Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| RE43353 | Divided airbag system An airbag assembly is disclosed. The airbag assembly includes an inflatable cushion having a recess in its lower portion. The recess may form split sections in the lower portion of the cushion. The recess may be configured to receive a rear-facing child car seat dur... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8096578 | Knee airbag A knee airbag apparatus includes a front panel configured to face toward an occupant when the knee airbag deploys and a rear panel configured to face toward an instrument panel when the knee airbag deploys. The rear panel is joined to the front panel to form an infl... | 01/17/2012 |
| 8038169 | Restraint system for front vehicle occupants A restraint system is provided that includes, but is not limited to at least one airbag module having an airbag having at least one chamber for front vehicle occupants in a vehicle, a space at a distance from the windshield between dashboard and front vehicle occupa... | 10/18/2011 |
| 7992895 | Bolster deployment pattern This invention is in the field of safety devices to lessen injuries arising from impact in vehicles, particularly automobiles. A bolster which may be employed to reduce impact severity to passengers from either frontal or side impacts is activated by impact sensing ... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7926842 | Airbag for front passenger seat for vehicle and manufacturing method thereof An apparatus includes an airbag door that opens during deployment of an airbag, and a crash pad integrally injection-molded with the airbag door. The airbag door may include a tear groove, torn during the deployment of the airbag; a slanted part; and a variable part... | 04/19/2011 |
| 7914039 | Interlocking one piece molded passenger air bag chute An integrated air bag chute structure that provides means for providing automatic interlocking attachment of the chute to the substrate of an instrument panel. By inserting the air bag chute into a substrate aperture and utilizing slots, depressions and notches form... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7900958 | Airbag apparatus for a front passenger's seat An airbag apparatus for a front passenger's seat includes a case that includes a front storage area that has an airbag mounting plane and a rear storage area. A bottom wall of the rear storage area is located at a lower level than the airbag mounting plane of the fr... | 03/08/2011 |
| 7891702 | Apparatus and method for attaching passenger side inflatable restraint chute The invention provides for an apparatus and method for attaching a Passenger Side Inflatable Restraint (PSIR) chute. In one embodiment an automotive interior component comprises an automotive instrument panel having an outer surface and an inner surface. The automot... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7878534 | Passenger airbag apparatus A passenger airbag apparatus for a vehicle includes a retainer, an airbag folded and retained in the retainer, a deployment-limiting sheet, and a shape-retaining sheet. The deployment-limiting sheet has one end coupled to the retainer or the rear portion of the airb... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7874580 | Airbag device for a motor vehicle An airbag device for a vehicle, including an airbag package, a receptacle, and a flexible protective covering for the airbag. The flexible protective covering includes at least two flexible, sheet-like protective elements secured to the receptacle. The flexible, she... | 01/25/2011 |
| 7837227 | Air-bag housing An air-bag housing comprising a rectangular frame (1) defining an opening and having a mounting arrangement in the form of flanges (7) to mount the frame in position within a motor vehicle. The frame supports a housing-forming element (21) forme... | 11/23/2010 |
| 7828323 | Air bag deployment chute and method An integrated air bag support structure that includes a support base for attachment to the rear side of a substrate. The support base is configured to surround a door support panel and both are configured for attachment to the rear side of a substrate in an area tha... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7823917 | Air bag module An air bag module mounted in front of a front passenger seat of an automotive vehicle. The air bag module includes a case having an opening. An air bag is accommodated within and connected with the case. The air bag is projectable out of the case through the opening... | 11/02/2010 |
| 7758069 | Knee airbag and restraint system for suppressing deployment of head/torso airbag A restraint system that evaluates factors such the type of collision an automotive vehicle is experiencing and then, based on that evaluation, deploys a knee airbag and/or a head/torso airbag. A knee airbag is also disclosed with an upper portion and a lower portion... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7731230 | Air bag with deployment flap An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant (20) of a vehicle (12) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) inflatable from a stored condition to a deployed condition in which the protection device is positi... | 06/08/2010 |
| 7731229 | Low risk deployment passenger airbag system with knee protection A passenger airbag system is designed for an automotive vehicle with a passenger compartment, a windshield and an instrument panel disposed between the passenger compartment and the windshield. The instrument panel has a top portion adjacent the windshield, a lower ... | 06/08/2010 |
| 7722077 | Airbag configuration in a vehicle An airbag configuration provides an airbag outlet opening in a front instrument panel wall region. A given safety distance is provided between the airbag outlet opening and a potential head impact region of a vehicle occupant. The potential head impact region is pro... | 05/25/2010 |
| 7708311 | Airbag for front passenger's seat The airbag of the present invention, when completely inflated, is formed into a generally square conical shape whose top is in a front end of the airbag. A protection portion to be located in rear side of the airbag upon airbag inflation includes shoulder restrainin... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7695006 | Passenger airbag device without housing An airbag door is openably attached to an instrument panel. A cushion pad is attached inside the airbag door, and has a stepped separable pad. A cushion bracket is attached to the cushion pad. A cushion is mounted inside the cushion bracket. The cushion separates th... | 04/13/2010 |
| 7658404 | Instrument panel structure with airbag unit The airbag unit is disposed inside the rear upper face portion of the instrument panel near the difference-in-level portion. The lid portion is configured to open substantially forward around the hinge member without hitting against the difference-in-level portion. ... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7549673 | Air bag apparatus An air bag apparatus for a vehicle is provided with an air bag configured to inflate and deploy with inflow of a gas; a first inflator configured to supply the gas to the air bag having a first pressure-time property; and a second inflator configured to supply the g... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7540531 | Vehicle airbag system A vehicle airbag system includes a vehicle crash sensor that detects a vehicle impact, and an airbag module that is provided in interior equipment positioned in front of a front-seat occupant and that includes an inflator and an airbag. The vehicle airbag system fur... | 06/02/2009 |
| 7537239 | Seamless airbag ring with integrated duct mount An airbag ring for mounting an airbag assembly to an instrument panel including an airbag ring portion having a first aperture. The first aperture being dimensioned to allow an airbag to pass through the first aperture during airbag deployment and a duct mounting po... | 05/26/2009 |
| 7530599 | Flexible housing for an airbag module A housing for an airbag module that contains an inflatable airbag cushion in a compacted configuration before being inflated by inflation gas supplied by an inflator device. The housing includes a collar for attaching the housing to a vehicle and a chute assembly fo... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7487994 | Airbag device for front passenger's seat In the airbag device for front passenger's seat of the present invention, an airbag before being housed in the case and mounted on vehicle is folded up through a preparatory folding step and a regular folding step, the regular folding step further including a transv... | 02/10/2009 |
| 7455317 | Airbag for front passenger's seat The airbag of the present invention, when completely inflated, is formed into a generally square conical shape whose top is in a front end of the airbag. A protection portion to be located in rear side of the airbag upon airbag inflation includes shoulder restrainin... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7431326 | Airbag apparatus The positioning of an airbag plate with respect to an inflator is achieved so as to prevent the generation of a rattle that may otherwise be caused by vibrations during vehicle travel. The bottom side of a column-shaped inflator that injects pressurized fluid is sup... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7429058 | Passenger airbag door A passenger side airbag installation for an automotive vehicle has a passenger airbag module mounted in a vehicle compartment in front of an instrument panel. The airbag module has an airbag adapted to deploy in a rearward direction. A door formed integrally with th... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7425018 | Vehicle interior panel and production process An interior panel for covering an air bag module of a vehicle, includes a base layer of hard resin, formed with a breakaway portion to form a deployment door for the air bag module; and a covering layer overlying the base layer, and including a surface layer of soft... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7413221 | Airbag apparatus with accumulator An airbag apparatus includes an airbag, an inflator, and an accumulator. The airbag is configured to be stored in a vehicle before inflation. The inflator is configured to provide gas for inflating the airbag. The accumulator is in fluid communication with the airba... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7407180 | Air bag apparatus and instrument panel structure for supporting air bag apparatus An air bag apparatus includes a folded air bag, an inflator arranged to discharge a high pressure gas into the air bag at a collision of the vehicle, and a container member receiving the air bag, covering a non-deployment side of the air bag, and retaining the infla... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7398991 | Cover component of airbag system, airbag system, and vehicle interior trim A cover component mountable to an airbag system has a tear line that is torn open when an airbag of the airbag system inflates. At least part of the tear line includes a recessed line and hollows bored in the recessed line at intervals. The recessed line is molded i... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7393004 | Airbag module removal structure An airbag module removal structure includes a pair of brackets which extends from an instrument panel and is disposed with a space to sandwich an airbag module, a first hook member secured to one side of the airbag module and a second hook member secured to the othe... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7393007 | Airbag device An airbag device is provided to reduce the deployment force of an airbag when a vehicle occupant or a child seat is positioned adjacent to an airbag device or a vehicle-body component adjacent to the airbag device. In one form, a passenger-seat airbag device is set ... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7387311 | Module cover for airbag apparatus A module cover for an airbag apparatus. The module cover includes a plate member and a leg member. The leg member extends from the back surface of the plate member. The plate member and the leg member are formed separately and joined after formation. The plate membe... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7384065 | Knee protection airbag device The knee protection airbag device (S1) includes an airbag (40) which protrudes rearward from a deployment opening of a housing upon inflow of inflation gas, and deploys upward to be located in front of knees of an occupant between a vehicular body and ... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7384060 | Method for producing a finished part comprising a zone designed to allow a passageway to be created, and finished part and assembly thereby produced The invention relates to a facia panel for allowing an inflated airbag to pass through. In accordance with the invention, a composite finished part includes a support element made of plastic and having a reduced thickness in comparison to its other dimensions, and a... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7380813 | Flexible airbag flap A flexible airbag flap of an airbag module, in particular for use in motor vehicles, where the airbag module is arranged on a frame, preferably a metal frame, connected with a decor carrier of an instrument panel, and attached to the decor carrier but not to a cross... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7377540 | Airbag unit and case of airbag unit A case of an airbag unit has a case body for forming a storage room for accommodating an airbag. The case body has a bottom section, a pair of first side walls, and a pair of second side walls. The case also has a movable component disposed adjacent to an outer surf... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7377539 | Airbag unit and case of airbag unit A case of an airbag unit includes a case body for forming a storage room for accommodating an airbag, and a movable component attached to the case body for forming at least a part of an edge of an opening of the case body. The movable component has a lower end porti... | 05/27/2008 |
