Displaceable steering wheel safety systems and related methods
AssigneeAutoliv ASP, Inc.
InventorsDonald James Paxton, Dino Anthony Forton, Chandrakanth Siddharthan, David Keyser, Dion Karl-Axel Kruse
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus, methods, and systems for repositioning a steering wheel and/or airbag cushion prior to and/or during deployment of the airbag cushion resulting from an impact event. Some embodiments may comprise a steering wheel configured to be positioned between a first, operational configuration and a second, deployed configuration at least in part by a translational movement of the steering wheel. An airbag cushion may be deployable from the steering wheel and may be configured to move from the first configuration to the second configuration before or during deployment of the airbag cushion.
Claims21
A vehicle safety system, comprising:
- a steering wheel configured to be positioned between a first, operational configuration and a second, deployed configuration, wherein the steering wheel is configured to be repositioned between the first configuration and the second configuration at least in part by a translational movement of the steering wheel;
- and
- an airbag cushion deployable from the steering wheel, wherein the steering wheel is configured to automatically move from the first configuration to the second configuration before or during deployment of the airbag cushion.
A vehicle safety system, comprising:
- a steering wheel;
- an airbag cushion coupled with the steering wheel;
- and
- means for laterally displacing the airbag cushion in response to either a detection or prediction of an impact event.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.