Patents Represented by Attorney Bill C. Panagos
  • Patent number: 6994401
    Abstract: A seat assembly includes a seat back frame having a pair of spaced apart side rails. A cover is fastened to the frame and extends between the pair of side rails. A rigid cross member is preferably integrally molded in an upper portion of the cover. The cover and the cross member cooperate to provide structural rigidity to the seat back frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Harald Fischer, Hans Jorg Walk, Volker Schumm, Bernd Rager
  • Patent number: 6971618
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a cup holder assembly in which pivotal movement of the cupholder articulating arms is elastically inhibited by an over-molded TPE to sufficiently to facilitate infinite adjustment of the cupholder arms between fully extended and fully retracted positions for supporting containers of various sizes, without the need for spring or ratchet mechanism or a separate hinge for the arm to pivot, thereby providing reduced assembly and lowering the number of parts necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventor: Scott A. Moyer
  • Patent number: 6960735
    Abstract: A conductive plastic touch switch includes a plastic substrate having a first side surface including at least two channels formed within the first side surface and a second side surface including a manual activation region opposite of the at least two channels. At least two conductive traces are formed within the at least two channels, respectively. A printed circuit board is electrically attached to the at least two conductive traces. The plastic substrate is formed during a first mold process and said at least two conductive traces are in-molded during a second mold process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Hein, Michael W. Cass, Todd L. DePue, Charles B. Banter
  • Patent number: 6957858
    Abstract: An active head restraint arrangement comprising a head restraint cushion, at least one head restraint post and head restraint post guide connecting said head restraint cushion to the interior of said passenger seats; and a flip-up assembly associated with said head restraint post beneath said head restraint cushion. Upon activation by rear impact, the flip-up assembly flips upward and forward to protect an occupant's head and neck from injury. Since this active head restraint arrangement utilizes a flip-up motion, the head restraint has a lower initial height that is dynamically increased upon activation. This feature allows the head restraint to be smaller allowing an occupant to have a better view around the head restraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Nagarjun Yetukuri, Mladen Humer, Kaur Grewal
  • Patent number: 6955544
    Abstract: The invention, electrical distribution box with compacting system for its integral elements, consists of an electrical distribution box, suitable for being used preferably in automobiles, which has the means for insulating the conductor block housed in it, generally made up of several printed circuit boards, and of carrying out a solid fixing between them and the box, so that they react as one to the tensions caused by the vibrations in the vehicle during its operation, preventing it from being affected by said tensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Jordi Olle Miquel, Ignaci Ferran Palau
  • Patent number: 6945104
    Abstract: A tire pressure monitoring apparatus, for mounting on a vehicle wheel that is configured to have a tire mounted thereon and that has a first opening, includes a tire monitor for sensing pressure in the tire. The tire monitor includes a housing having a spherical surface and a second opening that extends through the spherical surface. A tire valve stem is configured to extend through the first and second openings, and the valve stem has a threaded portion. The apparatus further includes a threaded fastener that is engageable with the threaded portion of the valve stem for attaching together the tire monitor and the valve stem. The fastener has a spherical surface that is engageable with the spherical surface of the housing when the fastener is engaged with the threaded portion of the valve stem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Uleski
  • Patent number: 6943327
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method particularly applicable to an automotive vehicle seat, through which the control of heating of heating elements is carried out by an electronic circuit, based on the temperature monitored in the heating elements and using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). The signals applied to the heating elements are progressively adapted to the condition of the different heating elements at all times and throughout their useful life, by variation of the working cycle of the signal applied to the heating elements in the form of a fixed frequency pulse train, and applying said signal after an initial transient state, during which state a maximum voltage has been applied to the heating elements and has been maintained until reaching a desired percentage of an assigned temperature by each of said heating elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Antoni Ferre Fabregas, Alberto Garcia Briz, Joan Fontanilles Pinas, Jordi Mestre Gausch, Rudolf Diemer, Stefan Jost
  • Patent number: 6942292
    Abstract: A tilt-adjustable head restraint assembly includes a hollowed head restraint body pivotally connected to a U-shaped mounting post. A ratcheting mechanism is disposed within the head restraint body and includes a ratchet interacting with a rack of ratchet teeth. The ratchet has an inertia gear engaged therewith to slow the forward movement of the pivoting head restraint when the ratchet is engaged to allow forward movement of the head restraint, and further has a plunger mechanism which allows for the pivoting of the head restraint in a hands free manner by the application of a static force or pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Kar Keong Low, Nagarjun V. Yetukuri, Kenneth J. McQueen, Mark S. Sebby, Kevin L. Gasparotto
  • Patent number: 6939491
    Abstract: A method for forming a headliner assembly includes forming a main body blank having a periphery in a shape corresponding to a desired shape of the headliner assembly, the mold has a correspondingly shaped surface with a recess including an intermediate wall portion. The method includes introducing foam into the recess to simultaneously form at least one foam beam enclosing a selected component area, and join the at least one beam to the main body. The intermediate wall can be an accessory, and the beam may be formed to surround the component area. Additional foam application may be included to acoustically control the headliner's response to buzz, squeaks and rattles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Bari William Brown, George Bernard Byma
  • Patent number: 6940461
    Abstract: A remote access device which may comprise an antenna having a first inductor with a first axis, a second inductor with a second axis, and a third inductor with a third axis, where the first, second and third axes may be oriented substantially perpendicular to each other, respectively, such that the first inductor generates a first magnetic field associated with a first plane, the second inductor generates a second magnetic field associated with a second plane different than the first plane, and the third inductor generates a third magnetic field associated with a third plane different than the first and second planes. The remote access device preferably includes a single form for the first, second and third inductors, where the first, second and third inductors are each wound on the form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: John S. Nantz, Qingfeng Tang, Qing Li, Bruce D. Conner, Keith A. Walker, Artem Melkumov, Ronald O. King, Riad Ghabra, Matthew Honkanen, Salman Khreizat
  • Patent number: 6931920
    Abstract: A tire monitoring system for a vehicle. The tire monitoring system includes a sensor assembly mountable on a wheel and has a first sensor for detecting a tire parameter and a second sensor for detecting proximity of the sensor assembly to the wheel. The sensor assembly is detached from the wheel when the second sensor is not proximate to the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Calvin Modawell, Thomas J. LeMense, Keith Walker
  • Patent number: 6933898
    Abstract: An antenna system for a radio frequency (RF) electronic device includes a printed circuit board (PCB), a ground plane, and an active element. The PCB has a top surface and a bottom surface. The ground plane is on the bottom surface. The active element is mounted on the top surface. The active element includes a first segment positioned in a top surface plane and connected to a second segment oriented perpendicular to the top surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: John S. Nantz, Qingfeng Tang, Ronald O. King, Riad Ghabra
  • Patent number: 6933655
    Abstract: A wireless switch is provided having a twenty-year life energy harvesting arrangement for self-powering a wireless transmitter. The energy harvesting arrangement is implemented in one embodiment using a piezoelectric switch element. A tritium light source and photovoltaic device are used in a second embodiment, while a black light source and photovoltaic device are used in a third embodiment. The energy harvesting wireless switch arrangement of the present invention can be combined, for example, with a vehicle side mirror switch, to reduce the complexity of the wire harness feeding the door. The wireless switch can be located without regard to accessability of a wiring harness or connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald O. Morrison, H. Winston Maue, Brian P. Skarb, Michael J. Berta, Richard Meinzer, Joseph Paradiso, Mark Feldmeier, John Youngs
  • Patent number: 6932416
    Abstract: A vehicular door trim member (14) for attachment to an inner door (12) of a vehicle is provided. The vehicular door trim member (14) is defined by a rigid sheet (16) with one or more resilient clip fasteners (24) extending therefrom. These resilient clip fasteners (24) and the rigid sheet (16) comprise an integral one-piece molded construction. Moreover, these resilient clip fasteners (24) are intended to be inserted into apertures (22) formed within the inner door (12) for the purpose of attaching the vehicular door trim member (14) to the door (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventor: Mitchell D. Clauson
  • Patent number: 6929388
    Abstract: A switch assembly module for controlling operation of a vehicle lamp includes a photocell integrated within the module housing to allow a controller to automatically switch the lamp on or off depending on detected ambient level. A manual switch is provided on a faceplate of the housing to allow disabling of the automatic operation feature. A manual switch can also be provided to allow variable dimming of the lamp. Integration of the photocell into the switch assembly module eliminates the need for separate instrument panel wiring to the photocell, while reducing wiring harness complexity by allowing the same harness and connector to be used with a module not having the photocell integrated therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas C. Campbell, Gerard Grabowski, Mohamed Zeidan, Robert Muller
  • Patent number: 6929309
    Abstract: An automotive door trim assembly includes an interior door trim panel with an access opening that facilitates installing and servicing various accessories installed within the interior of an automotive door, between the door's exterior skin and the interior trim panel. The access opening is covered by an access panel that is slidably coupled to the interior trim panel for movement between a first position wherein the access panel is removable from the door trim panel to expose the access opening, and a second position wherein the access panel is secured to the door trim panel and covers the access opening. The access panel is coupled to the interior trim panel by cooperating first connecting members disposed on the interior trim panel and second connecting members disposed on the access panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Bogdan Radu, John D. Youngs, Mark Heinze, James Gregory
  • Patent number: 6926333
    Abstract: A modular overhead console assembly is provided on a headliner in a passenger compartment of a vehicle. An overhead console housing is configured for securement in a elongated channel of the headliner. The overhead console housing includes an accessory module receiving area including a plurality of slots adapted to receive one or more accessory modules. Each accessory module includes a first console divider, an opposing second console divider and a storage area defined therebetween. A door is pivotally mounted to the first console divider and releasably secured to the second console divider. At least one retainer clip extends from a top surface of each of the first and second console dividers to engage the slots in the accessory module receiving area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventor: Alan Sturt
  • Patent number: 6926332
    Abstract: Disclosed is a low cost articulating map pocket or storage compartment that requires few manufacturing steps. The articulating map pocket provides for a closed locking detent feature and in one preferred embodiment a full open locking detent feature also.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: John David Youngs, David J Dooley, James Gregory, Dick George, Bogdan Radu, Mike P. Schoemann
  • Patent number: 6911904
    Abstract: A system for controlling a magnetic field strength includes a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field for receipt by a responsive device and a controller in communication with the magnetic field generator for determining a strength of the magnetic field to a level sufficient for use in controlling the responsive device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: John S. Nantz, Thomas J. Lemense, Qingfeng Tang, Riad Ghabra, Ronald O. King
  • Patent number: 6908155
    Abstract: A vehicle seat has a seat part and a backrest which can be folded over from a travelling position in the direction of the seat part. The seat part can be moved during the folding over.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventor: Stanislaw Andrzej Wieclawski