Patents Examined by Dana D Ivey
  • Patent number: 12043317
    Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle may include: a floor panel; a raised wall portion; a cross member that is disposed on an upper face of the floor panel and extends in the vehicle width direction; a frame member including: an inclined portion that is disposed so as to form a closed cross-section with the floor panel on a vehicle-width-direction outer side of the raised wall portion on the upper face of the floor panel and a connector connected to the cross member at a rear end of the inclined portion; and a coupler that is disposed on the floor panel at a place on a vehicle front side of the connection portion and couples the inclined portion and the raised wall portion to each other in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keisuke Ebisumoto, Hirotaka Natsume, Ippei Kuroda, Shunsuke Hirai
  • Patent number: 12043222
    Abstract: A pneumatic windscreen wiper for a transparent element of a vehicle. The pneumatic windscreen wiper has: at least one nozzle, which is arranged at an edge of the transparent element, is oriented towards the transparent element and is capable of emitting a compressed air jet that hits the transparent element to skim the transparent element; a source of compressed air; and a control valve which is interposed between the nozzle and the source of compressed air and is suitable for regulating the flow of compressed air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: FERRARI S.p.A.
    Inventor: Fabrizio Favaretto
  • Patent number: 12037045
    Abstract: A front body structure provided on a vehicle includes a bumper beam, a left frame and a right frame in pairs, stays, and gussets. The bumper beam extends in a left-right direction at a front end of the vehicle. The frames extend in a front-rear direction. The stays support the bumper beam. The stays are provided at front ends of the frames. The gussets are disposed separated from the bumper beam. Each of the gussets extend inclined outward in the left-right direction, and obliquely forward from an outer end of a corresponding one of the left frame and the right frame to ahead of a front end of a corresponding one of the left frame and the right frame. Each of the stays includes a bead at a predetermined position in the front-rear direction. Each of the beads extends in a circumferential direction of the respective one of the stays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Nishimura
  • Patent number: 12024080
    Abstract: Systems are provided for an assist pocket. In particular, an assist pocket formed into a vehicle pillar. Certain embodiments of the assist pocket may include a depression formed into the vehicle pillar dimensioned to accept fingers of an occupant, where a grip is formed along an edge of the depression and extends partially over the pocket. The assist pocket may be formed to help occupants ingress and egress a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: George Evans, William Patrick Garrett, Philip Babian
  • Patent number: 12024228
    Abstract: An automobile suspension includes a side rail extending in a front-rear direction of a vehicle body, a lower arm, and a bracket linking the lower arm to the side rail. A front end of the side rail and a rear end of the side rail are linked to a frame of the vehicle body, and the side rail curves such that a middle of the side rail is lower than at least one of the front end and the rear end. The bracket includes a pair of side plates that supports a shaft of the lower arm and is joined to a side face of the side rail, and an upper plate that links the side plates and is joined to an upper face of the side rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigenori Hashida, Yukihiko Nakagawa, Osamu Shimasaki
  • Patent number: 12024227
    Abstract: An interlocking beam assembly for a frame assembly of a vehicle that includes an upper beam and a lower beam. The upper beam includes an upper hollow section integrally formed with a lower hollow section and a common wall shared by the upper and lower hollow sections. A notch is disposed in the lower hollow section of the upper beam at a select portion along a length of the upper beam. The notch is defined at cut edges along a bottom wall and side walls of the lower hollow section. A lower beam is configured to extend substantially perpendicular to the upper beam and attach in the notch in the upper beam between the cut edges of the side walls in a manner that bridges load paths across the notch in the upper beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Shape Corp.
    Inventors: Kazutoyo Fujikawa, Tadashi Chikami
  • Patent number: 12012151
    Abstract: A vehicle body rear part structure includes a rear frame and a beam member. The rear frame has: a first inner bead, a first outer bead, a second inner bead, and a second outer bead. The first inner bead and the first outer bead are formed on an inner wall and an outer wall, respectively, in a region close to the beam member. The second inner bead and the second outer bead are formed on the inner wall and the outer wall, respectively, in a region that is separated to a vehicle body frontward direction from the first beads. The first outer bead is formed to have a higher fragility than the first inner bead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shungo Chino, Yuya Akaba, Toshihiro Yamaguchi, Kyosuke Yamakita, Yusuke Miura, Dai Kamata, Chihiro Sakagami, Kosuke Fushimi, Shohei Ohtsuka, Hitomi Yamada
  • Patent number: 12012148
    Abstract: A vehicle skeleton member 10 includes: a hat-shaped member 1; a closing plate 2; a reinforcement member 6; and a plurality of welds 31. The hat-shaped member 1 includes a first top plate 1a, two first walls 1b, and two flanges 1c. The reinforcement member 6 includes a second top plate 6a and two second walls 6b. The welds 31 join the first and second walls 1b and 6b. The welds 31 joining the first and second walls 1b and 6b are located at positions on the first walls 1b closer to the closing plate 2 than the middle surface C1 between the first top plate 1a and closing plate 2 is. Edge segments 4 of the reinforcement member 6 are located between the welds 31.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koichi Hamada
  • Patent number: 12005969
    Abstract: An aerodynamic device for attachment to a trailer of a tractor-trailer having a centerline, a trailer sidewall and a trailer door. The aerodynamic device comprises an airfoil and a flexible mounting system. The airfoil comprises a leading edge, a trailing edge, an inner surface, and an outer surface. The flexible mounting system comprises a door hinge, a mounting bracket, a trailer hinge and a door strap. The door hinge is coupled to the trailer door. The mounting bracket is coupled to the inner surface of the airfoil. The trailer hinge is coupled to the mounting bracket and the trailer sidewall. The door strap coupled to the door hinge at a first end and the mounting bracket at a second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: FleetAero, LLC
    Inventors: Jesse Regan, Richard P. Senatro
  • Patent number: 12005959
    Abstract: A body includes a center tunnel that extends in a front-rear direction of a vehicle, a floor panel that extends from the center tunnel to both sides of the vehicle in a right-left direction, a floor cross member that is provided on an upper face of the floor panel and that extends in the right-left direction of the vehicle, straddling the center tunnel, and a reinforcing member joined to an upper face of the center tunnel and to a front face of the floor cross member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kyosuke Kawase, Satoshi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11993183
    Abstract: A seat slide device includes a pair of sliders each including a fixed rail, a movable rail slidably guided by the fixed rail, a bracket on the movable rail configured so that front and rear sides swing opposite to each other in a vertical direction with a longitudinal-intermediate part as a fulcrum, a support bracket supported on the bracket via a hinge and configured to rotate in only one direction from a predetermined orientation about an lateral-direction axis relative to the bracket, a movement-restricting portion configured to restrict sliding of the movable rail while a rear part of the bracket is raised and to release the restriction while the rear part of the bracket is lowered; and a towel bar connecting each support bracket. The hinge part prohibits a rotation of the support bracket while the towel bar is lifted and permits the rotation while the towel bar is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Adient US LLC
    Inventors: Motohiko Ozawa, Naoto Komiya, Atsunori Matsui, Yunxiao Li, Laxmikant Indi, Frederick L. Wilkinson, Sean M. Osinski, Valentin Muresan, Wenting Zhang
  • Patent number: 11987291
    Abstract: An embodiment floor structure of a vehicle includes a pair of side seals disposed to face each other in a vehicle width direction, and respectively disposed in a vehicle length direction, a floor frame disposed between the pair of side seals and including a pair of longitudinal frames respectively arranged along the pair of side seals and at least one transverse frame mounted between the pair of longitudinal frames in the vehicle width direction, and at least one core structural member disposed in a space provided by the floor frame and including a material for absorbing impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Hanbat National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Minsoo Kim, Jung Jong Chun, Jai Hak Kim, Kwangbok Shin, Seunggu Kang, Jaemoon Im
  • Patent number: 11987292
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a body including a front compartment and a subframe configured to support an installed part disposed in the front compartment. The body includes a first counterface that inclines downward in a rearward direction of the vehicle. The subframe is attached to the body from below. The subframe includes a second counterface facing the first counterface of the body. The second counterface is inclined downward in the rearward direction of the vehicle. At least one of the first counterface and the second counterface includes a portion inclined rearward toward an inner side in a right-left direction of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigenori Hashida, Shintaro Kosaka, Satoshi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11987162
    Abstract: A tank trailer configured to lower an overall center of gravity. The trailer includes a tank, a wheel assembly, an upper body height and a trailer length. The tank includes a cavity contained within a lower body, an upper body, a transitioning body, a front end and a rear end when the cavity within the trailer is filled with a liquid fluid, the liquid fluid is evenly distributed along the trailer length of the trailer since a diameter of the lower body, the upper body and the transitioning body are equal. Other trailers are presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: DCB Trailer Design, LLC
    Inventor: Blake Dill
  • Patent number: 11981374
    Abstract: A drag reducing device includes an air flow turning component having a curved surface adapted to turn air flow passing over the curved surface, a first mounting component for connecting the air flow turning component to a rear door of the vehicle, and a second mounting component for connecting the air flow turning component to one of the opposite sides of the vehicle. The mounting components are configured so that the air flow component is automatically in a deployed position when the rear door is closed, so the air flow turning component turns air flow passing along the side the vehicle inward to thereby reduce drag. The mounting components are further configured so that the air flow component is automatically stowed between the rear door and the vehicle side when the door is fully opened. The air turning component is sized for a minimal prominence when stowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Aero Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan A. Reeder, John Vogel, James R. Tuerk
  • Patent number: 11970211
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a deformation device for a motor vehicle. The deformation device comprises a support structure and a charging module which is fixed to the support structure at two mutually spaced connecting elements. The support structure comprises a target bend region which is arranged between the at least two connecting elements. The support structure is designed to bend, at least in regions, at the target bend region in the event of accident-related deformation of said support structure, and as a result press onto the charging module at the target bend region, and release a first connection between the charging module and the support structure formed via a first connecting element of the at least two connecting elements. A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to a motor vehicle having the deformation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Christian Isakiewitsch, Nanne Swierstra, Florian Grosshauser, Sebastian Scheiblecker, Mickael Donnard, Sean O'Brien, Thorsten Adolph
  • Patent number: 11970214
    Abstract: A vehicle body for an electrical vehicle includes: side sills, which are coupled to side surfaces of a floor panel, rear side members, front end portions of which overlap rear end portions of the side sills and which are coupled the side surfaces of the floor panel, a battery, which is positioned at a lower portion of the floor panel and is mounted to portions of the side sills in front of the rear side members and to portions at which the side sills overlap the rear side members, and rear extension members having a strength lower than any of the side sills and the rear side members, the rear extension members being connected at front ends thereof to rear ends of the rear side members, and the rear extension members being coupled to the side surfaces of the floor panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hyun Sik Kim, Se Ho Ryu
  • Patent number: 11958533
    Abstract: A side frame assembly for a vehicle includes a rocker structure and an inboard stiffening beam. The rocker structure includes a metal sheet that has longitudinal bends along a length of the rocker structure separating the upper wall, the lower wall, and the inner wall of the rocker structure. The inboard stiffening beam is disposed along an inboard-facing surface of the inner wall of the rocker structure. The inboard stiffening beam includes a second metal sheet that is formed to define a tubular shape along a length of the inboard stiffening beam. The tubular shape includes a planar upper wall and/or a planar lower wall, the planar extent of which intersects a portion of the rocker structure, such as the inner wall, to form a lateral load path from the rocker structure to the tubular shape of inboard stiffening beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Shape Corp.
    Inventor: Matthew Kuipers
  • Patent number: 11952043
    Abstract: A profile strut includes an upper chord, a lower chord, two spaced-apart lateral walls which, together with the upper chord and the lower chord, define an interior, and a first profile end and a second profile end. A first end piece is disposed in the first profile end and a second end piece is disposed in the second profile end. A connecting web connects the first end piece to the second end piece. Each of the first end piece and the second end piece bears via end faces thereof against adjacent inner wall regions of the upper chord and the lower chord; respectively. An intermediate region, which is configured as a tunnel incorporated into the lower chord, is disposed between the first profile end and the second profile end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Hainzinger, Daniel Tauchnitz
  • Patent number: 11951819
    Abstract: A rack for a truck, SUV or vehicle is disclosed herein which allows the user to lift a load above a roof of the vehicle. The load can be secured to the roof via the rack. Rotating rails are attached to a stationary rails. The stationary rails are mounted to the roof of the vehicle. A basket may be traversably slideable from the rotating rails to the stationary rails. The rotating rails may be lifted up after loading a basket to also lift the basket and the load up and allow the basket to slide onto the stationary rails. Once the basket and load are on the stationary rails, the basket is locked into place with a lock so that the load remains in place while the user is driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Inventor: Nicholas J. Singer