Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technologies, Llc, a Subsidary of Ford Motor Company

Tim Scott

Paul Mark Marable

Steven Yellin Schondorf

Michal Jan Swiniarski

Barry Grindle

Markus Koelsch

Allen Charles Bosio

Gregor Whelan

Jim Alcorn

Tina Sharp

Ray Hudd

Ray Trebes

John E Gregar

Michal Jan Swiniarksi

Dirk Landheer

Johannes A Varcus

Marcus Ward

An assembly includes an airbag, a trim panel, and an airbag container having a sidewall defining a cavity receiving the airbag. The airbag container has an opening through which the airbag is deployable. A flexible membrane cover extends over the opening. A spacer portion is coupled to the membrane cover. The spacer portion is configured to extend proud of the sidewall. The spacer portion resides within a gap between the trim panel and the airbag container and touches the trim panel to resist deflection of the trim panel.

Vehicle airbag assembly and associated method of forming

A torsion shaft for a seat belt retractor assembly, the torsion shaft being connectable at a first location to a spool for receiving a seat belt and connectable at a second location to a locking mechanism, the first and second locations being spaced apart along a length of the torsion shaft, wherein the torsion shaft is configured to deform when a torsion force is applied between the first and second locations during an impact event, wherein the torsion shaft comprises a cavity and a fluid is provided in said cavity so as to support the torsion shaft as the torsion shaft deforms during the impact event.

Torsion shaft, seat belt retractor assembly and associated methods

A sensing and injury mitigation system for a vehicle to identify an object in an impact event is disclosed. The system includes an impact sensing unit comprising an impact sensor and a pressure sensing unit. The impact sensor has fluid-filled first and second tube portions. The pressure sensing unit has a housing and first and second pressure sensors located within the housing. The first tube portion of the impact sensor is attached to the first pressure sensor and the second tube portion of the impact sensor is attached to the second pressure sensor. The pressure sensing unit senses changes in fluid pressure within the tubes. In one embodiment, the tube portions of the impact sensor define a loop. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the first tube portion and at least a portion of the second tube portion share a common axis.

Impact tubing for pedestrian protection sensor for automotive vehicle

A vehicle seat assembly comprises a vehicle seat comprising a rigid frame, one or more resilient portions and a covering material, wherein an openable deployment seam is provided at a portion of the covering material, and wherein the vehicle seat defines a recess. An airbag module is provided within the recess and comprises a housing, an airbag and an inflator system. Also provided is gripping means which is movable between a first position and a second position in which the portion of the covering material is restrained to assist deployment of the airbag through the deployment seam.

Vehicle seat assembly

An airbag has a fabric enclosure, a vent in the fabric enclosure, and a flow control device made up of a flexible membrane fastened around part of a periphery thereof to the fabric enclosure adjacent to the vent. The membrane defines a flow passage having a free end through which inflation gas is vented to atmosphere and has a tongue extending away from the free end. The tongue has a pre-deployment position in which it overlies an inner surface of the fabric enclosure and a distal end of the tongue extends past an end of the vent closest to the free end. A first distance from the distal end of the tongue to a closest end of the vent may be shorter than a second distance from the distal end of the tongue to a closest end of fastening between the periphery of the membrane and the fabric enclosure.

Airbag having a pressure responsive vent

A steering wheel airbag assembly ( ) for a motor vehicle with a driver airbag module ( ), in which the module snaps into an aligned engagement with the steering wheel during manufacture of the steering wheel. The assembly ( ) includes an airbag supporting portion ( ) with a plurality of apertures therein ( ) and a driver airbag module ( ) attached to the supporting portion ( ) and having a plurality of legs ( ), each of which extends slidingly into a corresponding aperture ( ) being movable towards and away from the supporting portion ( ). Engagement barbs ( ) between each leg ( ) and aperture ( ) limits said movement and keeps the module ( ) and supporting portion ( ) attached. A spring ( ) between the module ( ) and the supporting portion ( ) spring biases the module away from the supporting portion ( ). A leg ( ) has a first pair of outwardly opposed surfaces ( ) that form a loose sliding fit with the aperture ( ), and a second pair of outwardly opposed surfaces ( ) that form a tight sliding fit with corresponding surfaces ( ) of said aperture in order to locate the module ( ) transversely on the supporting portion ( ) as the module ( ) is moved relatively towards and away from the supporting portion ( ).

Steering wheel with a driver airbag module

A motor vehicle passenger seat includes a seat, a seat-back in contacting relationship with the seat, and a pair of laterally spaced anchorage members for anchoring a child seat disposed at the point of contact between the seat and seat-back, the anchorage members are pivotally mounted in relation to the seat whereby the anchorage members can be pivoted between a use position in which they are upwardly disposed through a gap between the seat and the seat-back so that a child seat can be secured thereto, and a stowage position in which the anchorage members are downwardly disposed through the gap and hidden from view thereby, the anchorage members being constrained to pivot in opposite directions to one another when moving between the use and stowage positions.

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Benfleet, United Kingdom

Tim Scott