Patents by Inventor Mark L. Enders

Mark L. Enders 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: 10974684
    Abstract: Airbag cushions and related assemblies configured to protect the lower extremities of a driver by deploying about the contours of a steering column shroud. In some embodiments, the assembly may comprise an inflatable cushion configured to be deployed adjacent to a vehicle steering column to provide protection to a driver's lower extremities during an impact event. The cushion may comprise a primary inflation chamber, a first supplemental inflation chamber fluidly coupled with the primary inflation chamber and configured to deploy on a left side of the vehicle steering column adjacent to the driver's left lower extremity, and a second supplemental inflation chamber fluidly coupled with the primary inflation chamber and configured to deploy on a right side of the vehicle steering column adjacent to the driver's right lower extremity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders
  • Publication number: 20200276953
    Abstract: Airbag cushions and related assemblies configured to protect the lower extremities of a driver by deploying about the contours of a steering column shroud. In some embodiments, the assembly may comprise an inflatable cushion configured to be deployed adjacent to a vehicle steering column to provide protection to a driver's lower extremities during an impact event. The cushion may comprise a primary inflation chamber, a first supplemental inflation chamber fluidly coupled with the primary inflation chamber and configured to deploy on a left side of the vehicle steering column adjacent to the driver's left lower extremity, and a second supplemental inflation chamber fluidly coupled with the primary inflation chamber and configured to deploy on a right side of the vehicle steering column adjacent to the driver's right lower extremity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders
  • Patent number: 10696266
    Abstract: An inflatable airbag assembly, such as a knee airbag assembly, including a support strap, wherein the support strap may be secured to an inflatable airbag cushion. The support strap may be configured to direct the deployment trajectory of the airbag cushion such that the airbag cushion is deployed rearwardly and upwardly within a vehicle. The inflatable airbag assembly may be configured to prevent injury to an occupant's hip, femur, knee, and/or lower leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark L. Enders, Quin Soderquist
  • Publication number: 20190143931
    Abstract: An inflatable airbag assembly, such as a knee airbag assembly, including a support strap, wherein the support strap may be secured to an inflatable airbag cushion. The support strap may be configured to direct the deployment trajectory of the airbag cushion such that the airbag cushion is deployed rearwardly and upwardly within a vehicle. The inflatable airbag assembly may be configured to prevent injury to an occupant's hip, femur, knee, and/or lower leg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Mark L. Enders, Quin Soderquist
  • Patent number: 9394005
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and systems for deflecting a vehicle wheel away from a foot well to reduce the chances for intrusion into the foot well during certain collisions, such as foot well intruding impact events. In some embodiments, the system may comprise an expandable structure comprising a rigid material. The expandable structure may be configured to be positioned in a wheel well of a vehicle and may be configured to actuate from a first, contracted configuration to a second, expanded configuration, and to deflect a vehicle wheel away from a foot well of the vehicle during an impact event to reduce the chances of the vehicle wheel entering the foot well during the impact event. The system may further comprise an inflator configured to deliver a fluid to the expandable structure during actuation so as to expand the expandable structure from the first configuration to the second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders
  • Patent number: 9352671
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and systems for displacing one or more vehicle seats in a rearward direction during an impact event to increase the space between the occupant's knees/legs and an instrument panel and/or firewall, prior to the intrusion caused by the impact. In some embodiments, the system may comprise a vehicle seat and a displacement system configured to automatically displace the vehicle seat upon detecting a foot well intruding impact event within a vehicle. The displacement system may comprise a seat rail mechanism coupled with the vehicle seat and a pyrotechnic device configured to displace the vehicle seat on the seat rail mechanism upon actuation of the pyrotechnic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Mark L. Enders, Curt Ehle
  • Patent number: 8777262
    Abstract: An airbag assembly can include a stabilizer strap attached to an airbag, and the stabilizer strap can cooperate with a housing to prevent undesired rotation or skewing of the airbag during deployment. A portion of the stabilizer strap can be positioned at an exterior of the housing and can remain at the exterior of the housing throughout deployment of the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders
  • Publication number: 20130229002
    Abstract: An airbag assembly can include a stabilizer strap attached to an airbag, and the stabilizer strap can cooperate with a housing to prevent undesired rotation or skewing of the airbag during deployment. A portion of the stabilizer strap can be positioned at an exterior of the housing and can remain at the exterior of the housing throughout deployment of the airbag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders
  • Patent number: 8500157
    Abstract: An airbag assembly can include a stabilizer strap attached to an airbag, and the stabilizer strap can cooperate with a housing to prevent undesired rotation or skewing of the airbag during deployment. In some arrangements, a portion of the airbag is secured to the housing via an inflator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Schneider, John F. Witt, Michael Kutchey, Jamie R. Fritz, Mark L. Enders, Louis Mueller, Larry Lunt
  • Patent number: 8500155
    Abstract: Inflatable airbag cushions can be rolled and/or folded into a housing assembly. The housing assembly aids in coupling an inflator to the airbag and a vehicle structure. The housing also couples the airbag to a vehicle structure. The housing can be mounted behind an knee bolster or steering wheel of a vehicle and has a cover that can be flush with the cabin side of the mounted position. The housing cover can be a cosmetically finished piece or a cosmetically unfinished piece. The housing cover can be an integral part of the housing, and may be used in combination with a one-piece inflator mounting bracket and heat shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders
  • Patent number: 8360464
    Abstract: An inflatable knee airbag is typically stored in a packaged state within an airbag housing. The housing typically has a cover, which can be either a cosmetic cover or an unfinished cover, if the cover will not be readily visible to an occupant. The cover can be extruded rather than molded and may have features for coupling the cover to the housing. The cover may also have other features such as a tear seam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders
  • Patent number: 8297650
    Abstract: An inflatable knee airbag is typically stored in a packaged state within an airbag housing. The housing often has a cover, which can be either a cosmetic cover or an unfinished cover, if the cover will not be readily visible to an occupant. During inflatable airbag deployment, the housing may contribute to determining the airbag's trajectory. A car-forward portion of an airbag housing that is horizontally oriented may rotate in a car-downward direction to allow a deployment trajectory of the deploying airbag to be more vertically oriented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders
  • Patent number: 8297649
    Abstract: Inflatable airbag cushions can be formed with one or more inflatable chambers, each having different inflated widths and volumes. For example, an inflatable knee airbag can have a first chamber that is adjacent to the periphery of the airbag and a second chamber that is nested within the first chamber. The two chambers can be fluidly coupled and the second chamber may have a vent formed in it that can release inflation gas out of the airbag. The airbag may have more than one nested chamber. The nested chambers can be defined by one or more internal tethers that can be formed from one or more pieces of material. The airbag can be configured such that it and any internal tethers are produced from a single panel of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders
  • Publication number: 20120049488
    Abstract: An inflatable knee airbag is typically stored in a packaged state within an airbag housing. The housing typically has a cover, which can be either a cosmetic cover or an unfinished cover, if the cover will not be readily visible to an occupant. The cover can be extruded rather than molded and may have features for coupling the cover to the housing. The cover may also have other features such as a tear seam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders
  • Publication number: 20120049497
    Abstract: An inflatable knee airbag is typically stored in a packaged state within an airbag housing. The housing often has a cover, which can be either a cosmetic cover or an unfinished cover, if the cover will not be readily visible to an occupant. During inflatable airbag deployment, the housing may contribute to determining the airbag's trajectory. A car-forward portion of an airbag housing that is horizontally oriented may rotate in a car-downward direction to allow a deployment trajectory of the deploying airbag to be more vertically oriented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders
  • Patent number: 8118325
    Abstract: An airbag assembly with a reduced-cost knee airbag cushion and internal tethers can be formed from a single rectangular panel of material so that there is very little material waste. A pleat can be formed in a rear face so that the combination of tethers and pleat help the cushion deploy with favorable characteristics and adopt an arced shape when inflated. The cushion can have apertures for inserting an inflator with mounting stems partially within the cushion so that the mounting stems can be used to couple the cushion to an airbag housing. The assembly can also have a bag strap formed from a single piece of fabric that can wrap around a rolled and/or folded cushion. The assembly can also have a stabilizer strap that can be coupled to the cushion and to the airbag housing so that during deployment, the cushion does not skew or twist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark L. Enders, Louis Mueller, Larry Lunt
  • Publication number: 20120025496
    Abstract: An airbag assembly can include a stabilizer strap attached to an airbag, and the stabilizer strap can cooperate with a housing to prevent undesired rotation or skewing of the airbag during deployment. In some arrangements, a portion of the airbag is secured to the housing via an inflator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Schneider, John F. Witt, JR., Michael Kutchey, Jamie R. Fritz, Mark L. Enders, Louis Mueller, Larry Lunt
  • Patent number: 8083254
    Abstract: An airbag assembly with a reduced-cost knee airbag cushion and internal tethers can be formed from a single rectangular panel of material so that there is very little material waste. A pleat can be formed in a rear face so that the combination of tethers and pleat help the cushion deploy with favorable characteristics and adopt an arced shape when inflated. The cushion can have apertures for inserting an inflator with mounting stems partially within the cushion so that the mounting stems can be used to couple the cushion to an airbag housing. The assembly can also have a bag strap formed from a single piece of fabric that can wrap around a rolled and/or folded cushion. The assembly can also have a stabilizer strap that can be coupled to the cushion and to the airbag housing so that during deployment, the cushion does not skew or twist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark L. Enders, Louis Mueller, Larry Lunt
  • Publication number: 20110148077
    Abstract: Inflatable airbag cushions can be rolled and/or folded into a housing assembly. The housing assembly aids in coupling an inflator to the airbag and a vehicle structure. The housing also couples the airbag to a vehicle structure. The housing can be mounted behind an knee bolster or steering wheel of a vehicle and has a cover that can be flush with the cabin side of the mounted position. The housing cover can be a cosmetically finished piece or a cosmetically unfinished piece. The housing cover can be an integral part of the housing, and may be used in combination with a one-piece inflator mounting bracket and heat shield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders
  • Publication number: 20110012327
    Abstract: Inflatable airbag cushions can be formed with one or more inflatable chambers, each having different inflated widths and volumes. For example, an inflatable knee airbag can have a first chamber that is adjacent to the periphery of the airbag and a second chamber that is nested within the first chamber. The two chambers can be fluidly coupled and the second chamber may have a vent formed in it that can release inflation gas out of the airbag. The airbag may have more than one nested chamber. The nested chambers can be defined by one or more internal tethers that can be formed from one or more pieces of material. The airbag can be configured such that it and any internal tethers are produced from a single panel of material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventor: Mark L. Enders