Patents Examined by Drew J. Brown
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Patent number: 11351952Abstract: The invention relates to a releasable retaining device (10) for a tether (16) of an airbag, comprising a retainer (12), a slit (14) for receiving the tether (16), a blocking member (18) made from metal which is displaceable between a blocking position in which it maintains the tether (16) blocked in the slit (14) and a release position in which the tether (16) is released, and comprising a pyrotechnical igniter (20) coupled to the blocking member (18) such that, upon activation of the igniter (20), the blocking member is displaced from the blocking position to the release position. Moreover, a housing (32) including a retaining device (10) for an airbag is provided.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2019Date of Patent: June 7, 2022Assignees: ZF AUTOMOTIVE GERMANY, ZF AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS POLAND SP.ZO.OInventors: Jens Debler, Maciej Sadowski
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Patent number: 11343970Abstract: A lawn mower includes a pair of electric motors configured to drive respective driven wheels and a control assembly. The control assembly includes a controller configured to control operation of the pair of electric motors, a bracket, a pivot bar, and rotation assembly. The rotation assembly is configured to rotatably mount the pivot bar to the bracket such that the pivot bar is configured to rotate between a forward position, a neutral position, and a rear position about a first axis and between an operative position and a stopped position about a second axis. The control assembly also includes a magnet and a position sensor spaced apart from the magnet. The position sensor is configured to detect rotation of the pivot bar about the first axis. The lawn mower also includes a return-to-neutral assembly configured to bias the pivot bar toward the neutral position about the first axis.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2021Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignee: Hydro-Gear Limited PartnershipInventor: Nathan W. Bonny
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Patent number: 11345390Abstract: A steering device according to an embodiment includes a pipe, a housing, and a telescopic mechanism. The housing includes a first support portion which supports the pipe from below, and a second support portion and a third support portion which support the pipe from above. A central angle of the pipe formed by any one contact point of a contact point between an outer peripheral surface of the pipe and the second support portion and a contact point between the outer peripheral surface of the pipe and the third support portion, and an intersection point between a center line and the outer peripheral surface of the pipe is set in a range of 45° to 60°.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2021Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignee: YAMADA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventor: Kyohei Tokizaki
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Patent number: 11345299Abstract: A roof curtain airbag for a vehicle includes an airbag cushion that is expanded to a space between passengers seated on respective seats when a plurality of seats are arranged to face each other, so that a collision between the passengers is prevented and the passengers are protected from impact by the airbag cushion.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2020Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.Inventors: Ga Ram Jeong, Hae Kwon Park, Sang Won Hwangbo
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Patent number: 11338880Abstract: A personal transport vehicle is provided, which includes a front wheel assembly having a front rim and a front tire seated on the front rim, and a rear wheel assembly having a rear rim and a rear tire seated on the rear rim. The vehicle also includes a motor disposed within the rear rim of the rear wheel assembly and coupled to a mount of the rear rim, where the motor is configured to rotate the rear tire to cause movement of the personal transport vehicle. The vehicle further includes a frame coupled to the front wheel assembly and to the motor disposed within the rear wheel assembly, and a steering arm coupled to the front wheel assembly within the front rim for controlling movement of the front tire for steering the personal transport vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2021Date of Patent: May 24, 2022Assignee: NANTMOBILITY, LLCInventor: Nathan Howard Allen
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Patent number: 11325636Abstract: A steering column device includes an inner tube, a housing, and a lock mechanism configured. The lock mechanism includes a first engagement member, a second engagement member, a first urging member, a second urging member, a cam member configured to rotate about a rotation axis extending in a direction in which the first urging member and the second urging member are arranged such that the second urging member serving as a follower is moved in the direction in which the first urging member and the second urging member are arranged to change a magnitude relationship between an urging force of the first urging member and an urging force of the second urging member, and an operation lever configured to operate the cam member.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2021Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Susumu Imagaki, Masayoshi Sakuda, Takahiro Baito, Takuya Adachi, Kota Higuchi, So Tanaka, Kazuki Fujiwara, Kenji Utsunomiya
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Patent number: 11325554Abstract: A restraint system includes a seat defining a cross-seat axis. The seat includes a seat bottom and a seatback supported by the seat bottom. An airbag is mounted to the seat bottom and is inflatable upwardly from the seat bottom to an inflated position. The airbag, in the inflated position, includes a panel spaced from the seatback and two extensions each extending from the panel to the seatback. The extensions are spaced from each other along the cross-seat axis.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2020Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Mohammad Omar Faruque, S. M. Iskander Farooq, Dean M. Jaradi
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Patent number: 11318907Abstract: An airbag assembly for a motor vehicle includes an inflatable airbag, a tether, and at least one guide member. The tether controls deployment of the inflatable airbag. The tether has a fixed length between a first end and a second end. The at least one guide member slidably receives the tether such that the tether has a first adjustable length portion between the first end and the at least one guide member and the tether has a second adjustable length portion between the second end and the at least one guide member.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2019Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.Inventors: Xiaohong Wang, Hiroki Sasakura
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Patent number: 11318982Abstract: A steering column device includes a metal outer-side cylindrical member, a metal inner-side cylindrical member, and a resin intermediate cylindrical member that is disposed between the outer-side cylindrical member and the inner-side cylindrical member. The intermediate cylindrical member has an oil feed orifice through which the semisolid lubricating oil is guided from an outer circumferential face side to an inner circumferential face side when inserting the intermediate cylindrical member into the outer-side cylindrical member.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2021Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Hidenori Kakinuma, Yasunori Kamitani, Soma Iwai, Keiji Kishimoto
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Patent number: 11318983Abstract: Embodiments may allow the steering wheel to be received in a vehicle body to secure a space for the driver's seat in autonomous driving mode and prevent the steering wheel from interfering with the driver's body, thereby allowing for the driver's comfortable movement while preventing the driver from intervening in steering.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2021Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: MANDO CORPORATIONInventors: HyunBi Kwon, SeungWoo Cheon
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Patent number: 11312325Abstract: An assembly includes a seat bottom and a seat back extending upwardly from the seat bottom. An airbag is supported by the seat back and is inflatable to an inflated position above the seat. A pyrotechnic actuator is mounted to the seat bottom and is connected to the airbag. When the airbag is inflated to the inflated position, the pyrotechnic actuator pulls the airbag toward the seat bottom.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2020Date of Patent: April 26, 2022Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: S. M. Iskander Farooq, Mohammad Omar Faruque, Dean M. Jaradi
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Patent number: 11305807Abstract: A steering column for a vehicle includes a support assembly configured to attach to the vehicle. An axially movable steering spindle jacket is disposed in the support assembly. A jacket housing is attached to the steering spindle jacket. The jacket housing includes a slot formed therethrough and an interior space accessible through the slot. An energy absorbing element is disposed within the interior space and is attached to the jacket housing. A motor drive assembly is configured to cause the steering spindle jacket to extend and retract axially. A length adjustment support is operatively attached to the motor drive assembly and configured to engage the energy absorbing element, wherein during an impact event movement of the steering spindle jacket relative to the length adjustment support causes a post to actuate the energy absorbing element to reduce the effects of the impact.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2020Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP PRESTA AG, THYSSENKRUPP AGInventors: Luke McClelland, Kevin Templin, Adam Cabaj
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Patent number: 11305720Abstract: An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant (20) of a vehicle (12) having a seat (16 or 22) for receiving the occupant (20) includes an inflatable protection device (14) inflatable from a stored condition in the vehicle (12) adjacent a reaction surface (19, 23, 36) to a deployed condition between the reaction surface and the vehicle occupant (20). The protection device (14) includes a front portion (62) presented toward the seat (22) and an inflatable volume for receiving a penetrating occupant (20?) when the protection device (14) is in the deployed condition. A rear portion (64) connected to the front portion (62) has an inflatable volume spaced from the front portion (62) by a space (110). The front portion (62) is positioned between the vehicle occupant (20) and the rear portion (64) when the protection device (14) is in the deployed condition.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2019Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: TRW AUTOMOTIVE GMBHInventors: Kurt F. Fischer, Roy Turnbull, Douglas M. Gould, Michael Stegmeier, Christof Werner, Simon Schmid
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Patent number: 11299192Abstract: An operating arrangement for a vehicle includes a steering column retractable into and extendable out of a dashboard, a steering shaft that is retractable and extendable relative to the steering column, a steering wheel on an end of the steering shaft, and a steering column module arranged on the steering column between the steering wheel and the dashboard. The steering column module has a screen positioned behind the steering wheel. In a manual vehicle driving mode, the steering column is extended out of the dashboard to position the steering wheel and the steering column module away from the dashboard. In an automatic (or autonomous) vehicle mode, the steering column is retracted into the dashboard to position the steering column module against the dashboard and the steering shaft is retracted relative to the steering column to position the steering wheel adjacent the dashboard with the screen resting against the steering wheel.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2020Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignee: KOSTAL Automobil Elektrik GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Klaus Hirschfeld, Peter Floeper, Martin Deitmerg, Knut Moldenhauer, Ludwig Feldmueller
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Patent number: 11293467Abstract: A load anchor assembly for attachment to a tubular member having an exterior surface, comprising an anchor base and a portion extending from the anchor base adapted to secure a vehicle component. The assembly includes a boss having a first flanged end and a second end, where the boss is adapted to be positioned in first and second apertures in the exterior surface of the tubular member with the flanged end in contact with the first aperture and the second end accessible through the second aperture. There is at least one fastener connected to the anchor base and the second end to secure the anchor base to the flanged boss.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2019Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Auto IP LLCInventors: Paolo Tiramani, Kyle Denman
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Patent number: 11292502Abstract: A steering assembly for a machine is provided. The steering assembly includes a frame. The steering assembly also includes a steering column mounted on the frame. The steering column includes a steering input device and a controller communicably coupled to the steering input device. The steering assembly further includes a steering wheel operably coupled to the steering column. The steering wheel is disposed adjacent to the steering input device.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: John James Krone, Kenneth Marvin Roat, Jeremy Todd Peterson, Robert T. Cameron, Jason Rex Dare, Micheal David Valerio, Michael Weston Burns
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Patent number: 11292422Abstract: A restraint system includes a reaction surface and an airbag supported by the reaction surface. The airbag is inflatable along an axis away from the reaction surface to an inflated position. The airbag includes an inner portion and an outer portion concentric with the inner portion about the axis. The inner portion and the outer portion define a gap therebetween in the inflated position. The airbag includes a panel extending radially across the gap from the inner portion to the outer portion. The panel is uninflatable.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Dean M. Jaradi, Zhenyan Gao, S. M. Iskander Farooq, Mohammad Omar Faruque
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Patent number: 11285904Abstract: A seat airbag for a vehicle includes a first cushion and a second cushion located at the upper end portion of a seatback and configured to be inflated upwards on opposite sides of an occupant sitting in a seat and subsequently to be bent downwards from an upper side of the occupant to cause an end portion of each of the first cushion and the second cushion to be located in front of the occupant. A third cushion is disposed between the first cushion and the second cushion to connect the first cushion and the second cushion to each other.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2020Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventors: Yu Mi Jung, Hyock In Kwon, Hyo Shub Shin
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Patent number: 11285989Abstract: A steering column has an actuating unit and retaining unit. A clamping device includes a clamping lever and a clamping shaft which are rotationally coupled and the clamping shaft has a cam which is connected to the clamping shaft in a rotationally fixed manner. A fixing device includes an arresting element and is arranged in the retaining unit. An engagement element is connected to the actuating unit. The cam and a guide track of the arresting element such that the arresting element can be brought into engagement with the engagement element by a rotary movement of the cam. The guide track has a first ramp region, a second ramp region and, situated therebetween, a transition region starting from which the ramp regions are formed, wherein the first ramp region is designed as a rising ramp, and the second ramp region comprises a falling ramp.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2019Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP PRESTA AG, THYSSENKRUPP AGInventor: Balint Kalman Nagy
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Patent number: 11285987Abstract: A steering column for a motor vehicle has an actuating unit that encloses a steering shaft that is rotatable about a rotation axis and which by way of the rear end region thereof that faces the rear of the vehicle is disposed so as to, by means of a first motorized drive, be vertically pivotable by way of an articulated pivot lever on a holding unit which is fastened to the vehicle chassis. The cost-effective attachment of the front end region of the steering column is improved in that the actuating unit in the front end region that faces the front of the vehicle is provided with an elastic bracket element which is fixedly connectable to the vehicle chassis and on account of an elastic deformation permits vertical pivoting as well as axial displacement of the actuating unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2019Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP PRESTA AG, THYSSENKRUPP AGInventors: Robert Galehr, Thomas Raich