US 11,951,929 B2
Occupant protection system including expandable curtain and/or expandable bladder
Markus Jost, San Mateo, CA (US); Timothy David Kentley-Klay, Stanford, CA (US); Andrew John Piper, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Josh Alexander Jimenez, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed by Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/836,208.
Application 17/836,208 is a continuation of application No. 16/921,892, filed on Jul. 6, 2020, granted, now 11,358,559.
Application 16/921,892 is a continuation of application No. 15/693,700, filed on Sep. 1, 2017, granted, now 10,703,323, issued on Jul. 7, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/445,157, filed on Jan. 11, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0297630 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. B60R 21/232 (2011.01); B60R 21/0136 (2006.01); B60R 21/015 (2006.01); B60R 21/16 (2006.01); B60R 21/213 (2011.01); B60R 21/214 (2011.01); B60R 21/231 (2011.01); B60R 21/2338 (2011.01); B60R 21/01 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 21/232 (2013.01) [B60R 21/0136 (2013.01); B60R 21/01512 (2014.10); B60R 21/213 (2013.01); B60R 21/214 (2013.01); B60R 21/231 (2013.01); B60R 21/23138 (2013.01); B60R 21/2338 (2013.01); B60R 2021/01013 (2013.01); B60R 2021/01286 (2013.01); B60R 2021/161 (2013.01); B60R 2021/23107 (2013.01); B60R 2021/23161 (2013.01); B60R 2021/23386 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An occupant protection system, comprising:
an expandable curtain comprising:
a first side;
a second side that is spaced from the first side; and
a transverse portion extending between the first side and the second side;
a first inflator configured to inflate the expandable curtain from a first stowed state to a first deployed state;
a first expandable bladder configured to nest between the first side of the expandable curtain and the second side of the expandable curtain;
a second inflator configured to inflate the first expandable bladder from a second stowed state to a second deployed state, the first inflator being different than the second inflator; and
a second expandable bladder configured to nest, when in a third deployed state, between the first side of the expandable curtain and the second side of the expandable curtain, wherein the second expandable bladder is laterally adjacent to the first expandable bladder, the first expandable bladder being independent from the second expandable bladder.