Patents Examined by David E Allred
  • Patent number: 12275339
    Abstract: Among other things, the invention relates to a mounting assembly for a headrest with at least one mounting rod (13a, 13b) having at least one retaining structure (17) that can be mounted on a vehicle seat by at least one mounting assembly (19a, 19b) having a respective seat (14), wherein the seat (14) forms a passage (25) for supporting and guiding the mounting rod (13a, 13b), wherein the mounting assembly (19a, 19b) has a latch assembly (15) that releasably latches the mounting rod (13a, 13b) can be releasably latched in at least one position relative to the seat (14), wherein the latch assembly (15) has at least one latch element (16) that is movable between a latching position and a release position and has a latch formation (21) that can be releasably engaged with at least one retaining structure (22) of the mounting rod (13a, 13b) to prevent movement of the mounting rod in at least one direction (p1, p2) along the passage (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: GRAMMER AG
    Inventors: Sebastian Schmitt, Stefan Bergler
  • Patent number: 12269381
    Abstract: A base structure (100) adapted for a seat body of a child safety seat is provided and includes a first base (1), a second base (2), a locking component (3) and a releasing mechanism (4). The second base (2) is pivotally connected to the first base (1) and located above the first base (1). A locking hole (21) is formed on a bottom portion of the second base (2). The locking component (3) is slidably disposed on the first base (1). An end of the locking component (3) is for engaging with an end of the locking hole (21). An end of the releasing mechanism (4) is located inside the second base (2) and slidably disposed on another end of the locking hole (21). The releasing mechanism (4) is operated to push the locking component (3) to disengage from the locking hole (21) for unlocking the second base (2), so as to allow the second base (2) to pivot relative to the first base (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: BAMBINO PREZIOSO SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventor: Da Liang Zhang
  • Patent number: 12251023
    Abstract: Systems and methods for moving a convertible bench between a first position, which presents a backrest, and a second position, which presents a tabletop, is described herein. While the described systems can include any suitable component, in some cases, they include a base having a first end piece that has a first set of legs with a first arched leg support that extends between the first set of legs and a second end piece having a second set of legs with a second arched leg support that extends between the second set of legs. The bench further includes a backrest/table portion that is hingedly coupled to the base so as to be pivotable from a first position that presents a backrest to a second position that presents a tabletop. Other implementations are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Inventor: M. Brent Norton
  • Patent number: 12252046
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat back and a cushion seat. The cushion seat includes a seat frame, a cushion pad portion above the seat frame, a first submarining suppression portion below the cushion pad portion, and a second submarining suppression portion below the cushion pad portion, the second submarining suppression portion arranged on a side of the first submarining suppression portion closer to the seat back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignees: Adient US LLC, Subaru Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Asakura, Akihide Onodera, Satoshi Obara, Hiroshi Eguchi, Hiroyuki Yasui, Nilesh Firke, Ajeet Tasagave, Abhinav Chaubey
  • Patent number: 12252255
    Abstract: A triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) is described. The TPMS is adjustable and tunable depending on desired breathability, vibration performance, weight reduction, pressure distribution, and the like. The TPMS may be used in a cushion of a passenger seat. The cushion may be used for one or more locations of the passenger seat, including a head rest cushion, a back rest cushion, a seat pan cushion, and the like. the TPMS may include a cylindrical gyroid. Each of the cushions may include multiple of the cylindrical gyroids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicole Sluder Whyte, Nikhil Anthony Saldanha, Chirag Krishnamurthy, Travis K. Finlay, Gururaja Nekkar, Maxime Dempah, Glenn A. Johnson, Mark B. Dowty, Samikshya Parida
  • Patent number: 12252043
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat, a seatback, a track assembly, a front anchor, a rear anchor, and a first gear. The seatback is coupled to the seat. The seatback is pivotable relative to the seat. The track assembly is configured to couple the seat to a floor of a vehicle. The rear anchor is coupled to the seat and configured to engage with the track assembly. The front anchor is coupled to the seat and configured to engage with the track assembly. A position of the seat relative to the front anchor and the second anchor is adjustable. The first gear extends between the front anchor and the seat. The first gear defines a guide slot therein that receives a guide pin. Movement of the first gear adjusts a position of a front region of the seat relative to a rear region of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Macit Aktas
  • Patent number: 12233767
    Abstract: There is provided a seat partition capable of reducing deterioration of comfort with respect to rear seats. One aspect of the present disclosure is a seat partition that includes a plate-shaped panel configured to be mounted to a seat having a headrest. The panel includes: a main portion configured to cover at least a part of the headrest from a rear thereof; a side portion configured to cover at least a part of the headrest from a side thereof; a curved portion coupling the main portion and the side portion; and at least one ridge portion extending from the main portion through the curved portion to the side portion and projecting outward of the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Suetsugu, Fumitoshi Akaike
  • Patent number: 12232662
    Abstract: A waterproof chair for use when bathing is provided. The chair may include an on-board system for raising and lowering the chair between sitting and raised positions. The chair may be used by elderly persons to assist them in sitting and standing in a shower, for example. The chair may include a rechargeable battery for powering a linear actuator for moving the chair between sitting and raised positions. The chair may also be adapted to allow a seat on the chair to swivel relative to a base of the chair. The chair may include an automatic lock to restrict relative movement of the seat and the base when the seat is being raised, and then automatically unlock to again allow for swivel motion when the seat has been moved back into its sitting position. Hydraulic and pneumatic embodiments are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: DWP Industries LLC
    Inventors: Peter Guy van Dongen, Johannes DeWet Zwarts
  • Patent number: 12226027
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a unit chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: OSSTEMIMPLANT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sang Yong Park
  • Patent number: 12221017
    Abstract: A vehicle seat including a seat that includes a seat cushion and a seat back; an inclination drive portion configured to incline the seat back; and a slide mechanism configured to enable the seat to slide in a vehicle front-rear direction, in which the slide mechanism includes: a slide rail that includes an upper rail and a lower rail and supporting the seat to be able to move in a sliding manner in the front-rear direction, a slide drive portion configured to enable the upper rail to slide with respect to the lower rail, and a mode switching switch configured to enable switching between modes, in a normal mode, a slide range of the seat in the front-rear direction is a slide amount used when the vehicle is driven, in a relaxing mode, a slide amount is at a position where a slide position of the seat in the front-rear direction is rearward, with respect to a slide position at a rearmost end in the normal mode, and the mode switching switch is disposed on a front side where a switch operation is not able to be
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeyuki Suzuki, Kohei Okimoto
  • Patent number: 12213597
    Abstract: An apparatus (1) for positioning the body of a user (100), wherein the apparatus can be used in a seat or in the form of a rest, comprising a seating element (20), a pelvis and lumbar-spine module (13) and a computer unit (40), wherein the pelvis and lumbar-spine module comprises an adjusting element (117) and a sensor (113), and the seating element comprises an adjusting element (108) and three sensors (111, 112), wherein the sensors (111, 112, 113) sense seat-related and rest-related pressures, wherein the computer unit activates the adjusting elements, wherein a first and second sensor (112) and a third sensor (111) sense the seat-related pressure of the first and second ischial tuberosities (102) and of the coccyx (104), wherein the first and the second ischial tuberosities define an ischial-tuberosity level, wherein the adjusting element of the seating element compensates for the ischial-tuberosity level horizontally about the user's sagittal axis, and whereupon the adjusting element of the pelvis and lu
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Inventor: Cornelia Zenzmaier
  • Patent number: 12207741
    Abstract: An infant carrier assembly may be removably securable to a car seat. The infant carrier assembly may include an adapter and an infant carrier. The adapter is removably securable to the car seat. The infant carrier is removably securable to the car seat by engagement with the adapter. A car seat assembly may include a car seat and the infant carrier assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: Douglas Kim, Tyler Petito, Joonho Na, Thomas Jake Mitchell, Phillip LaPlante, Patrick Kil, Matthew Johnson
  • Patent number: 12208707
    Abstract: A latch device includes a latch engageable with a rod portion of a striker, and is capable of transition to a locked state in which the latch is engaged with the rod portion and to an unlocked state in which the latch is disengaged from the rod portion, and includes a first shaft member that supports the latch in a manner that permits the latch to rotate, and a base member that supports the first shaft member. The base member is a unitary member which includes a first support wall disposed on one side of the latch and configured to support one end of the first shaft member, a second support wall disposed on an other side of the latch and configured to support an other end of the first shaft member, and a connecting wall that connects the first support wall and the second support wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: TS TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoichi Tachikawa
  • Patent number: 12194894
    Abstract: A seating system includes a seat, with structures for supporting a user thereon, and actuators. Each actuator includes a deformable shell with an enclosed internal cavity containing a fluid dielectric contained, a pair of electrodes disposed on opposing sides of the deformable shell. The actuators are integrated into the structures and configured for providing at least one function, such as haptic feedback, seat adjustment, alert notification, vibratory signal, user input receiving, and massage function. A portion of the plurality of actuators may be enclosed within an encapsulating shell to form an encapsulated sheet of actuators. Each actuator may be a part of a button-on-demand system, wherein the actuator is normally in a collapsed position such that a user-facing surface of the encapsulating shell is substantially flat and, when activated by a user, the actuator is configured to expand such that the encapsulating shell is raised to form a button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Artimus Robotics Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Lucas Acome, Nicholas Alexander Kellaris, Shane Karl Mitchell, Timothy G. Morrissey
  • Patent number: 12187174
    Abstract: A structural shroud for a passenger seat assembly includes a hollow body having a first end, a second end opposite from the first end, and a central cavity between the first end and the second end. In certain embodiments, the structural shroud may include a magnesium alloy and/or an aluminum alloy, and may be formed via casting, forging, and/or additive manufacturing, among others. In some embodiments, a base frame assembly for a passenger seat assembly includes a monolithic base frame having a first leg portion and a first tube portion integrally formed with the first leg portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Safran Seats USA LLC
    Inventors: Reza Mansouri, Romain Tranier
  • Patent number: 12178766
    Abstract: Movable back supports that can be moved in many different axes about a seat and fixed in a position desired by a user are contemplated. Movable back supports comprise sliding members, straps, and a tightening mechanism that alters tension in the straps. Contemplated movable back supports can be positioned at a desired height relative to a backrest and at a desired distance from backrest rails of the seat. Furthermore, contemplated movable back supports can be moved forwardly into a back of a user or rearwardly away from the back of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Convaid by Etac
    Inventor: Paul Buczek
  • Patent number: 12167985
    Abstract: The invention relates to a treatment chair (1) comprising a headrest (2), connected to the chair (1) with a headrest arm (4), and a position adjustment member (3) for the headrest (2). The position adjustment member (3) comprises at least one ratchet mechanism (5) to lock the headrest (2) in a wanted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: Planmeca OY
    Inventor: Pentti Hyvärinen
  • Patent number: 12161592
    Abstract: An articulating chair and a method of using same, include at least one actuator, a programmable controller, and movable upper back, lower back and seat bottom sections. In another aspect, an articulating wheelchair and a method of using same, include a seat bottom section, a lower frame to which the seat bottom section is coupled, floor-contacting wheels rotatably coupled to the lower frame, an upper back section, a lower back section, a back frame to which the upper back section and the lower back section are movably coupled, electromagnetic actuators coupled to the back sections, a battery mounted to at least one of the frames, and a programmable controller connected to the actuators and the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Tamara Reid Bush, Justin Scott
  • Patent number: 12161225
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a mechanical extension apparatus for an extendable chair unit and a chair unit including such mechanical extension apparatus. The mechanical extension apparatus includes: a reclining apparatus that include multiple links attached to the seat, the backrest and the footrest of the extendable seat, and such reclining apparatus is configured to convert the extendable seat between a sitting position and a lying position. The mechanical extension apparatus also includes an actuator that is attached to the reclining apparatus, and the actuator is configured to electronically convert the extendable seat between the sitting position and the lying position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: REMACRO TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaohong Li, Wei Liu, Gang Song, Yuankun Li
  • Patent number: 12139055
    Abstract: A child restraint spin lock is adapted to be installed in a safety seat that includes a base member and a mid base being rotatable relative to the base member about an axis. The child restraint spin lock includes two locking components and a pivot component. The locking components are adapted to be co-rotatably connected to the mid base, are spaced apart from each other, and are adapted to be movable relative to the base member between a locked position and an unlocked position. The pivot component is adapted to be rotatable relative to the mid base about the axis, and is pivotally connected between the locking components such that movements of the locking components are synchronized by rotation of the pivot component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: WONDERLAND SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventor: Bruce L. Williams