Patents Examined by Barry Gooden, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11708048
    Abstract: A pedestrian airbag device includes an airbag and an inflator that supplies an inflating gas to the airbag. In the airbag, an insertion opening portion for inserting the inflator into the airbag is disposed on the vehicle body side wall portion side. The insertion opening portion includes an insertion slit for inserting the main body portion of the inflator, and an insertion hole for causing the mounting bolt of the inflator to protrude. A guide tether for guiding when the inflator is inserted is disposed inside the airbag so that one end side is joined to the pedestrian side wall portion side, and the other end side is joined to a region on a side from the insertion hole in a peripheral edge of the insertion slit on the vehicle body side wall portion side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Ozeki, Akira Yasuda, Taizo Suemitsu
  • Patent number: 11702030
    Abstract: An initiator for a gas generator of a vehicle safety device includes a cup defining an interior, a primary pyrotechnic material disposed in the interior of the cup, and a secondary pyrotechnic material disposed in the interior of the cup. A separator member hermetically separates the primary pyrotechnic material from the secondary pyrotechnic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Francois Peremarty, Ryan Mark Hubbard, Mason Wayment, Jesse Guymon, Paul Robert Carver
  • Patent number: 11702031
    Abstract: An exterior protection apparatus for a vehicle includes an exterior airbag device, a collision detector, and a controller. The exterior airbag device includes a bag body, and an inflator configured to expand the bag body over a hood of a vehicle body of the vehicle in a state of having a width corresponding to a vehicle width of the vehicle body of the vehicle. The collision detector is configured to predict or detect a collision between the vehicle body and a person outside the vehicle. The controller is configured to cause the bag body of the exterior airbag device to be expanded in a case where the collision detector predicts or detects the collision. The exterior airbag device includes a flexible crossing member configured to extend along a direction of the vehicle width on an upper surface of the bag body widely expanded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isamu Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 11702027
    Abstract: Conventional tear inducing ribs are replaced with pockets so that a contact area is increased so as to stably induce a tear of a scoring line. According to the present invention, a tear inducing apparatus for a passenger airbag (PAB) door includes a scoring line disposed on the PAB door and configured to be opened when an airbag cushion deploys, and a plurality of tear inducing pockets disposed on both sides of the scoring line to face each other and arranged in a longitudinal direction of the scoring line. Each of the plurality of pockets includes an empty inner space and a ridge including a flat portion positioned toward the airbag cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young Ki Oh, Seong Cheon Cho
  • Patent number: 11685337
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus for protecting a pedestrian. An unfolded airbag cushion includes a roof chamber part unfolded to cover a front part of a roof panel, left and right pillar chamber parts unfolded to cover front pillars, and a windshield chamber part unfolded to cover the entire surface of a windshield glass. The airbag apparatus is configured to protect the head and upper body of the pedestrian maximally and efficiently by using the roof chamber part, the pillar chamber parts, the windshield chamber part in a contact accident between a vehicle and a pedestrian and a cyclist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seok Min Lee, Seok Hoon Ko
  • Patent number: 11685330
    Abstract: A roof airbag module includes an airbag configured to inflate and deploy away from a vehicle roof toward a vehicle seat. The airbag module also includes an airbag housing configured to support the airbag in a stored condition in which the airbag is deflated and at least one of rolled and folded. The airbag module also includes an inflator that is actuatable to direct inflation fluid into the airbag to inflate the airbag. The airbag module further includes a module cover connected to the airbag housing and configured to conceal the airbag in the stored condition. The module cover includes a deployment door having an interior surface facing an interior of the housing and engaging the airbag in the stored condition, and an opposite exterior surface comprising a class A surface configured to be in direct view from the passenger compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.
    Inventors: Douglas Gould, Gabriela Diaz, David Varcoe
  • Patent number: 11685335
    Abstract: An igniter assembly includes an igniter, a collar, and a holding part, a cup body having a cylindrical peripheral wall and a lid wall and a closing part defining an accommodating space with the cup body, the peripheral wall is sectioned, in an axial direction, into a contact region in contact with the closing part and a noncontact region not in contact with the closing part, the holding part includes a base part covering the contact region and a surrounding wall formed continuously to the base part and surrounding the noncontact region, and a fragile part is formed in the holding part between a first area including at least a part of the base part and a second area including a tip end of the surrounding wall, and thus the second area deforms radially outward preferentially when a load is applied to the surrounding wall by the igniter activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: DAICEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akifumi Noda, Kenji Fukumoto, Shinichiro Ukita
  • Patent number: 11685426
    Abstract: An apparatus for use in turning steerable vehicle wheels includes a rotatable output shaft. A first rotational input assembly is provided for transmitting a steering command from a steering control member to the output shaft. A power transmitting mechanism is configured to transmit the rotational force from the input assembly to the output shaft. The power transmitting mechanism includes a plurality of sector gears. A ball screw has longitudinally separated first and second ball screw ends. A ball nut has a plurality of rack gears. Rotational force from the input assembly turns the ball screw, and the ball nut reciprocates within the housing responsive to rotation of the ball screw to move each of the plurality of rack gears in a longitudinal direction. Longitudinal motion of the rack gear teeth responsively drives the sector gear teeth to transmit the steering command to the output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Mark Andrew Cartwright, David Lee Welker, Hendrik Wellen
  • Patent number: 11667256
    Abstract: The invention relates to an airbag module (10) for a vehicle steering wheel (6), comprising a module base (12) for fixed mounting on the vehicle steering wheel (6), which module base has a base opening (14), and a vibration absorber ring (16) for fastening a gas generator (18) to the module base (12) such that said gas generator can vibrate. The vibration absorber ring (16) has a ring axis (A) and a mounting flange (20) for the gas generator (18). The vibration absorber ring (16) has a resilient absorber wall (22), starting from the mounting flange (20), which absorber wall extends in an axial direction toward the module base (12) and extends around the ring axis (A) in the circumferential direction. The vibration absorber ring (16) has a plurality of resilient absorber feet (24) for fastening to the module base (12), which absorber feet extend in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: ZF AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY GERMANY GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Bachmann
  • Patent number: 11654861
    Abstract: A seat belt fastened/unfastened state detection switch includes: a printed substrate that includes a circuit for detecting a fastened/unfastened state of a seat belt; a rotor that is rotatably attached to the printed substrate, includes a contact portion, the contact portion coming into contact with a tongue of the seat belt, and rotates in a forward direction in accordance with pushing of the tongue into a buckle; a spring that makes the rotor, the rotor being in a rotated state in the forward direction, rotate in a reverse direction in accordance with pulling of the tongue from the buckle; and an electric brush that is attached to a surface of the rotor, the surface facing the printed substrate, and includes a leg portion whose contact/non-contact state with respect to a conductive part of the circuit changes depending on a rotation state of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenjiro Desaki
  • Patent number: 11648908
    Abstract: A roof air bag apparatus for a vehicle includes a roof air bag cushion protecting a passenger, and the roof air bag cushion can be separated into a front air bag cushion and a rear air bag cushion. In particular, the front air bag cushion and the rear air bag cushion are unfolded into a space between a front passenger and a rear passenger in a face-to-face mode at the time of occurrence of a car accident, such that the unfolded front air bag cushion protects the front passenger by absorbing an impact force, and the unfolded rear air bag cushion protects the rear passenger by absorbing an impact force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION, HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Il Chang Sung, Hae Kwon Park, Byung Ho Min
  • Patent number: 11644066
    Abstract: A coupling device includes two coaxial shafts, namely a tubular outer shaft and an inner shaft, capable of rotating about a reference axis; a wrap-around raceway formed on a first one of the coaxial shafts; an oblique raceway formed on the second coaxial shaft and a play take-up rail provided with a complementary raceway and movable relative to the second coaxial shaft parallel to a plane perpendicular to the reference axis. A row of balls is positioned to run parallel to the reference axis on the wrap-around raceway, the oblique raceway and the complementary raceway, to guide the two coaxial shafts relative to each other in translation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH AUTOMOTIVE STEERING VENDOME SAS
    Inventors: David Capela, Remy Cluzel, Laurent Fevre
  • Patent number: 11643130
    Abstract: A steering device according to an aspect of the present invention includes an outer shaft, an inner shaft, an outer column, and an inner column. The inner shaft has a sliding portion configured to be capable of being inserted into the outer shaft, and a bearing-mounting portion that is connected to the sliding portion in an axial direction thereof and is configured not to be capable of being inserted into the outer shaft. In the bearing-mounting portion, rear bearings are disposed with an interval therebetween in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: YAMADA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshinori Shiroishi
  • Patent number: 11639153
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body having a pillar. The vehicle includes a track supported by the pillar. The vehicle includes a bar supported by the track. The bar is slidable relative to the track from a raised position to a lowered position. The vehicle includes a seatbelt webbing extending over the bar. The vehicle includes a piston supported by the pillar. The piston includes a piston rod connected to the bar and a piston cylinder supported by the pillar. The piston rod and the piston cylinder define a volume filled with a resilient material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: S. M. Iskander Farooq, Dean M. Jaradi, Mohammad Omar Faruque, Saeed D. Barbat
  • Patent number: 11628800
    Abstract: The invention relates, inter alia, to a tensioner drive (11) for a seatbelt installation, having a tube (30), at least one piston (25) which within the tube (30) is displaceable along a propulsion direction (P2), and a gas generator (40) for generating a propulsion gas (G) and a propulsion pressure on a pressure-facing side of the piston (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: JOYSON SAFETY SYSTEMS GERMANY GMBH
    Inventor: Walter Krauss
  • Patent number: 11628902
    Abstract: A steering wheel assembly for use with a ride-on vehicle which has a frame with at least two wheels. The steering wheel assembly comprises a steering rod operatively coupled to the frame of the ride-on vehicle. The steering rod includes a chuck secured to the steering rod. The chuck includes a body extending between a base and an upper end. The steering wheel assembly further comprises a steering wheel with a sleeve adapted to be coupled to the chuck in a tool-less manner such that the steering wheel is configured to be engaged by a rider for moving the steering wheel and thereby steering the ride-on vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Huffy Corporation
    Inventor: Donald K. Jessie, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11628799
    Abstract: A belt guide (2) having a base structure (9) and a bracket part (13), wherein the base structure (9) includes a body contact portion (17) configured to abut a body part (3), wherein the bracket part (13) is connected to the base structure (9) via a connecting structure and includes a belt contact surface (19) facing the base structure (9) to guide a belt between itself and the body part (3) or the base structure (9), wherein the connecting structure is configured to hold the bracket part (13) such that it cannot move relative to the base structure (9) in a normal state and to yield under the action of a predetermined load, in particular a load acting from the direction of the body part (3), to allow the bracket part (13) to move relative to the base structure (9) toward the body contact portion (17) in a release state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventor: Albert Sbongk
  • Patent number: 11628780
    Abstract: A driver airbag with an emblem is proposed. The driver airbag with an emblem includes: a first cover mounted to a steering wheel; an emblem arranged on an upper portion of the first cover; a second cover having an emblem hole exposing a portion or all of the emblem upward, covering the emblem or the first cover from above the emblem, and coupled to the first cover or the steering wheel; and an airbag module coupled to the steering wheel below the first cover, and configured to deploy an airbag cushion toward a front portion of an occupant while rotating the first cover or the second cover during an operation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Do Hyoung Kim, Seok Hoon Ko
  • Patent number: 11623606
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle steering wheel comprising a device for removably mounting an airbag module on the steering wheel, the mounting device comprising at least two hooks linked to either the airbag module or the steering wheel, first portions extending into the interaction zones to form the means for holding the hooks guiding elements forming two distinct removal paths for guiding a removal tool, the steering wheel comprising a single removal opening for insertion of the removal tool along the two removal paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Fabrice Moinard
  • Patent number: 11603157
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, at least three wheels including a front wheel and a rear wheel, a fuel tank above the engine, a seat rearward of the fuel tank, a canister positioned lower than the fuel tank, and a vent hose to supply air therethrough into the canister to desorb the adsorbed fuel evaporative emission from the canister. An upstream end of the drain hose is connected to the vent hose. A downstream end of the drain hose is positioned lower than the canister.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Yoshida, Kenta Higashiyama