Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Andrew M Haig

Michelle M Abraham

Anthony C Burgi

Apparatus ( ) helps protect an occupant of a vehicle ( ) that has a side structure ( ). The apparatus ( ) includes a vehicle occupant protection device ( ) that has a lower edge ( ) connected to the side structure ( ). The protection device ( ) is deployable from a stored position located in the side structure ( ) to a deployed position in which at least a portion of the protection device is positioned above a sill ( ) of the side structure and adjacent the vehicle occupant. A deployment device ( ) is fixedly connected to the side structure ( ) and includes an elongated rigid deployment member ( ) connected to the protection device ( ). The deployment device ( ) is actuatable from a stored position to a deployed position in which the deployment member projects above the sill ( ). The deployment member ( ) moves the protection device ( ) from the stored position to the deployed position when the deployment device ( ) is actuated. The apparatus ( ) also includes a portion ( ) for locking the deployment member ( ) in the deployed position.

Pop-up vehicle occupant protection device

An apparatus (,) for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle (,) having a seat (,) for the occupant and a vehicle side structure (,) comprises an air bag module (,) including an air bag (,) inflatable into a position between the occupant and the vehicle side structure. The apparatus (,) also comprises a bracket (,) for supporting the air bag module (,) on the vehicle seat (,). The bracket (,) comprises a first bracket portion (,) connectable to the seat frame (,), and a second bracket portion (,) for mounting the module (,). The bracket (,) includes a hinge (,) disposed intermediate the first and second bracket portions (,) and interconnecting the first and second bracket portions. The hinge (,) enables the second bracket portion (,) to pivot relative to the first bracket portion (,) during inflation of the air bag (,) to affect the direction in which the air bag deploys from the vehicle seat (,).

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Ferndale, MI, United States of America

Andrew M Haig