Did You Know...
...that Thomas Edison's patent application on his phonograph was approved by the Patent Office in just seven weeks? In contrast, it took Gordon Gould, the inventor of the laser, 30 years to obtain his patent -- finally awarded in 1988!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8075019 | Device for restraining a vehicle occupant A kit for a device for restraining a vehicle occupant includes a prefabricated seat belt retractor (1) that has a winding shaft (2) mounted in a rotatable manner in a retractor frame (4) to wind up and unwind the seat belt. The kit further inclu... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8013727 | Device for detecting vehicle seat occupancy A device for detecting the occupancy status of a vehicle seat with an electrical capacity sensor device that is arranged in a seat belt buckle assigned to the vehicle seat and whose electrical capacity is altered relative to a reference potential (mass, ground) by t... | 09/06/2011 |
| 8007003 | Air bag module with T-diffuser for inflator A diffuser (50) for use in an air bag system, the diffuser comprising: a connector part (52) configured to be connected to an air bag inflator, the connector part including a side wall (53); and a gas distribution part formed as an integral exte... | 08/30/2011 |
| 7887090 | Ignition delay module for an airbag inflator An ignition delay module (10) for use in an airbag inflator (100, 200) has an ignition delay module housing (11). The ignition delay module (10) separates the inflator (100, 200) into two chambers (40, 60). A pyrotechnic tab... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7887086 | Curtain air bag module and mounting clip An air bag module (50) comprising: a curtain air bag (20) having an inflatable portion and a mounting portion, the mounting portion or tab (30) including opposing first and second mounting sides or surfaces; a mounting bracket or clip (100 | 02/15/2011 |
| 7793982 | Device for tightening a seat belt A device for tightening a seat belt has a piston (2) drivable linearly in a piston guide (1) by the gas pressure of a propellant gas. A gearing (3) is also caused to move by the piston (2), the gearing serving the transmission of the pist... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7789418 | Curtain air bag assembly An air bag assembly comprising: an inflator for providing a source of inflation gas, and an air bag having a first end and a second end and a first side and a second side, the air bag configured to have a first inflatable chamber proximate the first end, a second in... | 09/07/2010 |
| 7753402 | Air bag assembly and clip therefor An air bag assembly mounting system comprising: a fastener having a base plate with a front side and a rear side, a resilient expansion element along the rear side of the base plate which is configured to extend through an opening in a structural member of a vehicle... | 07/13/2010 |
| 7708312 | Three-point safety belt system with integral air bag A three-point safety belt system (20) including: a tongue (100) configured to receive portions of a safety belt assembly (200); the safety belt assembly (200) comprising a shoulder belt section (202) and a lap belt section (250 | 05/04/2010 |
| 7703806 | Seat belt system for a motor vehicle A vehicle seat belt system has seat belt webbing that is attached to a tongue adapted to be located in a buckle mechanism fixed to a load-bearing part of the vehicle. A generally vertically extending strap is adapted to be located in a position against a seat back. ... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7703796 | Air bag module including improved inflator retainer assembly An air bag module (20) including: an inflator (200) for providing inflation gas; a bracket assembly (100) having an integral spring portion for resiliently biasing the inflator toward a retained position. ... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7658409 | Driver side air bag An air bag usable to protect the driver of the vehicle comprising: a face panel; a rear panel of generally the same shape as the face panel and secured to the face panel along its periphery; the rear panel including a centrally located opening configured to receive ... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7658407 | Air bag with active vent A safety system comprising an air bag configured to have at least one inflatable volume or chamber, an inlet through which inflation gas enters the inflatable volume, the air bag including at least one exit port or vent which when in an open state permits inflation ... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7658400 | Side air bag module A side air bag module including: an inflator (140), and air bag (102) and a retainer (150), the inflator having inflation ports (145) and a first and a second end (142, 144), the inflator configured to be inserted through a first o... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7631830 | Retractor with rotary rack pretensioner A seat belt retractor (100) having a rotationally mounted spool (120) with a seat belt windable thereon and a pretensioner (300) for winding the spool in a belt winding direction to rewind the seat belt upon the spool; the pretensioner comprisin... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7625008 | Air bag with groove or recess, open or partially covered An air bag (100) has an inflatable chamber (101, 301) defined by a main front panel (102, 212) and a pair of side panels (104a, b; 224, 226). The air bag (100) has a vertically oriented recessed portion (110, 220 | 12/01/2009 |
| 7621560 | Horn switch An assembly is provided for steering a vehicle including a steering wheel (18) with an armature (300); an air bag module (14) is coupled to the steering wheel and is operable to expand to absorb the kinetic energy of the driver. A horn switch ( | 11/24/2009 |
| 7533897 | Method and apparatus for securing an air bag An assembly is provided for steering a vehicle including a driver interface operable to enable a driver to steer the vehicle and at least one control member operable to couple the driver interface to the vehicle. An air bag module is coupled to the driver interface ... | 05/19/2009 |
| 7461866 | Height adjuster with return spring A height adjuster (200) for a vehicle safety restraint comprising: a rail (230) for providing a vertical path guide for a carrier (220); the carrier (220) configured to be vertically movable along the rail to one of a plurality of locatio... | 12/09/2008 |
| 7431332 | Side air bag module A side impact or rollover protection restraint system (20) is presented having an air bag (22) which upon inflation is of sufficient height to extend from proximate a seat (25) of a vehicle to a location generally adjacent the shoulder of a 95th... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7413371 | Quick connect anchor A quick connect anchor 20 for attachment to a cooperating fastener 110, the anchor including: a plate 30 configured to be placed over the fastener and configured to be moved in a first direction from a free position to a locked position; and a r... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7407183 | Driver side air bag module with annular air bag and centrally disposed control module An air bag module (20) having a base plate (30) and a toroidal air bag (80) is disclosed. The toroidal air bag (80) defines a pocket (120). The toroidal air bag (80) is coupled to the base plate (30). A control module... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7404572 | Curtain air bag A new and useful curtain air bag having an inflatable fluid cushion with inflatable fluid sections, and a flexible bladder located within the inflatable cushion. A fluid inlet conduit is configured to direct inflation fluid into the bladder from an inflation fluid s... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7401805 | Curtain air bag module A curtain air bag module (100) comprising and air bag (102) having at least one inflatable region with internally configured internal tethers and a deflector or ramp locatable above a B-pillar trim part and loosely mounted to the vehicle and to the tri... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7398998 | Wire, wire rope or cable assemblies for seat belt component A vehicle occupant restraint system including: a seat belt pretensioner comprising a curved cable guide and a flexible cable, having a determinable stiffness to bending, positioned about and movable relative to the cable guide. One end of the cable is adapted to be ... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7395585 | Buckle assembly A seat belt buckle assembly (20) having: a locking assembly (22) and an integrally formed cover (26) to receive the locking assembly, the locking assembly and cover having a plurality of guiding and stabilizing members (160, 100, 110, 190, 10... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7384014 | Retractor with ALR mode of operation with vehicle sensor block-out A belt retractor having ELR and ALR modes of operation is disclosed. The retractor comprises a sensor pawl movable between a released and a locked position with one or more teeth of a ratchet wheel rotatable with a spool of the retractor; the sensor pawl forming par... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7367590 | Seat belt assembly and method of installation A method of installing a seat belt system (100) into a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the system of the type including a seat belt retractor (501), a height adjuster (102) and a web guide (104), the method including the steps of: a) ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7354064 | Active tether air bag module An air bag module (30) is disclosed having an air bag (50) and a tether (52) and an active brake (70, 80) for controlling the length of the tether in correspondence with the size of the occupant to be protected. ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7255364 | Driver air bag cover and attachment method An air bag module (20, 20a) comprising: an inflator (300), a first support member (200-200a), a second support member (250, 250a-250d) and a cover (30) for enclosing an air bag (100)... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7222877 | Occupant-to-occupant air bag system An air bag assembly (80) configured to deploy in a generally vertical direction from the roof of a vehicle, comprising: an air bag (100) having at least one inflatable chamber (110, 112) defined by a material so configured, the inflatable chambe... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7213836 | Curtain air bag module A curtain air bag module (100) comprising an air bag (102) having at least one inflatable region with internally configured internal tethers, at least one of the internal tethers disposed at an angle to a stream of inflation gas. The air bag includes a... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7198293 | Side impact air bag with head protection region An air bag assembly (20) including air bag (30) having at least a first inflatable region (32) having a plurality of restrictions peripherally located about the inflatable region and configured to restrict the degree of inflation of the air bag ... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7182370 | Height adjuster or adjustable turning loop A height adjuster (100, 200, 400) for a seat belt system comprising a mounting bar (102, 202, 402), a carrier (120, 220, 460, 460a) and a spring-loaded locking lever (170, 270, 490). The mounting bar is preferably oval or rectangul... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7152893 | Handle assembly with dual latch feature A handle assembly (10) is shown. The assembly includes a rotatable, spring handle (12, 120) with a plunger (14, 114) having a first engagement feature or surface (16, 116) for receipt of a spring force; a trigger device (20, 150) i... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7152880 | Grooved air bag An air bag (100) having a main panel (102) having face panel portion (103) configured to face an occupant when the air bag is inflated, the main panel in the vicinity of the face panel portion including an opening (130, 130a, 13... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7067754 | Bezel-button assembly and method A bezel-button assembly comprising at least one button connected to a bezel. The button is moveable between a first position and at least a second position. An elastic layer connects the bezel to the button and is adapted to provide at least a partial mechanical bia... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7066506 | System for preventing inadvertent locking of a vehicle door A lock mechanism (20) for a door comprising: a door handle (110) manually movable from a rest position to an activated position; a first bias spring (170) biasing the door handle to automatically return to the rest position; a lock button (21... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7044500 | Side impact or curtain air bag with position enhancing or locating mechanism A side impact air bag curtain apparatus comprising: an inflatable air bag adapted to be installed within a vehicle in a stowed condition proximate the roof rail of a vehicle and when inflated expands from the stowed condition to a deployed condition generally in fro... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7036628 | Hunter's safety harness for tree stand An apparatus that secures a hunter to a tree while in a tree-mounted hunting stand that includes a safety harness assembly (200) having a belt retractor (24) and a body harness (16). The belt retractor is configured to be removably secured about... | 05/02/2006 |
