Patents Examined by Jody Giacoman
  • Patent number: 9592755
    Abstract: The time until a headrest contacts the head of an occupant in the event of a rear collision is shortened with a simple configuration. In a seat device, a stay (46) (including grommets (22)) is set with bending rigidity towards the vehicle front lower than the bending rigidity towards the vehicle rear. Accordingly, when the headrest oscillates in the event of a vehicle rear collision, the headrest is initially displaced towards the vehicle rear, however the headrest changes direction in a short time and begins to be displaced towards the vehicle front. Moreover, there is a large displacement of the headrest towards the vehicle front since the stay (46) (including the grommets (22)) has a lower bending rigidity towards the vehicle front than the bending rigidity towards the vehicle rear. The time until the headrest contacts the head (H) of the occupant can accordingly be shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masami Takayama, Atsushi Kageyama, Ken Okura, Junichi Nakano, Nozomu Munemura, Kensuke Nagai, Tadanori Hisamoto
  • Patent number: 9573496
    Abstract: A vehicle safety seat and infant carrier system allowing height adjustment of a shoulder harness strap without rethreading the harness strap through the seat. A positioning member is normally biased out of engagement with a toothed rail, allowing a harness strap carried by the positioning member to be adjusted up or down to fit the size of a child. As the harness strap is pulled tight, the positioning member is brought into engagement with the toothed rail, fixing the position of the strap relative to the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: KIDS II, INC.
    Inventors: Scott R. Spence, Jacob Sclare, Michael A. Dotsey, Noah E. Dingler, Patrick B. Nolan
  • Patent number: 9481278
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention may include a frame structure for a vehicle seat having two frames, a pile portion, and a section modulus reducing configuration. The two frames extend in a specific direction. At the pile portion, the two frames abut each other in a direction perpendicular to the specific direction and connected to each other. The section modulus reducing configuration is formed at an edge portion in the specific direction of the pile portion, and is configured to achieve a reduction in section modulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsutaka Mitsuhashi
  • Patent number: 9462887
    Abstract: A seatback member cam adjustment system includes a seat link having a first bore and a seatback link rotatably connected to the seat link. The seatback link includes an arm portion and a leg portion connected to the arm portion. The leg portion is angularly oriented to the arm portion, and includes a second bore smaller than the first bore. A cam member cam body is positioned in the first bore. A cam body obround cam surface has oppositely facing first and second cam contact points both in direct contact with a first bore inner wall. A cam mount shaft is rotatably supported in the cam member including and extends through the second bore rotatably supporting the cam mount shaft in the second bore. Cam member rotation displaces the cam contact points along the first bore inner wall changing an arm portion orientation angle and a seatback member orientation angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: La-Z-Boy Incorporated
    Inventors: Eric B. Harwood, Larry P. Lapointe, Richard D. Hartford
  • Patent number: 9408473
    Abstract: A folding lounge chair for resting on a ground surface has an arrangement of struts mutually hinged so that the struts are able to be bundled in a common parallel pack for compact storage and for carrying about. When unfolded, the user sits on a cloth such as a towel which is supported at the top of upright struts at one end of the cloth and by the ground surface and by further struts in contact with the ground. A sun shade is mounted on the upright struts in a position for shading the user, and may be folded out of the way when not wanted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Inventor: Joseph Michael Sabina
  • Patent number: 9403462
    Abstract: A seat includes a seat portion and an attached seat back portion and an attached uniform including a uniform top fitted over the seat back portion and a uniform bottom fitted over the seat portion. The uniform top and the uniform bottom support uniform adornment that identifies the members of a group, profession, organization, or establishment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Inventor: Shawn D. Spitzer
  • Patent number: 9399418
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat frame. A first leg support is pivotally coupled with a forward portion of the seat frame. The first leg support is operable between raised and lowered positions. A first extendable member is disposed on a top portion of the first leg support and is operable between extended and retracted positions. A second leg support is adjacent to and independent of the first leg support and is pivotally coupled with the forward portion of the seat frame. The second leg support is operable between raised and lowered positions. A second extendable member is disposed on a top portion of the second leg support and is operable between extended and refracted positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Marc Kondrad, John W. Jaranson, Kendrick Alden Harper, Daniel Ferretti, Michael Kolich, Lorne Joseph Lovelace, Kevin VanNieulande, Grant A. Compton
  • Patent number: 9381832
    Abstract: A fitting (1) for an adjustment device, in particular inclination adjustment of a motor vehicle seat, includes a fitting upper part (2) having a first internal toothing (4), a fitting lower part (3) which is adjustable relative to the fitting upper part about a fitting axis and has a second internal toothing (5) arranged coaxially with respect to the first internal toothing, at least two, preferably, three, rotatably arranged planet gears (7) which are in engagement with the first and second internal toothings, and a drive shaft (6) which is in operative connection with the at least two planet gears by means of a pinion (23). Noise loads and buckling effects are avoided even after a relatively long period of operation, with a spring element (11) prestressing the planet gears (7) in the direction of the axis of rotation onto the fitting lower part (3) or fitting upper part (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Metals and Mechanisms GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Andreas Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 9381884
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat bottom and a seatback operatively coupled to the seat bottom. The seatback includes a substantially rigid polymeric substrate and an outer layer covering the polymeric substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Bruce L. Stone, Robert W. Smith
  • Patent number: 9380878
    Abstract: A chair headrest including a headrest, a pivot member and a fastener assembly is revealed. The headrest is disposed with a damper and a guide and stop member for improving vertical movement stability and safety during adjustment. The pivot member having pivotally connected first and second portions is arranged between the headrest and a seat back. The first portion includes a pivot part with two separate ends while the second portion has a mounting part with two apart ends. The pivot part fitted to the mounting part can be rotated around an actuation axis. The fastener assembly is set between two ends of the second portion and having a connection portion for connecting the two ends of the pivot part and the two ends of the mounting part and an actuator assembly for making the two ends of the mounting part apart to be in a pressed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: ATEC INTERNATIONAL TEAM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Te-Chun Chen
  • Patent number: 9358913
    Abstract: A flight passenger seating device comprising a backrest having a first backrest unit. The backrest has a second backrest unit and a bearing unit which movably receives the second backrest unit relative to the first backrest unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: RECARO Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hartmut Schürg, Andreas Erb, Jens Jakubowski
  • Patent number: 9346380
    Abstract: A vehicle seat, has a seat part, a backrest, and at least one fitting, by which the back rest is attached pivotably to the seat part. The fitting has a first fitting part connected to the backrest and a second fitting part connected to the seat part. The fittings are normally located in the force flux between the backrest and seat part. The seat has at least one deformation zone which is deformed in the event of a crash. A supporting element is mounted on the backrest and a supporting element is mounted on the seat part, the supporting elements normally being spaced apart from each other and, in the event of a crash, coming into contact with each other because of the deformation of the deformation zone to provide a further force flux path lying parallel to the fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: KEIPER GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Christian Markel, Thomas Dill, Wolfgang Pluta, Viktor Enns, Gerhard Mueller
  • Patent number: 9340162
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly having a seat back including a polymeric body portion defining a support frame having a plurality of forwardly extending connection pins disposed about a periphery of a forward surface of the support frame. A flexible comfort carrier is disposed over a front surface of the polymeric body portion and includes a multitude of openings defining a support matrix configured to support the weight of a passenger. The body portion includes a plurality of slots configured to receive and engage the plurality of forwardly extending connection pins. A cushion layer extends over the flexible comfort carrier. A head restraint extends upwardly from the forward support frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Daniel Jay Osterhoff, Raghavan Setlur, Robert Damerow, Majid Arefi, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Brandon Guinn
  • Patent number: 9333888
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a heater fan for a body support arrangement, and specifically the heater fan has at least one air delivery arrangement and at least one heating appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: GENTHERM GMBH
    Inventor: Winfried Helmenstein
  • Patent number: 9327627
    Abstract: An unlocking mechanism of inclinable headrest includes a push button having a connecting element and an internal frame having a cylindrical element defining a through-bore in which the push button is slidably accommodated. Provided within the internal frame is a slidable lever element having one end operatively connected with a lock gear for locking the headrest and another end having a connecting hole in which the connecting element of the push button is resiliently inserted and engaged. The slidable lever element is slidably supported by a guide element so that the connecting hole thereof is retained at a location corresponding to the through-bore of the cylindrical element. Hence, in assembly, simple insertion by a worker of the push button in the cylindrical element results in quick and precise connection of the push button's connecting element with the slidable lever element's connecting hole invisibly disposed in the headrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo Tobata, Takayuki Yoshiga, Yutaka Sodeno
  • Patent number: 9326613
    Abstract: An upholstered seat with flexible pelvic support having a seat bottom with a seat pan, upholstery, and resiliently deflectable pelvic support structures retained at least partially within the central area of the seat pan. Plural resiliently deflectable fingers can project to within a left portion of the central area and plural resiliently deflectable fingers can project to within a right portion of the central area. The resiliently deflectable fingers can have different deflection resistances to permit hyper-localized control over the resilient support provided. A U-shaped rigidifying member secured to the seat pan establishes rigidified lateral and posterior portions of the seat pan. A resiliently compressible foam structure can have a U-shaped outer portion and a softer inner portion to facilitate a cradling of a seat occupant. A support and positioning member can be retained by a seat back in a fixed angular orientation relative to the seat bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Inventor: Sava Cvek
  • Patent number: 9289068
    Abstract: A modular stackable stool system providing stackable bar stools that may be selectively customized by interchanging of the base supports and seats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Chameleon Chairs LLC
    Inventor: Behshad Shokouhi
  • Patent number: 9290116
    Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator (71) for a vehicle seat, comprising a handle (41) for jointly actuating two locks (23), a force transfer between the handle and each lock, a first indicator (51) associated with the first force transfer, and a second indicator associated with the second force transfer, wherein the two indicators each indicate the respective locking status of the associated lock, and the two indicators actuate an overall indicator (61) by means of a logical OR function in order to visibly indicate the unlocked state. The force transfer is preferably formed from Bowden cables (43).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: KEIPER GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Ingo Teufel, Joachim Kämmerer, Ralph Recktenwald
  • Patent number: 9254764
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly having a seat back including a polymeric body portion. A flexible comfort carrier is disposed over a front surface of the polymeric body portion and includes a multitude of openings defining a support matrix configured to support the weight of a passenger. A head restraint includes a headrest and a single downwardly extending support post that is homogenously formed with the headrest. The support post includes side portions that define slots. The support post is rotatably coupled to the seat back. The headrest is rotatable between a use position, wherein the downwardly extending support post extends into the seat back, and a storage position, wherein the downwardly extending support post is withdrawn from the seat back and rotated forward such that the head restraint extends substantially orthogonal to the seat back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Robert Damerow, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Balakrishna Reddy, Bernard Gerard Marchetti, Daniel Ferretti, Chad Hoover
  • Patent number: 9241575
    Abstract: A ready to assemble or knockdown sofa having a back rest that can be reconfigured between a use configuration in which the sofa has a conventional L-shaped cross-section and a shipping or storage configuration in which the sofa is arranged in a more efficiently stacked rectangular cross-section. The rectangular cross-section allows the sofa to be more efficiently stacked with other sofas during shipping or storage. The back rest has an upper back rest portion and a lower back rest portion in which the upper back rest portion can be rotated forward toward the front of the sofa and downwardly into a nesting region against the top of the seat base to provide a more efficient shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Walter Wang