge-shaped notch having a dimension in a width direction of the air curtain that gradually decreases from the first end portion toward a middle portion of the air curtain in a length direction of the air curtain in the deployed state of the air curtain.

10. The packaging method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein providing the air curtain comprises the steps of:

a portion of the first end is removed along a length direction of the air curtain such that a dimension of the first end in a width direction of the air curtain is smaller than a dimension of other portions of the air curtain in the width direction of the air curtain in a deployed state of the air curtain.

11. A method of packaging according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first mandrel is a roller around which the portion of the curtain at the first end is wrapped and/or folded.