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US 7,744,125 B2Granted
Occupant safety device for roof reinforcement
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorDan Tang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An occupant safety device for a motor vehicle having a roof. The safety occupant device comprises a support structure slidably mounted within the vehicle that, upon actuation, extends vertically upwardly within the vehicle to cooperate with the vehicle's roof to increase the amount of weight that the roof can support. The support structure includes an overhanging top portion having a length and a direction of overhang that, upon actuation of the support structure, provide early roof engagement in the event of roof crush.
Claims7
A method of making an occupant safety device for a motor vehicle having a roof, the method comprising:
- providing a support structure comprising:
- a first substantially vertical portion;
- a second substantially vertical portion spaced from the first substantially vertically portion in a direction of an interior of the vehicle;
- and
- an overhanging upper portion comprising a metal or metal alloy and having a height measured in a vertical direction, the overhanging upper portion extending from the second substantially vertical portion to the first substantially vertical portion, and substantially horizontally beyond the first substantially vertical portion toward an exterior of the vehicle a distance greater than the height of the overhanging upper portion to provide early roof engagement upon actuation in the event of roof crush;
- and
- slidably mounting the support structure in the motor vehicle.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.