Air bag housing and method of making

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a passenger airbag housing using a continuous flow or constant cross-section process, the process will enable maximum design flexibility when multiple materials are capable of being used. The method will have a short design and tooling lead-time providing lean processing and a common footprint over a family of designs. A method of structurally reinforcing a passenger air bag housing by inserting a structural member into the continuous flow or constant cross-section process.

1 . A method for manufacturing a passenger airbag housing, comprising: 
 forming an element using a continuous flow or constant cross-section process;    cutting the element into a plurality of components; and    using one of said plurality of components as a portion of a housing for a passenger airbag device.    
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the element has a common footprint for use in a family of designs.  
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 2 , wherein the element has integral features for use in a family of designs.  
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 3 , wherein one of said integral features is a securing member being configured for securing said housing to a vehicle.  
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said continuous flow process is a pultrusion process.  
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the structural integrity of the element is supplemented through the use of a plurality of cables being fed into the element as it is being formed by the pultrusion process.  
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 6 , wherein the element has a plurality of integral features for use in a family of designs and one of said integral features is a securing member being configured for securing said housing to a vehicle.  
     
     
         8 . The method as in  claim 7 , wherein another one of said integral features is securement means for retaining and securing components of an airbag module.  
     
     
         9 . The method as in  claim 8 , wherein another one of said integral features is securement means for retaining and securing components a protective cover for said an airbag module.  
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said element has an elongated channel shape for receiving and engaging components of an airbag module.  
     
     
         11 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein the ends of said elongated channel shape are configured to receive an engage an end cap portion.  
     
     
         12 . The method as in  claim 11 , wherein said end cap portion is configured to have a securement means for securing said housing to a portion of a vehicle.  
     
     
         13 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the structural integrity of the element is supplemented through the use of a roll formed object being fed into the element as it is being formed by the pultrusion process.  
     
     
         14 . The method as in  claim 13  wherein the roll formed object is structural steel.  
     
     
         15 . A pultrusion system for making continuous length reinforced thermoplastic structures, comprising: 
 a vessel for housing a quantity of thermoplastic material;    means providing a continuous supply of said thermoplastic material to said vessel;    multiple spools of cable positioned adjacent to said vessel;    a cable guide and heating means positioned between said multiple spools of cable and said vessel said cable guide and heating means being attached to said vessel and serving to guide and separate said cables as they pass through said thermoplastic material, individual cables leading from said multiple spools and being guided by said cable guide;    means providing radiation heat to said cable guide and heating means to preheat the cables passing therethrough into said vessel; and    a pulling mechanism for pulling the thermoplastic material from said vessel.    
     
     
         16 . An elongated housing for use in a passenger air bag module, comprising: 
 a pulltruded housing having a pair of sidewalls defining an internal cavity;    a plurality of securement features formed in the housing;    a structural member inserted into housing during the process for forming the housing.    
     
     
         17 . The housing as in  claim 16 , wherein the structural member is a plurality of steel cables.  
     
     
         18 . The housing as in  claim 16  wherein the structural member is a formed steel member.  
     
     
         19 . The housing as in  claim 16 , wherein the process for forming the housing is a pultrusion process.  
     
     
         20 . The housing as in  claim 16 , wherein the process for forming the housing is an extrusion process.