Patents Examined by Brian J McGovern
  • Patent number: 11619076
    Abstract: A cable return assist assembly for a vehicle latch mechanism, including: a housing; a cable; a guide feature secured to the cable; and a spring positioned about the cable, the spring contacting the housing at one end of the spring and the guide feature at an opposite end of the spring when the cable, the spring and the guide feature are installed into the housing, the housing having an opening that allows the spring and the guide feature to be inserted into a cavity of the housing and a portion of the cable is received in a first opening located at one end of the housing and another portion of the cable is received in a second opening located at an opposite end of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: INTEVA PRODUCTS, LLC
    Inventors: Luis Arturo Melendez Valdez, Hector Sanchez, Donald Michael Perkins
  • Patent number: 11619962
    Abstract: A pedal assembly comprises a pedal arm; a pedal plate provided on a second end of an elongated lever structure of the pedal arm; a vehicle mounting bracket; and a retainer. The retainer is installed on the pedal arm and is configured to operatively connect the pedal arm and an end portion of an operating member so as to transmit the movement of the pedal arm between a first and a second arm position to a functional system. The retainer is in an open position for insertion of the end portion of the operating member therein. The retainer is configured to move or to be movable from the open position to a closed position in which the retainer retains the end portion of the operating member received therein. The retainer is movable from the open position to the closed position by insertion of the operating member therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: VENTRA GROUP CO.
    Inventors: Steve Jarjoura, Terry Reid, Dusit Sukonthapanich, Maria Fedorenko, Khanjan Patel
  • Patent number: 11613916
    Abstract: A mechanism for use with multiple latches that are to be released by a single handle and by a single pull. A method for actuating multiple latches with a single handle and by a single pull. A release mechanism for use with multiple latches that are to be released by a single handle and by a single pull, including: a first member slidably received within a housing; a second member rotatably secured to the first member for movement about an axis within the housing and with respect to the first member; a first cable secured to the first member and slidably received within the housing; a second cable secured to the second member and slidably received within the housing; and a third cable secured to the second member and slidably received within the housing, wherein the second cable is shorter than the first cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: INTEVA PRODUCTS, LLC
    Inventor: Alfredo Martinez Alonzo
  • Patent number: 11614765
    Abstract: A vehicle pedal assembly comprising a pedal housing, a rotatable pedal, and an inductive position sensor. The inductive position sensor includes an inductive sensor target rotatable in response to the rotation of the pedal and a substrate positioned opposite the inductive sensor target. First and second redundant inductive transmit and receiver coil circuits are defined and located on different sections of the substrate in a relationship with the respective receiver coil circuits of the first and second transmit and receiver coil circuits at least partially surrounded by the respective transmit coil circuits of the first and second transmit and receiver coil circuits for reducing the coupling factor between the first and second transmit and receiver coil circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: CTS Corporation
    Inventors: Tad L. Miller, Xiaofeng Huang
  • Patent number: 11613236
    Abstract: A foldable electronic pedal apparatus is proposed. The foldable electronic pedal apparatus has both a foldable function that can pop up and hide the pedal and an electronic pedal function, and can tune necessary pedal effort, stroke, and hysteresis that are different for every kind of vehicle by having a high-load spring module and a hysteresis lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION, KYUNG CHANG INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eun Sik Kim, Hyeon Uk Kim, Ji Soo Kim, Jong Hwan Han
  • Patent number: 11609585
    Abstract: A valve assembly is provided. The valve assembly includes a valve body defining a bore. The valve assembly further includes a pull rod disposed in the bore and defining a bolt cavity. The pull rod is moveable between a first pull rod position and a second pull rod position. The valve assembly further includes a bolt disposed in the bolt cavity and moveable with respect to the pull rod between a first bolt position and a second bolt position. The valve assembly further includes a spool disposed in the bore. The spool is operatively coupled to the pull rod to move between an energized position and a neutral position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: ZF OFF-HIGHWAY SOLUTIONS MINNESOTA INC.
    Inventors: Peter Backes, Derek Tomhave, Nathan Grotz
  • Patent number: 11602990
    Abstract: An electronic pedal apparatus is configured to perform an electronic pedal function by utilizing a basic configuration and also perform a foldable function by adding some elements to the basic configuration to be usefully used in an autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation, Kyung Chang Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eun Sik Kim, Hyeon Uk Kim, Ji Soo Kim, Jong Hwan Han
  • Patent number: 11597359
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a foldable pedal apparatus for a vehicle, and is configured so that in an autonomous traveling situation, an accelerator pedal apparatus and a brake pedal apparatus are slid and moved to the left and the right of a dash panel and hidden, respectively, and therefore, in hidden states of being inoperable by a driver, and in a manual driving mode, the accelerator pedal apparatus and the brake pedal apparatus are slid and moved to be gathered to the center of the dash panel and exposed, respectively, and therefore, in popped-up states of being operable by the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eun Sik Kim
  • Patent number: 11590999
    Abstract: The invention relates to a heatable touch sensor and a steering wheel. It has an optical waveguide which is connected to an electrical heat conductor. The optical waveguide changes its transmission behavior, which is determined, with a change in position or bending. The heat conductor is a resistance heater which emits heat by applying an electrical voltage and by the associated current flow. The touch sensor operates by means of optical interferometry, which enables a very high sensing accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Branislav Zlatkov, Zoran Djinovic, Nils Quander, Markus Danschacher, Klaus Utech, Patrick Nickel
  • Patent number: 11584226
    Abstract: An accelerator device includes a pad configured to receive an input force from a driver, a case attachable to a vehicle body and having a front wall facing the pad, and an internal movable mechanism housed in the case. The internal movable mechanism includes a shaft that is rotatably supported in the case and a pedal extending outward from an outer peripheral portion of the shaft. An arm is arranged to pass through an opening provided in the front wall and to connect the pad and the pedal, and a cushioning member is provided in the front wall, to be inserted between the pedal or the arm and the front wall in an accelerator fully-closed state, and to be inserted between the pad and the front wall in an accelerator fully-open state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuto Kita, Takehiro Saitoh, Yasuhiro Otaka
  • Patent number: 11584423
    Abstract: A steering wheel is provided that is able to prevent damage to a layer adjacent to an outer surface layer due to an external force applied when a joined portion between outer surface layer material parts is finished. In a steering wheel comprising a rim portion having a core metal and a covering portion 5 covering the core metal, and a mat material 6 provided between an outer surface material 9 and the covering portion 5 of the rim portion and having a conductive portion 7 on a part facing the outer surface material 9, and the outer surface material 9 has a joined portion 91 formed in a direction intersecting a circumferential direction of the rim portion, the covering portion 5 is provided with a groove 51 in which the joined portion 91 and a part of the mat material 6 are housed, and between the outer surface material 9 and the conductive portion 7, a sliding member 8 is interposed at least in a vicinity of the joined portion 91.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignees: Autoliv Development AB, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunichiro Shinmen, Osamu Takahashi, Kota Tatsumi, Naoya Neriugawa, Noriyuki Tsukada
  • Patent number: 11565667
    Abstract: A vehicle has a braking system including a brake pedal and a controller. The controller may cause the brake pedal to move to a predetermined position responsive to automatic application of braking torque by the braking system. The controller may further implement an update such that the predetermined position corresponds to zero braking torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Raymond Martin, Matthew Walton
  • Patent number: 11565737
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a vehicle steering attachment configured to augment a vehicle steering device, the vehicle steering attachment comprising: a first end configured to secure to a left handle of the vehicle steering device; a second end configured to secure to a right handle of the vehicle steering device; and a middle portion disposed between the first end and the second end, wherein the left handle and the right handle connect to a center section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Velossa Tech Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Dan Joseph Becker
  • Patent number: 11561567
    Abstract: The components of a push button comprise a plunger, a retainer, a spring and an end cap. The plunger has a button at the top, a middle section with an enlarged square cross-section, and a pin of reduced diameter at the bottom end. The plunger slidably strokes up and down within a retainer which has an upper portion that closely holds the button on the top of the plunger and also includes a rectilinear recess sized to receive the square midsection of the plunger. A middle portion of the retainer comprises an enlarged cylindrical cavity bounded above and below by opposing roof and floor surfaces. The roof and the floor have cams that engage the corners of the plunger midsection which cause it to rotate during plunger strokes. A spring within the retainer biases the plunger upward. The assembly of parts is captivated by a retainer end cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Penn Engineering & Manufacturing Corp.
    Inventor: Jonathan Brunk
  • Patent number: 11550353
    Abstract: A foldable pedal apparatus for a vehicle is configured so that in a manual driving mode in which a driver directly drives a vehicle, a pedal pad 400 is in a popped-up state of protruding and being exposed toward the driver to be operable by the driver, and in an autonomous traveling situation of the vehicle, the pedal pad 400 is in a hidden state of being hidden and blocked from being exposed toward the driver to be inoperable by the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eun Sik Kim
  • Patent number: 11541926
    Abstract: A steering wheel includes a boss, a grip having a substantially rod shape and arranged away from the boss, and a spoke portion connecting the boss and the grip. The grip includes a core for the grip, a coating layer which covers an outer peripheral side of the core, and the decorative body exposed on the upper surface side of the grip. The decorative body has a decorative main body exposed on the upper surface side of the grip and a mounting portion having a long shape, being arranged substantially along the grip, holding the decorative main body and being attached to the coating layer. Mounting fitting portions to be attached to the coating layer is arranged on a lower surface side of the mounting portion and on a side separated from the boss and the spoke portion with respect to the core in a cross section of the grip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumiyasu Kojima, Kenji Fujimura, Takanori Yamada
  • Patent number: 11537159
    Abstract: An assembly for a vehicle comprising a mechanism for adjusting the angular position of a vehicle pedal includes a motor for generating and transmitting rotary motion to a rotating member, a first pedal assembly having a first support frame with a first slotted hole, rotatably supported on a first fulcrum and supporting a first pedal, a first motion conversion mechanism, having a first rotating member rotatable about a first rotation axis and a first translating member, receiving and converting rotational motion into translational motion, and a first pin, for joint translation with the first translating member and sliding inside the first slotted hole. Sliding of the first pin draws the first support frame in rotation about the first fulcrum between a first and a second angular position. The mechanism includes a second pedal assembly. The first rotating member is connected to the motor to receive rotary motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: PLASTIC COMPONENTS AND MODULES AUTOMOTICE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Beniamino Miletto, Renato Antonio Cavaglia'
  • Patent number: 11529921
    Abstract: [Problem] To provide a steering wheel including a damper unit with an excellent vibration absorbing effect. [Resolution Means] The steering wheel according to the present invention includes: a cored bar member; an airbag module which houses an airbag cushion and an inflator and is coupled to the cored bar member; and a damper unit arranged between the cored bar member and the airbag module. Here, the damper unit includes: a buffer member including an elastic material; an upper support member supporting the buffer member from above; and a lower support member supporting the buffer member from below. Moreover, the buffer member includes a laterally protruding flange part configured so as to be sandwiched between the upper support member and the lower support member. In addition, a gap is formed between the flange and at least one of the upper support member or the lower support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Yutaka Hirota, Keisuke Honma, Hiroyoshi Shimono
  • Patent number: 11511825
    Abstract: A bicycle handlebar stem or stem/handlebar assembly has an inclined linear travel approximately 45 degrees from horizontal. This inclined path mimics a rider's natural arm inclination and pitching moment. 45 degrees is nearly ideal for most dropped bar road bicycles but different style bicycles may have an ideal angle between 30 and 60 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Inventor: Christopher William Huber
  • Patent number: 11513550
    Abstract: A foldable pedal apparatus of a vehicle may have a configuration in which an accelerator pedal assembly and a brake pedal assembly are rotated in a rearward direction from a vehicle body panel and are popped-up to be exposed toward a driver to allow the pedal assemblies to be capable of being controlled when in a situation of manual driving mode, and in which the pedal assemblies are rotated in a frontward direction and are inserted in respective panel grooves of the vehicle body panel so that the pedal assemblies are in a hidden state where exposure thereof toward the driver is blocked to allow the pedal assemblies to be unable to be controlled in a situation of autonomous driving mode where the driver does not directly drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Eun Sik Kim