Patents Assigned to Southco
  • Patent number: 10400946
    Abstract: The display supporting apparatus includes a base, a first arm, a second arm, and a display attachment bracket designed to be fixedly securable or attachable to a display. The display support apparatus further includes a mechanism for providing a constant orientation in relation to the base for the plane bisecting the range of rotation of the second arm about the pivot axis between the first arm and the second arm even as the first arm moves pivotally relative to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Southco, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Paul Bennett, Stuart Kevan Buckland
  • Publication number: 20190249457
    Abstract: Striker assemblies and latch assemblies are disclosed. One striker assembly includes a housing, a striker, and a spring. The housing has opposed sidewalls, each of which defines an aperture. The striker extends between the sidewalls of the housing with end portions of the striker positioned within respective apertures defined in the sidewalls. Each of the pair of end portions defines a surface extending in a transverse direction. The spring has a pair of end portions. Each spring end portion contacts the surface of a respective striker end portion. The spring is engaged with the housing to bias the end portions of the striker toward a centered position of the respective apertures. At least one of the end portions of the striker is movable transversely within the respective aperture away from the centered position of the respective aperture and is biased toward the centered position of the respective aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: Southco, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Butler Frame, Brandon Vaughan Hastings, Richard B. Langkamp, Jr., Ismael Rodriguez
  • Publication number: 20190221062
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling electro-mechanical (EM) latches. An EM latch may be controlled by receiving dynamic key information from a smart device and static access card information from an access card. A signal generator sends a signal to actuate the EM latch upon verification of the dynamic key information or static access card information. The smart device may be associated with a single user or with multiple users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: Southco, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Keith Spatig, Son Van Ngo
  • Patent number: 10336230
    Abstract: An adjustable headrest 300 includes a guide 360 configured to be coupled to a seat, a head support 302 coupled to the guide and configured to be movable along an adjustment path relative to the seat, and a slider 370 having a surface defining a recess 373 receiving the guide such that the surface of the slider contacts a surface of the guide. The adjustment headrest further includes a retainer 390 positioned to urge the surface of the slider against the surface of the guide, thereby maintaining friction between the surface of the slider and the surface of the guide and resisting unintended movement of the slider with respect to the guide along the adjustment path. Also, a friction module and a friction hinge are provided, which can be incorporated into an adjustable headrest or other assemblies in which sliding and/or hinged components are desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: SOUTHCO, INC.
    Inventor: Eugene Novin
  • Patent number: 10329799
    Abstract: A latch mechanism is provided that includes a housing, a cap, and at least one indicator. The cap may include a central axis and may be mounted for selective rotational movement relative to the housing about the central axis between a latched position and an unlatched position. The at least one indicator may be interposed between the cap and the housing, such that the cap is in covering relationship to at least a portion of the at least one indicator. The at least one indicator may also be mounted for radial movement outwardly from the central axis relative to the cap as the cap is rotated from the latched position to the unlatched position such that the cap is no longer in covering relationship to the portion of the at least one indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Southco, Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon V. Hastings, Richard B. Langkamp, Jr., Tommy Vu Phi Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10323680
    Abstract: Cable splitter devices, assemblies, and methods of use are disclosed. A cable splitter device is disclosed. A cable splitter assembly includes a housing, a slider, first cables, and second cables. The housing defines a first number of first slots and a second number of second slots different from the first number. The slider is slidably coupled to the housing. The slider defines the first number of first channels and the second number of second channels. The first cables extend through the first number of first slots and have an end positioned within a respective first channel of the slider. The second cables extend through the second number of second slots and have an end positioned within a respective second channel of the slider. A clipping element may be configured to fix a longitudinal position of a respective first cable at multiple different locations along the first channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Southco, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Carabalona
  • Patent number: 10294695
    Abstract: A latch for capturing a striker includes a latch cam, a trigger, a drive cam, a motor coupled to the drive cam, and a switch coupled to the motor. The latch cam is biased to rotate toward an open position and configured to capture the striker in a closed position. The drive cam uses at least one cam surface to contact the trigger, and the switch permits actuation of the motor to rotate the drive cam when sensing the trigger or the drive cam, thereby rotating the drive cam to urge the trigger toward an unlocked position, disengage the trigger from the latch cam, and allow the latch cam to rotate from the closed position toward the open position. A system incorporating the latch and method of capturing a striker is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SOUTHCO, INC.
    Inventor: Gregory Gilbert Garneau
  • Patent number: 10287810
    Abstract: A pivot device having asymmetric friction torque is provided. The pivot device includes a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis, a sleeve surrounding the shaft, the sleeve defining a gap extending longitudinally, the sleeve and the shaft being configured for rotation with respect to one another about the longitudinal axis, and a helical compression element surrounding the sleeve and exerting a compressive force onto the sleeve, wherein a first torque required to rotate the sleeve and the shaft with respect to one another in a first direction differs from a second torque required to rotate the sleeve and the shaft with respect to one another in a second direction opposite to the first direction. A method for providing a pivot device asymmetric friction torque is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: SOUTHCO, INC.
    Inventor: Eugene Novin
  • Publication number: 20190086022
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide a display support arm assembly that includes a proximal housing supporting at least one proximal shaft, a distal housing spaced from the proximal housing and supporting at least one distal shaft, and at least one link extending from the at least one proximal shaft to the at least one distal shaft. The at least one link is coupled for pivotal movement about an axis of the at least one proximal shaft. The display support assembly also includes a gas strut extending between the proximal housing and the distal housing. The gas strut provides substantially constant force throughout a range of the vertical adjustment of the display support arm. The display support assembly further includes at least one torque element associated with either or both of the at least one proximal shaft and the at least one distal shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: Southco, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn Eric ANDERSON, Benjamin Gerald LINDO, Richard B. LANGKAMP, Jr.
  • Patent number: D843379
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SOUTHCO, INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin Gerald Lindo, Glenn Eric Anderson
  • Patent number: D843380
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SOUTHCO, INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin Gerald Lindo, Glenn Eric Anderson
  • Patent number: D845286
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: SOUTHCO, INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin Gerald Lindo, Glenn Eric Anderson
  • Patent number: D845963
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Southco, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Gerald Lindo, Glenn Eric Anderson
  • Patent number: D850235
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Southco, Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Gerald Lindo
  • Patent number: D856113
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Southco, Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Gerald Lindo
  • Patent number: D859127
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: SOUTHCO, INC.
    Inventor: John Joseph Todd, Jr.
  • Patent number: D859377
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: SOUTHCO, INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin Gerald Lindo, Glenn Eric Anderson
  • Patent number: D859378
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: SOUTHCO, INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin Gerald Lindo, Glenn Eric Anderson
  • Patent number: D859955
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: SOUTHCO, INC.
    Inventor: Benjamin Gerald Lindo
  • Patent number: D860756
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: SOUTHCO, INC.
    Inventor: Benjamin Gerald Lindo