Patents Examined by Keith J Frisby
  • Airbag device
    Patent number: 11639150
    Abstract: An airbag device includes an airbag, a case in which the folded airbag is housed, and an airbag cover that covers the folded airbag. An attachment portion of the airbag cover is attached to a peripheral wall portion of the case by a rivet being caused to pass through. The case is such that a vicinity of a boundary region between the peripheral wall portion and a bottom wall portion is curved in an approximate arc in cross-section. The attachment portion includes a protruding portion that protrudes toward the peripheral wall portion side in an end edge farther to a leading end side than a region of penetration of the rivet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Ozeki, Akira Yasuda, Taizo Suemitsu
  • Airbag module for a curtain-type airbag
    Patent number: 11634100
    Abstract: An airbag module includes a curtain-type airbag arranged in a packaged configuration, and a strap looped around the airbag. The airbag includes a mounting edge extending exteriorly along the airbag. The mounting edge includes a securement adaptor projecting therefrom exteriorly to the airbag. The strap includes two endpieces respectively anchored to the mounting edge and secured with the securement adaptor, thereby securing the strap in a loop around the airbag at the mounting edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosel Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Jinnai, Daniel Bujaidar, Roy Deutschmann
  • Roof airbag for vehicles
    Patent number: 11628794
    Abstract: A roof airbag for vehicles is proposed. The roof airbag includes: a main chamber configured to be deployed as gas is introduced therein through a diffuser; an overlap chamber into which the gas is introduced and configured to be deployed into a shape that overlaps the main chamber around the diffuser; and a support chamber into which the gas is introduced and configured to be deployed while overlapping a roof frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Byung Ho Min, Kyu Sang Lee
  • Driver airbag
    Patent number: 11628791
    Abstract: An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant (20) of a front driver seat (22) of a vehicle (12) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device in the form of an airbag (14) that is inflatable from an instrument panel (30) of the vehicle to a position between the instrument panel and the occupant. The airbag (14) has a curved configuration in profile such that the airbag can deploy from a mounting location in the instrument panel (30) toward the vehicle occupant (20), creating a space (86, 130) between the airbag and the instrument panel for receiving a vehicle steering wheel (32), if present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.
    Inventors: Kurt F. Fischer, Douglas M. Gould, Alexandra E. Schroeder
  • Dual direction locking mechanism for telescoping steering column
    Patent number: 11623678
    Abstract: A locking mechanism for a telescoping steering column includes an energy absorption strap having a plurality of teeth disposed therealong. Also included is a clamp bolt rotatably driven by an adjustment lever. Further included is an actuator body coupled to the clamp bolt and rotated therewith. Yet further included is a first lock cam coupled to the actuator body and engageable with the teeth of the energy absorption strap to lock the telescoping steering column in a first direction. Also included is a second lock cam coupled to the actuator body and engageable with the teeth of the energy absorption strap to lock the telescoping steering column in a second direction different than the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Michael P. Anspaugh, Donald A. Buzzard, Michael W. Clark, Melvin L. Tinnin
  • Side airbag for vehicle
    Patent number: 11618407
    Abstract: A side airbag for a vehicle includes: a main cushion located at a seat of the vehicle and configured to be unfolded at a front side of a passenger to a front of the vehicle when gas is injected into the main cushion; a sub cushion connected to a front-end portion of the main cushion and configured to be unfolded from the front-end portion of the main cushion toward the passenger when gas is injected into the sub cushion; a support tether having a first end connected to the seat and a second end connected to the sub cushion so as to support the sub cushion; and a cushion cover surrounding both the main cushion and the sub cushion, and having a tether slit through which the support tether passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Won Hwangbo, Choong Ryung Lee
  • Roof airbag for vehicle
    Patent number: 11618405
    Abstract: A roof airbag for a vehicle. The roof airbag includes: a main cushion located at a roof panel of the vehicle and configured to be unfolded from a first side portion to a second side portion of the roof panel when being operated; a sub cushion coupled to a side surface of the extended main cushion and unfolded outside the main cushion; and an inflator located at the roof panel of the vehicle and connected to the main cushion or the sub cushion, and configured to inject gas into the main cushion and the sub cushion to unfold the main cushion and the sub cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Dong Oh Lee
  • Vehicle seat cushion airbag, control system and control method thereof
    Patent number: 11618403
    Abstract: A seat cushion airbag for a vehicle includes an airbag cushion that is formed with a center part installed in a center of or around a front part of a seat cushion of a vehicle and is located between legs of a passenger when being deployed. An extension part extends on both sides of the center part and is located above the legs of the passenger and an inflator is connected to the airbag cushion and provides an expansion force to the airbag cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Seung Kyu Kang, Sung Ung Ryu, Seoung Hyun Lee, Han Jo Jeong, Myeong Hwan Kim, Dae Hyun Choi
  • Roof airbag for vehicles
    Patent number: 11613228
    Abstract: A roof airbag for vehicles is proposed. The roof airbag includes: a main chamber configured to be deployed as gas is introduced therein through a diffuser; and an overlap chamber into which the gas may be introduced and configured to be deployed into a shape that overlaps the main chamber around the diffuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Byung Ho Min
  • Roof-mounted occupant restraint system
    Patent number: 11613226
    Abstract: A restraint system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a roof and a cabin with a seat for the occupant includes an airbag mounted to the vehicle roof. The airbag has a stored condition and is inflatable to a deployed condition having a front-facing occupant receiving portion and an opposite rear-facing portion facing away from the occupant. The airbag has one or more connections with the vehicle roof, with the airbag and the connections being configured such that the roof serves as a reaction surface for supporting the airbag against movement in response to a forward moving occupant impacting the occupant receiving portion. The system is non-reliant on the rear-facing portion of the airbag engaging and using vehicle structure as a reaction surface for supporting the airbag against movement in response to the impacting occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.
    Inventors: Kurt F. Fischer, Angelo J. Adler, Alexandra E. Schroeder, Hylus Ranjit Raj Jayakar, Dylan P. Moran
  • Airbag device
    Patent number: 11613225
    Abstract: An airbag device is adapted to be installed in a vehicle for protecting an occupant. The airbag device includes a bag-like cushion that inflates and deploys in front of a seat and is adapted to restrain the occupant. In an inflated condition, the airbag cushion includes a main inflating section inflating toward the rear of the vehicle, a pair of lobes protruding toward the rear of the vehicle on both sides of the main inflating section in a vehicle width direction, a pair of secondary inflating sections being provided respectively between the main inflating section and each of the lobes in the vehicle width direction and inflating toward the rear of the vehicle, and a pair of tethers are symmetrically attached and tensioned inside the cushion for preventing the protruded lobes from swinging around the main inflating section of the cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Daniel Williams, Changsoo Choi
  • Protection system for persons and goods comprising an inflatable structure with long duration of action
    Patent number: 11608025
    Abstract: A protection system comprises at least one inflatable safety structure, each associated with a gas generator that can be activated by an external command, wherein the external command comprises an electrical signal from an automated system that is responsible for the critical safety functions of a vehicle, corresponding to predictive information about an impact. The gas generator is configured to generate a gas over a time period such that the total inflation time of the inflatable structure is greater than 50 milliseconds. The inflatable structure may be waterproof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Inventor: Paul Philippe Cord
  • Vehicular airbag wind-up device
    Patent number: 11603071
    Abstract: A wind-up device for winding up a vehicular airbag includes a base, a bar, and a first movable member. The base has an elongated plate shape extending in a first direction and includes a housing section that extends in the first direction. The vehicular airbag is placed on the base. The bar is disposed in the housing section and has a center axis extending in the first direction. The bar is rotatable around the center axis and includes a groove that extends in the first direction and is recessed from an outer surface of the bar toward the center axis. The first movable member extends in the first direction along the bar and is movable to be closer to the bar. The first movable member includes an insertion section that is to be inserted into the groove together with a portion of the airbag that is above the housing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhito Higuchi, Makoto Sotokawauchi, Masato Morii
  • Safety belt positioning and presentation systems
    Patent number: 11603074
    Abstract: A safety belt presentation system includes a safety belt presentation track extending from a first position to a second position spaced from the first position, a latch that includes a tongue disposed between a first side of the latch and second side of the latch and a first coupling portion, and a driving mechanism that includes a second coupling portion configured to releasably couple the first coupling portion of the latch. The driving mechanism is configured to control the latch to move from the first position to the second position along the safety belt presentation track when the first and second coupling portions are coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Philipp Charopoulos, Lukas Satas, John J. Baker, Jonathon R. Folks, Andrew W. Kooker
  • Module base element for a vehicle occupant protection system and vehicle occupant protection system
    Patent number: 11603064
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a module base element for a vehicle occupant protection system comprising at least one module carrier for receiving at least one airbag module wherein the airbag module comprises at least one airbag and the airbag is connected to a gas source, especially a gas generator, and comprising a hinged arm having at least one hinged element so that the module carrier can be moved from an idle position to an operating position and from an operating position to an idle position, and comprising a lap restraint element. The present disclosure further describes a vehicle occupant protection system for protecting a vehicle occupant in a vehicle seat comprising at least one restraint element, wherein at least one restraint element of the vehicle occupant protection system is disposed in a module base element according to the present disclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: ZF AUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Werner Freisler, Erik Hanle
  • Driver air bag apparatus for vehicle
    Patent number: 11597345
    Abstract: A driver airbag apparatus for a vehicle is proposed. The driver airbag apparatus includes: the driver airbag apparatus being located at a rear of a steering wheel having an obstacle and configured to be deployed forward of the steering wheel while avoiding the obstacle, an airbag cushion configured to be deployed forward of the steering wheel via a gap between the obstacle and the steering wheel when gas is supplied thereinto; a gas injector located below the airbag cushion and configured to inject the gas into the airbag cushion via a gas outlet; and a diffuser configured to be deployed in the airbag cushion, and covering a part or all of the gas outlet from above the gas outlet and being open at a front portion thereof so as to guide the gas injected via the gas outlet to flow in front of an occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seok Hoon Ko, Min June Song
  • Occupant restraint system for a vehicle seat including external tethering
    Patent number: 11590922
    Abstract: An occupant restraint system for a seat of a vehicle includes at least a first airbag carried by the seat and deployable from the seat and at least a first tether mounted to the seat and deployable from a stowed position to a deployed position such that the first tether extends around a front facing side of the first airbag from a first lateral side of a seatback of the seat to a second lateral side of the seatback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: David W. Schneider
  • Rear seat airbag module and vehicle seat
    Patent number: 11590917
    Abstract: A rear seat airbag module includes: an airbag; and an inflator configured to supply gas for expansion and deployment into the airbag. The rear seat airbag module is attached to a frame of a seat back of a vehicle seat, and is configured to expand and deploy the airbag to a seat rear side of the seat back. The rear seat airbag module is displaceable to the seat rear side or deformable to the seat rear side due to an easily deformable configuration, by being pressed by a back of an occupant seated on the vehicle seat, as a result of the back being sunk in the seat back due to an impact of a rear collision of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuyoshi Ohno, Masashi Hotta, Hiroyuki Tomita
  • Self leveling autonomous guided vehicle
    Patent number: 11584181
    Abstract: An autonomous guided vehicle comprising a platform adapted to carry a load thereon in a working position; a plurality of suspension devices connected to the platform, each suspension device having a sensor and an actuator; and a plurality of wheels associated with the suspension devices; wherein a first wheel is associated with a first suspension device such that the sensor of the first suspension device is adapted to provide a signal when a relative position of the first wheel and the platform is altered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Hong Kong R&D Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management Enabling Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Ka Lun Fan, King Sau Wong, Wing Leung Chow, Chung Hang Leung
  • Apparatus for and method of estimating vehicle weight by using vehicle height adjusting device
    Patent number: 11577574
    Abstract: An apparatus for estimating vehicle weight using a vehicle height adjusting device is provided. The apparatus includes a vehicle height adjusting device that raises or lowers four positions of front left (FL) and right (FR) sides and rear left (RL) and right (RR) sides of a vehicle body, respectively. A vehicle height controller operates the vehicle height adjusting device to raise or lower the FL and FR sides and the RL and RR sides of the vehicle body. A weight estimating unit measures time required for raising or lowering the vehicle body or operating speed of the vehicle body and calculates an expected vehicle weight value by comparing the time required or the operating speed with a preset reference data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jae Hyung Park