Patents Examined by Paul Chenevert
  • Vehicle door
    Patent number: 9346339
    Abstract: [PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED] To provide a vehicle door, in which the arrangement of the reinforcing bracket is not limited, and the strength of the joined portion between the door frame and the door panel can be improved. The vehicle door has a portion of a door frame that forms a window opening inserted into the inside of a door panel. The door frame is provided with a stepped portion which separates a surface area on the frame forming portion side and a surface area on the insertion portion side from each other; the surface area on the insertion portion side that is continuous with the stepped portion is formed as an inner-panel facing surface facing the inner panel; the inner-panel facing surface is shifted in a direction away from the inner panel by the stepped portion; and the reinforcing bracket is made to overlap the shifted inner-panel facing surface therealong.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: SHIROKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Shimizu, Hiroaki Yamazaki, Shigenobu Ohsawa
  • Upper slewing body for use in construction machine
    Patent number: 9333992
    Abstract: Provided is an upper slewing body comprising: an upper frame, a cab including a bottom frame, a plurality of pillars including an outer pillar, and an entrance; an antivibration mount; a displacement restrainer restraining a cab displacement in a direction of rising away from the upper frame; and a reinforcing member attached to a lower end of the outer pillar for reinforcing a joint between the lower end and the bottom frame. The displacement restrainer includes a penetrating member vertically penetrating the reinforcing member and the bottom frame and secured to the upper frame. The displacement restrainer and the reinforcing member includes respective load transmitting surfaces for transmitting a load to each other above the joint between the bottom frame and the outer pillar when the cab is displaced in the rising direction by a specific amount or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Kinoshita, Keiji Yamamoto, Yuji Kawakami
  • Load transfer structure against side impact
    Patent number: 9327622
    Abstract: A load transfer structure includes a seatback frame, and a load receiving member disposed on the seatback frame to contact with a side wall of a vehicle body when the side wall is moved toward a vehicle cabin by a side impact. The load receiving member includes a horizontal portion extending laterally, an inclined portion extended obliquely outward and upward from an outer end of the horizontal portion, and a curved portion provided between the horizontal portion and the inclined portion and having inner and outer concave edges. A bisector of an angle between straight edges continued from both ends of the outer concave edge and a bisector of an angle between straight edges continued from both ends of the inner concave edge intersect with each other in the curved portion. Accordingly, an absorbed energy amount by the load receiving member increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taiji Ikeda, Tatsuzo Tomita, Masato Sakurai, Toshiya Sagara
  • Solar battery mounting structure
    Patent number: 9327597
    Abstract: A solar battery mounting structure including a solar battery module which frame includes a light transmissive plate member, an adhesive portion by which a lower surface of a side end portion of the light transmissive plate member is adhered to an adhesive surface of a vehicle body frame member, and a fixation portion which is fixed to a lower surface of the light transmissive plate member through a sealing material layer, and is fixed to a fixation surface of the vehicle body frame member facing the lower surface, a protrusion portion in contact with the lower surface of the light transmissive plate member through the sealing material layer is fainted in the fixation portion, and frame a step portion is formed between the adhesive surface and the fixation surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazutaka Kimura
  • Structure against side impact
    Patent number: 9327767
    Abstract: A structure against a side impact has a side wall of a vehicle body, the side wall including a pillar within which a reinforcement is provided, a seatback frame, and a load receiving member disposed on the seatback frame to contact with the side wall of the vehicle body and to receive an impact load when the side wall of the vehicle body is moved toward a vehicle cabin by a side impact. A high-strength area reinforced by the reinforcement to have high strength is formed in the side wall of the vehicle body. An upper area of the pillar reinforced by the reinforcement includes a lower area having a strength lower than the strength of the high-strength area is formed beneath the high-strength area. A lower area that is not reinforced by the reinforcement is formed beneath the upper area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taiji Ikeda, Tatsuzo Tomita, Masato Sakurai, Toshiya Sagara
  • Interior part for vehicle
    Patent number: 9321411
    Abstract: An interior part (13) for a vehicle is attached to the inner panel (31) of a door (12). The interior part (13) has: a fastening hole (43) formed in order to allow a screw part (42) which is used to fasten the interior part (13) to the inner panel (31) to be passed therethrough; a tray section (44) formed below the fastening hole (43); and an opening (45) formed in the tray section (44) in a size which does not permit the screw part (43) to pass through the opening (45).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keita Ishizaka
  • Dual access vehicle storage assembly
    Patent number: 9302628
    Abstract: A vehicle storage assembly can cover a vehicle storage area such as an interior console or a cargo box. The storage assembly can include a base and a lid. The lid can be opened from two sides to allow easy access for a driver and passengers to an interior storage compartment. The base includes at least two rods, which can act as axles for the lid to pivot about. The lid includes at least one rotation member or guide which can be released from the rod only when the lid is in a desired position, for example, a closed position. The lid can include a latch for each rod. The lid can have a lock to secure one or both of the latches with the lid in a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Lund Motion Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony Smith
  • Vehicle body floor panel structure and method for designing same
    Patent number: 9302720
    Abstract: A floor panel includes: an article storage portion formed to protrude downwardly at a position spaced apart from each of two frame members on vehicle widthwise opposite sides thereof; and a pair of right and left lateral coupling portions each provided between a respective one of the frame members and the article storage portion. A storage bottom of the article storage portion has an upwardly or downwardly convex curved surface, and a storage wall of the article storage portion is configured such that each of right and left upper ends thereof is located below a corresponding one of two joint sections between respective ones of the lateral coupling portions of the floor panel and respective ones of the frame members. At least one of the pair of lateral coupling portions is formed by a downwardly inclined planar or curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Miho Kowaki
  • Seat suspension locking apparatus
    Patent number: 9296320
    Abstract: A locking apparatus for a seat assembly for a vehicle is provides and includes a latching component attached to one of a stationary part or a movable part of a seat assembly, a receiving component disposed on the other of the stationary part or the movable part of a seat assembly, wherein the latching component engages the receiving component, and an activation component that activates the latching component. Upon activation of the locking device, the latching component engages the receiving component thereby locking the movable part to the stationary part in a collapsed state thereby reducing vibrational noise caused by the movable part during operation of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: CVG MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Paul Bennett
  • Tonneau cover locking spring clamp
    Patent number: 9290122
    Abstract: A tonneau cover system for a cargo box of a pickup truck including a cover member positionable generally over the cargo box of the pickup truck and a locking spring clamp assembly. The locking spring assembly having: a linkage member coupled to the cover member at a connection location along the linkage member; and a latch housing slidably coupled to the linkage member. The latch housing includes an engaging member engaging the cargo box of the pickup truck in a latched position. A first biasing member urges the latch housing into the latched position. A locking feature releasably couples the linkage member and the latch housing into a locked position, such that a distance between the connection location and the engaging member is generally constant in the latched position and generally maintained by the locking feature in a locked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Extang Corporation
    Inventor: Michael R. Spencer
  • Refuse vehicle shield and bin cover
    Patent number: 9284118
    Abstract: A front loading refuse collection vehicle (10) has a cab (12) connected with a storage bin (14). The storage bin (14) includes an opening (18) that enables refuse to enter into the storage bin (14). The refuse is supplied by a front loading device (16) into the bin. Covers (20, 120) overlay the opening (18) when the vehicle (10) is in motion from collection position to collection position. Additionally, the cover (20, 120) moves from a bin covering position into a cab shielding position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: The Heil Co.
    Inventor: Thomas L. Price
  • Pickup box with reinforced tie-down locations
    Patent number: 9278717
    Abstract: One of more cross members of a pickup bed structure include a hole in a flange in a location that is advantageous for installation of aftermarket accessories. The hole does not extend through the floorpan itself. When customers install aftermarket accessories that require holes through the floorpan, the customers are encouraged to align the new holes with the holes in the cross members. Consequently, loads applied by the aftermarket accessories are efficiently transferred to the frame rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bruno M. Barthelemy, Mark Joseph Courtright, Vincent Chimento, Mark Keller
  • Opening and/or closing device
    Patent number: 9266413
    Abstract: An opening and/or closing device for a movable, flexurally rigid and at least regionally transparent wall element of a motor vehicle is provided. The device includes at least one supporting arm and at least one supporting body. The supporting arm and the supporting body encompass a first end that faces the wall element and is pivoted to the wall element, and encompass a second end that faces away from the wall element and is pivoted to a vehicle structure. By turning the supporting arm and the supporting body, the wall element is moved from an open functional position, in which a vehicle interior is accessible from outside for entry and/or egress and in which the wall element is situated in a frontal area of the motor vehicle, into a closed functional position, in which the vehicle interior is sealed to the outside by the wall element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Friedhelm Engler, Clarence Kim, Richard Shaw
  • Rear rail adapted to induce spare tire rotation in a rear-end collision
    Patent number: 9266564
    Abstract: A vehicle body structure is described that includes a pair of rear rails, a bumper beam and a spare tire compartment including a spare tire. The rear rails have a rear segment aligned with the bumper beam, a middle segment disposed above the rear segment and a front segment that extends downwardly from the middle segment. After a 50 mph 70% Movable Deformable Barrier rear impact test, the spare tire compartment including the spare tire hinges downwardly to create added crush space and the middle section is raised upwardly to reduce the extent of intrusions into the passenger compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rahul Arora, Sino Johan Van Dyk, Mohamed Ridha Baccouche
  • Cup holder and vehicle door containing the same
    Patent number: 9266456
    Abstract: According to one or more embodiments, a cup holder includes a support, an adjustable arm connected to the support, and a base connected to the support and spaced apart from the adjustable arm, the base being pivotal about the support in a first direction and being translatable to the adjustable arm in a second direction different from the first direction. The support may include a first member and a second member separable from the first member, the first member being connected to the adjustable arm and the second member being connected to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Kadin Zhang, Lisa Lv
  • Automotive glazing
    Patent number: 9259994
    Abstract: An elongate glazing component such as a water-tray mounting profile is attached to an automotive glazing adjacent an edge thereof to extend along at least part of the edge. At least one small, generally flat reinforcing member is bonded by adhesive to the inner face of the glazing adjacent the glazing component, each reinforcing member having a contact area for bonding to the inner face of the glazing, and a flange which extends over part of the elongate glazing component and is in contact with it. The flange may be generally parallel to the inner face of the glazing. Preferably the adhesive is cured by ultraviolet light and shrinks on curing. This property may be used to compress an attachment limb of the water-tray mounting profile, thereby holding it more securely. The arrangement may be used to attach a water-tray to a vehicle windscreen without support from the vehicle bodywork.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: PILKINGTON GROUP LIMITED
    Inventor: Wolfgang Erner
  • Vehicle armrest with structural fabric substrate
    Patent number: 9254765
    Abstract: A vehicle armrest includes an inner armrest substrate having at least one buckling member extending to an outer armrest substrate. A gap is defined by the inner and outer armrest substrates and the at least one buckling member. A fabric member extends across the gap and is attached to the inner and outer armrest substrates. A cover member extends over and is vertically supported by the fabric member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Laird, Linh Doan, Yudong Zhou
  • Vehicle interior part including a clip mount having a protrusion to guide a sealing member
    Patent number: 9248787
    Abstract: A vehicle interior part includes a main wall portion, a flange portion, a clip mount base, a protrusion, and a sealing member. The clip mount base includes a projecting wall and a base. The projecting wall projects from an opposed surface of the flange portion away from a distal end of the flange portion. The base projects from a distal end of the projecting wall. The protrusion protrudes from the opposed surface between the projecting wall and the distal end of the flange portion and has a first height on a first side closer to the distal end of the flange portion and a second height on a second side closer to the clip mount base. The first height is greater than the second height. The sealing member is disposed on the opposed surface between the protrusion and the distal end of the flange portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Hinokio, Bongkee Kim
  • Z-fold convertible top supporting retractable quarter window
    Patent number: 9238401
    Abstract: A Z-fold convertible top has a frame supporting a textile cover. The frame includes support in the form of at least one of a pair of pivoted rails rigidly mounted to a bow, stabilizing other pivoted rails. The stability may be employed to displace a quarter window with the rail in a manner that provides a compact top stack packaged in the vehicle body. The stability is also employed to coordinate sealing engagement of the quarter window with a cloth control link pivoted to the vehicle body ground, but displacing the cloth away from the window during retraction. A worm link may enhance interaction between the cloth control link and the rail supporting a quarter window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Magna Car Top Systems of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Willard, Wolfgang Richter, George F. Purcell, Robert E. Fallis, III
  • Structure of mounting cowl-top cover
    Patent number: 9227498
    Abstract: A protrusion portion of a clip member is abutted against an end face of a front glass lower end, and the clip member is fixed to a back face of the front glass via an adhesive agent. An engagement portion that is formed in a tongue piece of a cowl-top cover is engaged with a target engagement portion of the clip member, and the cowl-top cover is mounted in a state in which a surface of the cowl-top cover and a surface of the front glass are arranged so as to be flush with each other. In addition, an engagement direction is defined as an engagement direction taken along a lengthwise direction oriented from a lower end to an upper end of the front glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Nihon Plast Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Takenori Kurata, Daisuke Serizawa