Travis Wade Hess
Electrician at 3825, Ogden, UT

6805374, Oct 19, 2004

Feb 8, 2001

09/779093

Davin G. Saderholm - Brea CA
Travis B. Hess - Ogden UT

Autoliv ASP, Inc. - Ogden UT

B60R 2116

2807302, 280729, 2807431

A novel safety restraint system especially well suited to protect occupants of a vehicle from lateral impact is described. One or more cushion portions are provided and installed to inflate between an occupant and a lateral surface, such as a door or side window. The cushion portions may be connected to an air source or to each other through the use of sail portions and supply tubes, which may be attached to the cushion portions by chemical bonding, adhesive bonding, sewing, RF welding, or any other suitable method. The cushion portions may have an interior coating of a urethane based substance, mated to a similar substance coating the exterior of a supply tube or sail portion. The cushion portions may then be RF welded to the sail portion or supply tube without restricting gas flow into the cushion portions. The sail portions and supply tubes are preferably fabricated from a material different from that used to form the cushion portions, so as to reduce the cost and weight of the safety restraint system.

6755436, Jun 29, 2004

Jun 26, 2001

09/892388

Travis B. Hess - Farr West UT
Kurt E. Kottke - Bountiful UT

Autoliv ASP, Inc. - Ogden UT

B60R 2122

2807302, 280740, 280742, 2807431

The present invention provides a system and method for distributing inflation gases within an airbag cushion. Such a cushion may have one or more protection zones configured to inflate to protect vehicle occupants. An inflation channel maybe enclosed by one or more of the protection zones, and may be attached to a mounting surface within a protection zone. The inflation channel may be connected to an inflator, and may have a plurality of holes along its length, sized or spaced apart in a manner selected to provide a comparatively even flow rate of inflation gas to all parts of the cushion during inflation. Additionally, the inflation channel may have a gas outlet extension along which the holes are disposed; the gas outlet extension may have a tapered shape configured to collapse under external pressure to prevent backflow of inflation gases into the inflation channel. The inflation channel may be easily manufactured in a number of ways, including extrusion of a polymeric workpiece with a slit along its length. The slit may be intermittently closed to form the gas outlet extension with the holes, without the need for punching or drilling.

6808199, Oct 26, 2004

Apr 9, 2002

10/119876

Davin Saderholm - Mission Viejo CA
Blake Heiner - Roy UT
Travis Hess - Farr West UT

Autoliv ASP, Inc. - Ogden UT

B60R 2116

2807302, 2807282

An inflatable curtain package that is made of an inflatable curtain wrapped around by a thin film is disclosed. The inflatable curtain has a number of mounting tabs that allows the inflatable curtain to be attached to a vehicle. The orientation of the thin film allows mounting tabs to extend out of a seam in thin film. The inflatable curtain package may be constructed by aligning a first edge of the thin film to a position near a location wherein the mounting tabs attach to the inflatable curtain. Next, the mounting tabs are positioned over the first edge of the thin film. Then a second edge of the thin film is positioned to overlap the first edge and the attachment location. The two overlapping edges cause the thin film to wrap around the inflatable curtain.

6575496, Jun 10, 2003

May 24, 2001

09/864963

Travis B. Hess - Farr West UT
Kurt E. Kottke - Bountiful UT

Autoliv ASP, Inc. - Ogden UT

B60R 2100

2807302, 2807431

A system and method for reducing the profile of compacted seams in an inflatable curtain modules is disclosed. A cushion of an inflatable curtain module has interior seams configured to separate the cushion into chambers. The interior seams are angled with respect to the direction along which the cushion is compacted to ensure that each interior seam does not simply bunch up at a one single location along the length of the compacted cushion. Preferably, the interior seams are angled so that overlap does not occur along at least half the length of each interior seam. The angle may be further selected to ensure that no overlap occurs, or even that no two portions of any interior seams can interfere to create a combined bulge. The interior seams may be modestly angled, aggressively angled to form a nested configuration, or even angled perpendicular to the compaction direction. The interior seams may also be curved to produce a more even displacement between helical turns of the interior seams after the cushion has been rolled.

6447006, Sep 10, 2002

Oct 3, 2000

09/677621

Travis Hess - Ogden UT
Davin Saderholm - Brea CA

Autoliv ASP, Inc. - Ogden UT

B60R 2130

280739, 2807431, 280742

A venting arrangement for an inflatable curtain cushion is disclosed. The inflatable curtain cushion includes a pair of fabric layers that are themselves gas permeable. The fabric layers have an impermeable coating on the interior surface of fabric layers. One or more vents are provided by bonding a portion of the fabric layers together at the impermeable coating. Separation of the bonded fabric layers causes delamination of the coating from one of the fabric layers. Exposure of the underlying permeable fabric allows venting of inflation gas. The bonded fabric layers separate when gas pressure within the inflatable curtain cushion exceeds a threshold pressure. The number and size of the vents can vary depending upon the permeability of the underlying fabric layer and the desired deflation rate.

2005005, Mar 17, 2005

Sep 16, 2003

10/663139

Thomas Burton - Salt Lake City UT, US
Brian Fulmer - Hooper UT, US
Travis Hess - Farr West UT, US

B60R021/22

280730200

An airbag assembly that includes an inflatable curtain and a stiffening member is disclosed. The stiffening member is attached at or near the top end of the curtain. Such attachment may be accomplished via a variety of methods including fasteners, mounting brackets, sewing, inserting the stiffening member into a pocket in the curtain, or by passing one or more of the curtain's attachment tabs through slits located on the stiffening member. The stiffening member is designed to extend along at least a portion of the longitudinal length of the inflatable curtain. In one embodiment, the stiffening member is constructed to resist twisting of the inflatable curtain along a portion of the longitudinal length. In an alternative embodiment, the stiffening member is constructed such that when the inflatable curtain is twisted, the stiffening member deforms the inflatable curtain such that the curtain cannot be installed onto a vehicle interior without first correcting the deformation.

2002017, Nov 28, 2002

May 24, 2001

09/864964

Travis Hess - Farr West UT, US
Thomas Russell - Ogden UT, US

B60R021/28

280/740000

An inflator having a body, an aperture in the body, and a diffuser housing is disclosed. The body has, or forms, an interior cavity, which may contain gas or gas generant material. The gas generant material is capable of producing gas to inflate, for example, an airbag. A diffuser housing is situated around at least a portion of the body and, in cooperation with the body, forms a gas flow channel. When the gas or gas generant material releases gas, the gas flows from the cavity, through the aperture, into the channel, and exits the channel into an airbag, cooling the gas before it enters the airbag. The inflator may also have an indentation capable of receiving a clamp. The clamp may be secured over an airbag and seated in the indentation to secure the inflator within an airbag. When the inflator is actuated, the gas is pushed away from the inflator such that the inflator is thrust towards the clamp, thereby pushing a broadening portion of the indentation against the clamp and securing the seal between the air bag and the inflator.

2003001, Jan 16, 2003

Jul 10, 2001

09/902175

Travis Hess - Farr West UT, US
Kurt Kottke - Bountiful UT, US

B60R021/22

280/730200

A system and method for enhancing the interchangeability, cost effectiveness, and protective capacity of side impact, inflatable curtains is disclosed. An inflatable curtain module may have multiple cushions attached together by a separately manufactured inflatable tension coupling. The tension coupling may be attached to the cushions prior to folding of the cushions by, for example, sewing one end of the tension coupling to each cushion. The tension coupling may also be attached to the cushions after the cushions have been folded. The cushions may each have one or more tabs positioned to extend inward toward the tension coupling; the tabs may protrude from the folded cushions so that the tension coupling can be attached to the tabs after the cushions have been folded. The tension coupling may have a plurality of expanses configured to be attached between the cushions parallel to each other, and a flexible central portion connecting a pair of expanses to provide a barrier against occupant excursion while still permitting compaction of the tension coupling. Several combinations of compaction methods may be used to compact the cushions and the tension coupling. The tension coupling may alternatively have an array of holes at each end configured to be aligned with an array of holes on each cushion, so that one or more attachment mechanisms such as laces can be inserted through the holes to provide attachment.

7004498, Feb 28, 2006

Apr 24, 2003

10/422433

Michael Daines - Roy UT, US
Kurt Kottke - Bountiful UT, US
Travis Hess - Farr West UT, US
Atsushi Murakami - North Ogden UT, US
Kurt Gammil - Layton UT, US

B60R 21/22

2807302, 2807432

The present invention provides a system and method for tethering that may be used to keep a cushion properly positioned for side impact protection, particularly in vehicles with limited space rearward of the cushion. A tethering assembly provides tension to keep the cushion in place. The tethering assembly may include a tether with first and second ends attached together such that the tether forms a loop. The first and/or second ends may also be attached to a lower portion of the cushion. Upper and lower anchors may be attached to a vehicle surface near the cushion to slidably retain the tether. When the cushion inflates, the first and second ends move downward. The lower anchor may be a locking mechanism that restricts withdrawal of the first end. During deployment and impact of a vehicle occupant with the cushion, the tensioning assembly exerts tension to keep the cushion in place.

6161865, Dec 19, 2000

May 28, 1999

9/321937

Larry D. Rose - Layton UT
Travis Hess - Plain City UT

Autoliv ASP, Inc. - Ogden UT

B60R 2120

2807283

Featured for use in an inflatable restraint system installation is an airbag module assembly wherein the airbag cushion is joined or attached via interlocking reaction housing component parts. The invention is well suited for the use of such interlocking reaction housing component parts formed of relatively low-cost stamped steel.