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. 14, 2001
Filed:
May. 31, 2000
Charles E. Steffens, Jr., Washington, MI (US);
Ernst M. Faigle, Dryden, MI (US);
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
Apparatus (,) for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle (,) that has a side structure (,) and a roof (,) comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (,). The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (,) is inflatable from a stored position into a position between the side structure (,) of the vehicle (,) and a vehicle occupant. An inflation fluid source (,) provides inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (,). The apparatus (,) includes a guide (,) connected to the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (,) and a flexible elongated member (,) that extends through the guide. The flexible elongated member (,) has a first end (,) connected to the vehicle (,) at a first location (,) and an opposite second end (,) connected to the vehicle at a second location (,). The guide (,) is movable over the flexible elongated member (,) in a first direction (,) when the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflated and the guide resists movement over the flexible elongated member in a second direction (,), opposite the first direction.