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. 05, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 01, 1999
Michael B Kutchey, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
A side impact air bag (12) has a head portion (60) for, when inflated, helping to protect the head of the vehicle occupant (14) and a torso portion (50) for, when inflated, helping to protect the torso of the vehicle occupant. A housing assembly (20) supports the inflatable device (12) on a vehicle (16). When the inflatable device (12) is in the deflated condition, the head portion (60) is turned at least partially inside out and received inside the torso portion (50). The head portion (60) is the final portion of the inflatable device (12) to inflate. The inflatable device (12) has a first partially inflated condition in which the torso portion (50) is inflated forward from the housing assembly (20) and the head portion (60) is uninflated and inside the torso portion. The inflatable device (12) has a second partially inflated condition in which the torso portion (50) is inflated forward from the housing assembly (20) and the head portion (60) is substantially fully inflated outward from the torso portion in a direction forward and upward from the torso portion. The inflatable device (12) has a fully inflated condition in which the head portion (60) extends upward and rearward from the torso portion (50).