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. 01, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 02, 1999
James K O'Docherty, Mesa, AZ (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
Apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle (12) that has a side structure (18) and a roof (28) includes a non-inflatable curtain (14). The non-inflatable curtain (14) is deployable in a first direction away from the vehicle roof into a position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. The non-inflatable curtain (14), when deployed, extends fore and aft in the vehicle (12) along the side structure (18) of the vehicle. An inflatable device (16) is inflatable into a position between the side structure (18) of the vehicle (12) and a vehicle occupant. First and second tethers (68 and 72) connect the inflatable device (16) to the non-inflatable curtain (14). An inflation fluid source (24) provides inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable device (16). The inflatable device (16), when inflated, tensions the first and second tethers (68 and 72) to deploy the non-inflatable curtain (14) in the first direction. The inflatable device (16), when inflated, resists movement of the non-inflatable curtain (14) away from the side structure (18) of the vehicle (12).