Mounted In Vehicle And Positioned Laterally Of Occupant Patents (Class 280/730.2)
  • Rear seat side airbag device
    Patent number: 9994183
    Abstract: A rear seat side airbag device comprising: a case that is disposed at a vehicle width direction outer-side of a seatback of a rear seat and configured including, in vehicle plan view, a bottom wall extending along a vehicle width direction and a pair of side walls extending toward a vehicle front from respective vehicle width direction end portions of the bottom wall, one of the side walls being formed with a shorter vehicle front-rear direction length than the other of the side walls; and an airbag module that is housed in the case and configured including a side airbag and an inflator, the inflator supplying gas to the side airbag and including a stud bolt projecting out in a vehicle width direction and fastened to the one side wall or the other side wall by the stud bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Fujiwara
  • Vehicle side air curtain with tether including a hole
    Patent number: 9994185
    Abstract: A side air curtain includes an inner panel and an outer panel defining an inflation chamber. The inflation chamber is inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position. The side air curtain includes a tether attached to the inner panel and the outer panel. The tether includes at least one hole extending through the first tether and spaced from the inner panel and the outer panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Zhibing Deng, Krishnakanth E. Aekbote, Joseph Edward Abramczyk
  • Moveable internal shock-absorbing energy dissipation padding in an autonomous vehicle
    Patent number: 9988008
    Abstract: Described herein is utilization of nontransparent Shock-Absorbing Energy Dissipation Padding (SAEDP) in an autonomous on-road vehicle. In one embodiment, the vehicle includes a side window located at eye level of an occupant who sits in the vehicle. The side window enables the occupant to see the outside environment. A motor is configured to move the SAEDP over a sliding mechanism between first and second states. A processor is configured to command the motor to move the SAEDP from the first state to the second state responsive to an indication that a probability of an imminent collision reaches a threshold. In the first state, the SAEDP does not block the occupant's eye level view to the outside environment, and in the second state, the SAEDP blocks the occupant's eye level view to the outside environment in order to protect the occupant's head against hitting the side window during collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Active Knowledge Ltd.
    Inventors: Gil Thieberger, Ari M Frank
  • Occupant protection device for vehicle
    Patent number: 9975516
    Abstract: An occupant protection device for a vehicle includes a seat frame, an inflator and a side airbag. The seat frame is provided at a seat lower side of a side support portion. The seat frame includes an upright wall portion and an upper wall portion. The inflator is provided at the seat lower side of the upper wall portion. The side airbag is disposed between the side support portion and the seat frame. In an inflated state, the side airbag includes a first inflation portion that causes an upper portion of the side support portion to bulge to the seat upper side and the seat width direction inner side, and a second inflation portion that causes a lower portion of the side support portion to bulge to the seat upper side and the seat width direction inner side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ippei Kobayashi
  • Dual-chambered passenger airbag
    Patent number: 9969350
    Abstract: An airbag includes an outer shell defining an interior, at least one vent opening structured to enable fluid communication between the interior and an exterior of the airbag, and a divider dividing the airbag interior into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The divider is deflectable in a first direction toward the lower chamber and in a second direction toward the upper chamber. A vent cover is coupled to the at least one vent opening and to the divider so as to close over and restrict a flow of gas through the at least one vent opening when the divider is deflected in the first direction, and so as to permit the vent cover to open so as to enable an unobstructed flow of gas through the at least one vent opening when the divider is deflected in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher L. Anderson
  • Side airbag device-installed vehicle seat
    Patent number: 9969351
    Abstract: A side airbag device-installed vehicle seat including: a side frame; a side airbag main body that is partitioned into a front bag section and a rear bag section, and in which a front portion of the rear bag section is positioned further toward the seat front side than the front flange portion at least in an inflated and deployed state; and an inner bag section that extends out from the front portion of the rear bag section, past a seat front of the front flange portion, and to a seat width direction inner side of the side frame, and in which an internal portion of the inner bag section in communication with the inside of the front portion of the rear bag section is supplied with gas from the inflator and inflates within the side section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuyoshi Ohno, Hiroyuki Nagura, Masato Kunisada, Yusuke Fujiwara, Atsushi Nakashima
  • Folding completion body of airbag and airbag
    Patent number: 9956935
    Abstract: In a folding completion body of an airbag, the airbag includes: an airbag body configured to be stored on an upper edge of a window on an inboard side of a vehicle; and a plurality of mounting pieces which extend from an upper edge of the airbag body and mount the airbag body to the upper edge of the window, the lower edge of the airbag body in a flatly deployed state is folded to be brought close to the upper edge so as to form a folded body; a folding-collapse preventing member is assembled to the folded body; and the mounting piece with the lug is folded and superimposed to the upper edge of the airbag body in the folded body, and the lug is interposed between the folding-collapse preventing member and a surface of the folded body so as to be fixed to the folded body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Kawamura, Masaaki Okuhara, Yuji Sato, Takuya Hiraiwa
  • Side airbag apparatus
    Patent number: 9932011
    Abstract: An airbag includes a main inflation portion, in which an inflator is arranged, and an auxiliary inflation portion, the volume of which is smaller than that of the main inflation portion. The main inflation portion is deployed forward in a space between an occupant and a side wall of the vehicle. Prior to the deployment of the main inflation portion outside the seat back, the auxiliary inflation portion is inflated inside the seat back with inflation gas from the inflator to push the occupant toward the inner side. The main inflation portion and the auxiliary inflation portion each have a communication port that connects the main inflation portion and the auxiliary inflation portion to each other. The airbag includes an inflation promoting structure, which promotes the inflation of the auxiliary inflation portion compared to the inflation of the main inflation portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Hiraiwa, Yuji Sato, Takashi Iida, Masashi Hotta
  • Structures and methods for testing printable integrated circuits
    Patent number: 9923133
    Abstract: A substrate includes an anchor area physically secured to a surface of the substrate and at least one printable electronic component. The at least one printable electronic component includes an active layer having one or more active elements thereon, and is suspended over the surface of the substrate by electrically conductive breakable tethers. The electrically conductive breakable tethers include an insulating layer and a conductive layer thereon that physically secure and electrically connect the at least one printable electronic component to the anchor area, and are configured to be preferentially fractured responsive to pressure applied thereto. Related methods of fabrication and testing are also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: X-Celeprint Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Bower, Etienne Menard, Matthew Meitl
  • Structure for deploying seat side airbag
    Patent number: 9914422
    Abstract: A structure for deploying a side airbag installed in a seat of a vehicle is provided. The structure includes an interior pad is disposed adjacent to a first side of a side airbag and an exterior portion surrounded by an interior covering. An exterior pad is disposed adjacent to a second side of the side airbag and has an exterior portion surrounded by an exterior covering. An interior reinforcing fabric penetrates a pad aperture portion formed between the interior pad and the exterior pad and surrounds a first side of the side airbag. An exterior reinforcing fabric is integrally coupled to the exterior covering and surrounds the exterior portion of the exterior pad. The interior reinforcing fabric is spaced apart from the interior covering and disposed in a path different from a path of the interior covering. The collision performance is easily adjusted and production costs and weights are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jong-Moon Yoo, Seon-Chae Na, Jun-Yeol Heo, Tae-Hyung Kim, Chan-Ho Jung
  • Motor vehicle airbag system
    Patent number: 9914426
    Abstract: An airbag system for a motor vehicle includes an airbag arrangement with at least one airbag and a gas generator for filling the airbag arrangement. A base body includes two end regions, and an ignition element protrudes from the base body between the two end regions. The folded airbag arrangement in a packed state envelops at least one of the end regions in multiple layers on one part of its outer periphery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Carsten Glaser, Markus Fischer
  • Occupant protection device
    Patent number: 9896007
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an occupant protection device including: side support sections pair provided at a seat width direction left and right of a seatback; an outside bag body, provided inside an outside side support section out of the side support sections pair which is disposed at a window section side, that displaces the outside side support section by gas being supplied to and inflating an interior portion of the outside bag body; an inside bag body, provided inside an inside side support section out of the side support sections pair which is disposed at opposite side of the outside side support section, that displaces the inside side support section by gas being supplied to and inflating an interior portion of the inside bag body; and a communicating connection member that places the outside bag body and the inside bag body in communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuyoshi Ohno
  • Side-curtain airbag assembly
    Patent number: 9889812
    Abstract: A side-curtain airbag assembly includes a body structure including a roof rail and a pillar extending downwardly from the roof rail. The roof rail has an upwardly extending side portion and a first ramped surface extending inwardly from the side portion at a downward angle. An airbag is mounted to the side portion above the first ramped surface. A trim component is mounted to the pillar below the first ramped surface and has a face, a top, and a second ramped surface extending outwardly from the top at an upward angle towards the side portion. The first and second ramped surfaces are arranged to form a ramp that guides the airbag during deployment of the airbag. The first ramped surface has a higher yield strength than the second ramped surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: William Charles Bauer, Jason Richard Nagy, Jeffrey Charles Paddock, Mahesh Bhattacharyya, Salvatore Joseph Moceri, Kattya Gabriela Miranda Quintana
  • Far-side airbag apparatus and method for folding airbag
    Patent number: 9873399
    Abstract: An airbag in an uninflated-and-spread form includes a rear-lower inflation portion and a front-upper inflation portion. The airbag is stored in a first vehicle seat. The vehicle seat adjacent to the first vehicle seat is a second vehicle seat. The front-upper inflation portion includes at least three bend portions, which are arranged in a flowing direction of inflation gas. A form between the uninflated-and-spread form and the storage form is a transitional form. In the transitional form, the bend portions are each bent relative to the adjacent bend portion and rolled toward the second vehicle seat relative to the rear-lower inflation portion such that the closer a bend portion is to the downstream end, the more inward the bend portion is located. In the transitional form, the upper end of the most upstream bend portion is connected to the upper end of the rear-lower inflation portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Goto, Yuji Matsuzaki, Yasushi Masuda
  • Airbag system for vehicle
    Patent number: 9862346
    Abstract: An airbag system for a vehicle is provided that prevents a passenger seated in each seat from being struck and injured by a roof airbag when the roof airbag is deployed in the event of vehicle collision. In addition, the airbag system for a vehicle secures safety by effectively protecting the passenger using the roof airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Jun Yeol Choi
  • Dual chambered passenger airbag
    Patent number: 9862350
    Abstract: An airbag includes an outer shell defining an interior of the airbag, and a divider positioned in the interior so as to divide the interior into a first chamber and a second chamber. The divider includes a body portion and at least one flap attached to the body portion along an edge. The divider is attached to the outer shell so as to form a gas-tight seal between the outer shell and the body portion and so as to form a gas flow passage between the at least one flap and the outer shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Guerrero, Jaime F. Perez, Vivek Maripudi
  • Side airbag device for vehicle
    Patent number: 9849857
    Abstract: In the side airbag device, in an inflation and deployment state of the side airbag, a tension cloth extendingly disposed across between a front-rear partition and a rear end of the rear bag section is stretched, thereby restricting inflation in the vehicle front-rear direction of the rear bag section. An inflating width in a vehicle width direction of the rear bag section can be increased without significantly changing a position in the vehicle front-rear direction of the front-rear partition. In a flat developed state of the side airbag, the tension cloth is extendingly disposed across between the front-rear partition so folded into two as to protrude toward the rear bag section, and the rear end of the rear bag section. Accordingly, dimensions of each component can be so defined as to cause no redundancy in the rear bag section in the flat developed state, thus compactly folding the side airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Fujiwara
  • Centripetal phase shift isolation control system, in an oscillation configuration of transposition, deflection, dampen, dissipation, and isolation of a stochastic vector
    Patent number: 9834163
    Abstract: The protected mass (PM) of a vehicle collision event, is signaled for deceleration, by oscillation cycling, or a single transposition and/or DDD of the PM, in isolation of an unprotected mass (UPM).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Inventor: Bruce Kepley
  • Side airbag including forward facing vent
    Patent number: 9834168
    Abstract: An airbag includes a first panel having a perimeter, and a second panel connected to the first panel along the perimeter of the first panel. The first panel and the second panel define an inflation chamber between the first and second panels. The first panel has a tab extending from the perimeter of the first panel and transverse to the perimeter of the first panel. The tab is connected to the second panel. A vent on the tab is in communication with the inflation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Zhibing Deng, Deepak Patel, Eric D. Veggian, Sean B. West
  • Vehicle safety seat
    Patent number: 9827876
    Abstract: A vehicle safety seat for protecting a vehicle occupant from injury due to impact and airborne debris, in the event of a collision. The vehicle safety seat includes a seat bottom, a backrest, and a headrest, wherein the seat is secured to a frame. The frame is pivotally secured to the floor and frame of a vehicle, wherein the seat can recline immediately in advance of a collision for absorbing impact forces. The safety seat further includes telescoping shields that are retractably secured to the lateral sides of the seat bottom, backrest, and headrest. The shields are projected from the safety seat, creating a protective cocoon around the seat occupant prior to a collision. The seat is operably connected to one or more sensors that can detect an imminent collision between the vehicle and another object, wherein a pneumatic system deploys the shields and an electro-mechanical system reclines the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Inventor: Stephen Madaras
  • Vehicle seat
    Patent number: 9821695
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes: a seat shell; a seat pad disposed on a support surface of the seat shell, the support surface being configured to support a seated occupant; an airbag device held at an outer side of a side portion of the seat shell in its width direction, the airbag device being configured to be deployable on the side of the seated occupant; and a seat cover held taut on the outside of the seat pad. The seat cover covers an outer peripheral surface of the seat pad and an outer peripheral surface of the airbag device. The seat cover comes around behind a rear surface of the seat shell and the seat cover is engaged with the rear surface of the seat shell. The rear surface is on the opposite side of the seat shell from the support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akira Tarumi
  • Airbag
    Patent number: 9821750
    Abstract: An airbag includes a mounting region, a protection inflatable region and an intermediate region disposed between the mounting region and the protection inflatable region. An area of the airbag from the protection inflatable region to the intermediate region is formed of two panels that are continuous with each other at leading end regions of the panels apart from the mounting region and the two panels in that area are connected at opposite edges by a joint. The protection inflatable region includes at the leading end a folded region that is formed by bringing the leading end regions of the two panels closer to the mounting region so as to form four or more layers of the panels, such that the folded region includes at least two inflatable spaces between the layers and a crease that is continuous with the joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wataru Miura, Keiichiro Takebayashi, Shota Watanabe, Daisuke Kitamura
  • Curtain airbag for vehicle
    Patent number: 9802567
    Abstract: A curtain airbag for a vehicle is provided. The curtain airbag includes a rear panel positioned toward a window of a vehicle, a front panel that longitudinally extends to have a length greater than a length of the rear panel, and the front panel is configured to interiorly fold and protrude a length the front panel exceeds the rear panel. An outer sewing line couples a boundary of the front panel and a boundary of the rear panel together while a protruded portion of the front panel folds in a backward orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Chang Jin Oh
  • Side airbag device for rear seat
    Patent number: 9796353
    Abstract: There is provided a side airbag device for a rear seat, the side airbag including (i) a side airbag that is provided between a vehicle body and a side portion of a seatback of a rear seat, and at least a portion of the side airbag is disposed further toward a vehicle lower side than a top surface of an armrest, and the side airbag is expanded at a side of a passenger at a time of a collision, and (ii) an airbag door garnish that covers the side airbag from a vehicle cabin side, and that has a door portion that, due to inflation pressure of the side airbag, opens toward a vehicle front side and a vehicle transverse direction outer side and abuts the armrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Fujiwara
  • Far side airbag device
    Patent number: 9796351
    Abstract: A far side airbag device comprising: a side airbag provided at a side section on a vehicle center side of a seatback, the side airbag comprising a rear inflation section and a front inflation section that inflates and deploys when supplied with gas through a communication path formed at a boundary with the rear inflation section; a fixing structure that fixes the side airbag to a seatback frame at the rear inflation section; and a tension cloth that receives tension and deploys accompanying inflation and deployment of the side airbag, wherein a vehicle front-rear direction front end side of the tension cloth is connected to the side airbag and a rear end side of the tension cloth is connected to the seatback frame, and in a deployed state, the tension cloth covers at least a portion of the rear inflation section as viewed from a side of the seatback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Fujiwara
  • Vehicle side airbag device
    Patent number: 9783151
    Abstract: A vehicle side airbag device includes: an inflator for generating gas by activation; a bag body provided in a side portion of a seatback of a vehicle seat and configured to be inflated and deployed toward a vehicle front side relative to the side portion when the gas is supplied thereinside; and a partition portion partitioning the bag body into a front bag portion and a rear bag portion to be inflated at a higher pressure than the front bag portion and having a thicker inflation width in a vehicle width direction than that of the front bag portion, the partition portion being overlapping with a central part of a shoulder of a sitting occupant in an inflated and deployed state in a side view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Fujiwara
  • Curtain airbag apparatus
    Patent number: 9771046
    Abstract: Provided is a curtain airbag apparatus capable of preventing a head of an occupant from being moved forward at the time of an oblique collision of the vehicle. To this end, a curtain airbag apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: an auxiliary airbag which is coupled to the curtain airbag, is inflated when gas flows into the auxiliary airbag, and protrudes into the interior of a vehicle; and a support panel which is coupled to the curtain airbag and the auxiliary airbag, and supports the protruding auxiliary airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jong Seob Lee
  • Vehicle side airbag device
    Patent number: 9771045
    Abstract: A vehicle side airbag device including: inflator that operates to generate gas; airbag that is provided at side section of seatback of vehicle seat, that inflates and deploys using gas generated by the inflator, that protects occupant from at least head to abdominal region, and in which, in inflated and deployed state, rearward sloping portion configured by location at lower end side of front edge portion of the airbag extends diagonally toward vehicle upper rear on progression from lower end toward upper end of the rearward sloping portion; and flow regulating section that is provided at lower section of the airbag, and that ejects gas generated by the inflator from upper ejection opening toward upper section side of the airbag, and from lower ejection opening along lower edge portion of the airbag toward rearward sloping portion side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Fujiwara
  • Side airbag for vehicle
    Patent number: 9751490
    Abstract: A side airbag for a vehicle is provided. The side airbag includes an airbag cushion and a diffuser that is configured to diffuse gas within the interior of the airbag cushion. A vent aperture is configured to communicate within an interior of the airbag cushion to an exterior of the airbag cushion. A first seam line is formed in a shape that obstructs the vent aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Eung Man Kim, Kyu Jong Kim, Jae Soon Cho
  • Vehicle curtain airbag device
    Patent number: 9744935
    Abstract: There is provides a vehicle curtain airbag device including a curtain airbag, having: a front main chamber and a rear main chamber that protect occupants from a side collision, a front oblique collision chamber that is disposed at a vehicle front side, and that protects the occupant from an oblique collision, and a rollover chamber that is disposed between the front main chamber and the rear main chamber, and that protects the occupant from a rollover, wherein the curtain airbag is configured such that, during inflation and deployment of the front main chamber, the rear main chamber, the front oblique collision chamber, and the rollover chamber on receipt of gas supplied from an inflator, an internal pressure of each chamber rises in the sequence: (i) the front main chamber and the rear main chamber, (ii) the front oblique collision chamber, and (iii) the rollover chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuyoshi Ohno, Osamu Fukawatase
  • Upwardly inflatable vehicle airbag
    Patent number: 9744932
    Abstract: A vehicle interior includes a floor, an airbag supported by the floor and being inflatable away from the floor to an inflated position. The airbag includes an outer panel, an inner panel, and an inflation chamber defined between the inner panel and the outer panel. In the inflated position, the outer panel and the inner panel extend along a curved path about an axis transverse to the floor. During a vehicle impact, the airbag may be inflated to the inflated position to absorb energy from an occupant of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammed Omar Faruque, S. M. Iskander Farooq, Dean M. Jaradi
  • Passenger restraint housing for vehicle
    Patent number: 9744938
    Abstract: A passenger restraint housing for a vehicle including a frame having a top surface and a bottom surface, a retractor secured to the bottom surface of the frame and operatively arranged to hold a seat belt, and at least one mounting bracket, where the mounting bracket is arranged to be secured to the body of the vehicle. The frame further includes a first portion, a first transition, a second portion, a second transition, and a third portion. The first and second portions are secured to one another via the first transition and the second and third portions are secured to one another via the second transition. The first and second portions are disposed at opposite ends of and integral with the first transition and the second and third portions are disposed at opposite ends of and integral with the second transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Inventor: Jeffery L. Biegun
  • Curtain airbag for a vehicle and a restraining arrangement
    Patent number: 9744936
    Abstract: A curtain airbag for a vehicle has a main chamber shaped in the position being mounted on the vehicle, in the inflated state covering an inner side structure of the vehicle. The curtain airbag has an additional chamber which, in the mounting position, is located at the in driving direction of the vehicle front portion of the main chamber, and deploys in the direction of the interior of the vehicle when the curtain airbag is inflated. The additional chamber is attached to the main chamber so as to be positioned in the inflated state between the front portion of the main chamber and an occupant to be restrained by the curtain airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventor: Dion Kruse
  • Air-bag fabrics
    Patent number: 9738995
    Abstract: A fabric for a seam region of an inflatable air-bag includes fibers formed from polyester and having an elongation at break of around 12% to 20%. The fabric also has an instantaneous thermal creep above 0.5% at 100° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Brita Hirsch, Hugh Finn
  • Mounting member and airbag module-equipped seat
    Patent number: 9738197
    Abstract: An easy-to-attach clip member that makes the surroundings of a stay cloth mounting portion compact while maintaining high airbag deployment performance, and an airbag module-equipped seat with the clip member are provided. A clip member is connected to a cloth-form body that transmits a tensile force. The clip member includes a connecting portion connected to one end of the cloth-form body, and a groove engaged with an edge portion of a mounted portion. The clip member is provided to reduce a torque generated at the connecting portion by the tensile force transmitted from the cloth-form body when engaged with the edge portion of the mounted portion, and connects the cloth-form body to the mounted portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: TS Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jinichi Tanabe, Hiroshi Izawa, Hiroshi Baba
  • Curtain airbag device
    Patent number: 9731676
    Abstract: A curtain airbag device of the present invention includes an airbag body including a bend-facilitating portion which is formed of a non-inflating portion of the airbag body in at least one chamber disposed at a lower end portion of the airbag body and which facilitates bending of the airbag body during inflation and deployment of the airbag body. In the curtain airbag device, the chamber including the bend-facilitating portion includes a passage for distributing the gas such that the gas comes around the bend-facilitating portion in one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Nihon Plast CO., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunori Nagasawa, Takumi Yachi, Norimasa Goto
  • Vehicle structural reinforcing device
    Patent number: 9731768
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a chassis having a pair of rails spaced from each other and a deployable reinforcing device extending between the rails. The deployable reinforcing device includes a beam disposed between the pair of rails and including walls and hinges connected in alternating arrangement. The walls are rotatable about the hinges from a collapsed position to an expanded position. The device includes a deployment mechanism disposed between the walls. When a vehicle impact is sensed, the deployment mechanism is deployed to expand the beam to the expanded position to reinforce the rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Saied Nusier, Mohamed Ridha Baccouche, James Chih Cheng, Jamel E. Belwafa
  • Curtain airbag apparatus and method of manufacturing the same
    Patent number: 9713999
    Abstract: Provided are a curtain airbag apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same, which may prevent a head of an occupant from being moved forward after coming into contact with an airbag. To this end, according to the curtain airbag apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a deployment guide is disposed to penetrate a deployment ring coupled to one surface of the airbag, and tightened by expansive force of the airbag to allow the airbag to be bent in a shape that protrudes toward the other surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hae Wook Kwon
  • Far-side airbag apparatus
    Patent number: 9688234
    Abstract: A far-side airbag apparatus includes an airbag and an inflator that discharges inflation gas for deploying and inflating the airbag. The airbag is fixed to the seat frame of the backrest of a vehicle seat and is deployed and inflated on the side corresponding to the center of the passenger compartment. The airbag is divided into first to third inflation chambers, and the first inflation chamber accommodates the inflator. The far-side airbag apparatus includes a tension belt having a first end and a second end. The first end of the tension belt is connected to the surface of the airbag at a position that corresponds to a seam, which divides the first inflation chamber and the second inflation chamber from each other, and the second end is connected to the seat frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamanaka, Yasushi Masuda, Yuji Matsuzaki
  • Vehicle seat back including a pyrotechnic fastener
    Patent number: 9682662
    Abstract: A seat back for a vehicle includes a frame and an electronic display. A pyrotechnic fastener supports the electronic display on the frame. The pyrotechnic fastener includes a first portion fixed to the frame, a second portion fixed to the electronic display, and a pyrotechnic element. During a frontal impact of the vehicle, the pyrotechnic element may be activated to lower the electronic display resulting in increased travel space for the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey Steven Vinton
  • Adaptive side torso airbag
    Patent number: 9682681
    Abstract: A side airbag comprises a first side, a second side, a main portion and an extension portion. The main portion has a recess in the first side. The extension portion is supported by and is in communication with the main portion. A first tether is between the main portion and the extension portion. A vent is disposed in the main portion and selectively is moveable from a closed orientation to an open orientation. A second tether extends from the second side to the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Deepak Patel, Zhibing Deng, Brian Robert Spahn
  • Side airbag device
    Patent number: 9669789
    Abstract: A side airbag of a far side airbag device includes a rear inflation section that inflates and deploys on being supplied with gas and restrains at least rear portions of the chest and abdominal regions of a seated occupant, and a front inflation section that inflates and deploys by being supplied with gas through a through hole formed at a boundary between the rear inflation section and the front inflation section to restrain at least front portions of the chest and abdominal regions of the seated occupant. The far side airbag device includes a tension member that, on receiving tension and adopting a deployed state accompanying inflation and deployment of the side airbag, has a front end side connected to the rear inflation section, and a rear end side connected to a seatback frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Fujiwara
  • Roof headliner structure in which curtain airbag for vehicle is housed
    Patent number: 9669790
    Abstract: A roof headliner structure in which a curtain airbag for a vehicle is housed, includes the curtain airbag attached in a folded state along a roof side rail, a roof headliner, a pillar garnish including a clip seat, and a tether clip attached to the clip seat. The curtain airbag is covered from a vehicle cabin side with the roof headliner and the pillar garnish. The pillar garnish is attached to a pillar of the vehicle by the tether clip. The roof headliner has an extension portion extended so as to be positioned in the pillar garnish. The roof headliner is fitted at the extension portion to the clip seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shin Inami
  • Dual chambered passenger airbag
    Patent number: 9663059
    Abstract: A divider for an airbag includes a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and at least one opening structured to enable fluid communication between the first side and the second side. A valve cover is positioned on the second side over the at least one opening. The valve cover has a first pair of opposed edges attached to the divider, and another edge extending between the edges of the first pair of opposed edges, the other edge being attached to the divider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher L. Anderson
  • Cost-effective use of one-piece woven fabric for curtain airbags
    Patent number: 9650010
    Abstract: An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first chamber and a second chamber that inflates forward of the first chamber. The second chamber may have a height above the height of the first chamber so that a bottom of the second chamber is pressed downward adjacent to a door of the vehicle. A plurality of airbag assembly components may be integrally formed with a non-inflating peripheral region surrounding the first and second chambers. Such components may include a front or rear tether cut from the front or rear of the non-inflating peripheral region, a top tether cut from the top of the non-inflating peripheral region to control deployment of the second chamber, and a fabric shield cut from the top to at least partially wrap around the stowed inflatable curtain airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaohong Wang, Bryan Walston, Arthur Yakumo, Avadhoot Paranjpe, Paul Hicken
  • Overhead side air curtain protective barrier
    Patent number: 9643561
    Abstract: An air curtain assembly includes a side air curtain having a top edge and being inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position. In the uninflated position, the side air curtain extends along a longitudinal axis. A first flap is attached to the top edge and an elongated flap is attached to the first flap. The elongated flap extends from the first flap at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis. As such, as the air curtain inflates from the uninflated position to the inflated position, the elongated flap is disposed between the side air curtain and a side roof rail of the vehicle to limit or prevent abrasion of the side air curtain as the side air curtain is inflated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Marc David Nedelman
  • Side airbag device
    Patent number: 9616841
    Abstract: A side airbag device includes an airbag which includes a first base fabric and a second base fabric constituting an inflatable envelope, and in the event of a lateral collision of a vehicle, the airbag is deployed between an occupant and a door. The airbag further includes a partition fabric between the first base fabric and the second base fabric. The partition fabric partitions the inflatable envelope into a first inflatable compartment corresponding to a shoulder of the occupant, and a second inflatable compartment. The partition fabric is provided with a valve mechanism which opens to connect the first inflatable compartment and the second inflatable compartment when the first inflatable compartment is fully inflated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaaki Futai, Naoki Fujisawa, Shinya Nakamura, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Toshihide Nishimura
  • Vehicular seat
    Patent number: 9604556
    Abstract: A vehicular seat includes: a seat cushion that is disposed offset with respect to a vehicle width direction center of a vehicle; an airbag that is provided in the seat cushion and which, upon receiving a supply of gas, is expanded and deployed in such a way as to suppress a seated occupant from moving toward the front of the vehicle; and gas supplying device which, when actuated at the time of a frontal impact of the vehicle, supplies gas to the airbag in such a way that a vehicle width direction outer side section of the airbag with respect to a vehicle width direction center of the seat cushion is expanded and deployed before an inner side section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Osamu Fukawatase
  • Airbag module-equipped seat, and method for mounting same
    Patent number: 9598040
    Abstract: An airbag module-equipped seat in which the periphery of an attachment portion of a guide member that guides a deployment direction of an airbag has a compact size and the guide member can be attached easily while maintaining satisfactory deployment performance of the airbag. This seat includes an airbag module attached to a side frame, a guide member that guides a deployment direction of the airbag module, and an attachment member for attaching the guide member to the side frame. The side frame has an attachment hole for the attachment member at a position different from a shaft portion for attaching the airbag module. The attachment member has a holding space in which an end of the guide member is held in a detachable manner, and is inserted into the attachment hole in a state in which the end of the guide member is held in the holding space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: TS Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jinichi Tanabe, Hiroshi Baba, Makoto Takeuchi, Hiroshi Izawa
  • Front center airbag lower chamber and panel
    Patent number: 9592788
    Abstract: A number of variations may include a product comprising an airbag cushion constructed and arranged to provide an occupant with at least one of head, shoulder, or torso coverage, wherein the airbag cushion comprises an upper chamber and a lower chamber, and wherein the lower chamber is constructed and arranged to overlap at least a portion of a center console in a vehicle when the airbag cushion is in a deployed condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Wiik, Scott D. Thomas