Patents by Inventor Patrick Dowling

Patrick Dowling 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: 5737876
    Abstract: A clutch mechanism of a powered sliding device for a vehicle sliding door comprises a swingable member held at a neutral position by means of resilient force of a return spring, an output gear fixed to an output shaft of a motor, first gears rotatably supported to the swingable member and engaged with the output gear, second gears rotatably supported to the swingable member and brought into contact with the first gears with predetermined frictional resistance, respectively, rack members fixed to the base plate and engaged with the second gears, respectively, a wire drum connected to the sliding door through a wire cable, a drum gear integrally rotated with the wire drum. When the first gears and the second gears are rotated by the motor, the swingable member is rotated due to the engagements of the second gears and the rack members against the resilient force of the return spring so that one of the first gears is engaged with the drum gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Patrick Dowling
  • Patent number: 5718465
    Abstract: A latch device for a sliding door comprises front and rear latch units attached to front and rear edge portions of the sliding door, respectively, a relay provided within the sliding door for coupling between the latch units and outer and inner open handles of the door, a child-proof mechanism provided on the relay and displaceable between a child-proof condition and a non-child-proof condition, a child-proof lever for displacing the conditions of the child-proof mechanism. The child-proof lever has an operation knob exposed to the outside of the sliding door through an opening formed in a front peripheral plate of the door. The child-proof lever is rotatably mounted to the front latch unit and is connected with the child-proof mechanism through a first rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Patrick Dowling, Hirofumi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5520425
    Abstract: A power closing door latch device for a motor vehicle comprises a latch engaged with a striker, a motor adapted to rotate when the latch is at a half latch position, an output member operative to rotate about a first shaft by the motor and having a slot extending radially and outwardly from the first shaft, a wire lever rotatably mounted on the first shaft and having an opening extending radially and outwardly from the first shaft, a slide member provided between the lever and the output member and having a first roller engaged with the slot and a second roller being engaged with the opening and being capable of rotating independent of the first roller, a spring for pushing the slide member in a direction in which the first roller is engaged with the slot. The wire lever is operatively connected to the latch, whereby the latch is moved by the lever to a full latch position if the output member is turned while the first roller is engaged with the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Patrick Dowling