Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Stephen Hongbin Kang

Jeffrey Steven Vinton

Leonard Anthony Shaner

Sarah Beth Certeza

Barbara Ann McKeehan

Michelle L Tsai

A knee bolster assembly having a vehicle frame structure, a bracket structure having a base portion and two contoured side wall portions that extend from the base portion to ends that attach to the frame structure, a trigger point occurs in each side wall portion at a first maximum width and a first minimum width between side wall portions, and a knee bolster plate cooperating with the base portion.

Knee bolster bracket

An apparatus for venting an inflatable restraint assembly . The apparatus includes a conventional pyrotechnic cylinder which is communicatively coupled to a controller , a selectively pivotable door which selectively seals and/or covers an opening within assembly , and a latch mechanism which is coupled to the cylinder and which selectively engages and disengages door Controller is communicatively coupled to a seat position sensor , seat belt sensor and crash severity sensor(s) . Controller determines when a crash situation has occurred or will imminently occur and selectively activates assembly if such a determination is made, thereby protecting the vehicle occupant from harm and/or injury. Controller further determines whether and/or when to vent air bag module based upon the data received from sensors and selectively activates cylinder in response to such a determination.

Method for apparatus for venting an inflatable restraint assembly

An air bag deployment system for a vehicle having an air bag cushion having at least one pyrotechnic vent, an inflator in communication with the air bag cushion for inflating the air bag cushion, at least one sensor, and a restraint control module electrically connected to the pyrotechnic vent and the at least one sensor. The restraint control module being operative to receive and analyze a signal from the at least one sensor and to signal the pyrotechnic vent to deploy thereby allowing gas to vent from inside the air bag cushion.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Stephen Hongbin Kang