The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 31, 2024
Filed:
Sep. 02, 2021
Zf Passive Safety Systems Us Inc., Washington, MI (US);
Tesla, Inc., Austin, TX (US);
Kurt Fischer, Rochester, MI (US);
Aditya Mohanty, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Clark Trusty, Chesterfield, MI (US);
Christopher Baucher, Washington, MI (US);
Miguel Carlon, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Scott Bentley, Pleasanton, CA (US);
ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC., Washington, MI (US);
TESLA, INC., Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for helping to protect a driver side occupant of a vehicle having a steering yoke includes an airbag mounted to the steering yoke. The airbag is inflatable from a stored condition concealed in the steering yoke to a deployed condition in which the airbag is positioned between the steering yoke and the occupant. The apparatus also includes an airbag wrap for packaging the airbag in the stored condition. The airbag wrap is configured to bias the airbag to deploy initially in an initial deployment direction transverse to a steering axis of the steering yoke through a deployment opening defined by the airbag wrap and a pleat formed in the airbag wrap and secured with a tear stitch. The pleat is configured to initially reduce the size of the deployment opening, which limits initial deployment of the airbag through the deployment opening. The pleat is further configured to rupture in response to increasing airbag deployment forces to increase the size of the deployment opening for further deployment of the airbag therethrough.