Patents by Inventor Gregory S. Ches

Gregory S. Ches 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).

  • Patent number: 8303042
    Abstract: A seat belt guide includes a housing defining an interior region, and a guide member at least partially disposed within the interior region. The guide member defines a channel for receiving and guiding a webbing of a seat belt. The guide member is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position, with the channel concealed when in the stowed position, and the channel exposed when in the deployed position. The guide member includes a base portion and a guide portion, with the guide portion rotatable relative to the base portion to allow for automatic withdrawal of the webbing from the channel when the seat is moved into a position that does not require the use of the seat belt guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Peter P. Kujawa, Gregory S. Ches, Leslie A. Sajovec, Steven G. Corrion
  • Publication number: 20120175937
    Abstract: A seat belt system for a vehicle includes a seat frame. The seat belt system also includes a lap belt having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to a buckle and the second end is connected to an anchor. The seat belt system additionally includes a single retractor-pretensioner operatively connected to the seat frame and configured to simultaneously tension the first end and the second end. A vehicle having a seat with a frame that is operatively connected to the vehicle structure and employing the seat belt system is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Peter P. Kujawa, Gregory S. Ches, Thomas Tilly, Leslie A. Sajovec, Steven G. Corrion
  • Publication number: 20110316321
    Abstract: A seat belt guide includes a housing defining an interior region, and a guide member at least partially disposed within the interior region. The guide member defines a channel for receiving and guiding a webbing of a seat belt. The guide member is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position, with the channel concealed when in the stowed position, and the channel exposed when in the deployed position. The guide member includes a base portion and a guide portion, with the guide portion rotatable relative to the base portion to allow for automatic withdrawal of the webbing from the channel when the seat is moved into a position that does not require the use of the seat belt guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Peter P. Kujawa, Gregory S. Ches, Leslie A. Sajovec, Steven G. Corrion
  • Patent number: 7404577
    Abstract: A seat belt anchoring system for a vehicle seat includes an anchor for seat belt webbing having a mounting portion positionable with respect to the seat to face rearward and rigidly securable with respect to the seat from behind the seat. The anchor also has a belt retaining portion angled with respect to the mounting portion so that it is operatively connectable with the seat belt webbing outboard of the seat. A method of installing a seat belt system is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Tilly, Gregory S. Ches, Damond N. Hinatsu, Mark A. Rychlicki
  • Patent number: 5308116
    Abstract: A rear seat shoulder belt guide for a vehicle having a rear seat shoulder belt allowing for adjustment of the routing of the shoulder belt for smaller than average passengers. The rear seat shoulder belt guide is detachably connected to the shoulder belt and may be removed when not in use. A tab is mounted to the vehicle side trim adjacent the rear seat back cushion and is designed to retain the shoulder belt guide when not in use while also being hidden from view from the vehicle's passenger compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth M. Zawisa, Gregory S. Ches, Richard D. Loose, Michael J. Wendzinski
  • Patent number: 5292178
    Abstract: A front seat assembly for mounting to a floor pan of a two-door automobile vehicle and being movable for access to a rear seat. The front seat has a seat bottom. A power operated longitudinal seat adjuster mechanism is carried between and slideably and constantly engageably connects the seat bottom portion to the floor pan for adjustable positioning the seat bottom between a forward position and a rearward position. A power operated reclining mechanism connects a seat back to the seat bottom for positioning and constantly retaining the seat back in positions between a forward tilt position and a rearward reclined position. A three point restraint system is mounted to the seat bottom and the seat back for retaining a front seat occupant. A switch mounted to the seat back of the seat assembly accessible to a rear seat occupant enables simultaneous movement of the seat bottom and the seat back either forwardly or rearwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1994
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Richard D. Loose, Gregory S. Ches, John De Bano
  • Patent number: 4726540
    Abstract: A door mounted seat belt retractor includes a pendulum having a support foot which is a generally planar surface having an elongated elliptical foot print with a major dimension and a minor dimension. A pendulum support member carried by the retractor has a planar support surface upon which the foot of the pendulum rests. The pendulum is oriented with the major dimension of its foot extending laterally of the vehicle body and the minor dimension extending longitudinally. The locking sensitivity of the retractor is varied so that a relatively smaller acceleration impulse experienced in the longitudinal direction will lock the retractor and a relatively higher acceleration impulse in the lateral direction will be required to lock the retractor. Thus, the retractor will not be locked by the level of acceleration experienced during routine door opening movement. The pendulum support member preferably has a planar support surface located at the bottom of an elongated elliptical well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory S. Ches, Richard D. Loose
  • Patent number: 4684077
    Abstract: In a seat belt retractor winding prevention mechanism, the winding prevention pawl is mounted upon a collapsible support mechanism which is collapsed by an inertia sensor at the onset of a sensed vehicle deceleration condition. The collapsible support mechanism carries a cam which engages the pawl upon collapse and moves the pawl axially out of engagement with the ratchet teeth carried by the reel to thereby release the winding prevention mechanism so that the windup spring will rewind the belt to a taut condition about the occupant. The inertia sensor raises a pilot pawl into engagement with gear teeth carried by the reel so that reel rotation energizes a further movement of the pilot pawl and the pilot pawl movement both collapses the collapsible support mechanism of the winding prevention pawl and also moves a lock bar into engagement with the reel to lock the reel against belt unwinding rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Gary R. Kurtti, Gregory S. Ches, David T. Brender, John J. Senopole
  • Patent number: 4638533
    Abstract: A molded plastic tubular sleeve slips over the housing of a seat belt buckle and includes an integrally molded flap which registers with and overlies the pushbutton of the buckle. The pushbutton flap is plastically yieldable relative to the tubular sleeve to thereby depress the buckle pushbutton underlying the flap. By controlling the material and dimensions of the tubular sleeve, the pushbutton flap can be designed to require a level of release force which is predeterminedly larger than the force normally needed to unbuckle the buckle. Furthermore, the tubular sleeve is shaped to be capable of sliding removal from the buckle so that the seat belt buckle may be conveniently restored to normal force unbuckling as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Gloomis, Gregory S. Ches