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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7984939 | Protection means for road vehicles A reusable system for cushioning impacts to a vehicle comprising: a bumper mounted via shock absorbers to the chassis of the vehicle; a remote sensor for detecting location and relative velocity of objects in proximity of the vehicle; a processor; a primary airbag m... | 07/26/2011 |
| 7967349 | Side impact guard device for industrial vehicles, particularly trailers or semi-trailers An industrial vehicle, in particular a trailer or semi-trailer, comprises on its two sides two side-impact guard devices each comprising at least one bar extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and connected to the frame of the vehicle. Set between th... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7370894 | On demand morphable automotive body moldings and surfaces A morphable vehicle member utilizing at least one active material to change at least one attribute in response to an activation signal. The change in at least one attribute is a change in a shape dimension, a shape orientation, an expansion, a contraction, a morphin... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7325642 | Motor vehicle fender having a breakable zone The disclosure concerns a motor vehicle fender made of plastics material having a skin separating the inside and the outside of the fender, wherein the skin possesses a breakable zone suitable for opening when subjected to thrust from the inside towards the outside ... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7288326 | Active energy absorbing cellular metals and method of manufacturing and using the same Multifunctional cellular metals (or other materials) for structural applications that are capable of recovering their original (undeformed) shape and thickness after impact or crushing (i.e., self-healing). Alternatively, they may normally be stored or used in their... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7264271 | Reversibly deployable energy absorbing assembly and methods for operating the same A reversibly deployable energy absorbing assembly includes a rigid support structure having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; a flexible covering sealingly engaged with the rigid support structure to define an inflatable interior region; a gas source in fl... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7261345 | Impact energy absorbing crash cushion A crash cushion including a cushion filled with material; and a back plate including at least one recess communicating with a back of the cushion such that material from the cushion fills the recess; wherein the back plate is configured so that when a force is appli... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7252313 | On demand morphable automotive body moldings and surfaces A morphable vehicle member utilizing at least one active material to change at least one attribute in response to an activation signal. The change in at least one attribute is a change in a shape dimension, a shape orientation, an expansion, a contraction, a morphin... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7243949 | Structural member for vehicle body and frame assembly including internal air tank A structural member for use in a vehicle body and frame assembly includes an internal air tank for supplying pressurized air to an auxiliary device, such as an active suspension for the vehicle. The internal air tank may be generally cup-shaped, including a closed e... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7243946 | Peroxide linear inflator An inflator includes a housing and a gas source material enclosed in a rupturable container in the housing. The gas source material is adapted to undergo decomposition to form an inflation gas. A reactant material is adapted to react with the gas source material to ... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7232002 | Apparatus for controlling rigidity of vehicle body An apparatus for controlling the rigidity of vehicle body according to the present invention comprises a controller for controlling a buckling form, which controls the buckling form by adding to a member to be inputted to a collision load a lateral force in the dire... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7222895 | Device for storing article protecting automobile body An article that is mounted for protecting an automobile body is stored within the automobile body by electric power when the automobile body does not need to be protected. A device stores within the automobile body by electric power an article (2) having an a... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7201412 | Vehicle bumper A vehicle bumper includes a bumper beam, a bumper face and an energy-absorbing member provided between the bumper beam and the bumper face. The energy-absorbing member has an L-shaped cross-section and includes a head of a front upper portion protruding upward. A sp... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7174985 | Exterior airbag device An external airbag device is provided which can smoothly deploy its airbag with being caught by neither a rear edge of a hood nor a windshield wiper. A lid 8 is allowed to be displaced relative to a retainer 2 in the vertical direction because hooks | 02/13/2007 |
| 7150495 | Use of a fender and a hood in combination with an air bag, fender retaining and support means, a fender, a fender module, and a hood for a motor vehicle The present invention relates to the use, at the front of a motor vehicle, of a fender and of a hood defining a fender-hood junction leaving predetermined clearance between an edge of the hood and an edge of the fender, in combination with an air bag for deploying t... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7073619 | Vehicle frontal airbag system The present invention comprises an external airbag system for mounting on a vehicle (24) that deploys into the region above the bumper (38) to prevent or mitigate injuries that would have otherwise been caused by a person striking the grill (28)... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7070030 | Resilient and deformable member for absorbing kinetic energy The present invention generally relates to devices and methods for absorbing kinetic energy. In particular, the present device is well suited for use in an automobile door, where it can be positioned for the purpose of absorbing the energy of a side-impact collision... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7056564 | Gel filled trauma mitigation device and composition therefore A trauma mitigation device is provided which includes, an enclosure having a fluid impervious barrier, a crushable matrix disposed within said enclosure, and a viscous fluid disposed within said enclosure. Both the matrix and the fluid absorb energy when subjected t... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7052056 | Bumper system with energy absorber A bumper system includes a bumper beam having a face and ends, and an energy absorber mounted on the face. The energy absorber has a one-piece injection-molded non-foam piece with box sections and interconnecting straps, and a one-piece or multi-piece foam component... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7036844 | Bumper airbag with multiple chambers A multi-chambered bumper airbag for deployment from the bumper of a vehicle in the event of a collision with another vehicle is provided. The airbag comprises a main inflatable portion that, when inflated, absorbs the energy from contact with a structural member of ... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7021685 | Automotive bumper construction Extensions extend rearwardly from the frame rails of an automotive vehicle and terminate in securement to a cross member. A rear bumper has a channel portion in which the cross member is received. An end segment of the cross member serves to carry a support for a sp... | 04/04/2006 |
| 6988754 | Vehicle bumper A cost effective bumper for a vehicle is provided that develops maximum resiliency of an inflated spare wheel to dampen shock of impacts so as to reduce injury to the occupants and reduce repair cost of the vehicle, without need for additional parts or cost. The bum... | 01/24/2006 |
| 6948750 | Collision sensor for vehicle bumper A collision sensor comprises a sensing element to be arranged on a vehicle bumper element, and an elastic profile. The elastic profile comprises at least one hollow chamber for accommodating said sensing element and at least one clip means for positively interlockin... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6942261 | Linear actuator with an internal dampening mechanism A linear actuator with an internal dampening mechanism is disclosed. The actuator has a housing has a first end and a second end and forms an internal chamber. A constricted opening is also added to the actuator at the first end. A piston is disposed within the hous... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6929296 | Motor vehicle bumper system A motor vehicle bumper system includes a bumper unit having pairs of hydraulic cylinders controlled to move a bumper between an extended position and a retracted position, a pump controlled to pump the oil from an oil tank to the hydraulic cylinders to move the bump... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6923483 | Bumper airbag and system An airbag (10) for mounting in the bumper (18) of a motor vehicle (12) is provided. The airbag can have an up-side-down “L” shape or a cylindrical shape. Further, multiple bags can be combined within one system. The airbag is configured to c... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6920954 | Pedestrian protection airbag system A pedestrian protection airbag system includes a control unit, an airbag, an inflator, a movement unit for moving a cover member to thereby allow the airbag to thrust out from an airbag storage portion smoothly, and a drawing unit for drawing out the airbag. The con... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6918459 | Method and apparatus for deploying airbags Apparatus and method for deploying airbags in a vehicle in which a first inflatable airbag protects an occupant in a seating location during a crash and a second inflatable airbag moves the occupant in the seating location away from an interior surface of the vehicl... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6749218 | Externally deployed airbag system Externally deployed airbag system for a vehicle including one or more inflatable airbags deployable outside of the vehicle, an anticipatory sensor system for assessing the probable severity of an impact involving the vehicle based on data obtained prior to the impac... | 06/15/2004 |
| 6712410 | Extruded aluminum bumper An extruded bumper for a vehicle includes a top face, a bottom face generally opposing the top face, a front face, and a rear face generally opposing the front face. A bumper interior cavity is generally bounded by and defined between the top face, the bottom face, ... | 03/30/2004 |
| 6637788 | Safety bumper comprising an energy-absorbing element controlled by an impact sensor The safety bumper includes: (a) a bumper basic body (4) having a forward surface; (b) a bumper bar (5); (c) a mounting member (11); (d) a cross-bar (10) of the vehicle, (e) at least one of a deployable energy-absorbing element (9; 32, 33, 39, 41; 52, 60) ... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6626474 | Shock absorbing device The invention relates to a device for absorbing impacts, particularly between a mobile machine (1) and an obstacle (2) or between two mobile machines, and comprises an energy absorbing structure (3), which is deployable by means of actuators (4), which ar... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6540442 | High energy impact absorption fender system using valvular control logic An energy-absorbing "smart" bumper system features a variably controllable valve which is responsive to impact conditions. The initially closed valve opens upon maximization of the pressure reading upon the bumper, and maintains the same open setting (in ... | 04/01/2003 |
| 6536818 | Bumper for a motor vehicle A bumper for a motor vehicle that includes a frame attached to the motor vehicle, a covering that covers the frame, and at least one set of self contained gas springs that are for attaching to the motor vehicle. The at least one set of self contained gas ... | 03/25/2003 |
| 6499796 | Arrangement for a vehicle or part of a vehicle A shock-absorbing safety apparatus for a vehicle, such as a truck or tanker. The apparatus includes inflatable containers attached to the exterior sides of the vehicle, a plurality of overturning sensors, a controller, and inflation sources corresponding ... | 12/31/2002 |
| 6497183 | Inflatable air bag release and membrane protection device A release device for releasing an inflatable element for protecting a vehicle against impact, which element, once inflated, presents a general shape that fits closely over the region of the vehicle to be protected, said inflatable element being held, in a... | 12/24/2002 |
| 6454326 | Device for protecting a vehicle against impact A device for protecting a vehicle against impact, the device comprising an inflatable element presenting, once inflated, a bearing surface in contact with the region of the vehicle to be protected, and an impact surface designed to receive the impact dire... | 09/24/2002 |
| 6450556 | Under-ride protection airbag system and method of its use An external vehicle airbag system (10), a method of its use and a principal vehicle (10) on which it is mounted involves mounting an airbag (16) at a bottom side (24) of the principal vehicle at a position spaced substantially laterally inwardly from a la... | 09/17/2002 |
| 6443510 | Device for protecting a vehicle against impact A device for protecting a vehicle against impact, the device comprising an inflatable element which, once inflated, presents a general shape that fits closely over the region of the vehicle to be protected, wherein said inflatable element includes a skin ... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6435577 | Combination bumper skin and under-engine fairing for a vehicle The inventive combination comprises a front bumper skin (34) pertaining to a motor vehicle and an inner closing part (12) pertaining to an engine compartment, mounted to the rear of said skin in relation to the principal direction in which the vehicle tra... | 08/20/2002 |
