US 12,434,657 B2
Occupant protection system including expandable curtain and/or expandable bladder
Markus Jost, San Mateo, CA (US); Andrew John Piper, Palo Alto, CA (US); Josh Alexander Jimenez, San Francisco, CA (US); and Timothy David Kentley-Klay, Stanford, CA (US)
Assigned to Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed by Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 27, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/618,606.
Application 18/618,606 is a continuation of application No. 17/836,208, filed on Jun. 9, 2022, granted, now 11,951,929.
Application 17/836,208 is a continuation of application No. 16/921,892, filed on Jul. 6, 2020, granted, now 11,358,559, issued on Jun. 14, 2022.
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 2024/0239293 A1, Jul. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. B60R 21/232 (2011.01); B60R 21/01 (2006.01); 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)
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 for a vehicle, the occupant protection system comprising:
a first expandable curtain configured to expand from a first stowed state to a first deployed state, wherein the first expandable curtain in the first deployed state comprises:
a first side configured to extend in a first direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
a second side spaced from the first side and configured to extend in the first direction; and
a transverse portion extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and between the first side and the second side of the first expandable curtain;
an expandable bladder configured to expand from a second stowed state to a second deployed state such that the expandable bladder nests between the first side of the first expandable curtain and the second side of the first expandable curtain; and
a second expandable curtain configured to expand from a third stowed state to a third deployed state, wherein the second expandable curtain is oriented in a different direction than the first expandable curtain, wherein the first expandable curtain in the first deployed state is located between a first seating surface and a second seating surface and the second expandable curtain in the third deployed state is located between the first seating surface and the second seating surface.