Patents Examined by Daniel M. Keck
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Patent number: 11142163Abstract: In one aspect, a guide assembly for seat belt webbing in a vehicle includes a support member and a locking member extending through the support member. The support member engages the locking member when a predetermined force is exerted by the seat belt webbing onto the support member. The locking member prevents the support member from pivoting relative to the vehicle when the support member engages the locking member. In another aspect, a guide assembly for seat belt webbing in a vehicle includes a support member having a first locking projection, a locking member having a second locking projection, and a bushing positioned radially between the locking member and the support member. The first locking projection penetrates into and/or through the bushing to engage the second locking projection when a predetermined force is exerted by the seat belt webbing onto the support member.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2019Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.Inventor: Robert L. Morgan
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Patent number: 11110768Abstract: Provided is a damper mount (1, 101, 201) configured to be interposed between a damper (11) of a wheel suspension device and a vehicle body (9). The damper mount includes: an annular outer member (22) fixed to the vehicle body; an annular inner member (21) fixed to the damper, one of the outer member and the inner member being received in another of the outer member and the inner member; a first magneto-elastic member (24) radially interposed between the inner member and the outer member; and a coil (25) configured to apply a magnetic flux to the first magneto-elastic member.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2020Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yuho Ito, Toshio Inoue
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Patent number: 11110765Abstract: A suspension interconnection assembly comprises first and second saddle brackets and a fastener. Each saddle bracket comprises a base, a pair of arms spaced apart and have the base disposed therebetween, and a pair of shoulders. Each shoulder is disposed between the base and a respective arm. Each shoulder has a first beveled surface. The pair of shoulders cooperates with the base and the pair of arms to at least partially define a U-shaped pocket. The U-shaped pockets of each saddle bracket are sized to partially receive an axle housing. The fastener interconnects the saddle brackets to couple the saddle brackets and a spring to the axle housing. The beveled surfaces of each saddle bracket are adapted to operatively engage the peripheral wall. The pairs of arms of each saddle bracket are adapted to operatively engage one another after the beveled surfaces operatively engage the peripheral wall.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2019Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: Mahindra N.A. Tech CenterInventors: David E. Peck, Olivier A-M Thomas
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Patent number: 11104252Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly having a housing assembly coupled to a seat frame with a transverse member. A cushion pan extends between the transverse member and a cross bar. A cushion nose extends between the transverse member and a front portion of the housing assembly. A gas-generating device is deployable in response to a sudden vehicle deceleration to exert a force on the cushion nose to rotate the cushion nose about an axis defined by a transverse member from a first position to a second position.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2019Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Spencer Hoernke, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Sean West, Benjamin Yilma, Edward Joseph DeSmet, S. M. Akbar Berry, Rodney Charles Brinker
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Patent number: 11104195Abstract: A four-point link for a wheel suspension of a vehicle includes a core element, a filament and four bushings. The filament is pre-impregnated with a resin. The core element further has a torsional element and four support arms connected integral with the torsional element. The core element and the respective bushing are at least partially wrapped by the filament. The respective bushing for receiving a respective bearing element is arranged at a respective distal end of the respective support arm. The respective bushing has at least one anchor element, and at least one undercut is formed between the at least one anchor element and the bushing, and the core element engages in the undercut for connecting the bushing to the support arm of the core element by positive engagement.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2018Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Andre Stieglitz, Ingolf Müller, Philipp Bauer, Manfred Bürgmann, Patricia Nieke
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Patent number: 11091116Abstract: An airbag device includes a curtain airbag deployed to a vehicle width direction outer side of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat; a front airbag provided at a front side of the vehicle seat, which is deployed to a vehicle front side of the occupant; an airbag housing, provided at the front side of the vehicle seat, in which the front airbag is housed before inflating; and an airbag door that covers the airbag housing from a cabin side and that is displaced toward a cabin side, in a case in which the front airbag inflates such that the cabin side of the airbag housing is opened. The airbag door includes plural door portions and the airbag device is provided with a limiting member that restricts tilting of a door portion that tilts about a hinge portion disposed at a vehicle width direction inner side of the airbag housing.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Koji Ohara
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Patent number: 11090995Abstract: The invention relates to a suspension system of a vehicle axle, comprising: a leaf spring (11); a rear attachment device (24) configured to be secured to a vehicle frame (2) and comprising two parallel walls (40) spaced apart along a transverse direction by a distance (d). A rear end portion (14) of the leaf spring (11) is received in the rear attachment device (24), between said walls (40), and is capable of sliding longitudinally relative to the rear attachment device. The leaf spring rear end portion (14) has a first width (w1) which is smaller than the distance (d), and the leaf spring (11) has a second width (w2) which is greater than the distance (d), at least in a blocking portion (30) of the leaf spring (11) located forward of the rear end portion (14).Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2017Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATIONInventors: Michel Herve, Stéphane Brun
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Patent number: 11084452Abstract: A passenger protection apparatus includes an inflator and an airbag body. The inflator is configured to generate gas upon receiving a predetermined actuating signal. The airbag body is folded and configured to deploy by supplying the gas from the inflator to the airbag body. The airbag body includes an predetermined area on which adhesive is applied. The predetermined area adheres to an adherend when the airbag body is deployed. When the airbag body is not deployed, the airbag body is stored in a deflated and bound state, and a surface facing the predetermined area when the airbag body is stored is a peel-off surface on which an adhesive force of the adhesive is lost.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2019Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATIONInventor: Isamu Nagasawa
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Patent number: 11072375Abstract: A control arm includes a wheel side end, a body side end, a first connecting member extending between the wheel side end and the body side end, a second connecting member extending between the wheel side end and the body side end, and having a reduced section portion, and a fracture zone extending through the first and second connecting members in a substantially fore-aft direction of the vehicle, the reduced section portion being within the fracture zone. A thickness of the reduced section portion is tunable to establish a controlled fracturing during a small overlap rigid barrier impact event where: (i) an initial fracture of the first connecting member occurs within the fracture zone, and (ii) a secondary fracture of the second connecting member occurs within the fracture zone at the reduced section portion, to thereby provide a desired rearward trajectory of the wheel assembly during the impact event.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2019Date of Patent: July 27, 2021Assignee: FCA US LLCInventors: Eric A Darin, Scott E Zilincik, Michael W Gaduski, Amandeep S Gill, Tusher M Phule, Sara M Goldsworthy
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Patent number: 11066854Abstract: A latch travel mechanism for a closure panel of a vehicle, the mechanism comprising: a mounting plate for mounting a latch, the latch for retaining the closure panel; a support plate coupled to the mounting plate by a pair of linkages, the support plate for connecting to a body of the vehicle, the pair of linkages including a pair of arms and a pair of meshed gears coupled to one another; and an actuation mechanism for mounting on at least one of the support plate or the body for extending the pair of linkages in order to move the mounting plate relative to the support plate from a home position to an extended position; wherein the mounting plate is moved from the home position to the extended position during operation of the actuation mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2020Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES INC.Inventors: Csaba Szente, John Distefano, Ioan Dorin Ilea
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Patent number: 11059344Abstract: A stabilizer includes bend sections. With respect to positions in a circumferential direction of a radial cross section of each of the bend sections, a center of an inside of a bend is defined as 0°, and a center of an outside of the bend is defined as 180°. The bend sections each include a bend interior section located at 0°, a bend exterior section located at 180°, a first side section located at 90°, and a second side section located at 270°. The bend interior section has compressive residual stress from a surface to a first depth. The bend exterior section has compressive residual stress to a second depth. The first side section has compressive residual stress to a third depth. The second side section has compressive residual stress to a fourth depth.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2020Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yasuharu Sakurai, Yoshihiro Koshita, Akihiko Nishikawa, Akifumi Otani
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Patent number: 11060327Abstract: A latch travel mechanism for a closure panel of a vehicle, the mechanism comprising: a mounting plate for mounting a latch, the latch for retaining the closure panel; a support plate coupled to the mounting plate, the support plate for connecting to a body of the vehicle; and an actuation mechanism mounted on at least one of the support plate or the body and coupled to either the closure panel or the mounting plate to move the mounting plate relative to the support plate from a home position to an extended position; wherein the latch is moved from the home position to the extended position when mounted on the mounting plate. The latch travel mechanism also has a locking member mounted on the support plate and configured for retaining the mounting plate in a home position when engaged with the one or more linkages and for disengaging from the one or more linkages when operated.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2019Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Inventors: Csaba Szente, John Distefano, Ioan Dorin Ilea
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Patent number: 11046144Abstract: A torsion bar for a stabiliser of a motor vehicle, on the axial ends of which a respective stabiliser limb can be rotationally fixed. In the region of the axial ends thereof, the torsion bar is coated with an adhesive coating and a protective layer covering the adhesive coating, wherein the adhesive coating is designed as a solid adhesive coating that can be activated after at least partial removal of the protective layer.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2018Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: AUDI AGInventors: Sebastian Schindler, Carsten Bär
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Patent number: 11046140Abstract: A rear suspension apparatus of a vehicle includes: a transverse helper leaf spring connected to a rear axle and disposed in a transverse direction; and a first stopper mechanism and a second stopper mechanism contacting the transverse helper leaf spring when the vehicle moves. The rear suspension apparatus is capable of improving riding quality by using a new spring constant value generated by the transverse helper leaf spring when freight is loaded and a vehicle body frame moves downwardly, and restricting rolling movement of the vehicle when rolling is caused, thereby increasing roll stiffness and improving driving stability.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2019Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventor: Sung Han Cho
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Patent number: 11021190Abstract: A vehicle includes a trailer assembly supported by a rear chassis system. The rear chassis system includes a chassis frame having at least two longitudinal chassis members. The rear chassis system includes a rear suspension frame coupled to a back rear axle. The rear suspension frame includes a bearing head with a bearing aperture. Equalizing beams extend between the front rear axle and the back rear axle, with each equalizing beam including a bushing aperture. The rear chassis system also includes a plurality of suspension mounts. To minimize relative translations experienced by the suspension mounts during operation of the vehicle, opposing end sections of a spindle cross member, along with the bearing aperture and the bushing aperture are coaxially aligned. Likewise, the opposing spindle end sections, the bearing aperture, the bushing aperture, and a top plate of each suspension mount are coplanar.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2019Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Ross P. Wietharn, Julian Lowerson, Joel Kenneth Cadbury-Allen, Simon J. Gould, Mark Robinson
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Patent number: 11021034Abstract: An anti-roll device equips an axle assembly of a motor vehicle and comprises two connecting rods of which one comprises a part of coupling means comprising: a housing subdivided into two parts by a piston and comprising two inlets-outlets communicating with the two parts and an intermediate inlet-outlet communicating with at least one of the parts depending on the position of the piston, a fluid reservoir supplying a conduit coupled to the intermediate inlet-outlet, two non-return means coupled to the inlets-outlets and to the conduit, and an electrically operated valve coupled to the inlets-outlets and placed either in an open state ensuring a connection between the parts and the fluid reservoir via the intermediate inlet-outlet, or in a closed state allowing fluid discharge out of the housing only through the intermediate inlet-outlet.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2018Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignees: PSA AUTOMOBILES SA, BWI FRANCE S.A.S.U.Inventors: Alan Cavarec, Philippe Germain, Bruno Perrée
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Patent number: 10967830Abstract: A colliding object protection apparatus inflates and deploys an airbag when the apparatus detects or predicts a collision with a pedestrian. The airbag includes a first bag to be inflated and deployed in a vehicle width direction along a front edge part of a hood of a vehicle, and a second bag to be inflated and deployed on an upper surface of the hood. The second bag is continuous with a vehicle rear side portion of the first bag. An internal space of the first bag and an internal space of the second bag communicate with each other through a first vent mechanism. The first vent mechanism is opened when an internal pressure of the first bag reaches a predetermined pressure.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2019Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Hidetoshi Nakamura, Kenyu Okamura, Masaki Umezawa, Osamu Ito, Masato Sasaki, Masahiro Motoyoshi
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Patent number: 10953845Abstract: A colliding object protection apparatus inflates and deploys an airbag when the apparatus detects or predicts a collision with a pedestrian. The airbag includes a front bag to be inflated and deployed in a vehicle width direction along an upper part of a front grille of a vehicle. The internal space of the front bag is partitioned into a plurality of expansion chambers by a plurality of partitioning walls provided in parallel in the vehicle width direction. A vent mechanism of the expansion chamber is configured to be opened when an internal pressure of the expansion chamber reaches a predetermined pressure.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Hidetoshi Nakamura, Kenyu Okamura, Masaki Umezawa, Osamu Ito, Masato Sasaki, Masahiro Motoyoshi
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Patent number: 10940736Abstract: The present disclosure provides a sway bar for a suspension system of a motor vehicle. The sway bar includes a first lever arm for attachment to a left wheel suspension component and a second lever arm for attachment to a right wheel suspension component. The sway bar further includes a torsion spring device in connection between the first lever arm and the second lever arm to provide variable torsional stiffness. The torsion spring device includes a first torsion bar, a second torsion bar, and a clutch connected to the first torsion bar and the second torsion bar. The clutch is configured to move between a disengaged position and an engaged position where both of the first and second torsion bars transmit torque between the first and second lever arms to provide torsional stiffness.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2019Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY LLCInventors: Timothy J. Romelhardt, Xinyu Du
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Patent number: 10940823Abstract: An occupant protection device for a motor vehicle, having an airbag deploying as a result of propellant gas pressurization and extending along a lateral roof rail connecting vehicle pillars of the vehicle body, and having a roof liner mounted on the vehicle body, wherein a storage space for the folded airbag is formed between the roof rail and the roof liner. Advantageously, the airbag and the roof liner extend at least into the region of a vehicle rear-side and/or a vehicle front-side vehicle pillar, wherein the roof liner is adjustably mounted on the vehicle body toward the vehicle interior at least in the region of the relevant vehicle pillar in such a way that in the region of this vehicle pillar, the roof liner opens up both a first exit region from the storage space toward the bottom of the vehicle and a second exit region from the storage space toward the top of the vehicle for the airbag deploying as a result of propellant gas pressurization.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2019Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Assignee: Volkswagen AktiengesellschaftInventors: Ralf Menger, Viktor Gruenwald, Frank Heuer