Patents by Inventor Michael John Harmon

Michael John Harmon 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: 11975688
    Abstract: The techniques described herein relate to a motor vehicle, including: a front trunk; a housing adjacent a floor of the front trunk; and a panel moveable relative to the housing between a retracted position and a deployed position, wherein, when in the panel is in the deployed position, the panel provides a work surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Hussain Z. Tajmahal, Benjamin Howard, Kathryn N. Cezar, Sarah Shaw, Charlie Qian
  • Patent number: 11975647
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a motor vehicle including a lift assembly. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a motor vehicle, including a panel and an actuator assembly configured to raise and lower the panel between a highest position and a lowest position. When the panel is in the lowest position, an underside of the panel is spaced-apart above a ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jesse Rene Diephuis, Michael John Harmon, Hussain Tajmahal, Amol Borkar
  • Publication number: 20240140281
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to an autonomous vehicle configurable for transportation of either passengers, cargo, or both. The various aspects of this disclosure, which include moveable seat assemblies, a door arrangement, and storage bins, among other things, provide the vehicle with increased functionality and versatility, leading to more efficient vehicle use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2024
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Robert Walker
  • Patent number: 11970137
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a storage compartment, a belt conveyor located in the storage compartment and having a slat belt supported by a pair of rollers, and a shelf operatively coupled to the slat belt and configured to move between a lower stowed position within the storage compartment and an upper deployed position extending outward from the storage compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, David Brian Glickman, Jeff Robert Seaman, Annette Lynn Huebner, George Abram Thornton, Michael John Harmon
  • Publication number: 20240131994
    Abstract: In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a motor vehicle assembly, including: a roof including a recess; a rail, wherein the rail is moveable between a retracted position and a deployed position, wherein the rail is at least partially within a recess of the roof in the retracted position, wherein the rail is able to connect to an accessory arranged above the roof in the deployed position; and a joint assembly, wherein the joint assembly is configured to guide movement of the rail between the retracted position and the deployed position, wherein the joint assembly includes a first foot, a second foot, and a slotted track, and wherein the first foot and the second foot are arranged at least partially within the slotted track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, David Brian Glickman, Stuart C. Salter, Jeffrey Scott Mayville
  • Patent number: 11960198
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a front trunk including a screen for displaying still images or video. Among other benefits, which will be appreciated from the below description, the disclosed features increase the usability of the front trunk, and, in turn, the vehicle overall. In particular, many of the features discussed below are intended to make the front trunk more usable at worksites, tailgating events, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Hussain Z Tajmahal, Benjamin Howard, Kathryn N. Cezar
  • Patent number: 11951948
    Abstract: A cargo bed system of a vehicle includes a floor assembly of a cargo bed. The floor assembly is configured to transition back-and-forth between a standard position and an extended position. A step that moves with the floor assembly back-and-forth between the standard position and the extended position. The step is movable back-and-forth between a stowed position and a deployed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Ryan Mathew Sandor, Matthew B. Rutman, Amol Borkar, Hussain Z. Tajmahal
  • Patent number: 11938802
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for electric motorized wheel assemblies. An example wheel assembly for use with an electric vehicle disclosed herein includes an electric motor, a suspension assembly, and a frame mounting interface to attach the wheel assembly to a frame of the electric vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Hussain Z. Tajmahal, Marielle Conrad, Benjamin Jordan Curtis, David Earl Ooms, Yejin Han
  • Patent number: 11932077
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a climate controlled front trunk. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a motor vehicle, including: a climate control system; and a front trunk establishing a cargo space, wherein the front trunk is configured to receive thermally conditioned air from the climate control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Benjamin Howard, Kathryn N. Cezar
  • Patent number: 11926198
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a support structure. The vehicle also includes a side door operable to move relative to the support structure between an open position and a closed position. In the open position of the side door, access to a vehicle interior of the vehicle is provided. In the closed position of the side door, the side door extends across a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. The vehicle further includes a plurality of pivot members, each pivotably coupled to the support structure at a first end and pivotably coupled to the side door at a second end. The side door is movable between the open and closed positions via pivotal movement of each of the plurality of pivot members relative to the support structure and pivotal movement of the side door relative to each of the plurality of pivot members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jesse Rene Diephuis, Michael John Harmon, Andrew Brand, Ryan Wayne Warner, Andrew Smith
  • Patent number: 11926287
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a front trunk including a closure providing increased headroom and shade. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a motor vehicle, including: a front trunk establishing a cargo space; and a closure assembly configured to move between a closed position and an open position to selectively cover and uncover the front trunk, wherein the closure assembly includes a hood section and a grille section, wherein, when the closure assembly is not in the closed position, the grille section is rotatable relative to the hood section in a direction away from a ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Hussain Z. Tajmahal, Benjamin Howard, Kathryn N. Cezar
  • Publication number: 20240075883
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a storage compartment, a belt conveyor located in the storage compartment and having a slat belt supported by a pair of rollers, and a shelf operatively coupled to the slat belt and configured to move between a lower stowed position within the storage compartment and an upper deployed position extending outward from the storage compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2022
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, David Brian Glickman, Jeff Robert Seaman, Annette Lynn Huebner, George Abram Thornton, Michael John Harmon
  • Publication number: 20240075891
    Abstract: A vehicle electrical distribution system includes an electrical box having at least one power outlet. The electrical box is configured to be moved between a stowed position where the electrical box is housed within a compartment of a vehicle, and an deployed position where the electrical box is outside the compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Vyas Darshan Shenoy, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Jesse Rene Diephuis, David Brian Glickman, Michael John Harmon
  • Patent number: 11912237
    Abstract: A front trunk includes a multi-action closure assembly. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a motor vehicle, including: a front trunk establishing a cargo space; a frame rotatably mounted relative to the cargo space; a first panel rotatably mounted to the frame; a second panel rotatably mounted to the frame; and wherein, when the first and second panels are in closed positions, the frame is rotatable to an open position to uncover the front trunk, wherein, when the frame is in a closed position, the first and second panels are rotatable to open positions to uncover the front trunk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Benjamin Howard, Kathryn N. Cezar
  • Publication number: 20240059223
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a front trunk including a closure section configurable into two deployed positions, namely an intermediate deployed position and a fully deployed position. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a motor vehicle, including: a front trunk establishing a cargo space; and a closure assembly configured to selectively cover and uncover the front trunk, wherein the closure assembly includes an upper section and a lower section moveable independent of the upper section, wherein the lower section is configured to move between a closed position, an intermediate deployed position in which the lower section uncovers a portion of the front trunk, and a fully deployed position in which an upper surface area of the lower section is greater than the upper surface area of the lower section in the intermediate deployed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Marius Curea, Benjamin Howard
  • Patent number: 11904952
    Abstract: A cargo bed system includes a side wall assembly of a cargo bed. The side wall assembly is configured to transition back-and-forth between a standard wall position and an extended wall position. The side wall assembly include an extendable portion and a fixed portion. The extendable portion extends and retracts relative to the fixed portion when the side wall assembly transitions back-and-forth between the standard wall position and the extended wall position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Ryan Mathew Sandor, Matthew B. Rutman, Dragan B. Stojkovic, Amol Borkar, Kirk E. Sanborn, Ronald Meredith, Jesse Rene Diephuis
  • Patent number: 11904742
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to an autonomous vehicle configurable for transportation of either passengers, cargo, or both. The various aspects of this disclosure, which include moveable seat assemblies, a door arrangement, and storage bins, among other things, provide the vehicle with increased functionality and versatility, leading to more efficient vehicle use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Robert Walker
  • Patent number: 11904951
    Abstract: A cargo bed system includes a floor assembly for a cargo bed of a vehicle. The floor assembly is configured to transition back and forth between a standard floor position and an extended floor position. The floor assembly includes a plurality of floor sections each having a cargo support surface. The floor sections are folded when the floor assembly is in the standard floor position. The floor sections are unfolded when the floor assembly is in the extended floor position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Ryan Mathew Sandor, Matthew B. Rutman, Vincent Anthony Chimento, Dragan B. Stojkovic, Jack Marchlewski, Amol Borkar, Kirk E. Sanborn, Ronald Meredith, Scott Culver Anderson, Daveanand Singh, Hussain Z Tajmahal
  • Patent number: 11897428
    Abstract: An interior system for a vehicle includes a seating assembly that is coupled to the vehicle. An armrest corresponding with and in a spaced-relationship with the seating assembly is operable to translate in a seating assembly-lateral direction from a first position to a second position. In the first position of the armrest, the armrest is a first distance from the seating assembly. In the second position of the armrest, the armrest is a second distance from the seating assembly. The first distance is greater than the second distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jesse Rene Diephuis, Michael John Harmon, Andrew Brand, Ryan Wayne Warner, Andrew Smith
  • Publication number: 20240037958
    Abstract: The disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for detecting obstacles in the vicinity of power cables. In an example method, a first end of a power cable may be detected to be connected to a vehicle. A first trajectory of the power cable may then be determined via a plurality of sensors at the vehicle. The first trajectory of the power cable may include a first location and a first orientation of the power cable. It may then be determined, via the plurality of sensors at the vehicle, whether an obstacle is within a predetermined distance of the first trajectory of the power cable. Responsive to the determination that the obstacle is within the predetermined distance of the first trajectory of the power cable, a notification associated with the obstacle may be provided, and a power supply to the power cable may be turned off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Brendan Diamond, Michael John Harmon, Vyas Shenoy