Inflated Confinement Specially Positioned Relative To Occupant Or Conforming To The Body Shape Of Occupant Patents (Class 280/730.1)
  • Patent number: 11273786
    Abstract: A motor vehicle with at least one first seat (10) and at least one second seat (12) is described. The second seat (12) is located rear of the first seat (10) and the first seat has one position of operation in which it faces the second seat (12). An air-bag module with an inflatable airbag device (20) being positioned between the first seat (10) and the second seat (12) when in its fully deployed state is provided. Said inflatable airbag device (20) has a first impact surface (22) pointing towards the first seat (10), a second impact surface (24) pointing towards the sec- and seat (12), a main support surface (26) adjacent to or abutting a structural element of the vehicle, and a connecting surface (28) remote from the support surface (26) and extending between the impact surfaces (22, 24). Especially in order to improve the deployment behaviour, the connecting surface (28) is at least partially concave, such that a recess (R) is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Martin Ostling, Christer Lundgren
  • Patent number: 11273783
    Abstract: A restraint system includes a seat defining a lateral axis and an airbag housing supported by the seat. The airbag housing includes a first arm and a second arm. The first arm is fixed relative to the seat, and the second arm is rotatable relative to the seat about a rotational axis generally parallel to the lateral axis. An airbag extends from the first arm to the second arm. The airbag is fixed to the first arm and the second arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad Omar Faruque, S. M. Iskander Farooq, Dean M. Jaradi
  • Patent number: 11260819
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus equipped in a vehicle seat having a seat cushion that forms a seating surface and a seat back that forms a backrest includes: an inflator that generates inflation gas; and an airbag housed within at least the seat back and deployed by inflation gas released from the inflator. The airbag includes a pair of left and right side chambers that deploy towards the front from a side portion of the seat back and an upper chamber that deploys above the head of a passenger. The airbag is rolled in a direction that intersects the longitudinal direction from a flat unfolded state prior to being housed or folded to be compressed into a long bar shape. A folded portion is formed by folding at least a location corresponding to the upper chamber of the long bar shaped airbag to house the folded portion above the seat back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Takayuki Shimizu, Atsushi Nakashima
  • Patent number: 11260818
    Abstract: A seat cushion airbag apparatus includes a support portion, an airbag, and a fastening portion. The support portion is arranged below the cushion portion of a conveyance seat. The airbag is arranged between the cushion portion and the support portion and at the center portion in the width direction of the conveyance seat. The fastening portion fastens the airbag to the support portion and is disposed in the lower portion of the airbag in the inflated state at a position rearward of the center in the front-rear direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Iida, Shigemi Mase, Shigeyuki Suzuki, Hitoshi Ida, Yasushi Masuda, Tadashi Yamada, Yusuke Kojima, Shuji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11254272
    Abstract: A vehicle with a pod separable from a chassis therein, and when a collision detection system detects a collision or an imminent collision, the system will issue a signal to cause an electro-mechanical locking system to detach the pod, and further, to inflate airbags surrounding the pod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventor: Ho Keung Tse
  • Patent number: 11247629
    Abstract: A seat includes a seatback. The seat includes a seat bottom extending away from the seatback in a seat-forward direction to a front of the seat bottom distal to the seatback. The seat bottom has a top surface defining an occupant-leg area. The seat includes an airbag supported by the seat bottom at the front of the seat bottom and inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position. The airbag in the inflated position extends away from the seat bottom in the seat-forward direction and includes an uppermost surface positioned below the occupant-leg area of the seat bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Raed Essa El-Jawahri, Agnes S. Kim, Cortney Stancato, Ming Shen
  • Patent number: 11220226
    Abstract: A headliner system includes a plurality of segments connected together and outlining a central opening and a central section received in the central opening. The central section is selected from a group of central sections consisting of a multisection panel incorporating an overhead airbag grid system, a panel incorporating a fold down display panel and a panel incorporating a pull down divider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Alan Forgette, Amy M. Boardman, John Andrew Stakoe, Anna Miller Hill, Robert Ralph Armitage, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11214217
    Abstract: A module for an airbag for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a roof and an interior with a seat for the occupant includes a housing positioned in the roof. The housing includes a wall with openings extending therethrough. The wall defines an interior space for receiving the airbag. A door includes projections extending into the openings for securing the door to the housing and closing the interior space. The door includes a weakened portion that ruptures in response to inflation of the airbag for allowing the airbag to deploy into the cabin. A door closes the interior space and includes a weakened portion that ruptures in response to inflation of the airbag for allowing the airbag to deploy into the cabin. Fasteners are connected to the door and extend into the openings for securing the door to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.
    Inventors: Douglas M. Gould, Gabriela Diaz
  • Patent number: 11203321
    Abstract: An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant sitting in a front seat of a vehicle. The occupant protection device includes a front airbag device that is adapted to be mounted in front of the front seat and a roof airbag device that is adapted to be mounted on a roof of the vehicle. The front airbag device includes a front airbag that is inflatable and deployable for protecting an upper body of the occupant when an impact is applied to the vehicle from forward. The roof airbag includes a roof airbag that is inflatable and deployable downwardly between the front airbag and the front seat for protecting a head of the occupant when an impact is applied to the vehicle from forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Motoyuki Tanaka, Masashi Hotta, Koji Kawamura, Yuji Sato, Hajime Kitte, Kenichi Fukurono
  • Patent number: 11199166
    Abstract: An ECU is covered by a fuel tank and an upper cover which are vehicle body trim parts along with the upper surface of an air cleaner box. A frame holding duct is connected to the air cleaner box, the frame holding duct extends vehicle forward from the air cleaner box, is connected to a body frame, and is arranged inside an upper cowl, the upper cowl covering the front portion of the body frame, a branching portion of the intake air is arranged in the frame holding duct, and a branching passage extending from the branching portion is disposed between the upper surface of the air cleaner box and the fuel tank and the upper cover and is positioned in front of the ECU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sosuke Miki, Yukinori Kurakawa
  • Patent number: 11186251
    Abstract: An airbag device includes a curtain airbag that is inflated by gas supplied to an inside of the curtain airbag, and that is configured to be deployed to a vehicle width direction outer side of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat, a main airbag that is inflated by gas supplied to an inside of the main airbag, and that is configured to be deployed from an instrument panel side to a front side of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat, and an auxiliary airbag that is inflated by gas supplied to an inside of the auxiliary airbag, and that is configured to be deployed between a vehicle width direction inner portion of the main airbag and an instrument panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Ohara
  • Patent number: 11173867
    Abstract: An airbag for a passenger seat adapted to be stored in a storage which is disposed in an instrument panel in front of a passenger seat is disclosed. The airbag includes a passenger-side wall which is disposed in a rear portion of the airbag as deployed for arresting a passenger, and a vehicle-side wall that extends from an outer circumferential edge of the passenger-side wall towards a front end of the airbag as deployed in a narrowing fashion for mounting on the storage by the front end. The vehicle-side wall includes a recessed area for circumventing an adjoining object disposed in the vehicle when deployed. The recessed area is composed of a tuck formed in a base member of the vehicle-side wall. The tuck is formed by jointing one or more pair of tuck jointing portions that are distant from one another in the base member as laid flat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Hosoe
  • Patent number: 11167714
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system includes an occupant seat, three-point seatbelt device, and an airbag module mounted to the seat. The three-point seatbelt device has a webbing that is configured to, when the occupant is seated on the seat, extend from an upper side in a vicinity of the occupant's outboard shoulder to a lower side in a vicinity of an inboard side of the occupant's waist and obliquely across the occupant's upper body so as to restrain the upper body. The airbag module has an airbag cushion and an inflator for providing inflation gas for the airbag cushion. In a crash event the airbag cushion inflates and deploys from the seat in a vicinity of the occupant's inboard shoulder obliquely across the occupant's upper body, and in a fully deployed state the airbag cushion directly connects to the webbing extended across the occupant's upper body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Craig A. Markusic, Skye Malcolm
  • Patent number: 11155316
    Abstract: This saddle-type vehicle includes an occupant protection device (21), a plurality of acceleration sensors (S1 and S2) which detect translational acceleration in a forward and backward direction acting on a vehicle, and a control device (25) which controls an operation of the occupant protection device (21) on the basis of detection values of the acceleration sensors (S1 and S2). The plurality of acceleration sensors (S1 and S2) include a first acceleration sensor (S1) and a second acceleration sensor (S2). The first acceleration sensor (S1) is disposed above a center of gravity (G) of the vehicle. The second acceleration sensor (S2) is disposed below the center of gravity (G). The control device (25) averages a detection value (de1) detected by the first acceleration sensor (S1) and a detection value (de2) detected by the second acceleration sensor (S2) and controls an operation of the occupant protection device (21) on the basis of the averaged value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Aikyo, Masanori Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11155231
    Abstract: A restraint performance improvement portion of a curtain airbag device for a vehicle is provided at a location of a lower end portion of a curtain airbag which location corresponds with a vehicle seat when the vehicle seat is in a comfortable state. The restraint performance improvement portion inhibits a head area of a vehicle occupant from slipping past the curtain airbag to a vehicle width direction outer side thereof when the vehicle occupant is being restrained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuyoshi Ohno, Masaaki Okuhara
  • Patent number: 11148629
    Abstract: An occupant protecting device for a vehicle has a knee airbag that is disposed at a seat front side of a vehicle seat, and that, at a time of a front collision of a vehicle, deploys, and restrains leg portions of a vehicle occupant seated in the vehicle seat. A foot airbag is disposed at the seat front side of the vehicle seat. At a time of a front collision of the vehicle, when a seat front-rear direction position of the vehicle seat is disposed further toward a rear side than a predetermined position, the foot airbag deploys between the knee airbag and the leg portions of the vehicle occupant seated in the vehicle seat, and restrains the leg portions of the vehicle occupant seated in the vehicle seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Makoto Sekizuka
  • Patent number: 11135992
    Abstract: An assembly includes a roof rail, a linkage supported by the roof rail, and an airbag supported by the linkage. The linkage includes a plurality of links that are rotatable relative to the roof rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad Omar Faruque, Dean M. Jaradi, S. M. Iskander Farooq
  • Patent number: 11130466
    Abstract: An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a curtain airbag inflatable from a stored condition to a deployed condition in which the curtain airbag is positioned between a side structure of the vehicle and the vehicle occupant. The curtain airbag comprises a mounting tab for mounting the curtain airbag to a support structure of the vehicle. A tether has first and second tether end portions. The first tether end portion is connected to an inboard side of the curtain airbag at and/or adjacent to the mounting tab. The second tether end portion is connected to an outboard side of the curtain airbag. In the deployed condition of the curtain airbag, the tether is tensioned and holds a portion of the curtain airbag proximate to the second tether end portion folded in an inboard direction away from the side structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: TRW VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventor: Courtney L. McKeon
  • Patent number: 11117543
    Abstract: An occupant protection system for a vehicle may include an expandable curtain and/or an expandable bladder configured to be expanded from a stowed state to a deployed state. The system may also include a transverse ceiling trim panel and one or more side ceiling trim panels configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle, with the transverse ceiling trim panel extending substantially transversely with respect to the one or more side ceiling trim panels. Portions of the ceiling trim panels may be configured to deflect and allow expansion of the expandable curtain and/or the expandable bladder to the deployed state. The system may also include a deployment controller and one or more inflators configured to cause deployment of the expandable curtain at a first time and deployment of the expandable bladder at a second time after the first time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Josh Alexander Jimenez, Markus Jost, Andrew John Piper, Andrew Frank Raczkowski
  • Patent number: 11110881
    Abstract: A restraint system includes a seat defining a lateral axis and an airbag housing supported by the seat. The airbag housing includes a first arm and a second arm. The first arm is rotatable relative to the seat about a rotational axis generally parallel to the lateral axis, and the second arm is fixed relative to the seat. An airbag is disposed between the first arm and the second arm. The airbag is attached to one of the first arm or the second arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Zhibing Deng, Deepak Patel, Joseph E. Abramczyk
  • Patent number: 11110879
    Abstract: An assembly includes a seatbelt latch having a first slot and a seatbelt webbing extending through the first slot. The assembly includes an airbag mounted to the latch. The airbag extends in a continuous loop defining a second slot, the seatbelt webbing extending through the second slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad Omar Faruque, Dean M. Jaradi, S. M. Iskander Farooq
  • Patent number: 11104291
    Abstract: Occupant safety systems suitable for use in both traditional and opposed seating systems include various combinations of passive safety components: sensors that provides an output signal indicative of an imminent collision, seats selectively moveable relative to seat support structures in response to the output signal, inflatable restraints deployable from lap portions of a tensioned restraint based on the output signal, airbags deployable from a roof of a vehicle based on the output signal, cabin dividers deployable from a side of a cabin of the vehicle or the roof of the vehicle based on the output signal, and curtain airbags deployable between an occupant and the side of the cabin of the vehicle based on the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nathaniel J. Dennis, Arturo Llamazares Domper, Rikard Fredriksson, Alexander M. Zoellner, Lukas Satas, Jorge C. Fialho, John J. Baker, Jesse T. Buehler, Ronald A. Bowers
  • Patent number: 11104289
    Abstract: [Problem] To provide an airbag device capable of controlling flow of gas discharged from an inflator. [Resolution Means] The airbag device is an airbag device that expands and deploys in a vehicle passenger compartment of a vehicle and restrains a passenger sitting in a first seat from a side, including: a cushion 41 provided with a horizontal portion 41d that deploys in a horizontal direction of the vehicle in an expanded and deployed state and a protruding portion 41e that deploys in an upward direction of the vehicle from a center portion of the horizontal portion 41d; a diffuser that is secured inside the cushion 41, that is open in the horizontal direction of the vehicle, closed in a downward direction of the vehicle, and partially or entirely closed in a direction toward the protruding portion; and an inflator 42 that is secured to the first seat, provided inside the diffuser, and that discharges gas for expansion and deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Yuto Kobayashi, Tsutomu Sakurai
  • Patent number: 11091114
    Abstract: An airbag device includes a main bag configured to be inflated when gas is supplied into the main bag, the main bag configured to be deployed between first and second vehicle seats disposed adjacent to each other in a vehicle width direction in vehicle front view and toward a lateral side of an occupant seated in the first vehicle seat. The airbag device further includes a sub-bag configured to be inflated when gas is supplied into the sub-bag, the sub-bag configured to be disposed between a portion of the main bag in an upper part of the main bag and the second vehicle seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takamichi Komura
  • Patent number: 11091110
    Abstract: An occupant protection device is provided with: a table disposed at a position facing a seatback; and an airbag disposed in the table. The airbag deploys between the table and the upper body of an occupant sitting on the front surface of the seatback. Due to this configuration, in a vehicle provided with the table, the upper body of the occupant can be favorably protected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naotoshi Takemura, Yoshihisa Sugamata, Kazuo Imura, Yusuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11084452
    Abstract: A passenger protection apparatus includes an inflator and an airbag body. The inflator is configured to generate gas upon receiving a predetermined actuating signal. The airbag body is folded and configured to deploy by supplying the gas from the inflator to the airbag body. The airbag body includes an predetermined area on which adhesive is applied. The predetermined area adheres to an adherend when the airbag body is deployed. When the airbag body is not deployed, the airbag body is stored in a deflated and bound state, and a surface facing the predetermined area when the airbag body is stored is a peel-off surface on which an adhesive force of the adhesive is lost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isamu Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 11066037
    Abstract: The invention relates to an inflator holder (14) for an airbag module (10) comprising a holder bottom part (20) in which an inflator receiving hole (18) is formed and comprising a holder sidewall part (22) which delimits, together with the holder bottom part (20), a receiving compartment (26) for an inflator (12) open on a discharge side (28) opposed to the holder bottom part (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Jochen Weiss, Sergey Hauer, Hans-Peter Bausch
  • Patent number: 11066038
    Abstract: An occupant protection system includes a seat disposed such that a rear surface of a seatback in a seat front-rear direction faces a wall portion of a vehicle cabin; an airbag provided in the wall portion or the seatback and configured to support the seatback by inflating and deploying between the wall portion and the seatback; and an inflator configured to generate gas to be supplied to the airbag in a case where a collision that causes an occupant seated in the seat to inertially move rearward in the seat front-rear direction is detected or predicted. The airbag has a vent hole through which the gas inside the airbag is discharged outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Makoto Sekizuka
  • Patent number: 11066033
    Abstract: A restraint system for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a roof and a cabin with a seat for the occupant includes an airbag having a stored condition within a base of the vehicle seat and being inflatable to deploy upwards in the cabin and between legs of the occupant to a deployed condition in front of the occupant. The airbag including a lower end having a pair of projections spaced apart in a forward-rearward direction of the vehicle. The airbag being configured to utilize the vehicle seat as a reaction surface for restraining the movement of the airbag in response to occupant penetration into the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.
    Inventor: Swagat Goswami
  • Patent number: 11066036
    Abstract: A far side airbag apparatus for a vehicle for installation at a side of a frame of a backrest of a seat directed toward an inner center portion of the vehicle such that the far side airbag is expanded and deployed between at least two backrests arranged widthwise along the vehicle. The far side airbag includes an inner part directed toward an occupant seated in a direction opposite to a collision side of the vehicle upon vehicle collision and an outer part directed toward the inner center portion of the vehicle upon vehicle collision. When a vehicle collision occurs, for example, when a side inclination collision of the vehicle occurs, the occupant seated in opposition to the collision side of the vehicle may be prevented from abruptly moving toward the front portion and the inner center portion of the vehicle out of the protection range of the far side airbag. Thus, collision between occupants seated on a driver seat and an occupant seat can be effectively prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Tae Ik Gwon, Par Sandinge, Mats Berntsson, Jong Ki Byun
  • Patent number: 11059521
    Abstract: A cowl cross bar is provided for a vehicle capable of easily ensuring a space in which a heads-up display device is disposed and a passage through which an air duct extends, and which exhibits improved self-supporting stiffness and sufficient stiffness to support a steering column. The cowl cross bar includes a main bar disposed in a lateral direction from a vehicle body, a pair of first brackets for supporting hardware, which is coupled to the main bar and extends forward therefrom, a second bracket for supporting a steering column, which is coupled to the main bar and extends forward therefrom, the second bracket being disposed between lower ends of the pair of first brackets for supporting hardware, and a third bracket for reinforcement, which is disposed between the pair of first brackets for supporting hardware and the second bracket for supporting the steering column and is connected thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sung Sik Choi, Byung Seok Kong
  • Patent number: 11059449
    Abstract: A restraint system (10) for helping to protect an occupant (60) of a vehicle (20) having a roof (32) and a cabin (40) with a seat (50) for the occupant (60) includes an airbag (70) mounted to the vehicle roof (32). The airbag (70) has a stored condition and is inflatable to a deployed condition. The airbag (70), when deployed, extends from an upper end (90) connected to the vehicle roof (32) to a lower end (92) positioned adjacent the occupant (60). The airbag (70) has a U-shaped configuration including a first leg (104) and a second leg (106) pivotable relative to the first leg (104) in response to occupant (60) penetration into the second leg (106). A tether (120) has first and second ends (122, 124) each connected to the airbag (70) for limiting pivotal movement of the second leg (106) relative to the first leg (104).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.
    Inventors: Hylus Ranjit Raj Jayakar, Kurt F. Fischer
  • Patent number: 11059446
    Abstract: An airbag includes a bag body that includes a first panel and a second panel which are opposed to each other, a partitioning tether that is disposed in such a manner as to partition an interior of the bag body, a communication hole that is formed in the tether for providing gas communication in the interior of the bag body, and first and second joints that respectively join first and second edges of the tether to the first and second panels of the bag body. The communication hole has a generally rectangular contour which has two corners in a vicinity of each of the first and second edges of the tether. In both of the first and second edges of the tether, the corners of the communication hole are disposed closer to the first or second edge of the partitioning tether than a corresponding one of the joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Kimura, Norihisa Taya, Yoshiki Kaneko, Takashi Shigemura
  • Patent number: 11040688
    Abstract: A side airbag assembly includes a housing and an airbag in the housing. The housing has a top surface and a panel. The panel has a top end and a hinge connecting the top end to the top surface. The panel has a bottom end and two side ends extending from the top end to the bottom end. The panel has weakened joints at the bottom end and the side ends. The panel is rotatable relative to the top surface from an undeployed position to a generally upright position and the panel abuts the top surface in the generally upright position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Zhibing Deng, Joseph E. Abramczyk, Deepak Patel
  • Patent number: 11021130
    Abstract: A curtain airbag of a vehicle is provided adjacent to the roof of the vehicle in a folded state, is configured to have a shape that unfolds downward between an inner side surface of the vehicle and an occupant when the vehicle crashes, and includes an outer panel that proceeds toward the side surface of the vehicle and an inner panel that proceeds toward the occupant upon expansion. The curtain airbag further includes a head support part configured to have a shape in which an expansion thickness, which is defined by the outer panel and the inner panel in a portion that the head of the occupant contacts due to the car crash, gradually increases toward the front of the vehicle, so as to prevent the head of the occupant from rotating while moving toward the front of the vehicle. The curtain airbag may effectively stop the head of the occupant from rotating while moving toward the front of the vehicle during a vehicle crash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Tae Ik Gwon, Kyu Soung Jang, Wan Dong Yoo, Yong Hyun Jung, Hugh Finn, Gary Wootton, Dae Chang Jung
  • Patent number: 11021127
    Abstract: A seating assembly for a vehicle comprises: a seatback; an airbag having a stowed position and an inflated position, the airbag being configured to inflate from the stowed position to the inflated position in response to the vehicle impacting an object; a head restraint coupled to the seatback, the head restraint including a forward position, a rearward position, and a locking mechanism preventing the head restraint from moving from the forward position to the rearward position after taking the forward position; and as the airbag inflates from the stowed position to the inflated position, the airbag forces the head restraint from the rearward position to the forward position. As the airbag inflates from the stowed position to the inflated position and forces the head restraint to the forward position, the airbag does not contact the one or more support bars and does not force the seatback to change position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Fredriksson, Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Benjamin Yilma, Michael Steven Medoro
  • Patent number: 11014522
    Abstract: A restraint system includes an A pillar, a dash extending in a cross-vehicle direction from the A pillar, a door extending in a vehicle-rearward direction from the A pillar, and an airbag mounted to the A pillar and inflatable to an inflated position. The airbag includes a side chamber and a front chamber. The side chamber is elongated along the door when the airbag is in the inflated position, and the front chamber is elongated along the dash when the airbag is in the inflated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Dean M. Jaradi, S. M. Iskander Farooq, Mohammad Omar Faruque
  • Patent number: 11001221
    Abstract: A passenger protection device for a front passenger seat includes: an upper airbag that is installed in a front header of a vehicle, and is configured to inflate and deploy at a time of a frontal collision of the vehicle so as to be supported by a windshield from a front side of the vehicle; and a lower airbag that is provided separately from the upper airbag and installed at a front end of a vehicle cabin below the windshield in a vehicle height direction, the lower airbag being configured to inflate and deploy at the time of the frontal collision so as to be supported by a dashboard including an instrument panel from the front side of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Osamu Fukawatase, Hiroe Sugawara
  • Patent number: 11001217
    Abstract: An assembly includes a front console having an outer surface and a pair of outboard ends spaced along an axis and defining a center therebetween. The assembly includes an airbag supported by the front console at one of the outboard ends and inflatable from an uninflated position elongated transverse to the axis to an inflated position extending along the outer surface toward the center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ming Shen, Raed Essa El-Jawahri
  • Patent number: 10994687
    Abstract: Airbag cushion wrappers and related airbag cushion assemblies and methods. In some embodiments, an airbag cushion assembly may comprise an airbag cushion in a folded configuration, a plurality of studs, which may extend from a retainer ring, and a compression wrapper wrapped around the airbag cushion. The compression wrapper may comprise a plurality of vertical straps coupled with the plurality of studs. Each of the plurality of vertical straps may extend along and compress a corner region of the airbag cushion to reshape the airbag cushion. In some embodiments, a radial strap may extend between each adjacent vertical strap of the compression wrapper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Travis B. Hess
  • Patent number: 10988101
    Abstract: A vehicle side airbag device is stored inside a seatback of a vehicle seat and includes an airbag that inflates and deploys between a seated occupant and a side door. The interior of the airbag is partitioned into plural chambers including a high-pressure chamber, and the high-pressure chamber inflates and deploys so as to vertically straddle a door beltline as seen in vehicle lateral view and so as to restrain a shoulder region of the seated occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seiji Hioda
  • Patent number: 10981529
    Abstract: A restraint system for a vehicle is disclosed. The restraint system includes a seat shaped to accommodate an occupant, wherein the seat includes a seat back and an energy absorption member that expands from a stowed position and into a deployed position. The energy absorption member fills a volume of space behind the seat back when in the deployed position to absorb energy that would otherwise be imparted towards an occupant of the seat during an impact involving the vehicle. The restraint system also includes an impact sensing device generating an impact signal in response to detecting the impact involving the vehicle is imminent. The impact signal indicates an orientation and magnitude of the impact involving the vehicle. The restraint system includes a control module in electronic communication with the energy absorption member and the impact sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jason Kim, Anna M. Lusk, Brian J. Putala
  • Patent number: 10981530
    Abstract: A knee-airbag-device attachment structure comprises knee-airbag devices and vehicle-body side brackets which connect the knee-airbag devices and hinge pillars of a vehicle body, respectively. This knee-airbag-device attachment structure further comprises an instrument-panel-member supporting-post side bracket which connects the knee-airbag device to an instrument-panel-member supporting post which is provided to extend between an instrument panel member and a tunnel portion of a floor panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Nakamura, Hideharu Kaeriyama
  • Patent number: 10974679
    Abstract: An arrangement for a vehicle roof is provided having a roof element, which can be coupled to a roof body of a motor vehicle and permits a view through the vehicle roof, and a safety device, which is assigned to the roof element and which has a safety element and a drive which is configured to move the safety element relative to the roof body and to transfer same from a first, retracted state, in which the safety element is stowed in a predetermined manner, into a second, extended state, in which the safety element covers a surface portion on a lower side of the roof element in a predetermined manner and opposes penetration of a body through the roof element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventor: Ulrich Sommer
  • Patent number: 10974680
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant protecting device, includes: an multidirectional airbag that is accommodated in a headrest, and that receives a gas supply from an inflator and inflates and expands, and that protects a head portion of a vehicle occupant from at least a front side and left and right both sides, and at which a front expanding portion, which protects the head portion from a front side, passes above the head portion in a process of inflating and expanding; and a vehicle cabin ceiling at which a reinforcing portion as an expanding direction regulating means is provided at an interference region which the front expanding portion interferes with in the process of inflating and expanding, and that, by the interference, directs an expanding direction of the front expanding portion toward a front side of the head portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanobu Ohmi, Seiji Yamamoto, Kosuke Sakakibara, Kazuki Sugie, Misato Kinoshita, Yoshiaki Matsumura
  • 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
  • Patent number: 10974685
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an airbag for a vehicle. The airbag safely supports a passenger after deploying forward from behind a passenger in a seat. Additionally, the airbag is able to be changed in position to safely protect a passenger by changing the position even when the position of a seat is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Hyock In Kwon
  • Patent number: 10960844
    Abstract: An occupant protection system for a vehicle may include an expandable curtain and/or an expandable bladder configured to be expanded from a stowed state to a deployed state. The system may also include a transverse ceiling trim panel and one or more side ceiling trim panels configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle, with the transverse ceiling trim panel extending substantially transversely with respect to the one or more side ceiling trim panels. Portions of the ceiling trim panels may be configured to deflect and allow expansion of the expandable curtain and/or the expandable bladder to the deployed state. The system may also include a deployment controller and one or more inflators configured to cause deployment of the expandable curtain at a first time and deployment of the expandable bladder at a second time after the first time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Josh Alexander Jimenez, Markus Jost, Andrew John Piper, Andrew Frank Raczkowski, Goutham Shanmuga Sundaram
  • Patent number: 10953841
    Abstract: A passenger seat airbag device includes an airbag and a regulating member which regulates deploying and inflating of the airbag. The regulating member includes a temporary holding portion which includes a base portion and a cover portion arranged below the base portion and temporarily and releasably holds a folded part of the folded airbag. While the temporary holding portion rotating rearward, the folded part of the folded airbag is released from a release opening. The airbag is folded and stored in a storage part while a rear end side including a rear end of a preliminary folded airbag is arranged below the cover portion of the temporary holding portion and extends forward from the release opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiromi Tamai, Shinichi Ishida
  • Patent number: 10953834
    Abstract: A system includes a bulkhead, a seat spaced from the bulkhead, and an airbag supported by the bulkhead and inflatable towards the seat to an inflated position. The airbag in the inflated position includes a vertex spaced from the bulkhead, a knee-impacting portion tapering from the vertex downwardly and towards the bulkhead, and a head-impacting portion extending upwardly from the vertex. The head-impacting portion includes a head-receiving depression. The head-receiving depression is round.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dean M. Jaradi, Mohammad Omar Faruque, S. M. Iskander Farooq