Key Safety Systems, Inc.

Kaustubh Bedekar

Pongdet Paul Wipasuramonton

John Cooper

Mark Otto Olson

Shakir Salmo

Eric J Baumbach

Chang-Hwan Ju

Robert L Arwood

Kenneth Douglas Moniaci

Paul Raymond Weber

Robert H Block

Pat Atkinson

Jeffrey S Coon

A knee bolster for a vehicle has an air bag and an air bag inflator. The air bag has an inflated condition and a deflated condition. The air bag is attached to the knee bolster, which is moveable with the air bag. The knee bolster may move from an unactuated position when the air bag is in the deflated condition to an actuated position when the air bag is inflated. A guide structure, which is attached to the knee bolster directs the bolster along a linear path from the unactuated position to the actuated position.

Upward deploying inflatable knee bolster with mechanical guides

A side curtain air bag assembly is provided, which has an inlet configured to receive inflation gas, a plurality of inflatable chambers; and a distribution tube in fluid communication with the inlet of the air bag. The inlet and the distribution tube are configured to cause inflation gas to flow along the air bag in a predetermined direction, and the distribution tube has a conical portion configured to reduce the pressure of the inflation gas pressure that is communicated from the inlet, and to distribute the inflation gas to the inflatable compartments of the air bag. The air bag is stored with the distribution tube wrapped about an inboard side of the air bag and in a manner such that the distribution tube unwraps from the air bag and is positioned between the inboard side of the air bag and the adjacent side structure of the vehicle as inflation gas is being initially communicated to the distribution tube, thereby enabling the air bag to deploy without interference with gaps that may exist (or may form) at the adjacent side structure of the vehicle.

Curtain air bag assembly

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Auburn Hills, MI, United States of America

Kaustubh Bedekar