Patents by Inventor Les Griswold

Les Griswold 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: 7819478
    Abstract: A method and a high latch for a vehicle seat. The vehicle seat has a seatback pivotably coupled to a seat base and the seat base is coupled to a vehicle body having a vehicle wall. The high latch includes a hook carriage including a structural hook, with the hook carriage coupled to the seatback. A striker assembly including a striker arm is configured to selectively engage the structural hook, with the striker assembly coupled to the vehicle body. With the structural hook and striker arm engaged, the seatback will move with the striker assembly from the first position to a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Les Griswold, David L. Allen, Kenneth Ptak, Michael Laskowski
  • Publication number: 20090021067
    Abstract: A method and a high latch for a vehicle seat. The vehicle seat has a seatback pivotably coupled to a seat base and the seat base is coupled to a vehicle body having a vehicle wall. The high latch includes a hook carriage including a structural hook, with the hook carriage coupled to the seatback. A striker assembly including a striker arm is configured to selectively engage the structural hook, with the striker assembly coupled to the vehicle body. With the structural hook and striker arm engaged, the seatback will move with the striker assembly from the first position to a second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Inventors: Les GRISWOLD, David L. Allen, Kenneth Ptak, Michael Laskowski
  • Patent number: 7377584
    Abstract: A method and a high latch for a vehicle seat. The vehicle seat has a seatback pivotably coupled to a seat base and the seat base is coupled to a vehicle body having a vehicle wall. The high latch includes a hook carriage including a structural hook, with the hook carriage coupled to the seatback. A striker assembly including a striker arm is configured to selectively engage the structural hook, with the striker assembly coupled to the vehicle body. With the structural hook and striker arm engaged, the seatback will move with the striker assembly from the first position to a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Les Griswold, David L. Allen, Kenneth Ptak, Michael Laskowski
  • Publication number: 20050062327
    Abstract: A method and a high latch for a vehicle seat. The vehicle seat has a seatback pivotably coupled to a seat base and the seat base is coupled to a vehicle body having a vehicle wall. The high latch includes a hook carriage including a structural hook, with the hook carriage coupled to the seatback. A striker assembly including a striker arm is configured to selectively engage the structural hook, with the striker assembly coupled to the vehicle body. With the structural hook and striker arm engaged, the seatback will move with the striker assembly from the first position to a second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventors: Les Griswold, David Allen, Kenneth Ptak, Michael Laskowski
  • Patent number: 5390981
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly is provided with a single set position memory dump mechanism. The memory feature acts to lock the seat back in a predetermined set position upon return of the seat back from a forward dump position. The set position is rearward of the front use position of the seat back so as to provide a comfortable seat back position for all occupants rather than locking in the front most use position which is typically an uncomfortable position for most seat occupants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: Hoover Universal, Inc.
    Inventor: Les Griswold
  • Patent number: 5362132
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly with a structural seat back to accommodate the seat belt loads applied to the seat back by the belt system which is carried by the seat assembly. The seat back includes a reinforced beam along one side of the seat back frame to accommodate these loads with a recliner mechanism along the same side of the seat assembly and engaging the reinforced member to resist forward rotation of the seat back caused by seat belt loads applied thereto. The seat assembly while being reinforced to accommodate the seat belt loads is configured to be as similar to conventional seat assemblies as possible to minimize the need to redesign the non-structural components of the seat assembly. In addition, the seat assembly includes many features found in current production seat assemblies such as a fore and aft adjuster, an adjustable lumbar support, a seat cushion lift and a seat back recliner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Assignee: Hoover Universal, Inc.
    Inventors: Les Griswold, Mark D. Hewko, John Krieger, Robert D. Elton
  • Patent number: 5318341
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly with a structural seat back to accommodate the seat belt loads applied to the seat back by a belt system which is carried by the seat assembly. The seat back includes a reinforced beam along one side to accommodate these loads with a recliner mechanism along the same side of the seat assembly coupled to the reinforced member to resist forward rotation of the seat back caused by seat belt loads applied thereto. The seat assembly is configured to be as similar to conventional seat assemblies as possible to minimize the need to redesign the non-structural components of the seat assembly. The seat assembly includes many features found in current production seat assemblies such as a fore and aft adjuster, an adjustable lumbar support, a seat cushion lift mechanism and a seat back recliner. The seat belt loads have been efficiently managed to avoiding adding unnecessary structure and weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1994
    Assignee: Hoover Universal, Inc.
    Inventors: Les Griswold, Marc D. Hewko, Robert D. Elton, Paul M. Grippo, John Krieger
  • Patent number: 5299853
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly with a linear actuator is disclosed in which the actuator is used to adjust the relative position of two relatively movable components of the seat assembly. The actuator includes a first part attached to one of the seat assembly components in the form of a lead screw with an external helical screw thread. A second part of the actuator is attached to the other seat component that is relatively movable and includes a housing containing a spin nut threaded onto the lead screw. The second part further includes means for axially capturing the spin nut to prevent the spin nut from rotating along the lead screw and means for selectively releasing the spin nut from its axial capture to permit rotation about the lead screw and thereby relative movement of the actuator second part relative to the first part. A cam is mounted to the second part to selectively engage and release the spin nut from its axial capture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1994
    Assignee: Hoover Universal, Inc.
    Inventors: Les Griswold, William H. Jones, Marc D. Hewko, Joanne H. Cole
  • Patent number: 5280999
    Abstract: A linear seat rack recliner is disclosed having a lead screw mounted to a seat frame for rotation about its axis and a drive nut carried by the seat back frame movable along the lead screw upon rotation of the screw. A locking gear/thrust disk is fixed to the lead screw with a cam actuated locking pawl engageable with the gear to lock the gear in lead screw in position. The lead screw is also mounted for axial movement upon high loading with one face of the lock gear/thrust disk engaging a fixed wall surface to frictionally lock the gear and lead screw from rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 25, 1994
    Assignee: Hoover Universal, Inc.
    Inventors: William H. Jones, Les Griswold