Patents by Inventor Ken S. Laird

Ken S. Laird 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).

  • Thin plate structural support for a motor vehicle armrest
    Patent number: 9114773
    Abstract: A motor vehicle door and armrest assembly using a thin plate that is vertically strong while laterally collapsible. The plate is comprised of a matrix of intersecting parallel struts forming four sided cells having a first set of opposing acute angles and a second set of opposing obtuse angles. The obtuse angles span a direction normal to the motor vehicle door and allow the plate to more easily limit force transmission from a side impact force. The struts are coupled to a frame, the coupling struts variable in cross sectional area to further determine the lateral stiffness of the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Srinivasan Sundararajan, Krish E. Aekbote, Nitesh C. Jadhav, Ken S. Laird, Linh Doan, Yudong Zhou
  • THIN PLATE STRUCTURAL SUPPORT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE ARMREST
    Publication number: 20150158448
    Abstract: A motor vehicle door and armrest assembly using a thin plate that is vertically strong while laterally collapsible. The plate is comprised of a matrix of intersecting parallel struts forming four sided cells having a first set of opposing acute angles and a second set of opposing obtuse angles. The obtuse angles span a direction normal to the motor vehicle door and allow the plate to more easily limit force transmission from a side impact force. The struts are coupled to a frame, the coupling struts variable in cross sectional area to further determine the lateral stiffness of the plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Srinivasan Sundararajan, Krish E. Aekbote, Nitesh C. Jadhav, Ken S. Laird, Linh Doan, Yudong Zhou