Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Wade J Sorenson

Edgar H Schlaps

Chhay S Siev

Boris Siebeck

A vehicle occupant protection device () for helping to protect an occupant of a seat of a vehicle includes an inertia member () that engages an element (). The inertia member () is movable relative to the element () from an unactuated position to an actuated position in response to at least one sensed vehicle condition for activating the occupant protection device (). A vertical axis () extends through the center of mass of the inertia member () when the inertia member () is in the unactuated position. At least one of the element () and the inertia member () has at least one planar surface () that extends at an angle relative to the vertical axis (). The inertia member () and element () are movable relative to one another along the at least one planar surface () to place the inertia member () in the actuated position to activate the occupant protection device.

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Macomb, MI, United States of America

Wade J Sorenson