Patents Examined by Timothy J Brindley
  • Patent number: 11958391
    Abstract: A support portion for a seat assembly includes, in some configurations, a first main portion and a second main portion disposed such that a gap is provided between the first main portion and the second main portion. In some configurations, the support portion includes a plurality of first extensions projecting from the first main portion away from the gap; the support portion includes a plurality of second extensions projecting from the second main portion away from the gap; the first main portion and the second main portion are configured to extend along opposite sides of a spine of a user such that the gap is aligned with said spine; and/or the plurality of first extensions and the plurality of second extensions are configured for connection with a seatback frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Wu Pan Zagorski, Francesco Migneco, Sajad Arabnejad, Michelle A. Pereny
  • Patent number: 11958426
    Abstract: A seat restraint system includes an over-the-shoulder (OTS) restraint and a lap restraint. The lap restraint includes a lap restraint enclosure defining an interior space and having an opening through the lap restraint enclosure, a track disposed in the interior space, and a movable assembly engaged with the track and configured to move along the track. The movable assembly includes an extension from the interior space, through the opening, and to an external space outside of the lap restraint enclosure. The movable assembly also includes engagement feature coupled to the extension and configured to be coupled to the OTS restraint in an engaged configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS LLC
    Inventors: Sabrina Andreina Yepez, Rachel Wilcox
  • Patent number: 11958386
    Abstract: A power supply mechanism for a long-stroke seat has a wire harness accommodation box having at least one accommodation space and at least one opening; a drag chain bent and accommodated in the accommodation space, where a first end of the drag chain is relatively fixed to the wire harness accommodation box, and a second end of the drag chain passes through the opening and is slidably disposed in a slideway of a lower slide rail of the seat; a wire harness threaded in the drag chain, where a first end of the wire harness passes through a first end of a wire harness channel and the opening to be connected to a power supply, and a second end of the drag chain passes through a second end of the wire harness channel to be connected to an upper slide rail of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Yanfeng Adent Seating Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hui Zhang, Yong Long, Jingjing Shi, Qiuwei Zhang, Dingyu Wang
  • Patent number: 11950700
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses a sofa backrest connection structure, including a first member and a second member, the first member includes a first base plate, two guide rails symmetrically arranged on the first base plate, and a limiting part arranged on the first base plate, and the limiting part is provided with a clamping protrusion; the second member includes a second base plate and a first horizontal plate connected to the second base plate, the second base plate includes an insertion part, and the insertion part is provided with a clamping hole matched with the clamping protrusion; after the insertion part is slidably inserted into and fitted with the two guide rails, the clamping protrusion is clamped in the clamping hole; and the first horizontal plate is used for being connected with a sofa seat frame, and the first base plate is used for being connected with a sofa backrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Remacro Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Weiming Chen, Xiaohong Li
  • Patent number: 11950709
    Abstract: The invention relates to a backrest support for a seating furniture, in particular for an office chair. In order to provide a piece of seating furniture having a backrest, in the case of which particularly simple and safe installation and removal of the backrest is possible, it is proposed to design the backrest support (2) in two parts, having a first support part (4), which is connectable to a second support part (5) without a tool, with a releasable connection being formed, wherein, in the assembled state, the position of the two support parts (4, 5) with respect to each other can be secured without a tool by means of a lock (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Bock 1 GmbH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Hermann Bock, Stefan Ploetz
  • Patent number: 11950710
    Abstract: A chair, comprising, a backrest, a seat coupled with the backrest, a column coupled with the seat, a linkage statically attached to the backrest and rotatably attached below the seat, a leaf spring statically attached at one end and in direct contact with the linkage to provide a resistance to tilting of the backrest relative to the column, a first structure fixed to the column. A portion of the first structure has an arc shape that includes one or more teeth, and a second structure in contact with the first structure. The chair is configured such that, when a weight is applied to the seat, one or more teeth of the second structure move along the one or more teeth of the first structure to shorten a working length of the leaf spring and provide an increased resistance to tilting of the backrest relative to the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Inventor: Aaron Dejule
  • Patent number: 11952126
    Abstract: Described are passenger seats having a seat frame and a seat bottom slidingly and pivotally attached to the seat frame that, when the passenger seats are reclined, are configured to articulate forward from an upright configuration of the passenger seat to a second seat position corresponding to a reclined configuration of the passenger seat. The seat bottom can include an aft articulating mechanism that defines a declining first path in an aft-to-forward direction to cause the aft end of the seat bottom to drop when the seat bottom articulates forward; and a forward articulating mechanism connected with the seat bottom near a forward end of the seat bottom that defines a second path shaped to cause the forward end of the seat bottom to move upward when the seat bottom articulates forward, such that the seat bottom tilts aft in response to articulating forward when the passenger seat is reclined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Safran Seats USA LLC
    Inventors: Ty Parker, Christopher D. Stewart
  • Patent number: 11944210
    Abstract: A chair, comprising, a backrest, a seat coupled with the backrest, a column coupled with the seat, a linkage statically attached to the backrest and rotatably attached below the seat, a leaf spring statically attached at one end and in direct contact with the linkage to provide a resistance to tilting of the backrest relative to the column. A first structure fixed to the column, where a portion of the first structure has an arc shape that includes one or more teeth, and a second structure in contact with the first structure, wherein a portion of the second structure includes one or more teeth. The chair is configured such that, when a weight is applied to the seat, the one or more teeth of the second structure, a pivot point at which the backrest is configured to tilt relative to the column, and the linkage are configured to move together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: AARON DEJULE
    Inventor: Aaron Dejule
  • Patent number: 11945343
    Abstract: A car seat includes an actuator capable of changing an orientation of a rest surface of a seat back laterally by turning and moving at least a side portion frame that is part of the car seat frontward and rearward, and a controller configured to exercise control over the actuator. The controller includes a run-time posture support unit configured to execute a run-time posture support control under which when a car makes a turn, the actuator is regulated to cause the rest surface of the seat back to be oriented in a direction of the turn. The run-time posture support unit is configured to regulate the actuator in accordance with a placement of the seat in the car, when the run-time posture support unit executes the run-time posture support control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: TS TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Sugiyama, Akira Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 11939063
    Abstract: A reclining seat including, but not limited to, a seat bottom. The reclining seat further including, but not limited to, a seat back having an upper segment and a lower segment, the lower segment pivotally coupled with the seat bottom via a first pivotal coupling, and the upper segment pivotally coupled with the lower segment via a second pivotal coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Allen Davis, Kerem Caglayan
  • Patent number: 11939064
    Abstract: A reclining seat including, but not limited to, a seat bottom; a seat back, a leg support, and an arm support forming a seat assembly. The seat assembly is configured to be supported on a floor surface and to move between an upright configuration and a flat configuration. The seat back and the leg support are transverse to the seat bottom, and the arm support is transverse to the seat back, when the seat assembly is in the upright configuration. The seat back, the seat bottom, the leg support and the arm support are each longitudinally aligned with one another when the seat assembly is in the flat configuration. An upper surface of the seat back, the seat bottom, and the leg support are each coplanar with one another and substantially coplanar with the arm support when the seat assembly is in the flat configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy OHara, Joe Guthrie, Allen Davis
  • Patent number: 11932145
    Abstract: Provided is a conveyance seat with which the assemblability of a wire member with respect to a seat frame can be improved. A conveyance seat includes a seat frame. The seat frame has: a pair of side frames arranged in side portions of the conveyance seat; and a cross-linking frame cross-linking the pair of side frames, a wire member is disposed between the pair of side frames, the cross-linking frame has a wire receiving portion receiving the wire member, and the wire member is fastened to the wire receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: TS TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Taro Murayama
  • Patent number: 11932195
    Abstract: A restraint harness for securing a passenger in a seat of a vehicle includes a plurality of lateral straps, a pair of shoulder straps, a pair of crotch straps, and a plurality of D-ring connectors. The plurality of lateral straps may be configured to encircle a torso of the passenger. At least two lateral straps include a flexible portion allowing the restraint harness to accommodate a variety of torso diameters. The pair of shoulder straps generally extend over left and right shoulders of the passenger from an anterior side of the restraint harness to a posterior side of the restraint harness. The pair of crotch straps generally extend from an anterior side of the restraint harness to a posterior side of the restraint harness. The plurality of D-ring connectors is generally disposed on the posterior side of the restraint harness and configured to provide four points of attachment between the posterior side of the restraint harness and the seat of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Inventors: Jodi Marshell, Terry Marshell
  • Patent number: 11919457
    Abstract: A passenger seat includes a spreader frame structure and a seat back pivotally attached to the spreader frame structure. At least one cable can pass through apertures between the seat back and the spreader frame structure. The seat can rotate between an upright configuration wherein the seat back is in a deployed position, and a break over configuration wherein the seat back is in a stowed position. The length of the at least one cable between the aperture in the seat back and the aperture in the spreader frame structure is approximately the same in the upright configuration and in the break over configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Safran Seats USA LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey L. Sikorski
  • Patent number: 11919591
    Abstract: A seatpost assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a housing fixedly coupled to a seatpost, the housing including at least one adjustable clamp assembly retaining member. The assembly also includes a reversable saddle rail clamp assembly, the reversable saddle rail clamping assembly having a bottom saddle rail clamping member and a top saddle rail clamping member. The top saddle rail clamping member is configured to be coupled with the bottom saddle rail clamping member in a first orientation to provide a first offset position, and further configured to be coupled with the bottom saddle rail clamping member in a second orientation to provide a second offset position different from said first offset position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Pollock
  • Patent number: 11912177
    Abstract: A passenger transport vehicle includes a system configured to vary the number of available seating places in accordance with the level of passenger traffic to be transported. The system has a mechanical support structure having a fixed part and a movable part movable between a first position in which the mechanical support structure forms a seating place, and a second position in which the seating place is unavailable for seating. The mechanical support structure includes a covering surface connected to and disposed around a portion of the movable part. The covering surface includes two rigid portions and a deformable portion. One rigid portion forms a seating surface when the movable part is in the first position, while both rigid portions and the deformable portion form an ischiatic support surface when the movable part is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: ALSTOM HOLDINGS
    Inventors: Jérôme Konieczka, Quentin Marcel Daniel Stocker, Adrien Ecoue
  • Patent number: 11910932
    Abstract: A motion seat is described that includes a chassis, a seat frame, a seat cushion, a backrest, and a resilient hinge. The seat frame is attached to the chassis and the seat cushion and the backrest are each attached to the seat frame. The resilient hinge formed as a unitary body and may be formed from a resilient polymer. The seat cushion and/or the backrest is pivotably attached to the seat frame with the resilient hinge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: American Leather Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Jeff Weber, Anders Larsen, Douglas L. Gasal, Jared Hurd, Robert B. Duncan, Kevin Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11904750
    Abstract: A structural component may have a carrier structure and a substructure arranged on the carrier structure and having a variable contour. The substructure may have an adjustment mechanism with a plurality of adjustment elements. The adjustment mechanism may be configured to adjust the adjustment elements between a compressed position and an expanded position in order to vary the contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Adient US LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Frotz, Sven Oldach, Daniel Bahr, Rudolf Wilhelm Hemmelrath, Ben Schrieber
  • Patent number: 11904746
    Abstract: The invention relates to a seating frame for a vehicle seat, the frame comprising a back frame component for supporting a back rest, wherein the back frame component includes a plurality of interconnected reinforcing ribs that form a single unit, and wherein the seating frame is a one-piece injection-molded part made of plastic material. The invention also relates to a process of making such a seating frame. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle seat comprising such a seating frame, and a vehicle comprising such a vehicle seat or such a seating frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SABIC GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Chuangqi Guo, Geert-Jan Schellekens, Zhongcai Tong, Zhen Yu Xie, Zhi Tian, Tianhua Ding
  • Patent number: 11897372
    Abstract: A recliner heart includes a first locking plate, a second locking plate, a hub, a pair of wedges, a first biasing member, and a second biasing member. The first locking plate includes first teeth. The second locking plate is rotatable relative to the first locking plate and includes second teeth. The first biasing member is configured to apply a first biasing force to the wedges. The second biasing member is configured to apply a second biasing force to the wedges. The hub is rotatable between a first position in which the first and second biasing forces are applied to the wedges to restrict rotation of the second locking plate relative to the first locking plate, and a second position in which the first biasing force applied to one wedge of the wedges is reduced to allow rotation of the second locking plate relative to the first locking plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Fisher & Company, Incorporated
    Inventors: Ralph L. Schmitz, Sapan M. Poptani, Christopher J. Ryan, Lawrence J. Magadanz