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).
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Patent number: 7025298Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 18, 2002Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas, John R. Rice, Ronald J. Wilde, Lloyd W. Rogers, Howard W. Kuhlman
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Patent number: 6925757Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 25, 2003Date of Patent: August 9, 2005Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas, Theodore J. Lindsay
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Publication number: 20040129821Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2003Publication date: July 8, 2004Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas, John R. Rice, Ronald J. Wilde, Lloyd W. Rogers, Howard W. Kuhlman
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Publication number: 20040065017Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2003Publication date: April 8, 2004Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas, Theodore J. Lindsay
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Patent number: 6669134Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 3, 2001Date of Patent: December 30, 2003Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas
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Patent number: 6616091Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 3, 2001Date of Patent: September 9, 2003Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas
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Publication number: 20030062441Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2001Publication date: April 3, 2003Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas
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Publication number: 20030062439Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2001Publication date: April 3, 2003Inventors: William L. Priest, Kevin Wright, Mark D. Nicholas
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Patent number: 5233973Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 23, 1992Date of Patent: August 10, 1993Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Prem P. Gill, William W. Dinnan, Mark D. Nicholas
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Patent number: 5138795Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 29, 1991Date of Patent: August 18, 1992Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: David E. Compeau, Mark Manuel, William L. Priest, Lloyd W. Rogers, Jr., Mark D. Nicholas
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Patent number: 5046283Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 12, 1991Date of Patent: September 10, 1991Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: David E. Compeau, Mark Manuel, William L. Priest, Lloyd W. Rogers, Jr., Mark D. Nicholas