Patents by Inventor Blake Cheal

Blake Cheal has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8056924
    Abstract: Inflatable airbag cushions often have modular components attached to them after the main airbag has been manufactured. Such modular components can include external tethers, mounting tabs, mounting assemblies, and fill tubes. Often, these modular components are positioned at predetermined locations on the airbag. Further, the modular components typically have a predetermined orientation. Employing an alignment aperture and at least one landmark on the airbag can allow a modular component to be positioned correctly along at least one axis of the airbag. Landmarks can include seams, edges, folds, and marks, such as ink from printing. Additional apertures, landmarks and/or hardware can be used to assure proper orientation of the modular component on the airbag. The modular component can be coupled to the airbag by stitching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Hatfield, Blake Cheal
  • Patent number: 8007000
    Abstract: Inflatable curtain airbags can be attached to an inflator at a throat portion of the airbag. The attachment of the inflator to the throat portion may be mediated by an inflator mounting bracket. An extended portion of the inflator mounting bracket can protrude through an aperture in the throat portion to provide an anti-rotation function as well as a retention function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Gammill, Blake Cheal
  • Patent number: 7980585
    Abstract: Mounting assemblies can be used to retain an inflatable curtain airbag in a packaged configuration and attach the inflatable curtain airbag to a vehicle structure. The mounting assemblies can have a mounting structure and a wrapper that are both coupled to inflatable curtain airbag. The mounting structure is attached to a vehicle structure and the wrapper wraps and retains the inflatable curtain airbag in a packaged configuration. During airbag deployment, the wrapper releases the airbag so that the airbag can adopt a deployed configuration, wherein the mounting structure continues to anchor the inflatable curtain airbag to the vehicle structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Blake Cheal
  • Publication number: 20110163521
    Abstract: Inflatable curtain airbags can be attached to an inflator at a throat portion of the airbag. The attachment of the inflator to the throat portion may be mediated by an inflator mounting bracket. An extended portion of the inflator mounting bracket can protrude through an aperture in the throat portion to provide an anti-rotation function as well as a retention function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Kurt Gammill, Blake Cheal
  • Publication number: 20110042923
    Abstract: Inflatable airbag cushions often have modular components attached to them after the main airbag has been manufactured. Such modular components can include external tethers, mounting tabs, mounting assemblies, and fill tubes. Often, these modular components are positioned at predetermined locations on the airbag. Further, the modular components typically have a predetermined orientation. Employing an alignment aperture and at least one landmark on the airbag can allow a modular component to be positioned correctly along at least one axis of the airbag. Landmarks can include seams, edges, folds, and marks, such as ink from printing. Additional apertures, landmarks and/or hardware can be used to assure proper orientation of the modular component on the airbag. The modular component can be coupled to the airbag by stitching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Mark S. Hatfield, Blake Cheal
  • Publication number: 20100327564
    Abstract: Mounting assemblies can be used to retain an inflatable curtain airbag in a packaged configuration and attach the inflatable curtain airbag to a vehicle structure. The mounting assemblies can have a mounting structure and a wrapper that are both coupled to inflatable curtain airbag. The mounting structure is attached to a vehicle structure and the wrapper wraps and retains the inflatable curtain airbag in a packaged configuration. During airbag deployment, the wrapper releases the airbag so that the airbag can adopt a deployed configuration, wherein the mounting structure continues to anchor the inflatable curtain airbag to the vehicle structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventor: Blake Cheal
  • Patent number: 7823914
    Abstract: An airbag assembly, airbag mounting assembly, and method of assembling an airbag mounting assembly are disclosed. The airbag assembly comprises an airbag and an airbag mounting assembly. In one embodiment, the airbag mounting assembly comprises a mounting bracket, a connecting member, and a wrapping member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Blake Cheal, Howard Jackman
  • Publication number: 20080284142
    Abstract: An airbag assembly, airbag mounting assembly, and method of assembling an airbag mounting assembly are disclosed. The airbag assembly comprises an airbag and an airbag mounting assembly. In one embodiment, the airbag mounting assembly comprises a mounting bracket, a connecting member, and a wrapping member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Blake Cheal, Howard Jackman
  • Publication number: 20060214400
    Abstract: An airbag module has a rigid cushion with an integrated inflator. The cushion has a rear cushion panel and the inflator may have a front inflator plate attached to the rear cushion panel. A rear inflator plate is optionally provided and may be positioned within the cushion or outside the cushion. A pyrotechnic may be disposed within the space between the front inflator plate and the rear cushion panel and/or the rear inflator plate. An initiator may be seated in the rear inflator plate and/or the rear cushion panel to initiate combustion of the pyrotechnic. Instead of the front inflator plate, the inflator may have an expanse of tape that secures the pyrotechnic and/or the initiator to the interior of the cushion. The pyrotechnic may be sealed by the tape or by a foil pouch. The initiator may be secured by the tape or by a rear inflator plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Inventors: Mark Enders, Bradley Smith, Michael Jordan, Earl Nelson, Guy Letendre, Blake Cheal
  • Patent number: 6243077
    Abstract: A pointing device for use with computers and other electronic systems incorporates an array of resistive strain gauges on the surface of a substrate. The strain gauges exhibit resistance changes in response to stress or strain applied to the substrate by the movement of a joystick attached to the substrate, the resistance changes being proportional to the extent of movement of the joystick The strain gauges are electrically connected to control circuitry that successively establishes a series of voltage dividers across different ones of the strain gauges to measure the resistance of each of the strain gauges. From those measurements the position of the pointing device may be determined by comparing the measured resistances with known resistance values that correspond to a neutral stick position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Boourns, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Manara, Michael C. Scofield, Blake Cheal