Patents Examined by Jason S Daniels
  • Patent number: 11446993
    Abstract: A telescoping truck bed shell is disclosed herein. The truck bed shell is capable of being retracted so that the user can have full access to the truck bed and also extended so that the user can have a protected volume at the truck bed in order to store things. The telescoping truck bed has traversable frames and a traversable cover wherein the frames and cover may be traversed between extended and retracted positions depending on whether the truck bed shell is being deployed or stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Inventor: Nicholas J. Singer
  • Patent number: 11448002
    Abstract: A trunk cover for a vehicle includes an upper panel covering one portion of a loading space part formed in a vehicle, a lower panel disposed continuously with the upper panel and covering the other portion of the loading space part; a main body connection part connecting the upper panel to a main body of the vehicle, and a panel connection part connecting the upper panel and the lower panel so that a length formed by the upper panel and the lower panel is variable when opening the loading space part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Sanghun Lee, Erwin Kessler
  • Patent number: 11447048
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for automatic tilt compensation within a vehicle, comprising a first assembly and a second assembly which is pivotally connected to the first assembly by means of a first axis, wherein the system further comprises a pendulum arrangement which is pivotally connected to the second assembly by means of a second axis arranged above the first axis and at an upper end of the pendulum arrangement, wherein a deflection of the pendulum arrangement relative to the second assembly can be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: GRAMMER AG
    Inventor: Konstantin Lorey
  • Patent number: 11447079
    Abstract: A vehicle interior component including a plurality of functional parts and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A headliner which is a vehicle interior component includes a sheet-like core member formed of a urethane foam. The headliner has a plurality of functional parts with different functions set in a plane of the headliner. The core member has an in-plane distribution of a characteristic of the urethane foam varied corresponding to the plurality of functional parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: KASAI KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroki Nomura
  • Patent number: 11447182
    Abstract: A truck frame includes: a first side rail including a first web, a first top flange formed on a top end of the first web, and a first bottom flange formed on a bottom end of the first web; a second side rail spaced apart from the first side rail to face the first side rail, and including a second web, a second top flange formed on a top end of the second web, and a second bottom flange formed on a bottom end of the second web; a reinforcing structure connecting the first top flange of the first side rail and the second top flange of the second side rail, and connecting the first bottom flange of the first side rail and the second bottom flange of the second side rail; and a component mounting space defined by the reinforcing structure between the first web of the first side rail and the second web of the second side rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jong Min Kim
  • Patent number: 11447192
    Abstract: A diffuser for a vehicle includes a lower body component having a forward end, a rearward end, and a lower surface that tapers as it extends along a portion of a length of the vehicle from the forward end to the rearward end of the component. The lower surface includes a plurality of rearward facing steps extending along the tapered portion of the lower surface toward the rearward end of the lower body component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Pirooz Moradnia, Pratap Thamanna Rao
  • Patent number: 11440386
    Abstract: A drive chain element for operably connecting a slat of a roll top cover to a drive rail enables more efficient roll top cover operation. The drive chain element includes: an elongate body that defines a longitudinal axis and first and second ends, an inner side of the elongate body configured for engaging an end portion of the slat; first and second hinge elements disposed at the respective first and second ends of the body, the first and second hinge elements configured to define a hinge arrangement between adjacent drive chain elements that facilitates relative pivotal movement therebetween; and first and second pins disposed in a spaced arrangement along an outer side of the body and extending outwardly therefrom; wherein the first and second pins are configured for operably contacting a drive system during operation of the roll top cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Oakmoore Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Shane Fowler, Wolfgang Schollhammer
  • Patent number: 11440442
    Abstract: A vehicle seat console for a vehicle seat has a seat part and a backrest which is attached thereto and which can be moved out of a substantially upright seating position into a rest or reclined position. The vehicle seat console has at least one vehicle structure-side securing element which is connected or can be connected to a vehicle structure and a seat-side securing element which is connected to or can be connected to the vehicle seat. The seat-side securing element is coupled to the vehicle structure-side securing element via an asymmetrically acting height adjustment device such that the seat-side securing element can be tilted about a transverse axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Huf, Klaus Hufnagl, Sylvia Kleindl, Fabian Koehler, Robert Martin, Robert Painer
  • Patent number: 11440489
    Abstract: An operator cab for a work vehicle includes: a cab enclosure including a roof an operator chair disposed in the cab enclosure; at least one layer of noise-deadening material coupled to the roof; and a headliner coupled to the roof such that the at least one layer of noise-deadening material is at least partially disposed between the headliner and the roof. The headliner includes a noise-reflective material and a noise escape region that comprises at least one opening configured to allow sound waves to pass through the noise escape region into the at least one layer of noise-deadening material and reduce noise reflection by the headliner to the operator chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Bin Lou, Samrendra K. Singh, Mark D. Klassen, David S. Booth, Kaushal Ghorpade, Panos Tamamidis, Nathan J. Keller
  • Patent number: 11433821
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a cargo area side panel assembly including a first panel and a second panel coupled to the first panel such that the first panel and the second panel cooperate to define a channel. The channel is defined by an upper wall, a lower wall, and a sidewall extending therebetween. The vehicle also includes a cargo cover assembly moveable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the cargo cover assembly comprises an engagement mechanism configured to engage said channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Marek Myszkowski, Sarah J. Huth, Shirena Takai
  • Patent number: 11433760
    Abstract: An active apparatus for modifying aerodynamic properties of a vehicle, encompassing: a frame; a movable portion movable relative to the frame along a motion path; a transceiver to emit a transceiver signal and has a specified transceiver position relative to the frame; an antenna to receive the transceiver signal and arranged on the movable portion, an antenna signal, induced by a predetermined transceiver signal, of the antenna exhibiting a predetermined functional dependence dependent on a position of the movable portion along the motion path and on the transceiver position; a signal transmitting unit to emit a unit signal that is associatable with the antenna and carries information regarding the antenna signal, the transceiver configured to receive the unit signal; and a signal evaluation unit, the signal evaluation unit configured to determine the position of the movable portion along the motion path on the basis of the unit signal, the functional dependence, and the transceiver position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Röchling Automotive SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Domenico Solazzo, Peter Dill
  • Patent number: 11427062
    Abstract: A tonneau cover comprising: (a) a first panel and a second panel; (b) a hinge located between and connecting the first panel and the second panel; and (c) a cover extending over all or a portion of the first panel, the second panel, or both, and the hinge so that, when the first panel or the second panel rotates about the hinge, the cover forms a portion of the hinge and maintains the integrity of the hinge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: EXTANG CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jerome Facchinello, Chad Carter, David Germano, Robbie Mosingo
  • Patent number: 11427268
    Abstract: An air flow management device for a vehicle includes a support and at least one deflector wall supported by an actuating system mounted on the support and configured to move the deflector wall along a predefined trajectory relative to the support between a retracted position and a deployed position. The deflector wall is mounted to rotate relative to the support about an axis of rotation so as to be able to retract in case of contact of the deflector wall with an obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Flex-N-Gate France
    Inventor: Cyrille Guyon
  • Patent number: 11427058
    Abstract: A tarpaulin system for a container includes one or more rods extending transversely from the container, a pneumatic system including a pneumatic actuator, a roll-out cover system including a spring, a first support plate including a first surface and a second surface, a second support plate, and one or more rod housings extending transversely from the container. The one or more rod housings are slidably disposed along the one or more rods, and the roll-out cover system is at least partially attached to the first surface. The one or more rod housings are attached to the second surface, and the pneumatic system is attached to the second support plate. The pneumatic actuator is configured to slidably and transversely move the roll-out cover system along the one or more rods based on a pneumatic force generated by the pneumatic actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Air Tarp Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Nathan Miller
  • Patent number: 11427041
    Abstract: A chain system is provided that is attached to a continuous track of a tracked vehicle. Embodiments of the chain system can include cross chains that extend from a side chain, and a hook is disposed at a free end of each cross chain. To attach the chain system to the track, the hooks are attached to an inner edge of the track on a top surface of the track. Once all of the hooks are attached, the ends of the side chain are attached to each other and the chain is secured to the track to improve the traction of the track and the tracked vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Inventor: Stanley Young
  • Patent number: 11427128
    Abstract: A support device having an elongated support member for providing protection to an underside of a vehicle. The vehicle can have one or more pinch welds, such as a vehicle with a unibody chassis. The support device can serve as a rock rail to distribute a point load from an external object, such as a rock or a boulder, to a larger area of the vehicle to minimize high loading forces to a single point. The support device can alternatively be a running board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Cord Group LLC
    Inventor: Robert Crandall
  • Patent number: 11414141
    Abstract: An undercover (31) for rectifying airflow under a floor of a vehicle while driving the vehicle includes screw pedestals (42) for fixing screws (41) or nut pedestals for nuts, which are served as fastening points to a vehicle body (29). Interference caps (58) which are a molded product made from an elastic resin material are fitted between the adjacent pedestals. Under a state that the undercover (31) is engaged with and is attached to the vehicle body by the screws, a top portion (60) of the interference caps (59) is elastically deformed and is abutted to the opposite vehicle body surface, and the above abutment is maintained. Small clearance between the undercover and the vehicle body are maintained, and interference between the undercover and the vehicle due to vibration while driving is prevented, without changing the number of fastening points of the undercover to the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: UNIPRES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Endoh, Takafumi Endo
  • Patent number: 11413944
    Abstract: A cargo management system for a vehicle cargo box includes a utility rail and a utility track cover. The utility rail is configured to be installed to the cargo box. The utility track cover is configured to be removably disposed over the utility rail. The utility track cover has a base, a guide rail and a stopper. The guide rail extends along a longitudinal length of the base. The stopper is defined by the guide rail. The stopper is integrally connected to the base at a first contact point and a second contact point between the stopper and the base. The first and second contact points are spaced from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jim Thomas, III, Scott Dearing
  • Patent number: 11407452
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle body structure member molded by a die. The vehicle body structure member includes a general portion constituting a main part of the vehicle body structure member, ribs provided in a standing manner from the general portion, and thickened portions provided in a standing manner from the general portion, each of the thickened portions being thicker than each of the ribs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Soshiro Murata, Ayaka Kagami, Takashi Sagisaka, Yu Sasaki, Shinichi Arimoto, Koh Hirokawa
  • Patent number: 11407334
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat base. A carriage is coupled to a lower surface of the seat base and includes a locating protrusion on a bottom surface thereof. The track assembly includes a rail. A rail cartridge is slidably engaged with the rail. The rail cartridge defines a locating hole for receiving the locating protrusion. A first electrical connector is coupled to the rail cartridge. A second electrical connector is coupled to the carriage and operable between engaged and disengaged positions. An actuation member is configured to move the second electrical connector between the engaged and disengaged positions. When the second electrical connector is in the engaged position, an electrical connection is formed between the first and second electrical connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Jimmy Moua, Joshua Gauthier, Macit Aktas, Gregory Hagedorn, Joseph Michael Kish