Patents by Inventor Mark D. Nicholas

Mark D. Nicholas 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: 7025298
    Abstract: A cable drive unit for opening and closing a sliding door on a vehicle (not shown) has a cup-shaped front drum having a helical front cable groove and a rear cup-shaped drum having a helical rear cable groove. The front drum is rotated about a longitudinal axis in a first direction to open the sliding door. The rear drum is partially nested in the front drum and rotated about the longitudinal axis in an opposite direction to close the sliding door. The front drum and the rear drum are drivingly connected to each other via a tension spring that biases the front drum and the rear drum in opposite directions when in tension. The front and rear drums are rotated by a concentric clutch that is nested in the rear drum. The clutch includes a drive member that is drivingly connected to the front drum via a first lost motion connection and drivingly connected to the rear drum via a second lost motion connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas, John R. Rice, Ronald J. Wilde, Lloyd W. Rogers, Howard W. Kuhlman
  • Patent number: 6925757
    Abstract: A cable drive assembly for opening and closing a sliding vehicle door has first and second drums that are drivingly connected to each other via a tension spring that biases the drums in opposite directions. The drums include a catch that holds the first and second drums in a cocked condition where the spring is tensioned to provide slack in a closed loop cable to facilitate inserting a traveler attached to the cable into a track. The cocked drums are manually rotated in a drum housing in one direction to move the traveler and insert it into the track. After the traveler is inserted, the cocked drums are manually rotated in the opposite direction. This releases the catch so that the tensioned spring takes up the slack in the closed loop cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas, Theodore J. Lindsay
  • Publication number: 20040129821
    Abstract: A cable drive unit for opening and closing a sliding door on a vehicle (not shown) has a cup-shaped front drum having a helical front cable groove and a rear cup-shaped drum having a helical rear cable groove. The front drum is rotated about a longitudinal axis in a first direction to open the sliding door. The rear drum is partially nested in the front drum and rotated about the longitudinal axis in an opposite direction to close the sliding door. The front drum and the rear drum are drivingly connected to each other via a tension spring that biases the front drum and the rear drum in opposite directions when in tension. The front and rear drums are rotated by a concentric clutch that is nested in the rear drum. The clutch includes a drive member that is drivingly connected to the front drum via a first lost motion connection and drivingly connected to the rear drum via a second lost motion connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas, John R. Rice, Ronald J. Wilde, Lloyd W. Rogers, Howard W. Kuhlman
  • Publication number: 20040065017
    Abstract: A cable drive assembly for opening and closing a sliding vehicle door has first and second drums that are drivingly connected to each other via a tension spring that biases the drums in opposite directions. The drums include a catch that holds the first and second drums in a cocked condition where the spring is tensioned to provide slack in a closed loop cable to facilitate inserting a traveler attached to the cable into a track. The cocked drums are manually rotated in a drum housing in one direction on to move the traveler and insert it into the track. After the traveler is inserted, the cocked drums are manually rotated in the opposite direction. This releases the catch so that the tensioned spring takes up the slack in the closed loop cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas, Theodore J. Lindsay
  • Patent number: 6669134
    Abstract: An automatic sliding door cable mechanism with a take up guide member (46) mounted in a drum (14) for taking up slack of a cable during installation of the cable. A second drum (16) has an elliptical profile drum helix (96) for increasing durability of the operating cable for the automatic door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas
  • Patent number: 6616091
    Abstract: An automatic sliding door cable mechanism with a take up guide member (46) mounted in a drum (14) for taking up slack of a cable during installation of the cable. A second drum (16) has an elliptical profile drum helix (96) for increasing durability of the operating cable for the automatic door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas
  • Publication number: 20030062441
    Abstract: An automatic sliding door cable mechanism with a take up guide member (46) mounted in a drum (14) for taking up slack of a cable during installation of the cable. A second drum (16) has an elliptical profile drum helix (96) for increasing durability of the operating cable for the automatic door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas
  • Publication number: 20030062439
    Abstract: An automatic sliding door cable mechanism with a take up guide member (46) mounted in a drum (14) for taking up slack of a cable during installation of the cable. A second drum (16) has an elliptical profile drum helix (96) for increasing durability of the operating cable for the automatic door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas
  • Patent number: 5233973
    Abstract: Mechanical massaging device incorporated in the back rest of a seat or other supporting equipment that has a pair of cross shafts operatively mounting paired rolling massaging wheels that can be selectively positioned and rotated to produce massaging through suspension fabric on the body of a person supported thereon. The massaging device has three centralized input shafts extending longitudinally within the confines of a cavity in the back rest or other support which are selectively driven by user controlled motors remote from the massaging wheels. The lateral spacing of the massaging wheels as well as their rotation can be adjusted. The massaging wheels can be selectively positioned at an infinitely number of vertical positions within the cavity to provide massaging action for enhancing the supply of blood to supported body areas under pressure of body weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Prem P. Gill, William W. Dinnan, Mark D. Nicholas
  • Patent number: 5138795
    Abstract: A sliding door in a van is mounted on tracks for sliding movement between open and closed positions. At the closed position a weather strip is compressed and a door latch is latched. A cable is attached to the door and routed through the vehicle body via pulleys so that pulling the first cable end opens the door and pulling the second cable end closes the door. A motorized drive mechanism includes first and second reels mounted concentrically and having the cable ends wrapped respectively about the reels in opposite directions. A motor drives in one direction rotating the first reel to open the door and is reversible to rotate the second reel to close the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1992
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: David E. Compeau, Mark Manuel, William L. Priest, Lloyd W. Rogers, Jr., Mark D. Nicholas
  • Patent number: 5046283
    Abstract: A sliding door in a van is mounted on tracks for sliding movement between open and closed positions. At the closed position a weather strip is compressed and a door latch is latched. A cable is attached to the door and routed through the vehicle body via pulleys so that pulling the first cable end opens the door and pulling the second cable end closes the door. A motorized drive mechanism includes first and second reels mounted concentrically and having the cable ends wrapped respectively about the reels in opposite directions. A motor drives in one direction rotating the first reel to open the door and is reversible to rotate the second reel to close the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1991
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: David E. Compeau, Mark Manuel, William L. Priest, Lloyd W. Rogers, Jr., Mark D. Nicholas