Donald James Paxton
Land Surveyors in Perry, UT

4998751, Mar 12, 1991

Mar 26, 1990

7/498787

Donald B. Paxton - Brigham City UT
Donald R. Lauritzen - Hyrum UT
Scott R. Anderson - Syracuse UT

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL

B60R 2110

280741

A dual-stage gas bag inflator, operable initially, when activated, to cause the gas bag to deploy slowly and then, after a delay, to deploy rapidly, includes a housing having first and second compartments of different size separated by a bulkhead. The first compartment is the smaller since it is to produce a smaller amount of gas to cause the initial slow deployment of the gas bag. A gas generant charge is ignited in the first compartment, and after some delay, a gas generant charge in the second compartment is ignited. The delay is produced by an initiator including a squib, igniter material in each of the first and second compartments, and a fuse cord which is ignited by the squib. The fuse cord passes through the bulkhead and ignites all igniter materials in both inflator compartments simultaneously. The igniter material in the second compartment is so characterized that it burns slower than the igniter material in the first compartment.

5501489, Mar 26, 1996

Mar 30, 1995

8/413743

Marc D. Folsom - Tokyo, JP
Donald J. Paxton - Brigham City UT

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL

B60R 2116

2807431

A fully extended pleat for a passenger side air bag cushion employs folds which extend fully across the folded cushion rather than terminating near the center of the folded cushion. A packing advantage of this fold is that there is no free volume or dead space between the pleats thereby reducing the pack size. A performance advantage is that surface friction between the pleats acts to retards somewhat the cushion deployment to reduce hitting and slapping of the occupants in the event of a crash. Finally, a process advantage is that the pleats do not have to be controlled to a specific depth, thereby allowing the folding mechanisms to be concerned only with the final width of the pleats and allowing one less control in the folding operation.

5382048, Jan 17, 1995

Nov 5, 1993

8/147763

Donald J. Paxton - Brigham City UT
David J. Dyer - Kaysville UT

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL

B60R 2120

280728R

An improved fold configuration of top mounted air bag cushions which tend to deploy high in a vehicle compartment and tend also to deploy at great velocity at an occupant's head uses several fold variations including a folded bubble on top, tucks, a pleat and rolls which inversely roll down the vehicle dashboard when an inflating fluid under pressure flows into the cushion, which folds can only unfold in sequence one after another so that the cushion does not unfold faster than it can be filled with inflating fluid and deploys relatively slowly in a downward trajectory.

5604338, Feb 18, 1997

Nov 16, 1995

8/558358

Donald J. Paxton - Brigham City UT
Marcus T. Clark - Kaysville UT
Brian H. Fulmer - Farr West UT

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL

H01H 3534

200 83N

A temperature compensating low pressure sensor for verifying loss of gas from an inflator of a vehicle restraint safety system. The sensor includes a housing and a pressure diaphragm in communication with the fluid in the inflator. A temperature sensitive bimetallic thermostat is disposed within the housing. The thermostat expands with relation to a change in temperature of the fluid at the same rate as the pressure diaphragm. A retainer in communication with the pressure diaphragm is movably disposed in the housing. A stack of spring washers is disposed between the retainer and the thermostat for counteracting the pressure of the fluid acting upon the diaphragm. A contact arm in contact with the thermostat moves with the retainer. When the diaphragm is acted upon by a shift in pressure due to a temperature change of the fluid, the thermostat moves at the same rate as the pressure diaphragm and the contact arm remains in contact with the thermostat, thus avoiding an alarm indication due merely to a drop in pressure related to a temperature change of the fluid.

5511819, Apr 30, 1996

Mar 27, 1995

8/411037

David L. Spilker - Pleasant View UT
Donald J. Paxton - Brigham City UT

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL

B60R 2116, B65D 600

2807282

An automotive passenger airbag module is assembled by securing two endcaps to a chute or housing. The endcaps have tabs which engage channels in the sidewalls of the housing and may be secured by staking portions of the channels to hold the tabs fast during deployment of the airbag.

5676392, Oct 14, 1997

Aug 8, 1996

8/694204

Larry F. Lunt - Brigham City UT
Donald J. Paxton - Brigham City UT
David L. Spilker - Pleasant View UT
Harold A. Rothenberger - Millville CA

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL
A & B Plastics, Inc. - Yakima WA

B60R 2116

2807282

An improved retainer rod for a passenger-side airbag is formed of two different plastics having different physical characteristics by a dual durometer extrusion process. The improved retainer rod has a cylindrical main body of a hard rigid plastic which can withstand bag deployment forces and a sheet-like flag of softer flexible plastic which can be sewn to the bag material.

5425550, Jun 20, 1995

Feb 4, 1994

8/191959

Donald J. Paxton - Brigham City UT
Bryan D. Matzl - North Ogden UT
David J. Green - Brigham City UT

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL

B60R 2116

2807283

A passenger side airbag module includes a reaction canister whose sidewalls define a pair of channels on opposite sides of its open mouth. An unperforated cushion cover carries a pair of splines which are engaged by the channels. One spline/channel combination locks the cover securely to the canister. The other spline/channel combination forms a snap-fit engagement which disengages under the force of the expanding airbag.

5405164, Apr 11, 1995

Mar 4, 1994

8/207016

Donald J. Paxton - Brigham City UT
David J. Green - Brigham City UT

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL

B60R 2116

280728A

A deep drawn reaction canister encloses a hybrid inflator. In order to evenly inflate an airbag, a diffuser sheet is positioned over the inflator to distribute the gases which exit one end of the inflator. The diffuser sheet serves a second function of securing the inflator in the canister. It does so by means of screws which extend through the canister and into threaded engagement with the diffuser sheet, placing it in tension when the screws are tightened.

5435595, Jul 25, 1995

Jan 14, 1994

8/181897

Donald R. Lauritzen - Hyrum UT
Donald J. Paxton - Brigham City UT
Larry D. Rose - Layton UT

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL

B60R 2126

2807282

An inflator substantially shorter than the reaction canister is employed in a passenger-side airbag module. In order to properly distribute the inflating gas, a diffuser is employed which forms a plenum chamber having gas discharge openings in preselected locations relative to the mouth of the airbag.

5669627, Sep 23, 1997

Jul 25, 1996

8/690324

George C. Marjanski - Riverdale UT
Davin G. Saderholm - Salt Lake City UT
Donald J. Paxton - Brigham City UT
David L. Spilker - Pleasant View UT
Brent R. Beesley - Layton UT

Morton International, Inc. - Chicago IL

B60R 2120

2807283

A side impact airbag module including an inflator and a folded airbag is formed into a module by means of an extruded cover. The cover encircles the inflator and airbag and incorporates structure for releasing the airbag upon inflation. Optional end caps may be attached to one or both ends of the module.