Patents by Inventor Felix HAENEL

Felix HAENEL has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11572029
    Abstract: A side impact cushion device of a motor vehicle contains at least one impact cushion which can be inflated by a gas generator. The impact cushion in an installation state has an upper portion, a central portion and a lower portion. In this case, the upper portion is arranged substantially horizontally in a deployed state, the central portion is formed in the form of a shell surface of a rotationally symmetrical, developable body, the lower portion can be supported on an upper side of an armrest and a rotational axis of the rotationally symmetrical body is oriented vertically in the deployed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Felix Haenel
  • Publication number: 20210245700
    Abstract: A side impact cushion device of a motor vehicle contains at least one impact cushion which can be inflated by a gas generator. The impact cushion in an installation state has an upper portion, a central portion and a lower portion. In this case, the upper portion is arranged substantially horizontally in a deployed state, the central portion is formed in the form of a shell surface of a rotationally symmetrical, developable body, the lower portion can be supported on an upper side of an armrest and a rotational axis of the rotationally symmetrical body is oriented vertically in the deployed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Felix Haenel
  • Patent number: 10300881
    Abstract: A side airbag for protection for vehicle occupants includes an interior wall separating the airbag into upstream and downstream chambers and defining an opening between two chambers adjacent a lower end of the airbag. A flow deflector between the opening and an exterior vent combines with the wall to define a channel therebetween. The channel directs inflation gasses exiting the opening into an upper end of the airbag, after which the gasses must flow around an upper end of the deflector (adjacent an outlet end of the channel) before reaching the exterior vent. The resulting S-shaped flow path serves to maintain the airbag in the inflated state for a longer time and urges an outboard arm of an occupant in a forward an upward direction to reduce the likelihood that that arm may be trapped between the inflating airbag and the occupant's thorax.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Felix Haenel, Christopher Curtis
  • Patent number: 10000176
    Abstract: A vehicle seat part has a cover with a tear seam and an airbag module with an airbag and a force concentrator. The force concentrator partially surrounds the airbag. The concentrator has two end regions connected to the cover adjacent to and on opposing sides of the tear seam. One of the end regions is connected to the cover at a plurality of connecting portions spaced apart from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Uwe Buelow, Eugen Riesen, Michael Goesch, Felix Haenel, Martina Boeddeker, Chris Curtis
  • Publication number: 20170247010
    Abstract: A vehicle seat part has a cover with a tear seam and an airbag module with an airbag and a force concentrator. The force concentrator partially surrounds the airbag. The concentrator has two end regions connected to the cover adjacent to and on opposing sides of the tear seam. One of the end regions is connected to the cover at a plurality of connecting portions spaced apart from one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Uwe Buelow, Eugen Riesen, Michael Goesch, Felix Haenel, Martina Boeddeker, Chris Curtis
  • Publication number: 20170136983
    Abstract: A side airbag for protection for vehicle occupants includes an interior wall separating the airbag into upstream and downstream chambers and defining an opening between two chambers adjacent a lower end of the airbag. A flow deflector between the opening and an exterior vent combines with the wall to define a channel therebetween. The channel directs inflation gasses exiting the opening into an upper end of the airbag, after which the gasses must flow around an upper end of the deflector (adjacent an outlet end of the channel) before reaching the exterior vent. The resulting S-shaped flow path serves to maintain the airbag in the inflated state for a longer time and urges an outboard arm of an occupant in a forward an upward direction to reduce the likelihood that that arm may be trapped between the inflating airbag and the occupant's thorax.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Felix Haenel, Christopher Curtis
  • Patent number: 9598045
    Abstract: A side airbag for protection for vehicle occupants includes an interior wall separating the airbag into upstream and downstream chambers and defining an opening between two chambers adjacent a lower end of the airbag. A flow deflector between the opening and an exterior vent combines with the wall to define a channel therebetween. The channel directs inflation gasses exiting the opening into an upper end of the airbag, after which the gasses must flow around an upper end of the deflector (adjacent an outlet end of the channel) before reaching the exterior vent. The resulting S-shaped flow path serves to maintain the airbag in the inflated state for a longer time and urges an outboard arm of an occupant in a forward an upward direction to reduce the likelihood that that arm may be trapped between the inflating airbag and the occupant's thorax.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Felix Haenel, Christopher Curtis
  • Patent number: 9266495
    Abstract: A side airbag system for a vehicle has a primary airbag and a secondary airbag at least partially surrounding the primary airbag. The primary airbag comprises at least one primary vent venting into the secondary airbag and the secondary airbag comprises at least one secondary vent. The primary airbag is inflated by an inflator and the secondary airbag is inflated by gases leaving the primary airbag through the primary vent. The secondary airbag has a panel overlying the primary vent, and inflation of the primary airbag urges the vent and panel in an outboard direction against outboard vehicle structure to restrict flow through the vent. The inflation rates of the primary and secondary airbags are thereby controlled such that the primary airbag protects a vehicle occupant against impacts with a localized load profile and the primary and secondary airbags together protect the occupant against impacts with a distributed load profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Barry Grindle, Timothy Scott, Felix Haenel, Johannes A. Varcus, Markus Koelsch
  • Publication number: 20150336533
    Abstract: A side airbag for protection for vehicle occupants includes an interior wall separating the airbag into upstream and downstream chambers and defining an opening between two chambers adjacent a lower end of the airbag. A flow deflector between the opening and an exterior vent combines with the wall to define a channel therebetween. The channel directs inflation gasses exiting the opening into an upper end of the airbag, after which the gasses must flow around an upper end of the deflector (adjacent an outlet end of the channel) before reaching the exterior vent. The resulting S-shaped flow path serves to maintain the airbag in the inflated state for a longer time and urges an outboard arm of an occupant in a forward an upward direction to reduce the likelihood that that arm may be trapped between the inflating airbag and the occupant's thorax.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Felix HAENEL, Christopher CURTIS
  • Publication number: 20150266446
    Abstract: A side airbag system for a vehicle has a primary airbag and a secondary airbag at least partially surrounding the primary airbag. The primary airbag comprises at least one primary vent venting into the secondary airbag and the secondary airbag comprises at least one secondary vent. The primary airbag is inflated by an inflator and the secondary airbag is inflated by gases leaving the primary airbag through the primary vent. The secondary airbag has a panel overlying the primary vent, and inflation of the primary airbag urges the vent and panel in an outboard direction against outboard vehicle structure to restrict flow through the vent. The inflation rates of the primary and secondary airbags are thereby controlled such that the primary airbag protects a vehicle occupant against impacts with a localized load profile and the primary and secondary airbags together protect the occupant against impacts with a distributed load profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventors: Barry GRINDLE, Timothy SCOTT, Felix HAENEL, Johannes A. VARCUS, Markus KOELSCH