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:
Nov. 04, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 08, 2002
Richard Kremer Riefe, Saginaw, MI (US);
James R. Salois, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
David Michael Byers, Saginaw, MI (US);
Delphi Technologies, Inc., Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
An energy absorbing device for a collapsible steering column of a vehicle includes an M-shaped plastically deformable strap for imposing a resistance to collapse of the steering column when the steering column collapses in a vehicle collision. An anvil adjusts the resistance to collapse imposed on the steering column by the strap. A controller produces a signal of a magnitude indicative of an amount of resistance needed to be imposed on the steering column by the strap to better protect from injury a driver seated behind the steering column at the time of the collision. An actuator receives the signal and actuates the anvil to adjust the amount of resistance imposed by the strap in accordance with the magnitude of the signal.