Patents by Inventor Dave Cottrell

Dave Cottrell has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Energy absorbing front frame structure for a vehicle
    Patent number: 6938948
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for absorbing energy during a frontal collision of a vehicle, through the use of a front frame structure having main frame rails that include several deformable and non-deformable sections which are connected by selectively crushable junctures that are configured to predispose one or more of the junctures and sections to pivot selectively outward, rearward and upward, in a predetermined manner, during the collision. The front frame structure also includes an engine cradle, attached below the main frame rails, and having a pair of side rails that include forward and rear crushable junctures joined by non-deformable intermediate sections, with the crushable junctures of the main frame rails and engine cradle side rails being configured to predispose the intermediate sections of the engine cradle side rails to move downward and rearward during the collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Troy M Cornell, Gerald F Burke, Harry Gu, Pratap Naick, Mark Kirschmann, Gregory A Beecher, Harjeet Gill, Erin Shipp, Kenneth J Haller, Michael Okuniewicz, Manfred Staisch, Dave Cottrell, Larry Ososki, Norman Hartmann
  • ENERGY ABSORBING FRONT FRAME STRUCTURE FOR A VEHICLE
    Publication number: 20050189788
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for absorbing energy during a frontal collision of a vehicle, through the use of a front frame structure having main frame rails that include several deformable and non-deformable sections which are connected by selectively crushable junctures that are configured to predispose one or more of the junctures and sections to pivot selectively outward, rearward and upward, in a predetermined manner, during the collision. The front frame structure also includes an engine cradle, attached below the main frame rails, and having a pair of side rails that include forward and rear crushable junctures joined by non-deformable intermediate sections, with the crushable junctures of the main frame rails and engine cradle side rails being configured to predispose the intermediate sections of the engine cradle side rails to move downward and rearward during the collision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Publication date: September 1, 2005
    Inventors: Troy Cornell, Gerald Burke, Harry Gu, Pratap Naick, Mark Kirschmann, Gregory Beecher, Harjeet Gill, Erin Shipp, Kenneth Haller, Michael Okuniewicz, Manfred Staisch, Dave Cottrell, Larry Ososki, Norman Hartmann