Patents by Inventor Ian V. Lau

Ian V. Lau 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: 5308112
    Abstract: A side impact air bag mounted in a door of a motor vehicle in an unfurled, deflated position for reducing deployment time and providing reliable orientation of the air bag upon deployment. The air bag is mounted in an upper portion of the door, and an actuable inflator is mounted in the lower portion of the door. The inflator is in communication with the air bag via a connecting air bag or flexible duct, which provides added padding to the door upon inflation. A soft flexible material overlies the air bag to hide the air bag from the occupant's view as well as retain the air bag in the unfurled position. The soft flexible material is adhesively attached or stapled to an inner trim panel of the door and becomes detached from the inner trim panel upon the air bag inflating and pushing the soft flexible material away from the inner trim panel so that the air bag reaches its inflated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy W. Hill, Jeffrey A. Welch, Ian V. Lau, Kenneth H. Desaele
  • Patent number: 5273309
    Abstract: The air bag assembly, including the inflator and the stored air bag are mounted on the vehicle pillar adjacent the front seat back. Upon deployment, the air bag unfurls from a housing mounted on the pillar and extends along the door between the end of the seat and the door. The air bag assembly can include either an air bag which unfurls forwardly for the front seat occupant, or which unfurls rearwardly for the rear seat occupant, or air bags for both the front and rear occupants. The air bags maybe inflated by a single inflator, or separate inflators may be provided for the front and the rear seats. A sensor may be mounted on either the door or the pillar to provide an input signal to the air bag actuating electrical circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ian V. Lau, Jeffrey A. Welch, Larry G. La Grange, Brian H. Frantz
  • Patent number: 5111620
    Abstract: A door inner panel and a door outer panel attached together in spaced apart relation defining a cavity. The door inner panel has a plurality of openings therein and the door components are individually mounted on the inner panel within these openings by a plurality of energy absorbing devices which are preferably comprised of convoluted straps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ian V. Lau, Jeffrey A. Welch
  • Patent number: 5048234
    Abstract: A door inner panel and a door outer panel attached together in spaced apart relation defining a cavity. The door inner panel has an opening therein and the door components such as the window regulator and door handles are mounted on the module panel. A plurality of energy absorbing devices extended between the module panel and the door inner panel to effectively mount the module panel within the opening of the door inner panel. The energy absorbing devices yield upon the imposition of an occupant thereagainst to enable energy absorbing movement of the module panel and the door components into the cavity space between the inner and outer panels. The energy absorbing devices are preferably comprised of stamped steel straps having convolutions therein with one end of the strap welded to the module panel and the other end bolted to the door inner panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ian V. Lau, Jeffrey A. Welch