Patents Examined by Christine M Mills
  • Patent number: 11970880
    Abstract: An electric lock includes a housing, a manual control member rotatably affixed to the housing, and a clutch mechanism. The clutch mechanism includes a clutch base rotatably affixed to the housing; a retractable plug arranged on the clutch base, wherein the retractable plug is radially movable relative to the clutch base; a driving member abutting against a first end of the retractable plug; and a motor configured to drive the driving member to move relative to the clutch base toward the shaft of the manual control member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Cheng Lin, Jiun-Nan Shiu
  • Patent number: 11970882
    Abstract: A security system having: a frame with first and second support assemblies respectively having first and second cantilevered arms, each with a free end; and a blocking assembly. The first free end can be directed into a U-shaped portion on a first portable consumer article to allow the U-shaped portion to straddle the first cantilevered arm. The second free end can be directed into a U-shaped portion on a second portable consumer article to allow the U-shaped portion on the second article to straddle the second cantilevered arm. Changing the blocking assembly from the loading state into the securing state prevents the first and second articles, straddling respective arms, from being separated from the security system. Changing the blocking assembly from the securing state into the loading state allows either of the first and second displayed articles to be separated from the security system without separating the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Se-Kure Controls, Inc.
    Inventors: John W. Manser, Lazaro Fraiman
  • Patent number: 11965366
    Abstract: A vehicle latch system, including: a latch assembly; an electronic control unit removably attached to an exterior of a housing of the latch assembly, the electronic control unit having a printed circuit board assembly secured into a housing of the electronic control unit, wherein the printed circuit board assembly when inserted into the housing of the electronic control unit is press fit into electrical communication with a first pair of terminals molded into the housing of the electronic control unit, wherein the first pair of terminals are configured to have an interference fit with a second pair of terminals molded into a housing of the latch assembly when the electronic control unit is secured to the latch assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: INTEVA PRODUCTS, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Alexander Ney, Donald Michael Perkins
  • Patent number: 11964628
    Abstract: A multi-lock vehicle theft prevention system and device are provided. The system may include an electronic device in communication with a wireless network and a multi-lock vehicle theft prevention device for use with a vehicle. The device may include a major cover and a minor cover. The first cover and the second cover may be configured to encircle a control housing, or other portion of a vehicle or other possession, positioned between the first cover and second cover and a lock bar may be configured to removably couple the first cover and second cover together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Inventor: Gary Morphy
  • Patent number: 11959302
    Abstract: A handle system for a sliding door system is provided. The handle system includes: a first panel; a second panel wherein at least one of the first and second panels is configured to move in a direction parallel to the other of the first and second panels and the first and second panels are configured to also move together in a generally pivoting motion; handle located on one of the first and second panels; and a latch operatively connected to the handle, the latch configured so that movement of the handle moves the latch from a locking position to an unlocking position to allow the first and second panel to pivot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation
    Inventors: Rogelio Rios, John M. Gollihar, II
  • Patent number: 11959303
    Abstract: An insulated door lock assembly including a base member with an aperture for the cylinder of a lock. The base member is configured to be mounted to a door around a hole for the door lock. The inner volume of the base member can be filled with an insulating material. A cover member can be coupled to the base member through a hinge joint. The cover member can be configured to switch between an open state and a closed state. A keyway or a thumb turn of the door lock can be accessible in the open state and the keyway or the thumb turn is covered by the cover member in the closed state. An O-ring can also be provided around a periphery of the base member for sealably engaging the cover member to the base member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Inventor: Stanley Waxmundsky
  • Patent number: 11959304
    Abstract: A lock assembly includes a lock, a pre-loadable mount and an adjusting element. The lock includes a shell formed with two bores and a hole. The pre-loadable mat t includes a yoke, two bent rods extending from the yoke, and two pivots respectively extending from the bent rods, wherein the pivots are respectively inserted in the bores. The adjusting element includes a first section inserted in the hole and a second section placed against the yoke so that the bent rods are located against a rear face of the door while a portion of the shell is placed against a front face of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: ASMITH MANUFACTURING COMPANY
    Inventor: Ching-Hua Chiang
  • Patent number: 11959307
    Abstract: A magnetically-triggered lock mechanism for interengaging two relatively movable components. The lock mechanism includes a bolt mounted within a first component composed of a first material and displaceable between retracted and extended positions to interengage with a second component when the first and second components are in a predetermined position relative to each other and the bolt is extended, and a magnetically-releasable latch mechanism positioned to latch the bolt in a retracted position, the latch mechanism including a first magnet and mounted for movement between a biased latch engaging position and a latch releasing position. A support collar composed of a second material having higher strength than that of the first material is disposed around the bolt between an inner casing and outer casing of the first component and is spaced from the bolt to allow for sliding movement of the bolt through the support collar as the bolt moves between the extended and retracted positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: INTERLOCK USA, INC.
    Inventors: Peter J. Minter, Douglas Stadler, Marc Wesley Fullenwider, Anthony J. Frabbiele
  • Patent number: 11959324
    Abstract: A control system includes a contact sensor configured to detect contact between an operation body and a door handle, a force sensor configured to detect a force applied by the operation body to the door handle, and a controller configured to control opening or closing of a door when the contact is detected by the contact sensor and the force is detected by the force sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takata, Takeshi Masaki, Kazuhito Oshita, Satoru Takizawa
  • Patent number: 11952802
    Abstract: A door-locking device for a household appliance, such as a washing machine, a dishwasher and the like, of the type having a door, with a lug, wherein the door-locking device comprises a slider arranged so as to assume a disengagement and an engagement position with the lug of the household appliance door, a detection and safety module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Bitron S.p.A.
    Inventors: Fabrizio Promutico, Felice Paglia
  • Patent number: 11950671
    Abstract: A luggage handle is described. Embodiments of the luggage handle can include, but are not limited to, a handle assembly and at least one case assembly. The handle assembly can be configured to move from a retracted configuration to an extended configuration. The luggage handle can typically be implemented with rolling luggage. The luggage handle can implement a ball lock mechanism that can include magnetic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Inventor: Alan Samuelson
  • Patent number: 11952809
    Abstract: An actuating device (1) for a lock of a vehicle, which is arranged, or can be arranged, on a vehicle, wherein the actuating device (1) has an actuating component (10), which is to be grasped manually and which can be brought from a stowed position into a standby position, wherein the stowed position is a position in which the actuating component (10) to be grasped is stowed and wherein the standby position is a position in which the actuating component can be grasped by a user, wherein the actuating component (10) is operatively connected, or can be operatively connected, to at least the lock of the vehicle in such a way that the lock can be opened by actuating the actuating component. A vehicle door having such an actuating device and a vehicle having such a vehicle door are also contemplated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Roland Och, Joachim Oberst
  • Patent number: 11952806
    Abstract: A motor vehicle latch, in particular a motor vehicle door latch, is equipped with a locking mechanism consisting substantially of a catch and a pawl. An electromotive drive for a coupling lever is further provided as part of a power locking unit. In addition, a first operating lever is provided, wherein in the “unlocked” position of the power locking unit, said first operating lever works on the coupling lever that is then engaged in order to open the locking mechanism, and wherein in the “locked” position of the power locking unit, said first operating lever performs an idle stroke relative to the coupling lever that is then disengaged. According to the invention, the electromotive drive works with a linear thrust member on the coupling lever, wherein the linear thrust member is held in at least one position with the aid of a blocking levers).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Rob Hunt, Scott Brown
  • Patent number: 11952810
    Abstract: A release lever cover assembly for a vehicle includes a bracket assembly, a first release lever, and a release lever cover. The bracket assembly is configured to be connected to a vehicle body structure of the vehicle. The first release lever is pivotally connected to the bracket assembly. The first release lever is movable between a first position and a second position in which a vehicle component is released. The release lever cover is slidably connected to the bracket assembly. The release lever cover is movable between a first position preventing movement of the first release lever and a second position allowing movement of the first release lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Bobby Fuentes, Takeharu Iwata
  • Patent number: 11952811
    Abstract: A vehicle lock device includes a base including an entry groove for entry of a striker, a latch that pivots between a restraining position to restrain the striker and a release position to release the striker and also to allow entry of the striker, a locking lever engaging the latch and holding the latch in the restraining position, and a torsion spring that presses the striker rearward in an entry direction when a first arm portion comes into contact with the striker, and that applies an elastic force to the latch toward the release position when the first arm portion engages the latch. The first arm portion of the torsion spring is disengaged from the latch when the first arm portion is pushed down in the entry direction by the striker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Johnan Manufacturing Inc.
    Inventors: Naoki Ide, Mayu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11946296
    Abstract: A two-pull, automatic reset, latch system is configured to operate during a no-power scenario and a power scenario. The latch system includes a release system, a release lever, and a coupling lever. The release lever is pivotally engaged to a stationary structure about a first axis. The coupling lever pivots about a second axis offset from the first axis, and is adapted to couple the release lever to the release system during a no-power scenario and upon two actuations of the release lever. The coupling lever is further adapted to maintain decoupling of the release lever from the release system during a power scenario.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: INTEVA PRODUCTS, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Alexander Ney, Donald Michael Perkins
  • Patent number: 11946300
    Abstract: A lever-operated latch device includes an assembly of a case body, an actuation body mounted on the case body, a linking member and a slide body. The actuation body has a free end and a pivoted end pivotally connected with the case body in cooperation with elastic members. The free end of the actuation body is formed with two protruding arms and an opening section positioned between the protruding arms. An operation section is disposed in the opening section. The linking member has a first end pivotally connected with the free end of the actuation body (or the operation section) and a second end connected with the slide body. When an operator presses the operation section, the actuation body is permitted to move from a closed position to an opened position so as to drive the linking member and the slide body to move.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Fositek Corporation
    Inventors: An Szu Hsu, Chun Han Lin, Che Wei Chang
  • Patent number: 11946293
    Abstract: A door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism may have an actuating device that may have at least one actuating element, a housing, and at least one detection unit. The detection unit may have a sensor, a trigger element and an evaluation unit. The detection unit may be arranged in the housing. The actuating element may be arranged for an actuation outside the housing and in a region that is accessible from the outside. The trigger element may be arranged at a distance from the sensor in a locked state of the door unlocking and/or door opening mechanism. When the actuating element is actuated in the direction of the housing, to the actuating element deforms the trigger element. The sensor detects a change in the distance between the trigger element and the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Witte Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Hoffmann, Markus Herdering, Patrick Schlosser, Ralf Höhn
  • Patent number: 11946289
    Abstract: A tubular-type deadbolt door lock with backset adjustment is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: RAONARK
    Inventor: Jung Suk Kim
  • Patent number: 11946295
    Abstract: A door handle assembly (1), such as an outer door handle arrangement for a vehicle including at least one vehicle movable element may have the following elements. A handle element having a handle recess. A handle cover, which may at least partially covers the handle recess. An actuating unit, which may be arranged between the handle element and the handle cover. A carrier unit including at least one sensor and at least one switch for opening a door lock. Where the carrier unit is designed to unlock the door lock when an object situated in a detection area of the sensor is detected. The actuating unit being designed to press the switch during a manual actuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Witte Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Richard-Roman Jarnicki, Reinaldo Mensch, Markus Richter