Autoliv Asp, Incorporated

Morton International, Inc.

Thiokol Corporation

Other

Mark Ludwig Enders

Larry Frank Lunt

Louis A Mueller

Bradley W Smith

David J Green

Larry D Rose

Jeffrey Daniel Williams

Changsoo Choi

Patrick Jamison

Kent Potter

John C Newkirk

Ralph Tree

Greg Waters

Davin G Saderholm

Brad Smith

Shankar Balaskandan

David W Schneider

Brent A Parks

Michael Perry Jordan

Gregory J Lang

Quin Soderquist

Robert E Lewis

Guy R Letendre

John F Witt, Jr

Michael B Kutchey

Earl Henry Nelson

Blake L Cheal

Timothy M Maly

Jamie R Fritz

Marc D Folsom

Wael S Elqadah

Steven R Pripps

William T Dolling

Scott A Meyer

Richard Welford

Timothy M Martersteck

Kurt Gammil

Bryan Redd

Curt Ehle

Tony T Robinson

Robert J Hays

Daniel S Garceau

Michael H Young

Larry Lunt

Michael Kutchey

Airbag cushions and related assemblies configured to protect the lower extremities of a driver by deploying about the contours of a steering column shroud. In some embodiments, the assembly may comprise an inflatable cushion configured to be deployed adjacent to a vehicle steering column to provide protection to a driver's lower extremities during an impact event. The cushion may comprise a primary inflation chamber, a first supplemental inflation chamber fluidly coupled with the primary inflation chamber and configured to deploy on a left side of the vehicle steering column adjacent to the driver's left lower extremity, and a second supplemental inflation chamber fluidly coupled with the primary inflation chamber and configured to deploy on a right side of the vehicle steering column adjacent to the driver's right lower extremity.

Multi-chambered driver-side airbag assemblies

An inflatable airbag assembly, such as a knee airbag assembly, including a support strap, wherein the support strap may be secured to an inflatable airbag cushion. The support strap may be configured to direct the deployment trajectory of the airbag cushion such that the airbag cushion is deployed rearwardly and upwardly within a vehicle. The inflatable airbag assembly may be configured to prevent injury to an occupant's hip, femur, knee, and/or lower leg.

Inflatable knee airbag assemblies

Apparatus, methods, and systems for deflecting a vehicle wheel away from a foot well to reduce the chances for intrusion into the foot well during certain collisions, such as foot well intruding impact events. In some embodiments, the system may comprise an expandable structure comprising a rigid material. The expandable structure may be configured to be positioned in a wheel well of a vehicle and may be configured to actuate from a first, contracted configuration to a second, expanded configuration, and to deflect a vehicle wheel away from a foot well of the vehicle during an impact event to reduce the chances of the vehicle wheel entering the foot well during the impact event. The system may further comprise an inflator configured to deliver a fluid to the expandable structure during actuation so as to expand the expandable structure from the first configuration to the second configuration.

Foot well intrusion deflection systems and related methods and apparatus

Apparatus, methods, and systems for displacing one or more vehicle seats in a rearward direction during an impact event to increase the space between the occupant's knees/legs and an instrument panel and/or firewall, prior to the intrusion caused by the impact. In some embodiments, the system may comprise a vehicle seat and a displacement system configured to automatically displace the vehicle seat upon detecting a foot well intruding impact event within a vehicle. The displacement system may comprise a seat rail mechanism coupled with the vehicle seat and a pyrotechnic device configured to displace the vehicle seat on the seat rail mechanism upon actuation of the pyrotechnic device.

Vehicle seat displacement systems and related methods and apparatus

A knee airbag can be deployed from a side panel of a vehicle to cushion the lower leg of a vehicle occupant during a collision event. Such knee airbags can provide protection to occupants that move in a forward and outboard direction during a collision event. In some circumstances, the knee airbag includes one or more chambers.

Knee airbag deployable from a side panel

An airbag assembly can include a stabilizer strap attached to an airbag, and the stabilizer strap can cooperate with a housing to prevent undesired rotation or skewing of the airbag during deployment. A portion of the stabilizer strap can be positioned at an exterior of the housing and can remain at the exterior of the housing throughout deployment of the airbag.

Airbag assemblies with stabilizer straps

Inflatable airbag cushions can be rolled and/or folded into a housing assembly. The housing assembly aids in coupling an inflator to the airbag and a vehicle structure. The housing also couples the airbag to a vehicle structure. The housing can be mounted behind an knee bolster or steering wheel of a vehicle and has a cover that can be flush with the cabin side of the mounted position. The housing cover can be a cosmetically finished piece or a cosmetically unfinished piece. The housing cover can be an integral part of the housing, and may be used in combination with a one-piece inflator mounting bracket and heat shield.

Inflatable airbag assembly with an integral cover

An airbag assembly can include a stabilizer strap attached to an airbag, and the stabilizer strap can cooperate with a housing to prevent undesired rotation or skewing of the airbag during deployment. In some arrangements, a portion of the airbag is secured to the housing via an inflator.

Knee airbag assemblies and related methods

An inflatable knee airbag is typically stored in a packaged state within an airbag housing. The housing typically has a cover, which can be either a cosmetic cover or an unfinished cover, if the cover will not be readily visible to an occupant. The cover can be extruded rather than molded and may have features for coupling the cover to the housing. The cover may also have other features such as a tear seam.

Covers for inflatable knee airbag housings

An inflatable knee airbag is typically stored in a packaged state within an airbag housing. The housing often has a cover, which can be either a cosmetic cover or an unfinished cover, if the cover will not be readily visible to an occupant. During inflatable airbag deployment, the housing may contribute to determining the airbag's trajectory. A car-forward portion of an airbag housing that is horizontally oriented may rotate in a car-downward direction to allow a deployment trajectory of the deploying airbag to be more vertically oriented.

Inflatable knee airbag assemblies with articulating housings

Inflatable airbag cushions can be formed with one or more inflatable chambers, each having different inflated widths and volumes. For example, an inflatable knee airbag can have a first chamber that is adjacent to the periphery of the airbag and a second chamber that is nested within the first chamber. The two chambers can be fluidly coupled and the second chamber may have a vent formed in it that can release inflation gas out of the airbag. The airbag may have more than one nested chamber. The nested chambers can be defined by one or more internal tethers that can be formed from one or more pieces of material. The airbag can be configured such that it and any internal tethers are produced from a single panel of material.

Inflatable knee airbag having two chambers separated by an internal tether

An airbag assembly with a reduced-cost knee airbag cushion and internal tethers can be formed from a single rectangular panel of material so that there is very little material waste. A pleat can be formed in a rear face so that the combination of tethers and pleat help the cushion deploy with favorable characteristics and adopt an arced shape when inflated. The cushion can have apertures for inserting an inflator with mounting stems partially within the cushion so that the mounting stems can be used to couple the cushion to an airbag housing. The assembly can also have a bag strap formed from a single piece of fabric that can wrap around a rolled and/or folded cushion. The assembly can also have a stabilizer strap that can be coupled to the cushion and to the airbag housing so that during deployment, the cushion does not skew or twist.

Inflatable knee airbags and internal tethers produced from single panels of material

Knee airbag assemblies configured for inflator insertion and inflator-mediated coupling to an airbag housing

An airbag cushion has two chambers to permit the front chamber to inflate less rapidly than the back chamber for cushioning the head of an occupant in a vehicle with less force than the chest of an occupant is cushioned by the back chamber.

Dual chamber airbag cushion

An airbag cushion has two chambers to permit the front chamber to inflate less rapidly than the back chamber for cushioning the head of an occupant in a vehicle with less force than the chest of an occupant is cushioned by the back chamber. The front chamber has at least one safety vent.

Dual chamber airbag cushions with a safety vent in the front chamber

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Pleasant View, UT, United States of America

Mark Ludwig Enders