Patents by Inventor Kurt L. Gammill

Kurt L. Gammill 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: 11312328
    Abstract: Airbag cushion modules and vehicles comprising lever elements to facilitate opening adjacent vehicle structures. Some embodiments may comprise curtain airbag cushion assemblies comprising an inflator and a curtain airbag cushion fluidly coupled with the inflator. The curtain airbag cushion may be configured to deploy in a deployment direction adjacent to a vehicle door. A lever member may be coupled, operably and/or physically, with the curtain airbag cushion and may be configured to pivot during deployment of the curtain airbag cushion using forces generated from inflation of the curtain airbag cushion to pry an adjacent portion of a vehicle interior open during deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt L. Gammill, Blake Garn
  • Publication number: 20200406851
    Abstract: Airbag cushion modules and vehicles comprising lever elements to facilitate opening adjacent vehicle structures. Some embodiments may comprise curtain airbag cushion assemblies comprising an inflator and a curtain airbag cushion fluidly coupled with the inflator. The curtain airbag cushion may be configured to deploy in a deployment direction adjacent to a vehicle door. A lever member may be coupled, operably and/or physically, with the curtain airbag cushion and may be configured to pivot during deployment of the curtain airbag cushion using forces generated from inflation of the curtain airbag cushion to pry an adjacent portion of a vehicle interior open during deployment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: Kurt L. Gammill, Blake Garn
  • Patent number: 9776594
    Abstract: Airbag cushion assemblies comprising tether release functionality. Some embodiments may comprise an airbag housing comprising an airbag housing opening configured to receive a squib. An airbag cushion may be coupled with the airbag housing and a tether comprising a tether opening may be coupled with at least a portion of the airbag cushion. A squib may be positioned to extend through the tether opening and positioned within the airbag housing opening. The squib may be configured to, upon actuation, separate to release the tether.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventor: Kurt L. Gammill
  • Publication number: 20170158161
    Abstract: Airbag cushion assemblies comprising tether release functionality. Some embodiments may comprise an airbag housing comprising an airbag housing opening configured to receive a squib. An airbag cushion may be coupled with the airbag housing and a tether comprising a tether opening may be coupled with at least a portion of the airbag cushion. A squib may be positioned to extend through the tether opening and positioned within the airbag housing opening. The squib may be configured to, upon actuation, separate to release the tether.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventor: Kurt L. Gammill
  • Patent number: 8240701
    Abstract: Mounting assemblies can be used to retain an inflatable airbag cushion in a packaged configuration and attach the cushion to a vehicle structure. The mounting assemblies can have a mounting bracket and a wrapping member. The assemblies can also have a connecting member that connects the mounting bracket to the wrapper. The mounting bracket is attached to a vehicle structure and the wrapping member wraps and retains the cushion after it has been rolled and/or folded. During airbag deployment, the wrapping member releases the cushion so that it can be fully inflated and the mounting structure continues to anchor the cushion to the vehicle structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Blake L. Cheal, Kurt L. Gammill
  • Patent number: 8196952
    Abstract: Inflatable airbag cushions are filled with inflation gas by inflators. The inflators can be coupled in fluid communication with the airbag and are typically mounted within a vehicle structure by a coupling and closing member. The coupling and closing member can be an elongated piece of a flexible material that wraps around an inflator attachment feature on the airbag. The coupling and closing member can also have structures for fixedly attaching the member to a vehicle structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Walston, Kurt L. Gammill
  • Publication number: 20110057422
    Abstract: Mounting assemblies can be used to retain an inflatable airbag cushion in a packaged configuration and attach the cushion to a vehicle structure. The mounting assemblies can have a mounting bracket and a wrapping member. The assemblies can also have a connecting member that connects the mounting bracket to the wrapper. The mounting bracket is attached to a vehicle structure and the wrapping member wraps and retains the cushion after it has been rolled and/or folded. During airbag deployment, the wrapping member releases the cushion so that it can be fully inflated and the mounting structure continues to anchor the cushion to the vehicle structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Blake L. Cheal, Kurt L. Gammill
  • Publication number: 20110049848
    Abstract: Inflatable airbag cushions are filled with inflation gas by inflators. The inflators can be coupled in fluid communication with the airbag and are typically mounted within a vehicle structure by a coupling and closing member. The coupling and closing member can be an elongated piece of a flexible material that wraps around an inflator attachment feature on the airbag. The coupling and closing member can also have structures for fixedly attaching the member to a vehicle structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Bryan Walston, Kurt L. Gammill
  • Patent number: 6848708
    Abstract: An inflatable curtain module is disclosed, where the inflatable curtain module has an inflator, and an inflatable curtain. The inflator may have a biaxial flow providing a gas input into two separate inflatable cushions. The cushions may be different sizes or volumes. Alternatively, other inflatable curtain modules may incorporate multiple inflators and multiple cushions to create an inflatable curtain module. The multiple inflators can be employed to provide two gas inputs into a single inflatable cushion. An inflatable curtain module may also be created from a number of generically sized cushions and inflators that are assembled into an inflatable curtain module for a wide range of vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Green, Paul Dinsdale, Karl K. Rink, Anthony M. Young, Kurt L. Gammill
  • Publication number: 20030178820
    Abstract: An inflatable curtain module is disclosed, where the inflatable curtain module has an inflator, and an inflatable curtain. The inflator may have a biaxial flow providing a gas input into two separate inflatable cushions. The cushions may be different sizes or volumes. Alternatively, other inflatable curtain modules may incorporate multiple inflators and multiple cushions to create an inflatable curtain module. The multiple inflators can be employed to provide two gas inputs into a single inflatable cushion. An inflatable curtain module may also be created from a number of generically sized cushions and inflators that are assembled into an inflatable curtain module for a wide range of vehicles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventors: David J. Green, Paul Dinsdale, Karl K. Rink, Anthony M. Young, Kurt L. Gammill