Patents Examined by Gregory Strimbu
  • Patent number: 9731580
    Abstract: A slider window assembly for a vehicle includes (i) a frame portion having upper and lower rails, (ii) at least one fixed window panel at least partially defining an opening, and (iii) a movable window panel that is movable along the upper and lower rails between a closed position and an opened position. A sensing system is operable to determine when the movable window panel is in the closed position and when the movable window panel is not in the closed position. The sensing system includes a magneto-responsive sensor connected to the frame portion and a magnetic element connected to the movable window panel. When the movable window panel is in the closed position, the sensor detects the the magnetic element. When the sensing system determines that the movable window panel is not in the closed position, an indicator is activated to alert the vehicle driver that the movable window panel is not closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Darin J. Snider, Qi Xiao Young
  • Patent number: 9701183
    Abstract: A sliding door locking device of a vehicle may include a rail mounted to a vehicle body along a length direction thereof, a slider inserted in and slidably coupled to the rail, a connection structure of which one end is relatively rotatably coupled to the slider and another end is coupled to a door of the vehicle to slidably support the door of the vehicle, a latch rotatably mounted to the slider to lock the connection structure to the rail or release the connection structure from the rail, and a locking groove formed in the rail and to which the latch is detachable therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Jaehong Choi
  • Patent number: 9688122
    Abstract: A motor vehicle window assembly, one implementation of which includes a wiper in electrical communication between a defrost grid of a movable window and an elongate conductor of a guide rail assembly having a straight guide portion and an oblique guide portion, and in contact with the elongate conductor when the movable window is in an open position. At least one implementation of the window assembly includes an actuator cable including a core having a terminus coupled to a cable connector portion of the movable window, wherein when the actuator cable is actuated, the movable window moves in a direction extending away from the open position along a plane, toward a closed position out of the plane, and into the closed position in another plane such that the terminus of the core is carried out of the plane by the movable window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Dura Operating, LLC
    Inventors: Ronnie G. Gipson, Scott S. Sharron, Kenneth E. Keck, II, Walter J. Steiner, Ramakrishna Putumbaka
  • Patent number: 9677317
    Abstract: A movable barrier system allows for varying the linear actuator speed to account for speed variances caused by the physical configuration of the system. An example system includes a processor configured to variably control operation speed of the linear actuator when it moves a movable barrier between a first position of the movable barrier and a second position of the movable barrier as a function of location of the movable barrier pivot connection relative to the linear actuator pivot connection. The function may be a function of a ratio of a distance from the linear actuator pivot connection to a fixed point and a distance from the movable barrier pivot connection to the fixed point. The function may be calculated by the processor or accessed by the processor according to information about the physical configuration of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Daniel-Wayman, Brian F. Butler, Patrick B. Evans
  • Patent number: 9651340
    Abstract: A window insert assembly providing ballistic protection for a window of a vehicle side door. The window insert assembly includes a window insert formed from a ballistic-resistant material and a wedge assembly to wedge the window insert within a window frame of the vehicle door. A method of providing ballistic protection for the window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Hardwire, LLC
    Inventors: George C. Tunis, III, Scott Kendall, Justin Gordon
  • Patent number: 9650819
    Abstract: A holder for securing a leaf of a hinge to a steel door frame has a first U-shaped housing part having two end walls, a bight wall connecting the two end walls, and respective mounting flanges projecting from the end walls and securable to the door frame. A complementarily second housing part defines a cavity with the first housing part and has a cover plate, a pair of end plates having outer faces bearing on inner faces of the end walls, and a front plate extending between the end plates and from a front edge of the cover plate and formed with a cutout through which a hinge leaf can extend into the cavity. A clamp in the cavity can secure the hinge leaf to the housing parts. There is a snap connection between the front plate and the first housing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SIMONSWERK GMBH
    Inventors: Andre Bultschnieder, Ulrich Pelz
  • Patent number: 9650827
    Abstract: A garage door roller system for preventing damage to a vehicle or a garage door when the garage door is opening or closing. The garage door roller system generally includes a garage door arm which is connected at an upper end thereof to a carriage of a garage door opener. A first end of a connector is connected to the garage door arm, and a second end of the connector is connected to the garage door. One or more rollers are connected to a lower end of the garage door arm, with a portion of the rollers being positioned lower than the lower end of the garage door arm. The rollers are adapted to roll across an obstruction when the garage door is opening or closing to prevent damage to the obstruction as well as the garage door arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Inventor: Howard Jay Beeson
  • Patent number: 9631420
    Abstract: A garage door opener protective shield system for preventing unauthorized a garage in combination with a garage door and a garage door opener. The garage door opener protective shield system includes a protective shield having a notch to allow for the protective shield to be positioned adjacent to and perpendicular to each side of a garage door carriage or a notch and a crease to allow for the protective shield to be positioned in front of and perpendicular to the garage door carriage; one or more rows of mounting tabs; and one or more fasteners to secure the protective shield to a door arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Inventor: Charles S. Regenold
  • Patent number: 9624716
    Abstract: A spacer for sealing a joint between a first component and a second component of an entryway. The spacer may include substantially rigid support and a first gasket having a first uncompressed thickness (T1). The first gasket is attached to a first surface of the support. The first surface has at least one first boss extending therefrom by a distance (D1) such that (D1) is less than (T1). The at least one first boss is configured to abut a portion of the first component to provide the desired compression of the first gasket between the first component and the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: ENDURA PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Mike Mitchell, George Heid, Tomasz Jaskiewicz, Brent Van Camp
  • Patent number: 9624707
    Abstract: A heated sliding window assembly includes at least one fixed window. A rail is attached to the fixed window. A sliding window is moveable along the rail between open and closed positions. The sliding window includes a heater grid and an electrical contact. A conductive member is attached to the at least one fixed window. The conductive member provides electrical coupling between the conductive member and the electrical contact through the entire movement range of the sliding window between the open and closed positions for providing current to the heater grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Dura Operating, LLC
    Inventors: Ronnie G. Gipson, William T. Dufour
  • Patent number: 9598895
    Abstract: A door sealing system includes a door seal for sealing either an upper or a lower side of a building door wing, and an air channel which enables, when the door seal is in the sealing position, air to circulate from a longitudinal side of the door seal to an opposite longitudinal side of the door seal. The door sealing system also includes at least one ventilator that guides air through the air channel. The door sealing system enables sufficient air to be exchanged even when the door wing is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: PLANET GDZ AG
    Inventor: Andreas Dintheer
  • Patent number: 9593514
    Abstract: A vehicle door includes a lock cylinder having an actuator member that is operably connected to a door latch mechanism. A door handle moves from a first or home position covering an outer end of the lock cylinder to a partially open position wherein the outer end of the lock cylinder is exposed. When the door handle is in the partially open position, a user can access the lock cylinder and insert a key into the lock cylinder to unlock the door. Thus, the lock cylinder is covered and hidden behind a portion of the door handle when the door handle is in the first position to provide an uncluttered, visually appealing appearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Rajesh K. Patel
  • Patent number: 9580027
    Abstract: A wiring harness assembly of a door module, includes: an FPCB (Flexible Printed Circuit Board) connected to an external power supply for supplying electricity to a plurality of electric devices installed on the door module; a cover member coupled to the FPCB while protecting the FPCB; and a rib for protecting the FPCB from water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Seoyon E-Hwa Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae Won Lee, Jae In Yu, Hang Chul Ko, Sung Ik Cho, Hue Yeon An
  • Patent number: 9580950
    Abstract: Locking balance shoes and balance systems to be incorporated in pivotable double hung windows include, in one embodiment, a pair of retractable tabs that partially extend through openings within an inverted window balance. In one embodiment of the method of installing such a system, an enlarged portion of the balance shoe is inserted into a window jamb and then rotated into position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Amesbury Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart J. Uken, Gary R. Newman, Lawrence J. VerSteeg
  • Patent number: 9567788
    Abstract: A window, with a hybrid sash counterbalance and assist mechanism, includes a frame having upper and lower sashes slidable within the frame. A sash coupling element extends between the upper and lower sashes. The hybrid sash counterbalance and assist mechanism is coupled with the sash coupling element. The window with the hybrid sash counterbalance and assist mechanism is operable in a sash counterbalance mode and in an independent sash movement mode. In the sash counterbalance mode, movement of the upper or lower sash causes converse movement of the lower or upper sash through the sash coupling element. In the independent sash movement mode, one of the upper and lower sashes is held static while the other of the lower or upper sashes is moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Marvin Lumber and Cedar Company
    Inventor: Nathan H. DeBoer
  • Patent number: 9556664
    Abstract: A motorized tilting window operator and a tilting window. The motorized tilting window operator including one or more motorized drive units configured to connect with and drive one or more manual tilting window operators of the tilting window. The motorized tilting window operator including a cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: JMAC, INC
    Inventors: Gregory Ronald Hudepohl, Matthew Michael Barrett, Paul David Bader, Craig Randall Shilling
  • Patent number: 9555695
    Abstract: A door structure of a vehicle comprises a door trim and a door trim frame that combines with the door trim to increase stiffness of the door trim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Dongmin Jeon, Dongmin Bae, Jongwon Lee, Hyungsik Choi
  • Patent number: 9545352
    Abstract: An apparatus has at least one fastener and a first plate defining an opening for receiving the at least one fastener and a second plate slidably engaged with the first plate. The second plate defines at least one slot for slidably receiving the at least one fastener. The at least one fastener is adapted to secure the position of the first plate relative to the second plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Life Remembrance, LLC
    Inventor: Douglas Lee Flin
  • Patent number: 9539885
    Abstract: A convex portion is provided on a door outer panel. Thus, when the door outer panel is thermally expanded, the convex portion is compressed along the direction of a plane of the door outer panel, so a gap the convex portion is crushed. That is, a dimensional difference that has occurred between the door outer panel and a door inner panel along the direction of the plane of the door outer panel is absorbed through compressive deformation of the convex portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mutsumi Kawashima
  • Patent number: 9533556
    Abstract: A sealing element includes a molded part including a tubular segment having a wall, a slit extending in the wall in a longitudinal direction of the tubular segment and recesses formed on the first longitudinal edge of the slit. The sealing element further includes tabs that keep the slit from gaping apart after unmolding the molded part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: CQLT SaarGummi Technologies S.à.r.l.
    Inventors: Suleyman Samanci, Thomas Roeder