Patent Application
20210122552
The present disclosure relates to a packaging system and container. In particular an energy absorbing container enabling a low cost method to package hazardous equipment easily and safely.
Automotive safety devices are required to be tested according to the United Nations manual of Test and Criteria Test Series 6(c) by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Maritime Dangerous Goods, European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), and other international or regional authority agencies. The automotive industry prefers Class 9, UN3268 hazmat classification as it allows for less restrictive transportation, storage and handling requirements and provides additional transportation modes.
To obtain Class 9, the automotive safety devices being transported are required to pass the distance requirement while performing the UN Series 6(c) test which can be difficult on products such as air bag modules. The UN Series 6(c) test is performed by igniting wood placed under the automotive safety devices (e.g. airbag modules, pretensioners). During the test, the safety device may be oriented bag down and the energy from the deployment of the module, caused, in one example, by temperature sensitive, auto-igniting propellants within the module, may allow the module to travel greater than what is allowed by the regulations to obtain Class 9. As automotive safety devices continue to be more compact and lighter, this test continues to be difficult to pass using standard fiberboard boxes. More expensive and heavier packaging is required to help maintain the desired Class 9 approval.
Current packaging used in the automotive safety device industry includes UN 4G Fiberboard boxes and 4H plastic boxes. When providing safety devices for new vehicles, the global safety device manufacturer is required to provide the automobile manufacturer with service boxes containing only one safety device. The current packaging options includes steel wire impregnated cardboard, steel cages, wiring parts with additional weight, and wiring parts together. These features are expensive, unsafe, and can weigh more than five times the standard fiberboard boxes. The current packaging options increase transport costs and are not worker friendly during assembly.
Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a low cost, lightweight, recyclable container for a standard fiberboard, plastic or similar light weight packaging that assists in the distance requirement of the UN Series 6(c) test.
The features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description, and the accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described below.
According to one embodiment of the disclosure, reinforcement straps enclose an automotive safety device to absorb the energy during deployment on the UN Series 6(c) bonfire to help maintain the parts within the distance requirement of the UN Series 6(c) test. The straps are applied outside the protective inner receptacle to prevent the straps from causing physical (e.g. cosmetic) damage. The strapped inner receptacle is then assembled into standard packaging (e.g., a container). In one exemplary embodiment the inner receptacle includes reinforcement straps in a cross or x-shaped configuration. In the cross configuration, the straps may include an interior reinforcement strap and exterior reinforcement strap. The interior reinforcement strap being smaller that the exterior reinforcement strap such that the interior reinforcement strap sits inside the exterior reinforcement strap to create the cross configuration. The inner receptacle may also include tabs to hold the reinforcement straps onto itself in the cross configuration.
In another embodiment, reinforcement straps are disposed parallel and coaxial relative to the longitudinal axis of the inner receptacle. The reinforcement straps are embedded within the inner receptacle. The inner receptacle includes an interior wall and an exterior wall. The reinforcement straps in the parallel configuration surround the interior wall of the inner receptacle. This configuration allows packaging of larger safety devices such as passenger side airbags.
As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially”, and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure as recited in the appended claims.
It should be noted that the term “exemplary” as used herein to describe various embodiments is intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such term is not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).
The terms “coupled,” “connected,” and the like as used herein mean the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another.
References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” etc.) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.
It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the airbag module packaging as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
