Inflatable Passenger Restraint Or Confinement (e.g., Air Bag) Or Attachment Patents (Class 280/728.1)
  • Patent number: 9586552
    Abstract: A seat back for a vehicle includes a frame and a deployable device. The deployable device includes a back panel fixed to the frame, a front panel opposite the back panel, and a cavity between the back panel and the front panel. The seat back includes an inflator in communication with the cavity of the deployable device. The deployable device is formed of a plastic material. During a frontal impact of the vehicle, the deployable device may be inflated from an undeployed position to a deployed position to absorb impact from an occupant of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael James Whitens, Dean M. Jaradi, Iskander Farooq, Mohammed Omar Faruque
  • Patent number: 9573497
    Abstract: The present invention in one or more embodiments provides a seat assembly of a vehicle, including a seat base, a seat back communicating with the seat base, an armrest communicating with at least one of the seat back and the seat base, and a pretension unit connected to the armrest such that the armrest is retractable upon activation of the pretension unit. The pretension unit may include a pretensioner, a pulley, and a cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC.
    Inventors: Dean M. Jaradi, Mohammed Omar Faruque
  • Patent number: 9573551
    Abstract: An airbag cushion having a main airbag cushion panel that includes a pair of major body fabric portions continuously formed together with a pair of inner valve fabric portions extending therebetween. The pair of inner valve fabric portions are foldable to form an inner valve for at least in part containing an inflation gas supplying inflator device. The pair of major body fabric portions are joinable together at a peripheral joint portion to at least in part form an airbag cushion body. The airbag cushion body has or forms an interior to receive inflation gas and is deployable on a side of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat. Also provided are corresponding or associated methods of or for manufacturing a side airbag cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaohong Wang, Takayuki Makioka, Hongseok Kim, Atsushi Yamada
  • Patent number: 9566929
    Abstract: An instrument panel includes a frame, an intermediate airbag supported by the frame in an uninflated position, and a first airbag supported by the frame. The first airbag is disposed in a first direction from the intermediate airbag. The first and intermediate airbags are inflatable to an inflated position. The intermediate airbag includes an extension extending in the first direction in the inflated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jamel E. Belwafa, Michael Barnhart, Frankie Carney, Edward Joseph Abramoski, Saied Nusier
  • Patent number: 9553246
    Abstract: A silicone-grafted core-shell particle is described wherein the silicone-grafted core-shell particle comprises a core of an inorganic particle and a shell of a grafted poly(dimethylsiloxane) polymer formed from a bi-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) having reactive groups at each terminal end. The silicone-grafted core-shell particles may be dispersed in a polysiloxane polymer matrix and employed as an LED encapsulant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: OSRAM SYLVANIA Inc.
    Inventors: Maxim N. Tchoul, Alan L. Lenef, David W. Johnston
  • Patent number: 9545891
    Abstract: Provided is an airbag module-mounting side frame configured to be attachable an airbag with high rigidity and efficiently even when an airbag attachment portion has a closed cross-sectional structure. A side frame which forms a seat and on which an airbag module is mounted is provided. A portion of the side frame to which the airbag module is attached has a closed cross-sectional structure. An attachment member that connects the airbag module and the side frame is disposed to connect an inner wall surface of the closed cross-sectional structure arranged on an outer side of the seat and an inner wall surface of the closed cross-sectional structure arranged on an inner side of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: TS Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jinichi Tanabe
  • Patent number: 9499928
    Abstract: A polyester fiber suitable for an airbag fabric has an elongation of 0.8 to 2.0% under a tensile strength of 1.0 g/d at the room temperature, and an additional elongation of 1.5 to 5% under a tensile strength of 8.8 g/d to the maximum. The polyester fiber secures low initial Young's modulus and good mechanical properties and can be used in an airbag fabric not only to provide excellences in air sealing effect as well as packing property and dimensional stability but also to minimize collision impacts on occupants, thereby protecting the occupants with safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Jae-Hyung Kim, Dong-Jin Kwak, Ki-Jeong Kim, Hee-Jun Kim, Jung-Hoon Youn, Sang-Mok Lee
  • Patent number: 9487162
    Abstract: A pillar garnish for covering a pillar of a vehicle includes a first garnish component and a second garnish component. The first garnish component is made of thermoplastic elastomer olefin and includes a sidewall opposite an airbag disposed between the pillar and the pillar garnish. The second garnish component is made of material having rigidity higher than the first garnish component and disposed so as to overlap the first garnish component. The second garnish component includes a garnish body having a plate-like shape and a clip mount for holding a tether clip to be fixed to the pillar. The clip mount protrudes from a surface of the garnish body on a pillar side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke Inagawa, Masayuki Kito
  • Patent number: 9475450
    Abstract: An airbag main body is divided into a first inflation chamber, a second inflation chamber, and a third inflation chamber. The third inflation chamber is inflated beside the lumbar region of an occupant. The vertical partition has a communication hole that connects the first inflation chamber and the second inflation chamber to each other. The airbag main body has a gas passage, which extends in the up-down direction and surrounds at least the gas outlet of an inflator. The gas passage bridges the first inflation chamber and the third inflation chamber. The gas passage has an upper opening, which faces a part of the first inflation chamber that is inflated beside the shoulder region of the occupant. The gas passage also has a lower opening, which faces the third inflation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Hiraiwa, Yuji Sato, Takashi Iida, Masashi Hotta
  • Patent number: 9403502
    Abstract: Provided is an airbag having a function for controlling bag-section expansion while also retaining air-tightness, by reducing the concentration of stress applied to restriction threads during deployment. Provided is a bag body having, in the interior, restriction threads for restricting expansion, wherein the restriction threads comprise: first yarn extending in the interior of the bag body from a non-expanding section to a different non-expanding section; second yarn which forms a base fabric of one side of an expanding section of the bag body and which is separated from the one side and is caught on the first yarn, or is woven with the first yarn to constitute a structure, again returning to the base fabric of the one side; and third yarn which forms a base fabric of the other side of the expanding section of the bag body and which is separated from the other side and is caught on the first yarn, or is woven with the first yarn to constitute a structure, again returning to the base fabric of the other side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SUMISHO AIRBAG SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Tanaka, Masatoshi Yoshida, Teppei Harabayashi
  • Patent number: 9333933
    Abstract: The invention relates to an airbag package (1) for an occupant restraint system of an automotive vehicle comprising a folded airbag (2) and clearances formed between the material of the airbag, wherein the airbag package (1) has a real package volume Vreal composed of the airbag volume VSack of the airbag (2) and the clearance volume Vfrei of the clearances. The invention excels by the fact that the ratio Vreal/VSack between the package volume Vreal and the airbag volume VSack is at most 3.2. The invention further relates to an occupant restraint system comprising such airbag package and to a method of manufacturing an airbag package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Kunkel, Klaus Freudenberger, Dieter Rumpf, Stefan Sapountzis, Stefan Hepp, Stefan Bachmann, Timm Herold
  • Patent number: 9321422
    Abstract: A vehicle body structure includes a pillar, a roof rail, a pillar trim panel mounted to the pillar, a pillar airbag and a curtain airbag. The pillar airbag is mounted to the pillar in a stowed orientation between the pillar trim panel and the pillar. The pillar airbag is arranged to be deployed in a first direction extending away from the pillar in a deployed orientation. The curtain airbag is mounted to the roof rail in a stowed orientation along the roof rail, and is arranged to be deployed in a downward direction extending away from the roof rail to a deployed orientation. The pillar airbag is positioned outboard of the curtain airbag with the curtain airbag overlaying a portion of the pillar airbag with respect to a second direction transverse to the first direction while the pillar airbag and the curtain airbag are in their deployed orientations, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Mueller, Neal Osterhout, Jeffery Dix
  • Patent number: 9238311
    Abstract: An air bag module (5) having an air bag (10), a receiving and retaining element (20) to receive and hold the air bag and an inflator to fill the air bag. To increase the thermal stability the air bag (10) and/or the receiving and retaining element (20) consist at least in part of a radiation crosslinked plastic, in particular of a radiation crosslinked thermoplastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventor: Raimund Nebel
  • Patent number: 9221408
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply control apparatus is provided including a power supply control unit, a control signal connection circuit unit, a remote operation signal obtaining unit for receiving a remote operation signal, a power supply control unit that is operated during remote operation, relays serving as electrical path opening/closing units, and fuses. An air conditioner and a heater are connected to an electrical path that is opened and closed by the relay. A wiper, a washer and a turn signal relay are connected to an electrical path that is opened and closed by the relay. If the remote operation signal obtaining unit obtains a remote operation signal, the control signal connection circuit unit turns the relay off, and does not switch an electrical current on to the electrical path to which the wiper, the washer, and the turn signal relay are connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Akio Ishihara
  • Patent number: 9156425
    Abstract: An airbag can include a first portion disposed closest to the passenger seat upon deployment, and configured to be rolled to form a cylindrical configuration having an axis that is perpendicular to a vehicle's longitudinal axis. The first portion can include a serpentine section disposed closest the vehicle's longitudinal axis and configured to be folded in a serpentine manner along the cylindrical configuration's axis. The first portion can include a rolled section that is spaced further from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle than the serpentine section. The airbag can include a second portion disposed closer to the instrument panel than the first portion and including a tether that is rigidly connected to the vehicle. The second portion can be disposed further from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle than the serpentine section, but at approximately the same distance from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle as the rolled section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Andrew Solomon, Eric Heitkamp
  • Publication number: 20150137488
    Abstract: An airbag (20) for a vehicle occupant restraint system comprises a first fabric layer (10) and an opposed second fabric layer (12) each being formed of a composite fabric of wefts and warps and delimiting a chamber (14) adapted to be filled with gas. Plural weaving threads (16) are provided which exit the composite fabric of a fabric layer (10, 12) in the direction of the other fabric layer (12, 10) and are freely floating in the chamber (14) before they enter into the composite fabric of the other fabric layer (12, 10). The weaving threads (16) are movable in their longitudinal direction relative to the inlet and outlet points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventor: Anton Fischer
  • Patent number: 9033364
    Abstract: A seat cushion airbag apparatus is applied to a vehicle seat including a seat unit having a seat cushion supported, from a lower side thereof, by a supporting portion of a seat frame, and an air blowing duct having a blow-out port below the seat cushion, wherein a conditioning air flowing through the air blowing duct is blown out upward from the blow-out port. An inflator is disposed at a location, which is spaced from the blow-out port in a front and rear direction of a vehicle, and an airbag is inflated between the supporting portion and the seat cushion by an inflation gas supplied from the inflator so that a seat face of the seat unit is raised to prevent a subject to be restrained on the seat unit from being moved forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Nukaya, Takanori Kanto, Yoshikazu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9027961
    Abstract: An air belt having mesh webbing sufficiently strong and sufficiently expandable in the circumferential direction of a bag-shaped belt and an air belt apparatus including the air belt are provided. An air belt includes a folded member being a bag-shaped belt folded in a band shape and mesh webbing covering the folded member of the bag-shaped belt. The mesh webbing hardly expands in the longitudinal direction of the air belt, and is flexibly expandable in the circumferential direction of the bag-shaped belt. The mesh webbing is made of a raschel-knitted material. The knitted material is arranged such that the extending direction of knot portions of yarn threads and corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the air belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventor: Norio Yamataki
  • Patent number: 9028769
    Abstract: The oxygen generation system includes a chemical oxygen generator that creates oxygen through an exothermic chemical reaction that creates sufficient heat to pose a serious risk to a user. The oxygen generation system therefore includes a containment layer to permit safer administration of oxygen from a chemical oxygen generator by shielding a user from and/or dissipating the heat generated by the chemical generator. The oxygen generation system may be handheld and portable for use in extreme, remote, and/or hostile conditions, locations, environments, and situations with a simple activation method easily operated under stress without any preparation or maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Pacific Precision Products Mfg.
    Inventors: Francois Vigier, Ahmad Marshall, Gerald White, Tae Kim, Francisco Castro, Emmanuel Angelo Fantuzzi
  • Patent number: 9022415
    Abstract: A cover for an airbag device, which includes: a cover portion configured to cover an airbag in a folded state; a hollow insertion portion configured to be inserted into an attachment hole on the vehicle; a locking portion inserted into the attachment hole together with the insertion portion and locked at the vehicle; and a connecting portion provided inside the insertion portion and connecting inner surfaces of the insertion portion with each other so as to reinforce the insertion portion. The cover portion, the insertion portion, the locking portion, and the connecting portion are integrally formed, and the connecting portion is present at least at a position closer to a distal end side of the insertion portion in an insertion direction than the position of the attachment hole when the locking portion is locked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Minhun Kim, Jinhua Piao, Atsushi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20150115574
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a base fabric for airbags with excellent deployment speed, internal pressure retention and workability, and an airbag using the same. The inventive base fabric for airbags has resin arranged in at least one surface of the cloth which comprises synthetic fibers, and is characterized in that the amount of resin adhered is from 10 to 50 g/m2 and, further, the weaving thread's filaments is exposed on the resin surface, and the weaving thread's filaments exposure rate is from 1 to 25%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Masato Enoki, Fumiaki Ise
  • Patent number: 9012340
    Abstract: An airbag fabric, airbag and method for making the airbag fabric, the fabric consisting of warp and weft yarns of synthetic fiber yarn, characterized by satisfying the following requirements: (1) the total fineness of the synthetic fiber yarn is 100 to 700 dtex; (2) Nf/Nw?1.10 wherein, Nw represents the weaving density of warp yarns (yarns/2.54 cm) and Nf represents the weaving density of weft yarns (yarns/2.54 cm); (3) EC1?400N and EC2?400N wherein, EC1 represents the edgecomb resistance (N) in the machine direction, as determined according to ASTM D6479-02, and EC2 represents the edgecomb resistance (N) in the crosswise direction as determined according to ASTM D6479-02; (4) 0.85?EC2/EC1?1.15; and (5) the air permeability, as determined according to the Frajour type method specified in JIS L1096 at a test pressure difference of 19.6 kPa, is 1.0 L/cm2·min or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomomichi Fujiyama, Daisuke Yahata, Daisuke Yokoi
  • Patent number: 9004216
    Abstract: An airbag system mitigates intrusion in the event of an offset rigid barrier impact to a forward corner of a motor vehicle. An airbag is attached proximate a distal end of a front rail. When in the inflated condition, the airbag has an angular leading edge. An impact detection sensor generates a signal upon a corner impact event, whereby a controller processes the signal generated by the detection sensor and electrically actuates an inflator upon a predetermined impact severity. The angular leading edge of the airbag in the inflated condition acts against the offset rigid barrier to generate a lateral force against the offset rigid barrier to push the motor vehicle away from the barrier and thereby redirect impact energy by lateral movement of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohamed Ridha Baccouche, Ping Chen, Manoharprasad K. Rao, Jialiang Le, James Chih Cheng
  • Patent number: 8998247
    Abstract: An airbag enclosure has a cover formed by a rigid panel having a portion forming a flap defined by a plurality of sides all formed as breakaway lines and one of which also forms a hinge. The cover is made of a thermoplastic laminate that has a plurality of first layers alternating with a plurality of second layers. The first layers each consist of a homogenous thermoplastic film of a polyolefin copolymer, polyester, or a polyester copolymer. The second layers each consist of an array of strips, fibers, or filaments of polypropylene or polyester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: K. L. Kaschier-und Laminier GmbH
    Inventors: Maik Hoeing, Albert Roring, Rembert Schulze Wehninck
  • Patent number: 8991855
    Abstract: A fabric for use in the manufacture of an inflatable air-bag, the fabric having interwoven warp fibers and weft fibers which are arranged substantially perpendicular to one another, one or more of the warp and weft fibers being at least partially coated with an adhesive substance to increase the friction between the warp and weft fibers at their intersections. In another embodiment, the fabric is formed from fibers having a central core and another sheath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Altay Kismir, David Stow, Gary Wootton, Hugh Finn, Ralf Koehnen
  • Patent number: 8979117
    Abstract: The restraining function of support structure airbags in particular and mechanical airbags should be able to be specifically guaranteed in a simple manner. To this end, an air cushion for an airbag of a motor vehicle is provided, having a sleeve with at least one opening and a closure element arranged on the at least one opening in order to at least partially prevent air from flowing from a first direction, Furthermore, the closure element is flexible and has a channel-shaped design at least upon the flow of air from a second direction opposite the first direction. The closure element thus has the effect of a check valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Christian Burczyk, Andreas Hirth, Lutz Quarg, Friedrich Reiter, Clark Ruedebusch
  • Patent number: 8962499
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a base fabric suitable for the production of a general-purpose airbag having a higher airtight performance with reduced air permeability, a high pressure resistance in the boundary portion between the inflating part and the non-inflating part, and a high impact absorption for an occupant, and a base fabric for an airbag of the present invention comprises a woven fabric formed of a multifilament synthetic fiber having a total fineness of 200 to 550 dtex and a single filament fineness of 2.0 to 7.0 dtex, wherein the elongation is, on average of warp and weft, from 5 to 15% and from 15 to 30% under loads of 50 N/cm and 300 N/cm, respectively, and the pullout resistance of the constituent yarn is from 50 to 200 N/cm/cm on average of warp and weft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Fibers Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Tanaka, Fumiaki Ise, Tokio Okuno, Masato Enoki
  • Patent number: 8919810
    Abstract: The disclosure describes an air bag having a mechanical characteristic durable against the gas of high output and high temperature generated from an inflator, while reducing amount of the gas leaked from a sewn part of the air bag. The air bag can be used for vehicles and includes a main body part consisting of a base fabric and a sewn part being formed by sewing, with a sewing thread, the main body part into a bag, wherein a difference between an elongation of the sewing thread upon applying a tension of 31.3/a (N/thread) to the sewing thread and an elongation of the base fabric upon applying a tension of 62.5/a to the base fabric (N/stitch), wherein “a” (stitch(es)/cm) is a sewing pitch in the sewn part, is within a range of 0 to 5.0% in both directions of warp and weft, and an air permeability of the sewn part at 40 kPa during an initial stage of development of the air bag is less than 50 mm/cm/sec.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Toyobo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahiro Kuramoto
  • Patent number: 8905429
    Abstract: An inflatable device includes a protective patch attached to an interior surface of the device to cover a portion of the surface, wherein the patch is not positioned over an opening in the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew J. Pitonyak, Dale E. Tauchen, Pongdet P. Wipasuramonton
  • Patent number: 8894095
    Abstract: A leg restraint for side-seated vehicle occupants that includes a leg-restraining member for being mounted in proximity to a side-facing vehicle seat and selectively moveable between a deployed, laterally-extending leg-protecting position and a retracted, non-leg interfering position, and a sensor for detecting abrupt movement in the direction of forward travel of the vehicle incident to an abrupt deceleration of the vehicle and outputting a signal. A gas-inflatable bag is positioned operatively proximate the leg-restraining member and is responsive to the signal output by the sensor for inflating and deploying the leg-restraining member upon the occurrence of the abrupt deceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Pete C. Meister, Michael J. Farvet
  • Patent number: 8883659
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an airbag module ensuring that when an airbag fabricated using a fabric composed of a polyamide yarn excellent in heat resistance is deployed by an inflator gas, the deployment occurs without loss of the gas and an excessive amount of generated gas is not necessary, as a result, the inflator is reduced in weight, and the airbag module of the present invention comprises an airbag fabric composed of a polyamide yarn, wherein the air permeability of the fabric under a pressure of 200 kPa is from 10 to 200 cc/cm2/sec and in the thermal stress of the constituent yarn as measured under the conditions of an initial load of 0.02 cN/dtex, a yarn length of 25 cm and a temperature rise rate of 80° C./min, the summed thermal stress of the total of the warp yarn and the weft yarn at 230° C. is from 0.33 to 1.20 cN/dtex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Fibers Corporation
    Inventor: Fumiaki Ise
  • Patent number: 8877660
    Abstract: A base fabric for an air bag obtained by applying a reactive compound, a water-dispersed resin composition and a water-dispersible pigment to a woven/knitted fabric made of synthetic fiber and then subjecting the resulted coated fabric to a thermal treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Toyobo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Matsui, Mamoru Kitamura
  • Patent number: 8863664
    Abstract: An igniter assembly includes, an igniter body having an ignition portion and an electroconductive pin, a substantially cylindrical collar surrounding and retaining the igniter body, and a tubular holder disposed inside the collar and surrounding the electroconductive pin to connect the electroconductive pin to a connector. The igniter body, the collar, and the tubular holder are separate members, and are integrated by a resin (provided that the holder is not fitted by being inserted into the collar or a resin portion covering the collar). The tubular holder has a tubular body portion and a convex portion covered by the resin and formed on an outer circumferential surface of the tubular body portion in the diametrical direction or on an inner circumferential surface of the tubular body portion in the diametrical direction. A fitting portion is provided to the inner circumferential surface of the tubular body portion for fitting the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Daicel Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Yamazaki, Naoki Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20140265260
    Abstract: An airbag for a motor vehicle includes a support structure with a plurality of support elements. The support structure is moveable from a storage position to a support position and by which a support volume of the airbag is covered at least partially in the support position. At least one of the support elements is curved at least in one section in the support position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: DAIMLER AG
    Inventors: Ralf Bogenrieder, Christian Burczyk, Andreas Hirth, Friedrich Reiter
  • Patent number: 8827307
    Abstract: This invention is in the field of safety devices to lessen injuries arising from impact in vehicles, particularly automobiles. A bolster which may be employed to reduce impact severity to passengers from either frontal or side impacts is activated by impact sensing devices. The housing of the bolster has a lateral length L. Upon activation, the bolster is inflated with an activating fluid and extends the lateral length L of bolster upon activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Salflex Polymers Ltd.
    Inventors: Raj S. Roychoudhury, Michael James Best, Timothy W. Chapman, Rimas Ciplijauskas, Changize Sadr, Ali Totonchian
  • Patent number: 8822357
    Abstract: Inflatable airbag for a vehicle which is deployed in the event of an accident involving the vehicle to provide protection for an occupant of the vehicle includes a plurality of ribbons coupled together to define an enclosed, fluid-retaining space and a layer of film laminated on at least one of an outer side of the woven ribbons and an inner side of the ribbons. The ribbons each have a width of less than about 3 mm and preferably about 0.5 to about 1 mm. The ribbons may be made from polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester or polyamide and the layers of film may be made from polyethylene, polyurethane, polyester or polyamide. The ribbons and layers of film may be made of the same or different materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Automotive Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: David S. Breed, Wendell C. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8822358
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fabric for an airbag including a polyester fiber, and particularly to a polyester fabric for an airbag of which toughness is 3.5 to 6.0 kJ/m3 and tearing strength measured according to the ASTM D 2261 TONGUE method is 18 to 30 kgf, wherein the fabric includes polyester fiber of which toughness is 70 to 95 J/m3, a method of preparing the same, and an airbag for a car including the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Kolon Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Jae-Hyung Kim, Dong-Jin Kwak, Jung-Hoon Youn, Sang-Mok Lee, Hee-Jun Kim, Ki-Jeong Kim, Sang-Kil Lee
  • Patent number: 8815757
    Abstract: The present invention provides a coated base fabric for an air bag which can ensure sufficient air permeability even when the coating amount of the resin is 20 g/m2 or less. A coated base fabric for an air bag wherein silicone resin is coated at least on one side of the woven fabric constituted from synthetic fiber filaments which is characterized in that the coating amount of the silicone resin is 20 g/m2 or less, film strength and film elongation of the resin are 3 MPa or more and 300% or more, respectively and air permeability of the coated base fabric under the pressure difference of 100 kPa is 0.02 L/cm2/min or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Toyobo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Akechi, Mamoru Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20140203539
    Abstract: A method for series production of a vehicle assembly, especially an interior assembly, including a vehicle-side support, especially a vehicle steering wheel (12), and a component to be fastened at the support, especially a horn module (14), wherein a module-side bearing unit (22) consisting of at least two bearing members (46, 50) is assigned to the component and/or a support-side bearing unit (24) consisting of at least two bearing members (26, 28) is assigned to the support, and wherein one of the bearing members (28, 50) of the respective bearing unit (22, 24) has a contact surface (34, 58) and the other one of the bearing members (26, 46) has at least one bearing surface (38, 54) includes the step of individually orientating the two bearing members (26, 28, 46, 50) of at least one bearing unit (22, 24) relative to each other as a function of the actual dimensions of the support installed and/or the component installed, fastening the two bearing members (26, 28, 46, 50) orientated relative to each other, a
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Bachmann, Ralph Frisch, Markus Haas, Matthias Helmstetter, Robert Mazuch, Erich Syndikus, Peter Schmid, Dominik Schutz, Rainer Winsel
  • Patent number: 8770616
    Abstract: A deployable footrest assembly includes a top plate that is actuated by an actuator such that the top plate is operable between stowed and deployed positions. During deployment, the top plate is released from a housing by moving a latch mechanism to an unlatched position. Once the top plate is released from the housing, the actuator provides an in-line assist feature to linkage arms of a linkage assembly. Powered by the actuator, the linkage arms rotate to a fixed or set position thereby allowing a vehicle occupant to use the unit as a deployed footrest. During stowage, the latch assembly is coupled to a stowage mechanism, such that when the latch assembly is actuated, the stowage mechanism pulls the linkage arms beyond the set locking threshold angle thereby enabling the top plate to collapse back to a stowed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: William Edward Draper, Edward Joseph Leonard Meszaros, Joseph Porcari
  • Patent number: 8763649
    Abstract: A seam construction for a woven fabric for an OPW airbag, in particular for person restraint systems, which seam construction is characterized by a weaving seam having a single-layer region which is surrounded by an at least two-layer region, the individual layers of which have in each case a looser woven structure than the single-layer region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Global Safety Textiles GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Becker, Thomas Eschbach, Andreas Enderlein
  • Patent number: 8762007
    Abstract: A control unit and a method for triggering passenger protection device for a vehicle are described, a computer having an integrated circuit transmitting a signal and, as a function of this signal, a current source in the integrated circuit outputting a current for charging the capacitors connected to the integrated circuit and situated in the ignition circuit. The charge of these capacitors is output via a third interface using a characterizing measuring signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Alain Jousse, Jochen Schomacker, Hartmut Schumacher, Matthias Siemss, Steffen Walker
  • Patent number: 8733788
    Abstract: A method of forming a fabric for an air-bag, the method comprising providing a plurality of yarns, each yarn being formed from a plurality of individual fibres; applying an activatable additive or coating to each yarn, the additive or coating initially not being activated and wherein, prior to activation, the additive or coating presents little or no impedance to the relative movement of the fibres within the yarn and, following activation, the additive or coating binds fibres within the yarn to one another to prevent or hinder relative movement of the fibres in the yarn with respect to one another; and passing the yarns through an activation zone including a compressing component which applies a compressive force to the yarns, the additive or coating being activated as the yarns pass through the activation zone so that the yarns each have a substantially flat configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Hugh Finn, Ralf Koehnen, David Stow, Gary Wootton, Altay Kismir, Will Winzinger, Gonzalo Alves
  • Patent number: 8722553
    Abstract: A woven airbag fabric includes a first type of filament yarn, at least a second type of filament yarn and a silicone-based coating. The first type of filament yarn is chosen from the group of polyolefin filament yarns. The at least a second type of filament yarn is chosen from the group of polyamide and polyester filament yarns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Mats Johansson
  • Patent number: 8722550
    Abstract: A base fabric for an air bag is provided which is light-weight, flexible, superior in stowability, air shieldability, heat resistance and flame retardancy, further superior in the adhesion to resin and difficult to undergo stitch dislocation and fray. The air bag base fabric comprises a synthetic fiber fabric at least one surface of which is coated with resin. The resin is present also over at least 85% of the total area of an intertwined portion interface as a warp-weft crossing portion of the synthetic fiber fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Seiren Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Yamada, Naokuni Iwasa, Akihiro Nogata
  • Publication number: 20140099015
    Abstract: An automated vision inspection system detects whether a cushion of a side curtain airbag assembly system is twisted. The cushion is provided a plurality of markings arrayed along a longitudinal extent of the cushion. Each marking can be defined by a group of four distinct characters or indicia. Each indicium can be defined by polygonal shaped pixels which allow the inspection system to find clear edges of the marking and thereby determine marking orientation. By determining orientation, the inspection system can compare the inspected marking to a master image of the marking to determine if the cushion is in a twisted state or non-twisted state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Inventors: James Wesley Adams, Alec Peter Bacon
  • Publication number: 20140099016
    Abstract: An automated vision inspection system detects whether a cushion of a side curtain airbag assembly system is twisted. The cushion is provided a plurality of markings arrayed along a longitudinal extent of the cushion. Each marking can be defined by a group of four distinct characters or indicia. Each indicium can be defined by polygonal shaped pixels which allow the inspection system to find clear edges of the marking and thereby determine marking orientation. By determining orientation, the inspection system can compare the inspected marking to a master image of the marking to determine if the cushion is in a twisted state or non-twisted state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: James Wesley Adams, Alec Peter Bacon
  • Patent number: 8676448
    Abstract: An occupant protection device includes (i) an electronic control unit having a control board, (ii) a parallel connection bus having two lines, (iii) multiple satellite sensors connected to the parallel connection bus, (iv) a squib connected to the parallel connection bus, and (v) an accident prevention diode located close to the squib. The control board includes an interface and a processor. Each of the satellite sensors includes a distributed system interface which is located between the two lines. The parallel connection bus is supplied with a sensor drive voltage. The electronic control unit starts to operate at least one of the occupant protection portions based on a result of the collision determination by the control board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Shinji Ooyabu
  • Patent number: 8672348
    Abstract: Gas-generating devices with grain-retention structures and related methods and systems are described. In particular, gas-generating devices having at least one retention structure fixed to a frame and positioned between adjacent gas-generant grains arranged in a longitudinal stack. Fire suppression systems comprising such gas-generating devices are also described. Additionally, methods of manufacturing gas-generating devices, as well as methods of generating a gas and methods of suppressing a fire utilizing such gas-generating devices are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Robbins, William P. Sampson
  • Patent number: 8669194
    Abstract: An air bag formed from a one piece woven air bag material having warp threads (10) and weft threads (20) composed of different polymeric fibers. The air bag in accordance with this invention is inexpensive to fabricate without compromises on strength by providing the weft threads (20) and the warp threads (10) have the same thread linear density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Altay Kismir, Denis Jimmy Bray