Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm McCracken & Frank
  • Patent number: 6682333
    Abstract: An extrusion die includes a pair of die body portions that together define flow passages and toggle clamps that clamp the die body portions together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Extrusion Dies Industries LLC
    Inventors: John A. Ulcej, Dale P. Pitsch, Jeffrey J. Steltz
  • Patent number: 6676117
    Abstract: A hydraulic vibration-damping support comprising two strength members interconnected by an elastomer body which defines a working chamber communicating with a compensation chamber via a constricted passage. The two hydraulic chambers are separated from each other by a rigid partition formed by two gratings disposed one on the other, and a decoupling flap is mounted with a small amount of clearance between the gratings. The decoupling flap is provided with two catches that are clipped onto one of the gratings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Hutchinson
    Inventors: Mickaël Desmoulins, Jean-Pierre Monneau
  • Patent number: 6666512
    Abstract: The motor vehicle seat comprises a seat proper and a seat back. The seat is caused to go from a passenger position to a first load position by causing the seat proper to pivot through 90° about a horizontal axis close to its front edge, and by causing the seat back to pivot through 90° about a horizontal axis close to its bottom edge. The seat back thus comes to occupy the space that is occupied by the seat proper when it is in the passenger position. The seat is caused to go from the first load position to a second load position by causing the seat proper to pivot through a further 90° about its horizontal axis. The seat is caused to go from the passenger position to the first load position, and then from the first load position to the second load position, by actuating a single handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Faurecia Sieges d'Automobile S.A.
    Inventor: Michel Timon
  • Patent number: 6663375
    Abstract: An extrusion apparatus includes first and second die body portions each having a main body and a lip interconnected with the main body wherein the die body portions are joined such that a die outlet is formed between the lips. The apparatus also includes at least one pivoting link coupled to one of the lips and a sliding member coupled to the pivoting link whereby movement of the sliding member causes the pivoting link to pivot and move the one lip relative to the other lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Extrusion Dies, Inc.
    Inventor: John A. Ulcej
  • Patent number: 6663175
    Abstract: A flexible cover for a vehicle seat has an inside face with a conductive thread fixed thereagainst to form a seam in chain stitch that does not pass through the cover and that is not visible on the outside face of the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Faurecia Sieges d'automobile S.A.
    Inventors: Pablo Mosquera, Roger Racenet
  • Patent number: 6652000
    Abstract: System for a vehicle that has a seat fitted with a measuring device of the electromagnetic field type, an airbag arranged to protect the occupant of the seat in the event of an accident, this airbag having several modes of operation, and an operating device designed to cause the airbag to inflate in the event of an accident, selectively according to one of the modes of operation of this airbag on the basis of a parameter representing the mass of the occupant of the seat, as measured by the electromagnetic field-type measuring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Faurecia Sieges d'Automobile S.A.
    Inventor: Marc Pajon
  • Patent number: 6648394
    Abstract: Vehicle seat underframe comprising a framework provided with a lower guide shoe and with a moving catch comprising a lateral claw that can move between a locked position and a retracted position. The device for operating the catch is connected to a release cam which normally holds a release finger in the effaced position. When the catch is in the retracted position, the release finger moves into an active position in which a lower end of this finger projects downwards with respect to the framework while an upper end of the release finger immobilizes the release cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Faurecia Sieges d′Automobile S.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Michel Lejeune, Pascal Guinard
  • Patent number: 6626206
    Abstract: A feedblock for supplying a multi-layer stream of polymeric material to an extrusion die is provided wherein the dimension of at least some of the layers of the multi-layer stream can be precisely adjusted and/or controlled. The feedblock includes a primary flow path which is used to create a first layer and two secondary flow paths which are used to create a set of second and third layers. The secondary flow paths are positioned relative to the primary flow path such that the second and third layers are deposited on opposing sides of the primary layer in a sandwich-like configuration. Each of the secondary flow paths include a contoured slot through which a secondary fluid stream of polymeric material is deposited onto a primary stream of polymeric fluid flowing in the primary flow path. The contoured slot is geometrically shaped such that adjusting the position of the contoured slot alters the shape of the secondary fluid stream as it is deposited onto the primary flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Extrusion Dies, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Ulcei, Dale P. Pitsch
  • Patent number: 6619744
    Abstract: A seat has a back connected to a seat proper via a hinge comprising two cheekplates that can be secured to each other by means of toothed slugs controlled by a cam. In order to enable the seat back to be folded down forwards, and then to return the back into its initial position, the cam of the hinge is associated with an external memory mechanism implemented in the form of a self-contained assembly which includes its own drive member connected to the cam by a mechanical connection including lost motion that is adapted so that actuation of the cam does not move the drive member, and so that actuation of the drive member causes the cam to be moved towards its unlocked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Faurecia Sieges d'automobile S.A.
    Inventor: Yann Reubeuze
  • Patent number: 6611141
    Abstract: This invention is a system that tracks the 3-dimensional position and orientation of one or more bodies (20) in a volume by a light based as well as at least one non-light based mensuration sub-system. This overcomes the limitation of light based mensuration systems to the necessity of the bodies (20) to be in constant line-of-sight of its light based position sensors (26). The invention possesses most of the accuracy and stability of its light based position measurement sub-system (24, 26, 72), but can also work without direct line of sight either for short periods of time or within certain parts of the volume. It does so by incorporating other sensors (31, 34), such as inertial or magnetic, which are frequently recalibrated against the light based sub-system (24, 26, 72) while the bodies (20) are visible by the light based sub-system (24, 26, 72).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Howmedica Leibinger Inc
    Inventors: Waldean A. Schulz, Ivan Faul
  • Patent number: 6608688
    Abstract: Disclosed is a wireless instrument tracking system. The wireless instrument tracking system is used for determining the location of at least one point relative to the instrument in a three-dimensional space relative to a three-dimensional coordinate tracking system. Advantageously, a first wireless instrument can be placed into the optical field with the wireless instrument including a wireless receiver and at least one optical position indicator. The optical position indicator is typically light emitting diodes (18) and communicates with corresponding measurement sensors (30) across a wireless optical link. The wireless optical link is time multiplexed with repetitive time frames divided into time slots. Each LED (18) emits an infrared signal or flashes in a respective time slot of a time frame. The measurement sensors (30) are preferably CCD cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Image Guided Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ivan Faul, Waldean A. Schulz, Brett R. Skelton, Ronald M. Pasquini
  • Patent number: 6595591
    Abstract: A vehicle seat back comprises firstly a rigid frame having first and second side uprights and top and bottom cross-members interconnecting the first and second side uprights, and secondly a resilient supporting sheet fixed to the rigid frame and placed so as to come directly into contact with the back of a user. The supporting sheet forms a bag that is fitted onto the rigid frame over its first side upright so as to cover the top and bottom cross-members and the first side upright, the resilient supporting sheet being fixed to the second side upright.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Faurecia Sieges d'Automobile SA
    Inventors: François Fourrey, Frédéric Baret
  • Patent number: 6569169
    Abstract: A device for detecting or following the position of a bone is described. The device comprises a holder (10) for a position indicator, and a gripping mechanism (20, 30) for fastening the holder (10) to the bone. The gripping mechanism (20, 30) is designed to surround the bone on two opposite sides and on a further, third side and executes a constrained movement in the direction of the third side as the bone is being surrounded by the gripping mechanism (20, 30) on the two opposite sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Stryker Leibinger GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: José Moctezuma De La Barrera, Markus J. Böhringer
  • Patent number: 6560715
    Abstract: For triggering actions synchronous with a system clock in an electronic system comprising a management processor, a program memory and peripheral units, the sequencer comprises: an instruction register including a date field for containing an instruction execution date, an instruction code field and a data field, means for loading the instruction register from the program memory via a DMA channel, a comparator receiving a current date obtained from the system clock and the execution date contained in the date field of the instruction register, and a control logic unit for decoding the contents of the instruction code and data fields of the instruction register and triggering actions deduced from such decoding at the time the comparator shows that the current date has reached the execution date in the peripheral units and without intervention by the management processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: EADS Defence and Security Networks
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Bourdillat, Michel Richy
  • Patent number: 6554786
    Abstract: A compression dressing for the treatment of lymphoedema can be applied directly by a patient without requiring the assistance of trained nursing staff. The dressing comprises a panel (1) of elastically stretchable material the outer surface of which has a loop pile structure. The panel is sized so that it can wrap once around a patient's limb with some overlap. A separable slide fastener is provided for connecting the panel to itself into a tubular support around the patient's limb, and comprises two rows of inter-engageable teeth mounted on two separate tapes (5,8). One tape (5) is secured to one longitudinal edge of the panel (1) and the other tape (8) is secured to an anchorage element which comprises a number of mutually spaced fabric tabs (11) each having on an under-surface hooks for anchoring the anchorage element (11) to the loop pile structure of the panel (1). The invention also provides a method of applying such a dressing to the limb of a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Neopress Limited
    Inventor: Paul Bennett
  • Patent number: 6554361
    Abstract: A hinge mechanism comprising a fixed cheek plate, a moving cheek plate provided with a circular set of teeth, two toothed slugs disposed at 120° relative to each other, which slugs are slidable relative to the fixed cheek plate and are adapted to co-operate with the circular set of teeth in order to lock the moving cheek plate, a cam for controlling radial displacement of the slugs, and two abutments belonging to the fixed cheek plate, each plate facing the rear end of a corresponding one of the slugs and serving as a bearing surface for the cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Faurecia Sieges d'Automobile S.A.
    Inventors: Yann Reubeuze, François Cilliere
  • Patent number: 6540303
    Abstract: A flexible cover for a vehicle seat, the cover having an inside face against which a conductive thread is fixed by means of a flexible assembly thread forming a seam of chain stitches, which seam does not pass through the cover and is not visible on its outside face, the assembly thread penetrating into the thickness of the cover and surrounding the conductive thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Faurecia Sieges d'Automobile SA
    Inventor: Pablo Mosquera
  • Patent number: 6536113
    Abstract: Process for manufacturing hydraulic anti-vibration mounts comprising two rigid parts (2, 4) connected by an elastomeric body (5) that partially defines a liquid-filled working chamber (A) that communicates via a restricted passage (C) with a compensating chamber (B). A rigid partition (6) which separates the working chamber (A) from the compensating chamber (B) comprises a recessed shell (10) whose upper face is covered by a closing plate (11). Two parallel grooves (16, 17) are let into the upper face of the recessed shell and communicate with the compensating chamber (B), while the closing plate comprises a cavity allowing communication between either both grooves, or one (16) of the grooves, and the working chamber (A) in order thus to define the restricted passage (C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Hutchinson
    Inventor: Thierry Guillemot
  • Patent number: 6508475
    Abstract: A tool holding apparatus includes a spindle and a collet nut engaged with a spindle wherein a recess is defined between the spindle and the collet nut. A collet is disposed in the recess and includes a first tapered portion and a second tapered portion spaced from the first tapered portion, wherein the first and second tapered portions form substantially equal angles with respect to a longitudinal center line of the collet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Hudson Precision Products Co.
    Inventors: John D. Strodtman, Peter J. Wrenn