Patents Examined by Laura Freedman
  • Patent number: 11648982
    Abstract: An embodiment rear side structure for a vehicle includes a rear side member extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a shock absorber mounting member connected to the rear side member, and a rear wheelhouse panel connected to the shock absorber mounting member, wherein the shock absorber mounting member and the rear wheelhouse panel are joined so that the shock absorber mounting member and the rear wheelhouse panel form a wheel arch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporatlon
    Inventors: Sun Ju Lee, Il Do Kim
  • Patent number: 11643040
    Abstract: A steering wheel assembly includes a steering wheel and an airbag module. The steering wheel includes a hub portion that has a hook member and a first bracket opposed to the hook member and having an access hole. The airbag module is pivotably attached to the hub portion of the steering wheel and includes a latch member and a second bracket opposed to the latch member and having an access hole. The latch member is pivotably attached to the hook member, and the first bracket and the second bracket overlap with each other such that the access holes form a port that receives a fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Gary Andrew Card
  • Patent number: 11634003
    Abstract: A sway bar system is described. The sway bar system includes a sway bar having a first end and a second end. An electronically controlled connector to provide a remotely controllable physical connection and disconnection capability between a first location on a vehicle and the first end of the sway bar; and the second end of the sway bar coupled to a second location on the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Negishi, Rick Strickland, Philip Tsiaras, Andrew Peterson
  • Patent number: 11634097
    Abstract: An apparatus for mounting a curtain airbag cushion is proposed. The apparatus for mounting curtain airbag cushion includes an intermediate connection tap (200) and a strap (400) coupled to the curtain airbag cushion (1) by sewing (300), and a mounting plate (100) coupled to the intermediate connection tap (200) and securely coupled to a vehicle body (2). The mounting plate (100) is made of a steel material, thereby maintaining sufficient assembly torque when the mounting plate 100 is securely assembled to the vehicle body 2 by a medium of a bolt (500), and the intermediate connection tap (200) and the strap (400) coupled to the curtain airbag cushion (1) by sewing (300) are made of flexible fabric materials, thereby preventing the curtain airbag cushion (1) from being damaged by the intermediate connection tap (200) and the strap (400) in sewing 300.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ju Kyung Kim
  • Patent number: 11628796
    Abstract: A deployment ramp for helping to direct a curtain airbag to deploy inboard of a trim piece on a side structure of a vehicle includes a deployment flap for directing the curtain airbag to deploy inboard of the trim piece and a mounting portion configured to receive a fastener for connecting the deployment ramp and the curtain airbag to the vehicle. The mounting portion includes a pair of mounting tabs. Each mounting tab is configured to be installed in a corresponding sleeve in the curtain airbag to connect the deployment ramp to the curtain airbag. The mounting portion is configured so that installing both mounting tabs in their corresponding sleeves requires the application of external manipulating forces to the mounting portion in order to bend and/or deflect in order to overcome an interference between the mounting portion and the curtain airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.
    Inventors: Dylan Moran, Avadhoot Paranjpe
  • Patent number: 11623603
    Abstract: An airbag includes a U-shaped chamber, a head-impact chamber, and an uninflatable panel. The U-shaped chamber has a first side leg, a second side leg, and a top extending from the first side leg to the second side leg. The head-impact chamber is disposed between the first side leg and the second side leg. The uninflatable panel extends from the first leg to the second leg adjacent the head-impact chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignees: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Rongrong Zhou, Robert William McCoy, David W. Schneider, Dean M. Jaradi, Kevin Siasoco, Frank J. Herzenstiel
  • Patent number: 11623601
    Abstract: A head protection airbag device includes an airbag including a front seat protection portion, and an end side expansion portion, and a partition closing portion. The airbag is configured to be provided with a single receiving area where the head which moves diagonally forward at the time of an oblique collision or an offset collision of the vehicle is received by the front seat protection portion, and a collaborative receiving area where the head is received by the front seat protection portion and the end side expansion portion. The partition closing portion is linearly provided to be inclined forward and downward in a state where the airbag is viewed from a side when the expansion of the airbag is completed. The collaborative receiving area includes vehicle inner side surfaces of the end side expansion portion and the front seat protection portion with the partition closing portion interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Matsuo Nagata, Jun Sato
  • Patent number: 11623604
    Abstract: A roof airbag arrangement includes an airbag, first and second guide rails, at least one first sliding member and at least one second sliding member. The airbag longitudinally extends along a length between first and second longitudinal sides and laterally extending along a width between first and second lateral sides. The first and second guide rails are on laterally opposite sides of the airbag, and define first and second channels, respectively. The at least one first sliding member is mounted within the first guide rail for translation within the first channel. The at least one second sliding member is mounted within the second guide rail for translation within the second channel. First and second pluralities of tethers connect the first lateral side of the airbag with the at least one first sliding member and the second lateral side of the airbag with the at least one second sliding member, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Paul Dinsdale, Tyler Glen Christiansen, Cesar Armando Tinajero, Adam Smith
  • Patent number: 11623596
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is configured such that the airbag is housed as a compressed body which is compressed to collapse. The second aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an airbag apparatus, wherein the method includes the step of forming a compressed body of an airbag by compressing the airbag so as to collapse the airbag without rolling or folding the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Keisuke Honma, Kazuki Morita
  • Patent number: 11623490
    Abstract: A vibration attenuation assembly that includes a strut weight configured to attenuate resonant frequency of a vehicle strut assembly. The strut weight has an upper surface and a lower surface. The strut weight has a rod receiving opening that extends from a central area of the upper surface to the lower surface. The upper surface has a conical shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: José Bernardo Hernández Sánchez, Jesús Gerardo Brito
  • Patent number: 11618408
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system (10) comprises a front airbag (12) and an auxiliary airbag (30) both of which are assigned to a joint vehicle seat (22), wherein, prior to its deployment, the auxiliary airbag (30) is arranged in a roof region of the vehicle and, in the filled state, as a further front airbag extends ahead of a vehicle occupant (24) and between the front airbag (12) and the vehicle occupant (24) in the assigned vehicle seat (22) and bears against the front airbag (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: ZF AUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Werner Freisler, Benjamin Weimer
  • Patent number: 11618388
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a hood at a front end, a frunk under the hood, and a cabin. The vehicle includes a cross-beam positioned between the frunk and the cabin, and configured to inhibit protrusion of the frunk into the cabin in a frontal impact. The vehicle also includes a frame and the cross-beam is coupled to the frame. The cross-beam is a unitary member that is coupled to the frame or the cross-beam includes two members separated by a gap and each member is coupled to the frame. The frame includes shock towers for coupling the cross-beam to the frame. The frame can also include a bracket for coupling the cross beam to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Greg Gombert, Leonard Anthony Shaner, Sukhwinder Singh Dhindsa, Vinay Satya, Mikolaj Tyksinski, Marcela Arana, Mary A. Mason
  • Patent number: 11613150
    Abstract: A suspension system in a vehicle is provided. The suspension system includes, in one example, a hub carrier mounting structure and a hub carrier designed to couple to a wheel hub. The hub carrier mounting structure includes a mounting flange removably attached to the hub carrier and an upper case and a lower case coupled to a support beam, the upper and lower cases are coupled via a first set of attachment devices and a second set of attachment devices that are positioned on opposing sides of the upper and lower cases, where the first and second sets of attachment devices have varying vertical heights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Dana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group, LLC
    Inventor: Dustin Brooks
  • Patent number: 11608093
    Abstract: A level control system adjusting the level of a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, and includes at least one level control cylinder and a level control piston, which is at least partially movably accommodated in the level control cylinder. Accordingly, the level control piston may have a substantially continuous outer diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Inventors: Jürgen Muhr, Ulrich Wermund, Eduard Nies, Mark A. Sterrett
  • Patent number: 11608021
    Abstract: A curtain airbag module for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes an airbag package including a curtain airbag configured to inflate between a side structure of the vehicle and the vehicle occupant. The airbag package also includes an airbag wrap that packages the curtain airbag in a stored condition and is configured to rupture and release the curtain airbag for deployment in response curtain airbag inflation. The curtain airbag module also includes a deployment ramp including a ramp portion for helping to direct the curtain airbag to deploy inboard of the side structure. The deployment ramp also includes retainer portions, spaced along its length, that are configured for insertion into retainer slots in the airbag wrap to connect the airbag package to the deployment ramp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.
    Inventor: Joseph DiTrapani
  • Patent number: 11607921
    Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly comprising a bushing with a center line L, having an inner sleeve with a mounting bore, an outer sleeve and an elastomeric spring member extending along a height H along the center line L. In one embodiment, the outer surface of the inner sleeve, the spring member and the inner surface of the outer sleeve are on each side of the center line L substantially parallel. On at least one side of the longitudinal center line L, the outer surface of the inner sleeve, the spring member and the inner surface of the outer sleeve extend at an angle to the center line L. An outer surface of the outer sleeve is substantially parallel to the center line L along the height H. Another embodiment of an assembly according to the invention comprises a bushing with a mounting bore that extends at an angle to the center line L.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tobias Brandin, Kenneth Ingemar Ekström, Jonas Klint, Jens Medbo, Albin Johnsson
  • Patent number: 11597440
    Abstract: A trailing arm mounting structure for a space frame vehicle includes: a trailing arm mounting portion configured to mount a trailing arm; a side sill including a rear portion on which the trailing arm mounting portion is mounted; and a rear pillar connected to an upper rear portion of the side sill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seongwook Seo, Mun Soo Cha, Heedae Oh, Huensick Min, JeonWoong Kang
  • Patent number: 11597344
    Abstract: A curtain airbag is proposed to improve the deployability of an airbag cushion while simplifying the structure of the curtain airbag by forming a sub-chamber. The curtain airbag includes a main chamber of an airbag cushion secured to an upper end inside a vehicle body to be deployed to a lower end thereof, a first sub-chamber of the airbag cushion deployed above a pillar trim while pushing the vehicle body to move the main chamber towards a center of a vehicle, and a second sub-chamber of the airbag cushion deployed between an end of the pillar trim and the main chamber, thus pushing the main chamber to prevent the main chamber from being caught by the end of the pillar trim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jong Seob Lee
  • Patent number: 11591006
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a steering apparatus for a vehicle having an impact absorption device for absorbing an impact force introduced via a steering wheel. The steering apparatus has a fastening device for fastening to a vehicle carrier or a vehicle body. The fastening device has a bracket for holding a steering column. The bracket has at least one connecting portion for connecting to the fastening device by a fastening element. At least one target breaking portion is designed to break starting from a predetermined impact force. In order to simplify the construction and/or to be able to realize production more economically, the bracket has and/or forms the target breaking portion, with the connecting portion being separated from the bracket after breaking the target breaking portion and remaining on the fastening device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventor: Markus Lingemann
  • Patent number: 11590916
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a steering device assembly for positioning and fastening an airbag module on a steering device of a motor vehicle. The steering device assembly comprises a first positioning body having a detent lever, a carrier, a spring element, and a second positioning body. The detent lever comprises a first leg and a second leg connected to the first leg at one leg end the detent lever is mounted for pivoting between an initial position and a final assembly position on the carrier. The spring element loads the detent lever into the final assembly position. Each leg extends to an opposite free leg end at a specified angle. The second positioning body has a stop for the free leg end of the first leg for pivoting the detent lever from the initial position into the final assembly position and a detent contour for locking with the free leg end of the second leg in the final assembly position of the detent lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Automotive Safety Germany GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Haas