Patents by Inventor Paul Hicken
Paul Hicken 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).
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Patent number: 9650010Abstract: An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first chamber and a second chamber that inflates forward of the first chamber. The second chamber may have a height above the height of the first chamber so that a bottom of the second chamber is pressed downward adjacent to a door of the vehicle. A plurality of airbag assembly components may be integrally formed with a non-inflating peripheral region surrounding the first and second chambers. Such components may include a front or rear tether cut from the front or rear of the non-inflating peripheral region, a top tether cut from the top of the non-inflating peripheral region to control deployment of the second chamber, and a fabric shield cut from the top to at least partially wrap around the stowed inflatable curtain airbag.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2015Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.Inventors: Xiaohong Wang, Bryan Walston, Arthur Yakumo, Avadhoot Paranjpe, Paul Hicken
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Patent number: 9566935Abstract: An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first protection zone and a second protection zone that inflates forward or rearward of the first protection zone to provide enhanced protection. The second protection zone may be double-folded against the first protection zone so that, during deployment, the second protection zone pivots to unfold relative to the first protection zone. Attachment features such as tack stitching may be used to secure the folded portions together. The tack stitching may be designed to break during deployment of the airbag such that the first protection zone inflates first, followed by a proximal portion of the second protection zone, and then by a distal portion of the second protection zone.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2014Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.Inventors: Paul Hicken, Daisuke Sato
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Patent number: 9333940Abstract: An inflatable airbag system can be configured to be mounted to a frontal region of a vehicle. The inflatable airbag system includes an airbag and a positioning member, and is configured to deploy in various configurations in response to frontal and oblique collision events. The positioning member can include a tether or an inflatable member.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2014Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.Inventors: Paul Hicken, Xiaohong Wang, Takayuki Makioka, Hideaki Tanaka, Leron DuWayne Lechtenberg
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Publication number: 20160059821Abstract: An inflatable airbag system can be configured to be mounted to a frontal region of a vehicle. The inflatable airbag system includes an airbag and a positioning member, and is configured to deploy in various configurations in response to frontal and oblique collision events. The positioning member can include a tether or an inflatable member.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2014Publication date: March 3, 2016Inventors: Paul Hicken, Xiaohong Wang, Takayuki Makioka, Hideaki Tanaka, Leron DuWayne Lechtenberg
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Publication number: 20160039383Abstract: An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first protection zone and a second protection zone that inflates forward or rearward of the first protection zone to provide enhanced protection. The second protection zone may be double-folded against the first protection zone so that, during deployment, the second protection zone pivots to unfold relative to the first protection zone. Attachment features such as tack stitching may be used to secure the folded portions together. The tack stitching may be designed to break during deployment of the airbag such that the first protection zone inflates first, followed by a proximal portion of the second protection zone, and then by a distal portion of the second protection zone.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2014Publication date: February 11, 2016Inventors: Paul Hicken, Daisuke Sato
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Publication number: 20150343981Abstract: An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first chamber and a second chamber that inflates forward of the first chamber. The second chamber may have a height above the height of the first chamber so that a bottom of the second chamber is pressed downward adjacent to a door of the vehicle. A plurality of airbag assembly components may be integrally formed with a non-inflating peripheral region surrounding the first and second chambers. Such components may include a front or rear tether cut from the front or rear of the non-inflating peripheral region, a top tether cut from the top of the non-inflating peripheral region to control deployment of the second chamber, and a fabric shield cut from the top to at least partially wrap around the stowed inflatable curtain airbag.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2015Publication date: December 3, 2015Inventors: Xiaohong Wang, Bryan Walston, Arthur Yakumo, Avadhoot Paranjpe, Paul Hicken
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Patent number: 9156427Abstract: An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first chamber and a second chamber that inflates forward of the first chamber. The second chamber may have a height above the height of the first chamber so that a bottom of the second chamber is pressed downward adjacent to a door of the vehicle. A plurality of airbag assembly components may be integrally formed with a non-inflating peripheral region surrounding the first and second chambers. Such components may include a front or rear tether cut from the front or rear of the non-inflating peripheral region, a top tether cut from the top of the non-inflating peripheral region to control deployment of the second chamber, and a fabric shield cut from the top to at least partially wrap around the stowed inflatable curtain airbag.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2014Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.Inventors: Xiaohong Wang, Bryan Walston, Arthur Yakumo, Avadhoot Paranjpe, Paul Hicken
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Publication number: 20150191141Abstract: An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first chamber and a second chamber that inflates forward of the first chamber. The second chamber may have a height above the height of the first chamber so that a bottom of the second chamber is pressed downward adjacent to a door of the vehicle. A plurality of airbag assembly components may be integrally formed with a non-inflating peripheral region surrounding the first and second chambers. Such components may include a front or rear tether cut from the front or rear of the non-inflating peripheral region, a top tether cut from the top of the non-inflating peripheral region to control deployment of the second chamber, and a fabric shield cut from the top to at least partially wrap around the stowed inflatable curtain airbag.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2014Publication date: July 9, 2015Applicant: Autoliv ASP, IncInventors: Xiaohong Wang, Bryan Walston, Arthur Yakumo, Avadhoot Paranjpe, Paul Hicken
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Patent number: 8882138Abstract: An airbag assembly may include an airbag cushion that can be deployed to cover a portion of the dashboard of a vehicle adjacent another portion of the dashboard that is covered by a deployed front airbag. In some embodiments, airbag cushions may be housed beneath a seating surface of an occupant and deploy inboard of the housing to cover a portion of the dashboard. Such airbags may provide increased protection to front seat occupants who move in an oblique direction, both forward and inboard, during a collision event.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2014Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.Inventors: Paul Hicken, Xiaohong Wang, Takayuki Makioka, Hideaki Tanaka