Patents Assigned to Autoliv ASP, Inc.
  • Seatbelt buckle apparatuses including switch wire harnesses and strain relief thereof
    Patent number: 9707927
    Abstract: A seatbelt buckle apparatus for a motor vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a buckle housing that provides at least part of a structure for selectively coupling a seatbelt latch plate to the apparatus. A switch housing houses at least part of a switch. The switch monitors whether or not the seatbelt latch plate is coupled to the seatbelt buckle apparatus. A switch wire harness is in communication with the switch. A strain relief-guide feature carries and guides a section of the switch wire harness so as to provide strain relief to the switch wire harness when a force is applied to the switch wire harness downstream from the strain relief-guide feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Jonathon Boughner, Jon E. Burrow, Kevin Dewey
  • Airbag cover with breakaway-resistant features
    Patent number: 9694780
    Abstract: An airbag cover can include a sidewall to couple the airbag cover with a housing of an airbag assembly. The airbag cover can further include a panel adjoined to the sidewall at a hinge, and the panel can cover at least a portion of an opening defined by the housing through which an airbag positioned in the housing is deployable when the airbag cover is coupled to the housing. The airbag cover can include one or more tear seams that are breakable by the airbag as the airbag is deployed to form at least a portion of the panel into a door that rotates about the hinge to permit egress of the airbag. The airbag cover can further include a stress-relief region in the sidewall that is laterally adjacent to the hinge, and the stress-relief region can flex as the door rotates about the hinge to inhibit the door from separating from the sidewall during deployment of the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: William Gregory Lowe, Casey Brent Brewer, Claudia Ivonne Andrade Cruz
  • Vehicle braking system with booster arrangement
    Patent number: 9688259
    Abstract: A boost arrangement for pressurizing a master cylinder of a vehicle braking system of a vehicle includes a housing, a primary piston and a secondary piston. The housing defines a boost chamber filled with brake fluid. The primary piston is disposed in the boost chamber and defines an opening extending therethrough. The secondary piston has an end extending into the opening defined by the primary piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Suat Ali Ozsoylu, Karen Ann Boswell
  • Airbag inflator retainers and related methods and systems
    Patent number: 9682679
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and systems for retaining an airbag inflator within a vehicle airbag system, such as within an airbag module housing of a vehicle airbag system. In some embodiments, an inflator comprising an inflator base positioned at a first end of the inflator and a diffuser positioned at a second end of the inflator opposite from the first end may be inserted, or configured for insertion into, an opening in a housing. An inflator retainer comprising a retainer opening configured to receive the diffuser therethrough may be coupled with the inflator at the second end of the inflator and used to secure the inflator to the housing with the inflator base positioned through the housing opening and the diffuser positioned through the retainer opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Hatfield, Bradley Scott Maxfield, Derrick Staheli
  • Airbag cushion protectors and related methods
    Patent number: 9682678
    Abstract: Airbag cushion assemblies comprising cushion protective structures and related methods of assembly. Some embodiments may comprise an airbag cushion and a protector or protective structure, such as a protective wrapper, comprising a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may be wrapped around the airbag cushion, and the second portion may be positioned adjacent to a deployment side of the airbag cushion such that the protective wrapper is configured to expand upon deployment of the airbag cushion so as to define a pocket for protecting the airbag cushion during deployment. In some embodiments, the pocket may be configured to enclose the airbag cushion about an entire perimeter of the airbag cushion during deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Larry D. Rose, Randy K. Stuart
  • Compression resistant component
    Patent number: 9683597
    Abstract: A compression resistant component adapted to be mounted to a surface using a mechanical fastener having a component body with a first surface and a second surface and a fastener passage defined by the component body extending from the first surface to the second surface. At least one elongated compression limiter is embedded in the component body displaced from and substantially parallel to a main longitudinal axis of the fastener passage. The elongated compression limiter if formed of a material having a greater compressive modulus that the material of which the component body is formed. When a fastener exerts a compressive force on the mounting component, the elongated compression limiter bears a portion of the compressive force exerted by the fastener on the component body, thereby allowing the component body to resist the effects of the compressive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Demetri Stilianos, Joshua Forwerck, Mark Caron
  • Frontal airbag assemblies
    Patent number: 9676361
    Abstract: Airbag assemblies are disclosed that comprise a frontal inflatable cushion that can deploy from a housing assembly to receive a head and/or a portion of a torso of a vehicle occupant moving from a vehicle occupant position in a forward direction relative to the vehicle during a vehicle impact event. The frontal inflatable cushion can be a curtain airbag. The frontal inflatable cushion can also be coupled to one or more support components within a passenger compartment of the vehicle, such that when the frontal inflatable cushion is in the deployed state the one or more support components support the frontal inflatable cushion in a rearward direction, relative to the vehicle, to enable the frontal inflatable cushion to restrain movement of the vehicle occupant in the forward direction during a vehicle impact event. The support components may include a side inflatable cushion, such as a curtain airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley W. Smith, Donald James Paxton, Stephen Charles Camm, Richard Lawrence Matsu
  • Frontal airbag systems for oblique crash protection
    Patent number: 9676355
    Abstract: An inflatable airbag system can be configured to be mounted to a frontal region of a vehicle. The inflatable airbag system includes an airbag and an active control mechanism, and is configured to deploy in various configurations in response to frontal and oblique collision events. An active portion of the inflatable airbag deploys to an expanded configuration when a collision event is an oblique collision event and deploys to a less expanded configuration when the collision event is a frontal collision event. The active control mechanism can include one or more tethers or an inflatable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Dion Kruse
  • Airbag systems with passive venting control
    Patent number: 9676364
    Abstract: Airbag assemblies and vents are disclosed. An airbag assembly includes an airbag cushion and a vent assembly including a vent, one or more sheer tethers, and a peel tether. The sheer tether(s) are configured to be drawn to a taut state by expansion of the airbag cushion to configure the vent in a first venting state. The sheer tether(s) are releasably coupled to the peel tether. The releasable coupling is configured to maintain the sheer tether(s) releasably coupled to the peel tether. The peel tether is configured to transition from a slack state to a taut state as the airbag cushion continues to expand. The peel tether drawn taut produces a peel force transverse to the sheer force. The peel force causes the releasable coupling to release and the peel tether to uncouple from the sheer tether(s), to transition the vent to a second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Daniel Williams
  • Seatbelt pretensioner
    Patent number: 9669799
    Abstract: A seatbelt pretensioner is provided including an inner tube with a gas generator housed therein, an intermediate sleeve extending over the inner tube, and a spool portion housing the sleeve and the tube. The spool portion includes spiraling flutes thereon that correspond to a protruding member in the form of flutes or pegs extending from the intermediate sleeve. In response to the gas generator firing, the sleeve will be driven longitudinally, causing the protruding member to act on the spiraling flutes of the spool, thereby causing the spool to rotate. The intermediate sleeve can include a spiraling slot that receives a peg from the inner tube, so that the intermediate sleeve will rotate to compound the spool rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Earl Henry Nelson, Hans-Otto Kock, Isaac Hoffman
  • Airbag cushion stabilizers
    Patent number: 9669794
    Abstract: Airbag cushion assemblies comprising internal stabilizers and related methods. Some embodiments may comprise an airbag cushion comprising a first side and a second side opposite from the first side and a hub comprising a hub opening configured to be coupled with an inflator so as to receive inflation gases during deployment of the airbag cushion through the hub opening. A stabilizer, such as, in some embodiments, a diffuser or another inflatable structure, may be positioned within the airbag cushion and may be non-releasably coupled with the airbag cushion along at least a portion of the first side, along at least a portion of the second side, and adjacent to the hub opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. Lachat, Frank Herzenstiel, Changsoo Choi
  • Airbags including internal tethers and methods of forming the same
    Patent number: 9663062
    Abstract: Airbags including tethered inflatable chambers are disclosed. The tethered inflatable chambers can include internal tethers that are configured to break when an internal pressure of a tethered inflatable chamber reaches a predetermined value. Methods of forming an airbag fabric including internal tethers are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Rohn, Dana Wold
  • Displaceable airbag cushion safety systems and related methods
    Patent number: 9663054
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and systems for repositioning an airbag cushion prior to and/or during deployment of the airbag cushion resulting from an impact event. Some embodiments may comprise one or more sensors, which may be used to detect at least a first directional component of an impact with a vehicle. A steering wheel actuator may be provided to move a vehicle steering wheel laterally in a direction opposite from a lateral component of the impact in response to a signal from the one or more sensors. The system may further comprise an airbag cushion configured to be positioned, following deployment, in a location corresponding with lateral movement caused by the steering wheel actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventor: Dion Karl-Axel Kruse
  • Inertial sensor enhancement
    Patent number: 9664528
    Abstract: A system is provided for enhancing inertial sensing within a vehicle. The system determines measured rotational rates and translational accelerations of the vehicle using an inertial measurement unit. In addition, the system also determines estimated rotational rates and translational accelerations of the vehicle based on a remote sensing system. The system generates compensated rotational rates and translational accelerations to reduce gain errors or offset errors of the inertial measurement unit based on the estimated rotational rates and translational accelerations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Colm P. Boran, Edward J. Bedner
  • Cost-effective use of one-piece woven fabric for curtain airbags
    Patent number: 9650010
    Abstract: An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first chamber and a second chamber that inflates forward of the first chamber. The second chamber may have a height above the height of the first chamber so that a bottom of the second chamber is pressed downward adjacent to a door of the vehicle. A plurality of airbag assembly components may be integrally formed with a non-inflating peripheral region surrounding the first and second chambers. Such components may include a front or rear tether cut from the front or rear of the non-inflating peripheral region, a top tether cut from the top of the non-inflating peripheral region to control deployment of the second chamber, and a fabric shield cut from the top to at least partially wrap around the stowed inflatable curtain airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaohong Wang, Bryan Walston, Arthur Yakumo, Avadhoot Paranjpe, Paul Hicken
  • Airbag with passive adaptive venting
    Patent number: 9643562
    Abstract: Airbags and airbag assemblies are disclosed that include passive adaptive venting. The disclosed embodiments include an airbag cushion to define an inflation chamber and that include a set of vents. The set of vents is disposed through a panel of the airbag cushion. The set of vents allow egress of inflation gas from the inflation chamber and to be in an open state when a degree of compression of the airbag cushion is below a threshold level. The set of vents is configured to be in a closed state and/or obstructed by a vehicle surface of a vehicle structure when the degree of compression of the airbag cushion exceeds the threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Changsoo Choi, Frank Herzenstiel, Pontus Soderstrom, James Jacobson, Michael J. Lachat, Russ Morris
  • Systems and methods for correcting for leakage and distortion in radar systems
    Patent number: 9638794
    Abstract: Methods and systems for correcting leakage and/or distortion in radar systems include defining an integration time period, dividing the integration time period into a first sub-period and a second sub-period, at least partially transmitting a transmission radar signal during the first sub-period of the integration time period, not transmitting at all during the second sub-period of the integration time period, integrating the detected signal during both the first sub-period and the second sub-period, and subtracting a last sampled integrated value of the second sub-period from a last sampled integrated value of the first sub-period to generate a corrected integrated value for the integration time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Xueru Ding, Walter Poiger, Jeff Schaefer
  • Safety restraint system with inflatable pelvis restraint device
    Patent number: 9598042
    Abstract: An inflatable restraint device for a vehicle seat having a lower seat cushion includes a central portion and at least one side portion. The central portion extends in a lateral direction substantially across a central seat cushion portion of the lower seat cushion and has a first width perpendicular to the lateral direction. The at least one side portion laterally protects an occupant of the vehicle seat and has a second width perpendicular to the lateral direction. The second width is greater than the first width. The at least one side portion is in fluid communication with the central portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventor: David W. Schneider
  • Steering wheel vibration suppressors
    Patent number: 9581215
    Abstract: Vibration suppressors can include a resiliently flexible spring system that may be mounted at an exterior of a steering wheel of a vehicle, such as at a hub portion of a steering wheel armature. The spring system can include a fixable portion and a displaceable portion that is configured to be displaced relative to the fixable portion. A mass system can be coupled to the displaceable portion of the spring system and may also be at an exterior of the steering wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Ebana, Christopher D. Morgan, David R. Palm, Jr.
  • Multi-chamber airbag with unidirectional vent
    Patent number: 9580039
    Abstract: An airbag can include a first cushion portion that defines a first inflatable chamber and a second cushion portion that is connected to the first cushion portion and defines a second inflatable chamber. The first inflatable chamber can receive inflation gas from an inflator to expand the first cushion portion and the second cushion portion can receive inflation gas from the first inflatable chamber to expand the second cushion portion. A unidirectional valve permits inflation gas to flow from the first inflatable chamber to the second inflatable chamber and restricts backflow of inflation gas from the second inflatable chamber to the first inflatable chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: David W. Schneider, ChangSoo Choi