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:
Oct. 23, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 03, 1999
Charles E. Steffens, Jr., Washington, MI (US);
John G. Bauer, Troy, MI (US);
John M. Seybold, Utica, MI (US);
TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
A vehicle safety apparatus (,) includes a vehicle steering column (,) connected to a vehicle steering wheel (,) to turn rotatable steerable vehicle wheels. A module (,) has an inflatable device (,) for helping to protect an occupant (,) of a vehicle (,) and an inflator (,) is connected with the inflatable device to provide inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable device. The apparatus (,) also includes at least one actuatable fastener (,) connected between the steering column (,) and a vehicle part (,). The actuatable fastener (,) has an unactuated condition blocking movement of the steering column (,) in a forward direction (,) in the vehicle (,) relative to the vehicle part (,). The actuatable fastener (,) has an actuated condition releasing the steering column (,) for movement in the vehicle (,) relative to the vehicle part (,) under load applied to the inflatable device (,) by the vehicle occupant (,). The forward movement of the steering column (,) effects forward movement of the inflatable device (,). The actuatable fastener (,) is preferably a pyrotechnic fastener.