Patents by Inventor Courtney L. McKeon

Courtney L. McKeon 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).

  • Airbag with deployment controlling tether
    Patent number: 11130466
    Abstract: An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a curtain airbag inflatable from a stored condition to a deployed condition in which the curtain airbag is positioned between a side structure of the vehicle and the vehicle occupant. The curtain airbag comprises a mounting tab for mounting the curtain airbag to a support structure of the vehicle. A tether has first and second tether end portions. The first tether end portion is connected to an inboard side of the curtain airbag at and/or adjacent to the mounting tab. The second tether end portion is connected to an outboard side of the curtain airbag. In the deployed condition of the curtain airbag, the tether is tensioned and holds a portion of the curtain airbag proximate to the second tether end portion folded in an inboard direction away from the side structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: TRW VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventor: Courtney L. McKeon
  • AIRBAG WITH DEPLOYMENT CONTROLLING TETHER
    Publication number: 20200282945
    Abstract: An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a curtain airbag inflatable from a stored condition to a deployed condition in which the curtain airbag is positioned between a side structure of the vehicle and the vehicle occupant. The curtain airbag comprises a mounting tab for mounting the curtain airbag to a support structure of the vehicle. A tether has first and second tether end portions. The first tether end portion is connected to an inboard side of the curtain airbag at and/or adjacent to the mounting tab. The second tether end portion is connected to an outboard side of the curtain airbag. In the deployed condition of the curtain airbag, the tether is tensioned and holds a portion of the curtain airbag proximate to the second tether end portion folded in an inboard direction away from the side structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventor: Courtney L. McKeon