Patents Examined by Nicole T Verley
  • Patent number: 11958427
    Abstract: An airbag system includes a seat belt; at least one airbag disposed in at least a portion of the seat belt; and an inflator connected to the at least one airbag and supplying gas to the airbag so that the airbag is inflatable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jae Wung Jung, Dong Hyun Ha, Jung Hun Choi
  • Patent number: 11959526
    Abstract: A spring element, in particular a jounce bumper, for a jounce bumper assembly, contains a longitudinal axis, a base body extending along the longitudinal axis, and an end portion configured for being brought into contact with a vehicle part moving relatively to the spring element. The base body is elastically deformable between an uncompressed basic state and a compressed state in which the base body is at least partially compressed in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The end portion contains a circumferential outer surface, and at least one recess in the circumferential outer surface. The recess extends inwards and defines a hollow space in the base body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: BASF Polyurethanes GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Heidemann, Anthony Touzard
  • Patent number: 11958325
    Abstract: A device includes a lower support cap, an upper bearing cap, at least one bearing disposed between the caps and at least one annular seal. The seal provides a claw secured by mechanical connection to the upper support cap, a sealing lip extending obliquely from the claw in the direction of the upper bearing cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventors: Benoit Arnault, Baptiste Vidil, Thomas Lepine, Christophe Houdayer
  • Patent number: 11951927
    Abstract: An assembly includes a vehicle seat having a seat bottom and a seatback supported by the seat bottom. The assembly includes an airbag supported by the seatback. The airbag is inflatable to an inflated position. The assembly includes a seatbelt webbing extending from the seatback to the airbag. The seatbelt webbing is between the airbag and the seatback in the inflated position. The assembly includes a pyrotechnic device supported by the seat bottom and operatively coupled to the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad Omar Faruque, Dean M. Jaradi, S. M. Iskander Farooq
  • Patent number: 11952041
    Abstract: A cockpit for a vehicle, wherein the cockpit comprises a first module with a support and a second module with a support. The support of the second module is arranged in a first direction behind the support of the first module and higher than the support of the first module, so that the support of the first module slides at least partially under the support of the second module in the first direction in a crash case with a force acting on the first module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Marcus Schweer, Franz-Josef Schulte, Ali Jamal Eddine
  • Patent number: 11938893
    Abstract: An embodiment seat belt mounting structure includes a front seat disposed towards a front of a vehicle body, a rear seat disposed towards a rear of the vehicle body, a center pillar part, a rear pillar part disposed behind the center pillar part, a side reinforcement connecting the center pillar part and the rear pillar part, and a rear seat retractor coupled to the side reinforcement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Won Ki Song
  • Patent number: 11932193
    Abstract: A vehicle interior panel for use over a deployable airbag includes an outer substrate portion having a top side, a bottom side, a tear seam, and a structural rib extending from the bottom side of the outer substrate portion. The panel includes an inner substrate portion having a top side, a bottom side, and a deflector extending from the top side of the inner substrate portion. The deflector is configured to contact the structural rib and the tear seam during deployment of the airbag. A method of manufacturing the panel includes injecting the outer substrate portion with the inner substrate portion and folding the inner substrate portion at a hinge region toward the outer substrate portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Faurecia Interior Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Carlos Gerardo Lopez Martinez
  • Patent number: 11912226
    Abstract: An airbag device for a vehicle provided with a door and a side sill includes an airbag and an application state detector. The airbag is deployed from a container to be disposed on a lower side of the door on a vehicle body to a region on a vehicle-widthwise outside of the door. The application state detector detects a load application state of a load from the airbag to the vehicle body. The airbag includes a first air chamber, a second air chamber, and an internal pressure controller. The first air chamber transmits a load applied from the vehicle-widthwise outside to a side surface of the side sill. The second air chamber couples a lower part of the first air chamber and the container. The internal pressure controller controls an internal pressure of the second air chamber based on the load application state detected by the application state detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isamu Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 11912224
    Abstract: A knee protection airbag device includes an airbag, an inflator, an airbag cover, and an attachment base which holds those and is to be attached to a vehicle body member. The attachment base includes a holding seat which is disposed in front of a body portion of the inflator and a folded portion of the airbag, and holds the body portion and the airbag attached by a fastening bolt of the inflator, and attachment seats which are arranged on left and right sides of the holding seat and are attached to the vehicle body member. The airbag cover covers a vicinity of the airbag folded and the body portion of the inflator on a rear side of the attachment base, is attached to the attachment base due to the fastening bolt being fastened, and provides a projection opening on a bottom side of the airbag cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Minoru Ono
  • Patent number: 11904963
    Abstract: Brackets for mounting auxiliary suspension systems, such as lift axle systems, to vehicles are disclosed herein. For example, brackets are disclosed for attaching lift axle hanger brackets and lift axle load springs to corresponding frame members. In some embodiments, the frame brackets can include physical features (e.g., a series of graduated steps in an edge portion thereof) to facilitate visual alignment of the lift axle with the vehicle frame members during installation. In other embodiments, the frame brackets can be two-piece brackets that enable the load springs to be removed and replaced without having to detach the frame bracket from the frame rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Link Mfg., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dale E. Jacobsma, Joel D. Van Den Brink, Michael S. Wetter
  • Patent number: 11904791
    Abstract: Systems and methods are presented herein for an airbag shell. The airbag shell comprises a u-shaped channel formed of moldable fabric. The moldable fabric is configured to become malleable when exposed to temperatures exceeding a melting point of the moldable fabric. An external surface of the u-shaped channel is configured to interface with a roof rail. An inner surface of the u-shaped channel is configured to receive an airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Jamison Pexton
  • Patent number: 11897409
    Abstract: An apparatus for helping to protect occupants of a vehicle in the event of a collision includes a deployable restraint having a stored, predeployment condition in a vehicle floor. The restraint is deployable from the floor to restrain the feet and/or lower legs of an occupant from swinging forward and upward in response to a vehicle collision. In one configuration, the deployable restraint can include a module comprising an airbag and an inflator for inflating and deploying the airbag. The module can include a door that opens in response to deployment of the airbag and that serves as a reaction surface for the airbag. In another configuration, the deployable restraint can include a restraining panel configured to move to a deployed position extending above the vehicle floor adjacent the occupants lower leg and feet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.
    Inventors: Douglas Gould, Gabriela Diaz, Kurt F. Fischer, Hylus Ranjit Raj Jayakar, Kiran Mohan Veepuri, David Varcoe
  • Patent number: 11897417
    Abstract: A system includes a coupler with a first arm and a second arm. The first and second arms configured to couple to a roll cage. A first end may include a first recessed portion and a first aperture. A third end may include a second recessed portion and a second aperture. The first and third ends may contact each other and be secured together via a first fastener that passes through the first aperture and the second aperture. Further, the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion may receive a second fastener therebetween that may receive a latch plate of a safety belt or safety harness to maintain it in an upward position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventor: Izac Hillam
  • Patent number: 11891008
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle pillar. The vehicle includes a vehicle roof supported by the vehicle pillar. The vehicle includes an airbag supported by the vehicle roof. The airbag has a first side portion, a second side portion spaced cross-vehicle from the first side portion, and a front portion extending from the first side portion to the second side portion. The vehicle includes a pyrotechnic device supported by the vehicle pillar. The pyrotechnic device is coupled to one of the first side portion or the second side portion of the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dean M. Jaradi, Mohammad Omar Faruque, S. M. Iskander Farooq
  • Patent number: 11891114
    Abstract: A steering column has a cylindrical front-side column and a cylindrical rear-side column having a front-end portion that is connected to a rear-end portion of the front-side column. The steering shaft has a front-side shaft rotatably supported inside the front-side column, a rear-side shaft rotatably supported inside the rear-side column and has a rear-end portion to which the steering wheel is attached, and a universal joint connecting the rear-end portion of the front-side shaft and the front-end portion of the rear-side shaft. The front-end portion of the front-side column is always arranged above a portion of the extension line of the center axis of the rear-side column which exists at the same location in the front-rear direction as the front-end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: NSK, LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 11884231
    Abstract: A deflector for a diffusor of a gas generator of an airbag module is disclosed. The deflector comprises a substantially tubular deflector base body and a gas discharge device connected thereto, wherein the gas discharge device has a substantially rectangular base and two outflow regions on opposite sidewalls so that gas can flow substantially in opposite directions along the longitudinal axes of the tubular deflector base body out of the interior of the gas discharge device to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: ZF Airbag Germany GmbH
    Inventor: Bernd Weber
  • Patent number: 11884226
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a passenger compartment for at least one vehicle user and has at least one sensor device for detecting a location of the vehicle user in the passenger compartment. At least one retaining device is used to fix the vehicle user in his/her location. A control device is provided to activate the at least one retaining device according to a signal of at least one impact sensor of the motor vehicle. The at least one retaining device is designed to fix the vehicle user in a location in the passenger compartment different from a vehicle seat of the motor vehicle. A method operates such a motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Maximilian Amereller, Florian Ober, Sascha Wilhelm
  • Patent number: 11878760
    Abstract: A tilt warning device is operable to alert a two-wheeled vehicle operator of potential dismount or accident. The warning device comprises of a warning rod that is operable to generate sparks when the two-wheeled vehicle undergoes excessive tilt when driving around corners at higher-than-normal speeds. When undergoing excessive tilt, the sparks generated by the warning rod direct the operator to move the two-wheeled vehicle upright from its current orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Inventor: Joe Acree
  • Patent number: 11877545
    Abstract: A stabilizing apparatus for stabilizing a mobile irrigation tower of a pivot irrigation system includes a pair of outrigger arms which extend from opposite sides of the irrigation tower. The outrigger arms are able to move between an extended position and a retracted position. The distal ends of the out rigger arms present ground engaging elements adapted for low friction passage across a farm ground surface. When the outrigger arms are in the extended position, the ground engaging element of each arm is in contact with or at least in close proximity to the farm ground surface at a location which is spaced transversely away from the irrigation tower. If the outrigger arms are in the extended position and if the irrigation system is subjected to a high velocity wind, the ground engaging elements will engage the farm ground surface and resist overturning movement of the irrigation tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Inventor: Wesley Allen Bainter
  • Patent number: 11873021
    Abstract: A steering column may include a casing unit in which a steering spindle is mounted rotatably about a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction, and casing tubes that are adjustable telescopically relative to one another in the longitudinal direction. A roller guide with at least one bearing support can be displaced radially on a first of the casing tubes, and in which at least one roller is mounted rotatably about a roller axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis. The roller can roll via its outer circumference in the longitudinal direction on a second of the casing tubes. A pretensioning device interacts with the bearing support to pretension the roller against the second casing tube. The bearing support may be guided on the first casing tube with an oblique inclination relative to the longitudinal axis, and the pretensioning device may apply an axial force to the bearing support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignees: thyssenkrupp Presta AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventor: Thomas Raich