Patents Assigned to Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
  • Patent number: 6572140
    Abstract: A device for regulating the amount of inflation gas supplied to an airbag of a motor vehicle has a cylindrical member with at least one inflation aperture therethrough. An adjustable annular shutter with at least one shutter aperture is rotatably mounted around the axis of the cylindrical member. The amount of inflation gas which is supplied via the inflation aperture is adjustable through alignment of the shutter aperture with the inflation aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Specht, Rudolf Meyer
  • Patent number: 6568702
    Abstract: An air bag module having an inflator (20); a cushion (22); a retainer ring (24) having at least one mounting tab (40) and a plurality of fasteners (28) for engaging the inflator (20) and the cushion (22); a cover (26) having a pair of flaps (44) defining a plurality of apertures for engaging the fasteners (28); and a plurality of snap-in attachment nuts (32). The snap nuts 32 being used to connect the air bag module to an armature (30) of a steering wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian C. Ford
  • Patent number: 6566869
    Abstract: A force sensor (50, 50′, 50a) generates a signal indicating the usage of a seat belt. A cylindrical housing (70, 70′) has a wall (72) and a bottom (74) which define an internal cavity (88). The bottom has an opening (76) through it. A cable anchor (90) is slidably received within the cavity and is connected to a cable (54). The cable has one end secured to the cable anchor and another end connected to an anchor point. A magnet (120) is connected to a top of the cable anchor and is movable with the cable anchor. The cable anchor is biased to resist motion of the cable anchor toward the bottom of the housing. A magnetic sensor (200) generates a signal indicative of the distance between it and the magnet. A sensor housing (180) is connected to the housing and is positioned on the housing to position the magnetic sensor a determinable distance from the magnet at a null position. A housing end cap (150) is secured to the housing for enclosing an open end of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Antony W. Chamings, John O'Neill, Rudi Grzic
  • Patent number: 6564715
    Abstract: A frequency addressable ignitor control device utilizes electronic bandpass filters tuned to a unique center frequency and bandwidth for each ignitor. Energy generated by the system's controller comprises one or more narrow pulses whose center frequency corresponds to one or more bandpass filter/ignitor assemblies and sufficient energy for activation. A plurality of bandpass filter/ignitor assemblies are connected in parallel in the system. The controller generates electrical pulses of different frequencies transferred to the plurality of bandpass filter/ignitor assemblies via a two wire ignitor bus. Bandpass filter/ignitor assemblies whose filter allows sufficient energy to pass to an ignitor bridge element initiates the ignitor's explosive charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Griggs, III, Scott D. Gagnon, Clinton Boyd, J B Canterberry
  • Patent number: 6565121
    Abstract: A three-point seat belt system for a motor vehicle front seat has a belt tightening drive fastened to the front seat. The belt tightening drive engages an anchoring point of the seat belt fastened to the vehicle seat. The drive element of the belt tightening drive is securely connected to a belt webbing part, which derives from the lap belt and is guided through a belt webbing guide fastened to the seat substructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Knych, Rudolf Meyer
  • Patent number: 6561538
    Abstract: An air bag module comprising an air bag, the air bag including: a face panel having a first central opening therein; a rear panel having a second central opening therein, that portion of the rear panel about the second central opening forming a neck portion; a tubular insert having an open end secured to the face panel about the first central opening, the tubular insert including a closed end opposite the open end, the tubular insert extending into the air bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Ford, Lawrence R. Langbeen
  • Patent number: 6561544
    Abstract: A system for detecting the position of a seat within an automobile in which a selected number of discrete sensors S is used to detect (2xS) seat positions. This is accomplished by using an actuator which, when positioned over three sensors, activates three sensors and when positioned over two sensors, activates both sensors and when positioned over a single sensor, activates only the single sensor. A simple algorithm or logic determines position by the rule that, if a single sensor is activated the seat is positioned over the single sensor, but if two sensors are activated, the seat is positioned between those two sensors, and if none of the sensors is activated, the seat is not positioned over any of those sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ed Clancy, III, Mohannad Murad, Hossam Almasri, Randy Gosk
  • Patent number: 6553914
    Abstract: A gas generator according has a polymeric closure and an igniter subassembly comprising an igniter and a polymeric gas generator body. The gas generator body and the polymeric closure define a hermetically sealed combustion chamber for receiving a gas generant. The igniter receives an electrical current and ignites the gas generant. The generated gas can be used in vehicle occupant safety devices including seat belt pretensioners, airbags, compressed gas vessel openers, and other devices requiring a rapid pulse of high-pressure gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Otis Hosey, Keith Hing Lam, J B Canterberry
  • Publication number: 20030075914
    Abstract: A system (20) comprising a buckle presenter (100) and/or a tongue presenter (200) and mechanism to activate and control each presenter. The buckle presenter and tongue presenter (200) are used to respectively move a seat belt buckle (26) and a corresponding tongue (24) from a stowed position to activated positions generally in front of the occupant to make the process of inserting the tongue into the buckle more convenient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Applicant: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Kohlndorfer, Mark F. Gray, Markell Seitzman, Mohannad F. Murad, Hossam Almasri, Randal Gosk
  • Patent number: 6550335
    Abstract: A device for testing the inflation state of an cold gas inflator for an airbag has a gas reservoir that is filled with gas at a high pressure, in particular an inert gas. Oscillations of frequencies varying within a particular frequency range are generated at an exterior surface the filled gas reservoir by an oscillation transmitter and the resonance frequency is measured using an oscillation sensor. A comparator compares the measured resonance frequency with a resonance frequency that was determined at the gas reservoir filled with the volume of gas. The oscillation transmitter and the oscillation sensor are integrated in a unit such that the generation and frequency measuring of the oscillations are carried out at locations on the exterior surface of the gas reservoir that are distanced from one another with respect to a longitudinal axis of the gas reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dieter Weber, Stefan Wiesbaum
  • Patent number: 6550306
    Abstract: An upper housing is ultrasonically welded to a lower housing forming a hermetic seal about two opposed ferromagnetic leads extending from a reed switch. A shock sensing magnet has a cylindrical bore and is spring biased within the housing to slide along the glass capsule of the reed switch in response to acceleration. The magnet functions as a shock sensing mass, and is shaped to increase the reed switch dwell time. The reed switch leads are bent to extend downwardly along the sides of the housing and are bent horizontally to be parallel to the housing sides and a circuit board. A strip of mu-metal wraps three sides of the housing and has tabs extending partly beneath the housing for soldering to the circuit board. The magnet and the housing are constructed from plastics which can withstand momentary high temperature associated with a re-flow solder process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martyn Bensley
  • Patent number: 6550804
    Abstract: An air bag module including an air bag, the air bag including: a face panel having a first central opening therein; a rear panel having a second central opening therein, that portion of the rear panel about the second central opening forming a neck portion; a tubular insert having an open end secured to the face panel about the first central opening, the tubular insert including a closed end opposite the open end, the tubular insert extending into the air bag, sides of the tubular insert including at least one opening; the tubular insert including an inflatable portion having an open end secured about the at least one opening and upon inflation the inflatable portion is moved into the center of the tubular insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: John M. Burdock
  • Patent number: 6548775
    Abstract: A flow sensor has a paddle assembly that is mounted to a housing by opposed pivot posts which extend from the paddle assembly between the paddle and the magnet. The housing has two pivot post clips that resiliently capture the pivot posts which are received in mounting holes in resilient clips A shroud surrounds the housing and positions a biasing magnet which repels the magnet on the paddle assembly. The shroud slides over the housing and provides a transverse passageway that is aligned with a passageway in the housing. An activation sensor positioned within a sleeve is positioned within the transverse passageway of the housing and passes through a transverse passageway in the shroud pinning the two subassemblies together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul K. Edwards
  • Patent number: 6547900
    Abstract: A non azide gas generant composition of nitroguanidine and phase stabilized ammonium nitrate is provided. This gas generant composition has many desirable characteristics such as little production of ash and the production of essentially toxic free exhaust gas. When nitroguanidine is compressed into a pellet it has needle shaped crystals that bend or distort. When the gas generant pellets are subjected to thermal cycling some nitroguanidine crystals will return to their native conformation resulting in pellet growth. To eliminate this pellet growth, nitroguanidine is passed through a VBM mill. The media in the VBM mill pulverizes the nitroguanidine into an amorphous crumb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: J. B. Canterberry, Mark A. Schmidt, Edward O. Hosey, Robert K. Walsh, John H. Adams
  • Patent number: 6547709
    Abstract: A method of folding an air bag consisting of the following steps: providing an air bag with a square configuration; folding four corners of the air bag toward the center of the air bag resulting in a smaller square configuration; repeating said folding step to place the air bag in a smaller square configuration; folding a resulting left corner of the air bag toward the center of the air bag; folding a resulting right corner of the air bag toward the center of the air bag; and pinching lower and upper portions of the air bag while folding the lower and upper portions, respectively, toward the center of the air bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael K. Dennis
  • Patent number: 6540299
    Abstract: A vehicle seat and a seat headrest are adjustable to accommodate seat occupants of varying heights. The headrest, height and seat position are adjusted together by connecting the headrest drive motor and the seat drive motor to a single control switch. The headrest has a smaller total distance of travel in relation to the travel distance of the vehicle seat. The headrest motor may drive a thread with a smaller pitch. Alternatively, there may be employed pulse width modulation of the electrical power supplied by a common switch or a similar device to create a proportional relationship between the motion of the headrest and the vehicle seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Randal Gosk, Mohannad Murad, Hossam Almasri
  • Publication number: 20030057683
    Abstract: A rollover air bag system comprising: at least a first inflatable first chamber, the air bag adapted to be mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle in a manner such that when the air bag is inflated the first inflatable chamber is positioned to receive and protect the head of an occupant, an accumulator chamber located downstream of the first chamber, the accumulator chamber initially maintained at a negative pressure relative to the inflated first chamber, wherein in order to restrict the pressure in the first chamber from increasing upon impact with a body part of the occupant, the inflation gas in the first chamber is allowed to be pushed into the accumulator chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Pongdet P. Wipasuramonton, Charles S.E. Walczak, Shakir M. Salmo
  • Publication number: 20030047922
    Abstract: An air bag module (20) having a base plate (30) and a toroidal air bag (80) is disclosed. The toroidal air bag (80) defines a pocket (120). The toroidal air bag (80) is coupled to the base plate (30). A control module (40) having a base plate portion (82) and a generally cylindrical portion (86) is coupled to the base and located within the toroidal air bag (80). The control module (40) has a control module cover (90) coupled to said generally cylindrical portion (86) disposed within said pocket (120).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Applicant: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Ford, Lawrence R. Langbeen, Mohannad F. Murad, Hossam Almasri, Randal Gosk, John M. Burdock
  • Patent number: D472860
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Paolo Vian
  • Patent number: D473837
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Paolo Vian