Patents Examined by Joselynn Y Sliteris
  • Patent number: 11603142
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an energy-absorbing device can comprise: a polymer reinforcement structure, wherein the polymer reinforcement structure comprises a polymer matrix and chopped fibers; and a shell comprising 2 walls extending from a back and forming a shell channel, wherein the shell comprises continuous fibers and a resin matrix; wherein the polymer reinforcement structure is located in the shell channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: SABIC GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Craig Lawrence Milne, Gregory E. Tremblay, Dhanendra Kumar Nagwanshi, Somasekhar Bobba Venkat, Arunachala Parameshwara, Matthew D. Marks
  • Patent number: 11603124
    Abstract: A motion control assembly for a steering column assembly includes a rake bracket having a first leg and a second leg. Also included is a clamping mechanism intersecting the upper jacket and positioned on the first leg of the rake bracket, the on-center, single-sided clamping mechanism moveable between a clamped condition and an unclamped condition, the clamped condition securing a lower jacket against telescoping movement relative to an upper jacket. Further included is a mechanical fastener extending through the second leg of the rake bracket and at least partially through the lower jacket and operatively coupled to the lower jacket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATION
    Inventor: Joen C. Bodtker
  • Patent number: 11603065
    Abstract: Tabs for coupling airbag cushions to hangers and/or vehicles, along with related assembly/manufacturing methods. In some embodiments, the tab may comprise a first section comprising a first plurality of openings and a slot configured to receive a portion of the hanger therethrough, the slot being positioned in between at least a first opening of the first plurality of openings and a second opening of the first plurality of openings. The tab may further comprise a second section comprising a second plurality of openings. In some embodiments the second section may comprise, at least in part, a narrower width than the first section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Doug Callewaert
  • Patent number: 11565651
    Abstract: An airbag (10) for a vehicle occupant restraint system comprises at least two opposite fabric layers (12, 14) which delimit at least one chamber (18) adapted to be filled with gas and comprises at least two spacers (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) which, in the inflated state of the airbag (10), delimit the distance of the fabric layers (12, 14) from each other, wherein the spacers (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) are formed by threads which in a connecting area (22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) are connected to a fabric layer (12, 14), extend in the direction of the opposite fabric layer (14, 12) and in a further connecting area (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d) are connected to the original or the opposite fabric layer (14, 12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Christian Agostini
  • Patent number: 11548467
    Abstract: The invention relates to an airbag (10) for restraining a vehicle occupant (12) in an automotive vehicle, comprising an inflatable cushion portion (20) for damping an occupant impact and two inflatable tube portions (22) laterally opposed in the mounted state of the airbag (10) which are arranged on the occupant side on the cushion portion (20), wherein the tube portions (22) are connected to each other by a slide layer (24) arranged on the occupant side on the cushion portion (20) and are laterally movable at least in portions relative to the cushion portion (20). Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method for manufacturing an airbag (10) as well as an airbag module (18) comprising said airbag (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: ZF AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Dominik Schütz, Ohnishi Nobuyuki
  • Patent number: 11518339
    Abstract: A side airbag device for restraining an occupant at an early stage by changing a thickness of a chamber includes a cushion formed in a bag shape by combining an outer panel located at an outer side in a vehicle width direction and an inner panel located at an inner side in the vehicle width direction. A baffle spans between the outer panel and the inner panel in an inside of the cushion and partitions the inside of the cushion into a front chamber located at a vehicle front side and a rear chamber located at a vehicle rear side. An inflator is disposed in the rear chamber, and a first tether and a second tether extend from the baffle toward a vehicle rear. The tethers respectively extend from the baffle via both sides of the inflator in the vehicle width direction so as to be connected with a rear end of the cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Yuto Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11498512
    Abstract: A vehicle seat of a motor vehicle has a side airbag provided on the vehicle seat, and a tension band assembly which includes a first tension band and a second tension band. The first tension band has an upper end and a lower end. The upper end of the first tension band is fixed in the region of the upper end of the backrest of the vehicle seat while the lower end is arranged in the region of the seat surface of the vehicle seat. The second tension band has an upper end and a lower end. The upper end of the second tension band is fixed in the region of the head support on the vehicle seat while the lower end is rigidly connected to the first tension band below the upper end of the first tension band. The tension band assembly is rigidly connected to the side airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Huf, Sylvia Kleindl, Fabian Koehler, Robert Martin, Adam McNeill, Martin Unger
  • Patent number: 11491948
    Abstract: An assembly for a vehicle includes a vehicle floor and a vehicle roof spaced from the vehicle floor. A pillar extends from the vehicle floor to the vehicle roof. The assembly includes an airbag supported by the pillar. The airbag is inflatable from the pillar from an uninflated position to an inflated position. The assembly includes a seat supported by the vehicle floor adjacent the pillar. The airbag extends around the seat when in the inflated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Dean M. Jaradi, S. M. Iskander Farooq, Mohammad Omar Faruque, Anil Kalra
  • Patent number: 11465666
    Abstract: A steering system includes: a variable mechanism that reversibly changes a configuration of an operating member between a configuration for automated driving and a configuration for manual driving, the configuration including at least one of a position, an orientation, and a shape; a variable drive source; a receiver that receives an operation of a driver; and a controller that controls the variable drive source to cause the variable mechanism to return the configuration of the operating member to the configuration for manual driving, when the receiver receives the operation of the driver in a period when the configuration of the operating member is being changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norihiro Ochi, Yousuke Nishimura, Yasuyuki Nozawa, Kei Kitahara, Takeshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11458923
    Abstract: Provided is an airbag system for a vehicle including an airbag cushion that is mounted on an upper end of a seatback and deployed forward to be located on both sides of the head of an occupant so as to limit upward movement of the occupant by restraining an upper body of the occupant in the event of a vehicle collision; an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag cushion in the event of the vehicle collision; and an external tether that has one end fixed to the airbag cushion and the other end fixed to the seatback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Jun Harm, Sang Won Hwangbo
  • Patent number: 11407376
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of folding a far-side airbag, which includes forming a first folding part in such a manner that an upper side of an airbag seat is folded inboard, forming a second folding part by folding both widthwise sides of the airbag seat, forming a third folding part by folding the upper side of the airbag seat, forming a roll-folding part by roll-folding the upper side of the airbag seat, forming an overlapping part by folding over an inflator of the airbag seat, and folding the roll-folding part so that the roll-folding part overlaps the overlapping part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Geon Woong Moon
  • Patent number: 11396318
    Abstract: A steering device includes a bracket and right and left bolts. The bracket includes right and left side plates supporting a steering column from both sides, respectively, in a widthwise direction, and right and left flanges extending outwardly in the widthwise direction from respective upper ends of the right and left side plates. The bolts fasten the flanges to a mount surface of a vehicle body. The flanges include respective right and left internal protrusions protruding toward the mount surface from respective flange surfaces, which face the mount surface. The internal protrusions are located forwardly in a vehicle body back-and-forth direction relative to tightened positions of the bolts, and are located near respective internal edges of the flanges in the widthwise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: YAMADA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoya Ishikawa, Satoaki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11396270
    Abstract: An airbag is configured by six base materials of two side wall configuration panels, a projecting portion configuration panel, a front panel, and two rear panels. Each of the side wall configuration panels configure a left wall portion or a right wall portion facing each other on a side in a rightward-leftward direction in a main body inflation portion, and a projecting portion configuration portion configuring a projecting inflation portion is located in one of the side wall configuration panels. The front panel configures a region from an upper wall portion to a lower wall portion, which face each other on a side in an upward-downward direction in the main body inflation portion. Each of the rear panels configures a rear surface in the main body inflation portion when the main body inflation portion is completely inflated. The projecting portion configuration panel has an external shape substantially coincident with that of the projecting portion configuration portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ikuo Yamada
  • Patent number: 11332097
    Abstract: A passenger seat airbag includes: a bag main body; and a left-right tether, arranged in the bag main body to connect a left wall portion and a tight wall portion facing each other on a left-right direction side of the peripheral wall portion, preventing left and right outward protrusions of a connecting portion with the left wall portion or the right wall portion. The connecting portion includes a pair of strip portions and an intermediate portion which is sewn and connected to the left wall portion or the right wall portion between the strip portions. A sewn portion for sewing the intermediate portion to the left wall portion or the right wall portion is configured as a substantially rectangular shape having a pair of strip-side sides on the strip portion side and a pair of non-strip-side sides connecting both ends of the pair of strip-side sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shun Ito
  • Patent number: 11318905
    Abstract: A side airbag apparatus includes: an airbag cushion having a rear end configured to be secured to a side surface of a seat and a front end configured to move forwards while the airbag cushion is deployed forwards when gas is injected into the airbag cushion; at least one support tether having a first side coupled to a side surface of the seat to be rotatable about a rotating shaft extending in a direction parallel to a side of the seat, and extending in a longitudinal direction; and at least one outer tether having a first end coupled to a second side of the support tether, and a second end extending in the longitudinal direction and coupled to the front end of the airbag cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Seung Kyu Kang
  • Patent number: 11312328
    Abstract: Airbag cushion modules and vehicles comprising lever elements to facilitate opening adjacent vehicle structures. Some embodiments may comprise curtain airbag cushion assemblies comprising an inflator and a curtain airbag cushion fluidly coupled with the inflator. The curtain airbag cushion may be configured to deploy in a deployment direction adjacent to a vehicle door. A lever member may be coupled, operably and/or physically, with the curtain airbag cushion and may be configured to pivot during deployment of the curtain airbag cushion using forces generated from inflation of the curtain airbag cushion to pry an adjacent portion of a vehicle interior open during deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt L. Gammill, Blake Garn
  • Patent number: 11312406
    Abstract: A steering column assembly includes a mounting bracket which is securely fixed to a car cross beam or the like; a support bracket located below the mounting bracket, the two brackets being connected together during normal operation by at least one frangible connector a telescopic shroud having a first portion that surrounds a steering shaft, the first portion being fixed to the support bracket, and an energy absorbing device. The energy absorbing devices further includes: a wire which extends along an underside of the mounting bracket and is secured at opposing ends to respective anchor portions of the mounting bracket, and a fixing part of the support bracket having an opening through which the wire passes, whereby in a crash the frangible connector is broken to permit the support bracket to move relative to the mounting bracket whereupon the wire is pulled through the opening in the fixing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignees: ZF Steerino Svstems Poland Sp. Z.o.o., ZF Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Pawel Ponikiewski, Artur Wojtalik
  • Patent number: 11273881
    Abstract: The present invention relates to all terrain vehicles having at least a pair of laterally spaced apart seating surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron D. Deckard, Adam J. Schlangen
  • Patent number: 11254279
    Abstract: A curtain airbag apparatus may include: a cushion part disposed at the top of a pillar part; one or more guide members connected to the cushion part and configured to fix the cushion part to a vehicle body; and a cushion moving part connected to the cushion part, disposed between the guide members and the vehicle body, fixed to the guide members, and configured to deform the guide members to move the cushion part to an indoor side of the vehicle body, while inflated by gas injected from an inflator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jong Seob Lee
  • Patent number: 11214221
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a hard cover for a side airbag. The hard cover includes a housing accommodating a cushion, a cover unit covering an opening of the housing and having a cut part formed to be cut when the cushion is deployed, a hinge connecting the cover unit and a rear of the housing, a first restraint unit provided on a front of the housing, a first hook unit provided on a front of the cover unit to be caught and restrained by the first restraint unit, a second restraint unit provided on each of upper and lower sides of the housing, and a second hook unit provided on each of upper and lower sides of the cover unit to be caught and restrained by the second restraint unit and separated from the second restraint unit when the cushion is deployed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Geon Woong Moon, Ye Ri Hong