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:
Aug. 12, 2025
Filed:
Oct. 07, 2024
Ford Global Technologies, Llc, Dearborn, MI (US);
Diego Enrique Chavez Munoz, West Bloomfield, MI (US);
Kathryn Megan Kosinski, Royal Oak, MI (US);
Nathan Kenneth Shaeff, West Bloomfield, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A steering-wheel assembly includes a steering-wheel base including a plurality of catches, a horn electrical circuit extending along the steering-wheel base and electrically connected to a vehicle horn, and an airbag assembly including a plurality of hooks arranged to engage with respective ones of the catches. The horn electrical circuit includes a plurality of gaps across the respective ones of the catches. Each hook includes an electrical connector positioned to close the respective gap when the hook is fully engaged with the respective catch and to leave the respective gap open when the hook is disengaged from the respective catch. The horn electrical circuit is closable to activate the vehicle horn when the electrical connectors close the gaps. The horn electrical circuit is open when at least one of the electrical connectors is not closing the respective gap.