Inflated Confinement Specially Positioned Relative To Occupant Or Conforming To The Body Shape Of Occupant Patents (Class 280/730.1)
  • Patent number: 10512420
    Abstract: Systems are described for monitoring extremities for injury or damage following a physical impact. A device embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a deformable substrate; a sensor assembly coupled to the deformable substrate, the sensor assembly configured to generate one or more sense signals based on detection of a physical impact to a body portion and based on detection of a physiological parameter; circuitry operably coupled to the sensor assembly and configured to receive the one or more sense signals based on detection of the physical impact and to determine whether the physical impact exceeds a threshold impact value, the circuitry configured to instruct the sensor assembly to detect one or more physiological parameters of the body portion when the physical impact exceeds the threshold impact value; and a reporting device operably coupled to the circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: ELWHA LLC
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, Eric C. Leuthardt, Mark A. Malamud, Tony S. Pan, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Clarence T. Tegreene, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10507783
    Abstract: In a vehicle having a display mounted forward of a passenger seat on a dashboard and angled toward a driver seat adjacent the passenger seat, the display is moveable from the angled position to a position flush with the dashboard, and an airbag system is configured to deploy an airbag cushion that displaces the display from the angled position to the position flush with the dashboard to ensure that the airbag cushion has an adequate backup or support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: NIO USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Rupp
  • Patent number: 10501041
    Abstract: An airbag system includes a seat back having a first location and a second location spaced from the first location. The airbag system includes a housing pivotally supported by the seat back at the first location. The airbag system includes a linear actuator including a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end is fixed to the seat back at the second location. The second end is fixed to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad Omar Faruque, S. M. Iskander Farooq, Dean M. Jaradi, Mark A. Cuddihy
  • Patent number: 10501040
    Abstract: An occupant protection device for a vehicle includes: a three-point seatbelt device having a seatbelt extendable across a front of an upper body of an occupant sitting on a seat; and a belt airbag device including a belt airbag that is provided at a shoulder belt section, which is extendable from a shoulder to a waist of the occupant, of the seatbelt the belt airbag being configured to be deployed when a collision occurs. The belt airbag includes a belt-direction deployment section extendable and deployable along the shoulder belt section, and an intersecting-direction deployment section extendable and deployable in a direction intersecting the shoulder belt section. The belt-direction deployment section and the intersecting-direction deployment section are configured to form a single bag by being coupled to each other below a head of the occupant sitting on the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takao Kondo, Isamu Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 10493940
    Abstract: There is provided a side airbag device including: a first side airbag being provided inside a side section at a seat width direction outer side of a seatback and inflated and deployed at a side of an occupant seated in a seat; a second side airbag being arranged at a seat width direction inner side of the first side airbag so as to inflate and deploy between the first side airbag and the occupant; a communication section that places the first side airbag and the second side airbag in communication with each other; and a gas generation device, the gas generation device being provided at the communication section, and including a first gas emission section to supply gas into the first side airbag, and a second gas emission section that is separate from the first gas emission section to supply gas into the second side airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeharu Sugishima, Osamu Fukawatase, Takamichi Komura, Takayuki Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10486639
    Abstract: An occupant protection device includes a vertical air bag. The vertical air bag is deployable downward at least from above a shoulder of an occupant seated in a seat of a vehicle. During deployment, the vertical air bag is bent in such a manner that a deployed direction distal end portion is, at a portion in front of an upper body of the occupant seated in the seat, oriented towards a waist of the occupant. During the development, in a state in which the vertical air bag is bent, the deployed direction distal end portion comes in contact with a frontal portion of the occupant seated in the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isamu Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 10479228
    Abstract: The invention relates to a position-determining device for determining a position of a vehicle seat inside a vehicle, wherein the position of the vehicle seat in the vehicle can be adjusted along an adjustment direction between a first and at least one second location, comprising a vehicle component and a vehicle seat component, wherein the vehicle component can be arranged in the vehicle as part of a vehicle electronics system, and the vehicle seat component can be arranged in the vehicle seat as part of a vehicle seat electronics system, said vehicle seat component having at least one vehicle seat transmitting/receiving device and said vehicle component having at least two vehicle transmitting/receiving devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Daniel Esslinger, Jörg Winkler, Simon Bork
  • Patent number: 10471920
    Abstract: A seat includes a seat bottom and a seatback coupled to the seat bottom. The seatback includes a headrest and a front face facing the seat bottom. The seat includes an airbag inflatable from an undeployed position to a deployed position. The airbag in the undeployed position is supported by the front face above the headrest. The seat includes a tether extending from the seatback to the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Jonathan Andrew Line, Kevin Wayne Preuss, Brian Robert Spahn
  • Patent number: 10471923
    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. In the deployed state, the expandable curtain may include first and second sides configured to extend along respective portions of first and second interior sides of the vehicle. The expandable curtain may also include a transverse portion extending between the first and second sides, and the first and second sides, and the transverse portion of the expandable curtain may form a contiguous barrier. The expandable bladder when deployed may be supported by the expandable curtain during contact by an occupant. The occupant protection system may also include a deployment control system configured to cause the expandable curtain and/or the expandable bladder to expand to the deployed state. The occupant protection system may be used in vehicles having a carriage-style seating arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Josh Alexander Jimenez, Timothy David Kentley-Klay, Andrew John Piper
  • Patent number: 10471919
    Abstract: An airbag system includes a first seat including a seat bottom. The airbag system includes an instrument panel. The airbag system includes a first airbag supported by the seat bottom and inflatable to an inflated position. The airbag system includes a pair of front airbags supported by the instrument panel and inflatable to inflated positions. The first airbag in the inflated position extends from the first seat to between the pair of front airbags in the inflated positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad Omar Faruque, S. M. Iskander Farooq, Dean M. Jaradi
  • Patent number: 10457243
    Abstract: Airbag assemblies are disclosed that include inflatable knee airbags. The knee airbags can include panel(s) forming a main chamber that provides a primary cushioning protection zone to a lower leg of a vehicle occupant. The knee airbags can further include an external chamber panel coupled to a rearward surface of an occupant-facing panel, external to the main inflatable chamber, to form an external chamber facing the occupant. Vent(s) through the occupant-facing panel can communicate inflation gas from the main chamber to the external chamber to fill a space between the vehicle and the lower leg of the occupant, and to control timing of inflation of the external chamber to cause it to inflate on lateral sides of the lower leg of the occupant to thereby limit lateral movement of the lower leg relative to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignees: Autoliv ASP, Inc., Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Matthew Lee Munsee, Travis Brent Hess, Gavin Francom Anae, Eric M. Heitkamp
  • Patent number: 10434972
    Abstract: An air bag device for a driver's seat may include a main-cushion unit provided on a steering wheel and having a front chamber that comes into contact with the steering wheel and a rear chamber that faces a driver, a sub-cushion unit communicating with the main-cushion unit and protruding outwards from the main-cushion unit, and a guide chamber located in the main-cushion unit to define a passage for guiding gas produced in an inflator to the sub-cushion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Do Hyoung Kim, Hae Kwon Park, Seokhoon Ko
  • Patent number: 10434906
    Abstract: A method and a system are provided to control an actuator for exerting forces upon a loading area, particularly a vehicle seat, in an adjusting direction, especially a longitudinal vehicle direction extending from a front end of the vehicle to a tail end of the vehicle. The loading area is mounted on a body of a motor vehicle, particularly a passenger car, such that it can be adjusted in the adjusting direction. An imminent collision of the motor vehicle is detected, and an actuator is driven in order to accelerate the loading area in the adjusting direction prior to the imminent collision in the event an imminent collision is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Markus Frommann, Oleg Mazur
  • Patent number: 10421426
    Abstract: Provided is an occupant protection device which is disposed side by side with an under-cover of an instrument panel and has a harness connected to an inflator disposed on a front side of the under-cover in a vehicle traveling direction to protect a knee portion of an occupant, including a case having a side wall on which the harness is disposed, and a protrusion configured to extend from the side wall of the case toward a front of the under-cover in forward and backward direction of a vehicle, to come in contact with the under-cover, and to restrict movement of the under-cover to the front side in the forward and backward direction of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Odai, Kento Maeda
  • Patent number: 10414372
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat back frame, an elastic installation supporting member installed in the seat back frame, and an airbag within a seat back, the vehicle seat causing the airbag to inflate and develop within the seat back. An inflator is attached to the seat back frame. An inflation and a development of the airbag in the seat back due to an operation of the inflator allows the airbag to elastically support an upper body of a seated person and to elastically receive an impact force which is applied to a rear of the seat back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isamu Nagasawa, Yoshihiro Kamata
  • Patent number: 10407015
    Abstract: A restraint system includes a seat and a seat airbag supported by the seat and inflatable to an inflated position. The restraint system includes an instrument panel and a forward airbag supported by the instrument panel and inflatable to an inflated position. When the seat airbag is in the inflated position and the forward airbag is in the inflated position, the seat airbag extends from the seat to the forward airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jamel E. Belwafa, Mohammad Omar Faruque, James Chih Cheng
  • Patent number: 10399531
    Abstract: A motor vehicle (1) has a supporting structure (3) that includes an A-pillar (5), and has a protective apparatus (8) that includes an inflatable airbag that can be inflated from a rest state into a deployed state by way of activation. The inflatable airbag is accommodated exclusively in the A-pillar (5) in the rest state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Dr. Ing h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Thomas Mueller
  • Patent number: 10377324
    Abstract: A trim module is disclosed for a pillar of a motor vehicle, in particular for an A-pillar of a motor car. The trim module includes a trim body, a basic body configured to connect to the pillar, a latch and a jointed connection. The trim body includes a pivot portion pivotable about the jointed connection and facing the interior of the motor vehicle. The basic body includes a connecting portion, a bearing portion and a support portion. The support portion is formed in the direction of the pivot portion. The pivot portion, the bearing portion and the support portion form a first receiving region for an inflatable airbag. The pivot portion and the bearing portion are detachably connected to one another by the latch and the jointed connection is formed on the side of the support portion facing away from the first receiving region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Ralf Gaudig
  • Patent number: 10369951
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus which is capable of restraining an occupant in a stable position even during an oblique collision, and which is capable of suppressing an injury value of the occupant. An airbag apparatus 100 restrains an occupant 132 of a vehicle. The airbag apparatus 100 is provided with: a main bag 112 which is bag-shaped and inflates and deploys in front of a front passenger seat 104 of the vehicle; and a center bag 114 which is bag-shaped and inflates and deploys on an inner side of the main bag 112 in a vehicle width direction. The center bag 114 has a rear region 160 which extends further towards a rear of the vehicle than the main bag 112, and a curved surface 164, which projects towards a main bag 112 side in the vehicle width direction, is formed on the rear region 160.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Hiroya Tabushi, Yutaka Nakajima, Tomohiro Sumiya, Kai Maenishi
  • Patent number: 10363895
    Abstract: An airbag is disclosed, including a main bag section deployable in front of a passenger seat, a center bag section which is deployable in such a manner as to protrude towards an inboard side in a vehicle width direction out of the main bag section to an area beneath the rearview mirror. The center bag section includes, on the upper portion as deployed, a region that faces the rearview mirror in an up and down direction. The center bag section internally includes a regulating tether that is disposed generally along an up and down direction and connects the region of the upper portion of the center bag section facing the rearview mirror at airbag deployment and a region of a lower portion of the center bag section deployed beneath the region facing the rearview mirror in order to prevent contact between the center bag section and the rearview mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ikuo Yamada
  • Patent number: 10363896
    Abstract: Provided is an occupant protection device which is disposed together with an under-cover of an instrument panel, has a harness connected to an inflator and protects a knee portion of an occupant, including a case in which a first surface is disposed along a lower end of the under-cover and the harness is disposed on a side surface intersecting the first surface and extending in forward and backward direction of a vehicle, and an overhanging portion configured to protrude from a side surface of the case on a lower side of the harness in a vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Odai, Kento Maeda
  • Patent number: 10343644
    Abstract: A seat includes a seatback, two armrest portions, and two airbags. Each armrest portion is rotatably coupled to the seatback about a generally vertical axis from a stowed position elongated in a forward direction to a deployed position extending in front of the seatback. Each airbag is fixed to one of the armrest portions and inflatable to an inflated position in which one of the airbags is disposed in front of the other of the airbags relative to the seatback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Brian Robert Spahn, Benjamin Yilma, Marcos Silva Kondrad, S. M. Akbar Berry
  • Patent number: 10343637
    Abstract: An airbag bracket assembly includes a seat frame including a stud hole, a first bracket, and a second bracket including a bracket hole. The first bracket is located on one side of the seat frame, and the second bracket is located on an opposing side of the seat frame. A fastener is attached to the first bracket. The fastener is received in the stud hole and the bracket hole. A method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Boshoku America, Inc.
    Inventors: Alice Knoebel, Blair Kinsman, Eric Gaudreault
  • Patent number: 10328887
    Abstract: A roof-mounted energy absorbing countermeasure system for use in a vehicle is provided. In one example, the system may include an impact detection module configured to detect whether a vehicle has experienced an impact and generate an impact detection signal in response thereto. The system may also include a countermeasure disposed between an outer roof panel of the vehicle and an inner roof panel of the vehicle. The outer roof panel and the inner roof panel may be separated by a first distance in a pre-impact state. The countermeasure may be configured to deploy, in response to generation of the impact detection signal, so as to cause at least a portion of the outer roof panel and at least a portion of the inner roof panel to be separated by a second distance that is greater than the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Robert A. Dziurda
  • Patent number: 10328884
    Abstract: An airbag device for a front passenger seat includes a front passenger seat airbag main body, a center airbag portion, an actuator and a control section. The actuator is configured to switch a strap between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the center airbag portion is retained in a folded state. In the second state, the other end portion of the strap is released and the center airbag portion is allowed to inflate and expand. The control section sets the actuator to the first state when there is a full overlap frontal collision, and sets the actuator to the second state when there is a collision that is any of an oblique collision against a driver seat side of a vehicle front portion or a small overlap collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ippei Kobayashi, Nobuya Nakakura
  • Patent number: 10328889
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant protection device has an airbag main body that is formed as a single integrated bag body that covers a head portion of a vehicle occupant and includes a forward-inflating portion housed in a headrest or in a seat back of a vehicle seat, and which inflates and deploys when supplied with gas, and which inflates on a seat front side of the head portion, and a pair of left and right side-inflating portions which inflate on seat side portions of the head portion. This vehicle occupant protection device also has a sub-bag portion that is provided in at least one of the forward-inflating portion and the side-inflating portions, and that, when an internal pressure inside the airbag main body reaches a predetermined value or greater, inflates after receiving an inflow of gas from at least one of the forward-inflating portion and the side-inflating portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuki Sugie, Masanobu Ohmi, Seiji Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Matsumura, Kosuke Sakakibara, Misato Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 10315608
    Abstract: An active bolster for a vehicle is provided, wherein the bolster comprises an expansible hollow interior that is inflatable and is self-supporting in both an inflated and in an uninflated position. The bolster has an inflator module for inflating the expansible hollow interior. The bolster has an inner wall for projecting inwardly into the vehicle and away from the side of the vehicle on inflation of the expansible hollow interior. The bolster may have a relatively non-expansible component located between a first expansible chamber and a second expansible chamber. The bolster may comprise an outer wall having an attachment portion for attaching the outer wall to a portion of the side of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: ABC TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Changize Sadr, Ali Totonchian, Michael Best, Rimas Ciplijauskas, Raj Roychoudhury
  • Patent number: 10315609
    Abstract: An airbag assembly of the present disclosure includes a forward cushion portion, a left side cushion portion, and a right side cushion portion. The forward cushion portion is configured to be disposed in front of an occupant of a vehicle. The left and right side cushion portions are connected to and in fluid communication with the forward cushion portion, are configured to be disposed on left and right sides of the occupant, respectively, and are configured to be mounted to a roof of the vehicle. The left side cushion portion, the right side cushion portion, and the forward cushion portion define at least one opening disposed above a lower region of the forward cushion portion and between the left and right side cushion portions. The at least one opening allows at least a portion of the lower region to move forward relative to the left and right side cushion portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Scott D. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10300881
    Abstract: A side airbag for protection for vehicle occupants includes an interior wall separating the airbag into upstream and downstream chambers and defining an opening between two chambers adjacent a lower end of the airbag. A flow deflector between the opening and an exterior vent combines with the wall to define a channel therebetween. The channel directs inflation gasses exiting the opening into an upper end of the airbag, after which the gasses must flow around an upper end of the deflector (adjacent an outlet end of the channel) before reaching the exterior vent. The resulting S-shaped flow path serves to maintain the airbag in the inflated state for a longer time and urges an outboard arm of an occupant in a forward an upward direction to reduce the likelihood that that arm may be trapped between the inflating airbag and the occupant's thorax.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Felix Haenel, Christopher Curtis
  • Patent number: 10279769
    Abstract: An airbag device includes an airbag stored in a storage part provided in front of an occupant seated on a seat. The airbag has an occupant protecting section configured to protect the occupant on a rear surface at the time of completion of inflation; the occupant protecting section includes: an upper half body restraining surface configured to receive an upper half body of the occupant; and a head receiving section formed in a left region and a right region of a center in a left-right direction of the occupant protecting section to protrude rearward from the upper half body restraining surface, in a region above the upper half body restraining surface. The head receiving section is configured so that a part between a left restraining surface and a right restraining surface upon completion of inflation is continued from the upper half body restraining surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nakanishi, Wataru Miura, Naohiko Ishiguro, Ryotaro Ishida
  • Patent number: 10279770
    Abstract: An airbag for a vehicle includes a top, a bottom, a first panel, and a second panel spaced from the first panel. The airbag includes a first leg, a second leg, and a middle leg. The first leg extends from the first panel in a rearward direction. The second leg extends from the second panel in the rearward direction. The middle leg extends from the first panel and the second panel in the rearward direction. The first panel and the second panel each slant in the rearward direction along a direction from the top to the bottom of the airbag. The first panel and the second panel of the airbag in the inflated position may urge occupants to remain upright during an impact event, reducing loading on a chest of the occupants from seat belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammed Omar Faruque, S. M. Iskander Farooq, Dean M. Jaradi
  • Patent number: 10259420
    Abstract: A number of variations may include an airbag comprising a first inflatable chamber having at least one gas passage which extends to a second inflatable chamber, wherein the second inflatable chamber is constructed and arranged so that it is at least partially adjacent the first inflatable chamber when the airbag is in an inflated condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Scott D. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10259418
    Abstract: A knee air bag apparatus having a housing (10) disposed in or adjoining a lower region of an instrument panel (I) extending from front to rear having an outlet opening (16). An inflator and a knee air bag (30) are mounted in the housing (10) in the initial state, and in an expanded state deploys in front of the instrument panel (I). The air bag outer skin has a protective section (32) and a fill and support section (36). The protective section (32) when expanded state is positioned, in front of the instrument panel (I). To improve deployment behavior, the fill and support section (36) features a vehicle-front section (38) such that with the knee air bag (30) fully expanded, the front section extends beyond the vehicle front end of the housing (10) in the direction of the vehicle front (FIG. 1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Harald Schuler, Oliver Adolph
  • Patent number: 10252687
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an instrument panel, a pressure sensor, and a door. The instrument panel defines a sensor cavity and a first opening in fluid communication with the sensor cavity. The pressure sensor is in the sensor cavity. The door defines a door cavity and a second opening in fluid communication with the door cavity. The door is moveable between an open position and a closed position. The first and second openings are engaged with each other in the closed position and disengaged with each other in the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: David James Tippy
  • Patent number: 10246039
    Abstract: An airbag device 100 restrains an occupant of a front passenger seat 104 from a front side of the vehicle. The airbag device 100 includes a housing 120 having an opening 132, and a cushion 108 including a main bag 112 inflated and deployed from the housing 120 toward a front side of the front passenger seat 104 and a support bag 114 inflated and deployed from the housing 120 toward a rear side of a center console 116. The main bag 112 and the support bag 114 each have a bag shape and are reduced in size and stored in the housing 120 in a stored form 130 such that the support bag 114 is placed on the main bag 112 on the side of the opening 132.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventor: Tomohiro Sumiya
  • Patent number: 10214174
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus includes an airbag, which is configured to be supplied with gas to be deployed and inflated in front of one of a driver's seat and a front passenger seat. The airbag includes an airbag body and a pocket portion provided on a side of the airbag body. The airbag apparatus includes an outer tether, an inflator, and an actuator. The outer tether is located outside the airbag and is joined to the pocket portion. The inflator supplies gas to the airbag. When a movement of the vehicle in an oblique direction due to a collision is detected, the actuator pulls the outer tether to extract the pocket portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ning Zhang, Lan Gu, Eugene Lee
  • Patent number: 10214175
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a vehicle airbag device including: an airbag that inflates and deploys due to supply of gas, that has a main body and a projection that projects in a vehicle rearward direction, and that has a gap portion, between the main body and the projection, which opens in the vehicle rearward direction; and a coupling portion that couples together a first attachment portion set at the airbag at a front end portion side of the gap portion and a second attachment portion set at a side portion of the projection, and which, when inflation and deployment of the airbag, stretches between the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion, which is positioned further in the vehicle rearward direction than the first attachment portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ippei Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10202094
    Abstract: An airbag device mounted on dashboard, comprising an inflatable bag and a gas generator arranged inside a dashboard; wherein upon being filled with gas, the inflatable bag is provided with an upper convex chamber, a lower convex chamber and a concave chamber formed by a pull strap between the upper convex chamber and the lower convex chamber; rear of the upper convex chamber and the lower convex chamber are supported against a dashboard surface; and front of the upper convex chamber and the lower convex chamber form a protective surface. The inflatable bag of the airbag device has a reduced volume, and the gas generator matching the inflatable bag has a reduced output. Moreover, the inflatable bag can maintain the scope and effect of protection to occupant due to its adequate energy absorption ability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Yanfeng KSS (Shanghai) Automotive Safety Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lei Wang, Hong Wang, Ling Ma
  • Patent number: 10189431
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant protection device includes: an airbag structured as a single bag that is configured to cover a head area of a vehicle occupant, the airbag being stowed at a headrest or seatback of a vehicle seat, the airbag receiving a gas supply and inflating and expanding toward a seat front side, and the airbag including a front inflation portion that is configured to be inflated at the seat front relative to the head area and a left and right pair of side inflation portions that are connected to the front inflation portion and configured to be inflated at seat sides relative to the head area; and an opening portion that is provided at the airbag, is configured to cover the head area from the seat front side or a seat side, and is openable after the inflation and expansion of the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Yamamoto, Masanobu Ohmi, Yoshiaki Matsumura, Kosuke Sakakibara, Kazuki Sugie, Misato Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 10166945
    Abstract: A far side airbag device for a vehicle includes: an inflator disposed within a side support portion at a vehicle transverse direction central side of a seat back; an airbag that is stored within the side support portion, that receives a supply of gas from the inflator, and that expands and deploys while rupturing a planned rupture portion installed at the side support portion; and a partitioning portion partitioning the airbag into a main chamber and a chamber for rupturing that is provided at a rear side and a lower side of the main chamber. At least a lower end side region of the chamber for rupturing, in an expanded and deployed state, protrudes further toward a vehicle front side than the planned rupture portion. Communication ports communicating the respective chambers with one another are formed at an upper end side and a lower end side of the partitioning portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 10155495
    Abstract: An airbag has a main panel and at least one side panels that is arranged to extend substantially perpendicularly from the main panel when the airbag is inflated. At least one inflator is arranged to inflate all of the panels. The airbag, e.g., via the main panel, may be secured to a back of a vehicle seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Dean M. Jaradi, Mohammed Omar Faruque
  • Patent number: 10131314
    Abstract: A curtain airbag for a vehicle may include a curtain airbag cushion; a venting chamber that fills a space between an end portion of a frontal airbag on the door window side and an A pillar; and a first vent opening formed in a portion of the venting chamber, the portion being near the door window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Joo Seon Yoo, Jae Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 10131310
    Abstract: A seat provided in a vehicle interior of the vehicle; a side airbag having a plurality of chambers each folded, the side airbag being stored in a side portion of a seat back; an inflator arranged together with the side airbag, the inflator suppling gas to the plurality of chambers when a side-impact crash of the vehicle is detected; a channel section for distributing the gas generated from the inflator to the plurality of chambers; a valve unit provided in the channel section, the valve unit reducing the distributed amount of the gas flowing from the channel section to a particular chamber among the plurality of chambers; and an actuator unit that allows the valve unit to operate to reduce the distributed amount of the gas flowing from the channel section to the particular chamber according to the deployment behavior of any chamber among the plurality of chambers, are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaaki Futai, Naoki Fujisawa, Shinya Nakamura, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Toshihide Nishimura
  • Patent number: 10106120
    Abstract: A head-protecting airbag device includes a case which houses an airbag in a folded-up configuration and a mounting bracket which is used to mount an inflator on a vehicle body structure. The case is mounted on a region of the airbag extending from one end of the inflator. The mounting bracket includes an insert region which fits in an assembling opening of the case. The assembling opening includes a receiving region which receives the insert region along an axial direction of the inflator and a limiting plane that is located in a periphery of the receiving region and holds the insert region from rotating in both directions in a circumferential direction of the inflator. The fitting of the insert region and assembling opening suppresses the airbag stored in the case in the folded-up configuration from rotating in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotake Konaka, Ryosuke Jinnai
  • Patent number: 10099643
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant protecting device including: an airbag that is accommodated at an upper portion of a vehicle seat, that receives a supply of gas from an inflator and is inflated and expanded toward a seat front side, and that includes a front inflating portion, which is inflated at a seat front side with respect to a head portion of a vehicle occupant, and a pair of left and right lateral inflating portions, which are connected to the front inflating portion and are inflated at sides of the seat with respect to the head portion, the airbag being structured as an integral bag body that covers the head portion; and reinforcing portions that extend in a seat vertical direction at an interior of a seatback, and that connect an upper portion and a lower portion of a seatback frame that structures a frame of the seatback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke Sakakibara, Masanobu Ohmi, Seiji Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Matsumura, Kazuki Sugie, Misato Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 10093266
    Abstract: An occupant protecting device including: a seat provided in a vehicle, the seat including a seat cushion, a seat back, and a headrest, and the seat being provided with an air bag that inflates and deploys at least to a front and both of left and right sides of a head of a seated occupant; and a control device that in the case of having detected or predicted a collision of the vehicle, causes the air bag to inflate and deploy, and in the case that the seat is facing an opposite side to a collision side when the collision has been detected or predicted, delays a timing of causing the air bag to inflate and deploy more compared to in the case that the seat is facing the collision side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuki Sugie, Masanobu Ohmi, Seiji Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Matsumura, Kosuke Sakakibara, Misato Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 10081328
    Abstract: A curtain airbag for a vehicle is configured to prevent a driver's neck from being broken by preventing a driver's head from being excessively rotated upon a crash of the vehicle in a state in which the driver's head contacts an airbag tube. The curtain airbag is also configured to prevent the driver's head from slipping through or between the curtain airbag and a driver airbag by removing a gap between the curtain airbag and the driver airbag when the driver's head moves forward during a crash of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Yeol Choi
  • Patent number: 10071702
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant protection device includes: an airbag that is configured to be stowed in a headrest, to receive a gas supply and is formed as a single bag body that, in an inflated and expanded state, includes a front inflation portion configured to be disposed at the front in a seat front-rear direction relative to a head of a vehicle occupant, and a pair of side inflation portions configured to be disposed at both sides in a seat width direction relative to the head of the vehicle occupant; an inflator that is fixed to an upper portion of a seatback frame in an attitude with a long dimension of the inflator in the seat width direction, the upper portion of the seatback frame extending in the seat width direction; and a fluid communication structure that communicates between the inflator and the airbag to allow a flow of gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuyoshi Ohno, Shinichi Ishida
  • Patent number: 10065593
    Abstract: A curtain airbag for a vehicle may include a curtain airbag cushion divided into an upper cushion and a lower cushion, a folding portion at the upper cushion, and a door panel tether having a first end fixed to the folding portion and a second end fixed to a car body, in which when the curtain airbag inflates, a door side of the upper cushion may be pressed by the tension of the door panel tether and the upper cushion turns inward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corp.
    Inventors: Jae Ho Choi, Tae In Kim
  • Patent number: 10053045
    Abstract: In a vehicle occupant protection device (20) comprising an airbag (22), especially for a passenger, including a fastening portion (24) as well as an inflatable restraining portion (26) being especially adjacent to the fastening portion (24), it is provided that the fastening portion (24) is arranged beside the sitting position of the vehicle occupant (12) and the restraining portion (26) is configured so that in the fully inflated unloaded state the airbag (22) extends in front of the vehicle occupant (12). There is further provided a vehicle seat (10) comprising a vehicle occupant protection device (20) of this type, wherein the fastening portion (24) and/or the inflator (28) are arranged on the side of or within the vehicle seat (10), especially on or within the seat cushion (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GmbH
    Inventors: Jochen Weiss, Lars Zimmermann, Jürgen Schmidt