Patents Examined by Dennis H. Pedder
  • Patent number: 11718252
    Abstract: A bumper arrangement includes a cross member and two deformation elements for arrangement between end regions of the cross member and longitudinal members of a motor vehicle. The cross member is hollow with a front and rear walls and upper and lower walls. The front wall has a depression extending in longitudinal direction of the cross member. The depression has a deepest region extending at a distance from the rear wall. The upper and lower walls of the cross member each have in the end regions a further depression which extends in longitudinal direction of the cross member, so that the upper wall and the lower wall are more corrugated in the end regions than in a central region of the cross member, so that the distance between the front wall and the rear wall in the end regions is smaller than in a central region of the cross member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Johannes Aalberg
  • Patent number: 11718350
    Abstract: This vehicle body side structure includes: side sills provided at both end portions of a floor section in a width direction of a vehicle and extending in a forward/rearward direction of the vehicle; a pillar extending upward from each of the side sills and having a pillar outer provided on an outside in the width direction of the vehicle; a crushing member provided on an inside in the width direction of the vehicle with respect to the pillar outer, having a lower portion joined to the side sill, and extending upward; an impactor which is provided above the crushing member, which is joined to an inside of the pillar outer in the width direction of the vehicle, and in which the impactor and the crushing member at least partially overlap in an upward/downward direction; and a seatbelt winding device provided on the outside in the width direction of the vehicle with respect to the crushing member and disposed inside an accommodation concave section formed in the impactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Hasegawa, Hitomi Yamada, Ryotaro Takeuchi, Takayuki Fujii
  • Patent number: 11713011
    Abstract: A vehicle bumper assembly includes a bumper beam and a crush can attached to an end portion of the bumper beam. An impact dispersion plate is attached to a front face of the bumper beam at the end portion of the bumper beam. A front surface of the impact dispersion plate extends downward from the front face of the bumper beam. A lower reinforcement member attached to a rear surface of the impact dispersion plate and extends along a lower section of the impact dispersion plate. An upright reinforcement member has an upper portion attached to the bumper beam and a lower portion attached to the lower reinforcement member. The upright and lower reinforcement members are configured, upon impact with a barrier, to disperse deformation of the barrier over the impact dispersion plate below the bumper beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Shape Corp.
    Inventors: Andreas Krasel, Stephane Anquetil, Jan {hacek over (S)}pergl, Pritish Avachat
  • Patent number: 11713084
    Abstract: A body front-end structure for a two-track vehicle, having an A-pillar from which an upper wheel well longitudinal member projects toward the front of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and from which a lower body longitudinal member that is offset toward the inside of the vehicle with respect to the upper wheel well longitudinal member projects toward the front of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In a head-on crash with small lateral overlap, a suspension strut dome is loaded with a crash force in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The body front-end structure has a sheet-metal tension strip that connects the suspension strut dome to the lower body longitudinal member in a force-transmitting manner. In the event of a head-on crash, the sheet-metal tension strip provides a load path through which a tensile force opposing the crash force acts on the suspension strut dome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerhard Schmidt, Mario Ubaldo, Soeren Krengel
  • Patent number: 11712951
    Abstract: An articulating front top cover assembly adapted for connecting to a vehicle in sealing engagement with a hard top portion of a roof of the vehicle. A pivotal portion includes a multi-bar over-center linkage arrangement. The pivotal portion is movable between at least a closed position over the front vehicle compartment and an open position with a passive lock from the multi-bar linkage assembly for an open air feel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Bestop, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathon G. Moore, David A. Smith, Charles C. Turney, Stephen J. Lewis, William H. Haberkamp
  • Patent number: 11712952
    Abstract: A soft top cover assembly including a pivotal portion adapted for attaching at a roof top opening of a vehicle to selectively close off the roof top opening and open up the roof top opening for an open-air experience. The assembly has a cover attached to a first bow member of the pivotal portion and a rear header. Selectively rotating the pivotal portion covers and uncovers the roof top opening. The assembly has at least one pair of shutface appliques adjacent to the sides of the roof top opening. At least one pair of rear side belt mounts incorporating a belt rail and adapted to connect to the vehicle and operable to attach LH/RH rear side windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Bestop Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen J. Lewis, Eric D. Getzschman, Duane C. Junkin, David A. Smith, Charles C. Turney, Edward S. Piec, Jonathon G. Moore, Brandon Kincaid, Eric J. Hanson
  • Patent number: 11708114
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body including: an elongated frame made of a first material and extending along a door opening; and an elongated rail made of a second material having a linear expansion coefficient different from that of the first material, the rail covering the frame and extending along the frame, the rail being configured to abut with a weather strip when a door closes the door opening. The rail is fixed to the frame at a plurality of fixation parts that includes: a first fixation part provided in an intermediate part of the rail in the longitudinal direction of the rail; and second fixation parts provided, respectively, in opposite end parts of the rail in its longitudinal direction. In the longitudinal direction of the rail, backlash widths at the second fixation parts are larger than a backlash width at the first fixation part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro Yanaka, Shinji Kurachi, Masayuki Koizumi
  • Patent number: 11708036
    Abstract: A thermoplastic composite article comprising a porous core layer and a textured film disposed on a first surface of the porous core layer is described. The composite article can be configured as a recreational vehicle building substrate such as a ceiling or interior wall panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Hanwha Azdel, Inc.
    Inventors: Liqing Wei, Mark O. Mason
  • Patent number: 11708119
    Abstract: A cargo bed for a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) having a floor, a tailgate, and a pair of sidewalls. The cargo bed is operable to convert from a walled configuration into a wall-stored configuration while at least one of the tailgate and the pair of sidewalls remain mechanically-connected to the floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nicholas Allicock, John White
  • Patent number: 11708115
    Abstract: A device for reinforcing, sealing, or damping a structural element in a motor vehicle including a support which has multiple cells, wherein each cell surrounds a cavity. Each cavity is at least partially delimited by walls in each direction, wherein each cell has an extension in length, height, and width between 5 mm and 100 mm. An outer surface of the support can be connected to the structural element by an adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: SIKA TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Patrick Cauchie, Ardi Shehu, Michael Meier, Vincent Belpaire, Denis Souvay
  • Patent number: 11708118
    Abstract: An embodiment running bare chassis assembly includes a front frame on which a front suspension is mounted, a rear frame assembly on which a battery carrier is mounted, wherein the rear frame assembly comprises, a first rear frame on which a rear suspension is mounted, a second rear frame coupled to the first rear frame and on which a radiator is mounted, and a battery carrier frame on which the battery carrier is mounted and which is coupled to the first rear frame through a second engagement, and a center frame coupled to the front frame and the rear frame assembly through a first engagement, wherein a stress distribution due to the first engagement is greater than a stress distribution due to the second engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Byung-Ha Min
  • Patent number: 11701950
    Abstract: A vehicle assembly includes, among other things, a cargo bed of a vehicle, a passenger side rail mounted to a passenger side wall assembly of the cargo bed, and a driver side rail mounted to a driver side wall assembly of the cargo bed. A crossbar is slidably coupled to the passenger and driver side rails. The crossbar is slidable along the passenger and driver side rails between a forward position and a rearward position. The crossbar is closer to a cab of the vehicle when the crossbar is in the forward position than when the crossbar is in the rearward position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, William Wurz, David Brian Glickman, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Pietro Buttolo
  • Patent number: 11702015
    Abstract: A cargo organizer is constructed from one or more bi-stable strips with at least one shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator per bi-stable strip. The cargo organizer can reside in the bi-stable strips elongated (flat) stable state and require little or no volume of the cargo compartment that it resides. Upon actuating a SMA actuator, the rapid conversion to the curved stable state can occur with the formation of a barrier to partition the cargo compartment into at least to portions. The transformation into the flat stable state removes the partition where the transformation can be via a second SMA actuator or manually. The cargo organizer can be incorporated into the cargo compartment in a manner that it translates from one site and orientation to one or more other sites or orientations by activation an actuator that can be an additional SMA actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Pinkelman, Umesh N. Gandhi, Ryohei Tsuruta, Paul A. Gilmore
  • Patent number: 11702144
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a body with a front section, a floor structure which adjoins the front section, and a floor panel, on the two longitudinal sides of which a sill is in each case arranged. The sills run from an A pillar, adjoining the front section, of the body as far as a C pillar of the body. An inner longitudinal member is on each longitudinal side of the floor panel. A bulkhead is arranged between the front section and the floor structure. Each sill is constructed from an inner C profile and an outer C profile. The first and second profile flanges of the C profiles, arranged in an overlapping manner, are connected, in particular welded, to the inner longitudinal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Piotr Kotlarski, Gagan Saket
  • Patent number: 11701952
    Abstract: A retractable truck bed closure is disclosed herein. The retractable truck bed closure comprises a pair of frames that extend across a truck bed between sidewalls of the truck bed. The closure may be moved between a stored configuration and an extended configuration along the pair of frames to open, and close, a portion of the truck bed, respectively. The frames may be attachable to the truck, or may be integrated into portions of the truck, such as the sidewalls of the truck bed or the rear of the cab of the truck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Inventor: Nicholas J. Singer
  • Patent number: 11702146
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a vehicle body element connecting joint for connecting a first body element to a second body element, which connecting joint comprises first and second elongate profiles arranged along adjacent edges of the first and second body elements, respectively. The connecting joint comprises a first projection protruding from the first elongate profile parallel to a side surface of the first elongate profile and extending towards a free end of the first elongate profile, a first recess arranged in a side surface of the second elongate profile and arranged parallel to an edge of the second elongate profile, wherein the first projection is inserted into the first recess. A first and second dovetail section protrude from the first and second elongate profile, respectively At least one fastening strip contacts the first and second dovetail sections to clamp the first and second elongate profiles to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Volvo Bus Corporation
    Inventor: Lars Carlden
  • Patent number: 11697328
    Abstract: A door curtain assembly having a sub-curtain unit is provided and includes a main fabric that is wound in a trim of a vehicle door; and a main shade bar that is installed in an upper end of the main fabric and fixed to a hook provided in the door when the main fabric is deployed. A sub-curtain part is additionally deployed after the main curtain part is deployed. The sub-curtain part includes a sub-housing having a first side hinge-coupled to the door and a second side interlocked with ascending or descending of the main shade bar. Additionally, a sub-fabric is wound in the sub-housing and a sub-shade bar is installed in an end portion of the sub-fabric in a length direction of the sub-housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jae-Seung Lee
  • Patent number: 11697330
    Abstract: A perimeter frame for a sunshade module includes a sunshade opening, a guiderail, and a housing. The guiderail includes an end face, and a guideway, a mounting flange, and an attachment channel extending therefrom. The guideway opens inwardly to the sunshade opening, the mounting flange projects outwardly away from the sunshade opening, and the attachment channel opens downwardly from therebetween. The housing includes a guiderail adaptor. The guiderail adaptor is inserted into the attachment channel, secured to the attachment channel using a fastener installed from above the attachment channel, and engages the attachment channel from below.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Aisin Technical Center of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob Grimaldo, Micah Wedekind, Michael Mixon
  • Patent number: 11691539
    Abstract: A seat clamp is provided for securing a seat in a folded position and is adapted to be attached between a cargo hook in the vehicle and a seat. A clamp body is formed of plastic and has a first attachment feature along a first end, for securing the seat clamp to the cargo hook in the vehicle cargo area. A second attachment feature is formed at the second end of the clamp body for releasably securing the clamp body to a bracket on the seat with an interference fit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: MACLEAN-FOGG COMPANY
    Inventors: Bradley Warren Southwood, Aaron Jay Longstreet
  • Patent number: 11691678
    Abstract: A sealing system for a vehicle is configured to separate a vehicle cabin between a dry area and a wet area and to channel a spilled fluid or waste material inside the wet area to a collection area for cleaning. The sealing system may include one or more sealing members that can be extrusion molded to fill one or more gaps between two or more vehicle components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Goutham Shanmuga Sundaram, Mikael Jarsaeter, Maria Fernanda Villanueva Ochoa