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:
Jun. 11, 2013
Filed:
May. 19, 2010
Alan L. Browne, Grosse Pointe, MI (US);
Paul W. Alexander, Ypsilanti, MI (US);
Jennifer P. Lawall, Waterford, MI (US);
Nancy L. Johnson, Northville, MI (US);
Hans P. Lawall, Waterford, MI (US);
Gregory J. Vargo, Troy, MI (US);
Alan L. Browne, Grosse Pointe, MI (US);
Paul W. Alexander, Ypsilanti, MI (US);
Jennifer P. Lawall, Waterford, MI (US);
Nancy L. Johnson, Northville, MI (US);
Hans P. Lawall, Waterford, MI (US);
Gregory J. Vargo, Troy, MI (US);
GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
An active material-enabled overhead protection system () for protecting the occupants of vehicles () with overhead glass (), such as sunroofs or panoramic windshields, during rollover events. The system () includes a protective structure () and a deployment device (). The protective structure () has a stowed condition in which it does not obstruct the overhead glass (), and a deployed condition in which it is interposed between the overhead glass () and the heads of the occupants of the vehicle (). The deployment device () moves the protective structure () from the stowed condition to the deployed condition. The deployment device () includes a trigger () operable to initiate movement of the protective structure (), and the trigger () includes an active material which can change shape in response to an actuation signal, and the change in shape initiates deployment of the protective structure ().