Patents Examined by Drew J. Brown
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Patent number: 11613296Abstract: The disclosure relates to a latching device having a first latching unit and having at least one second latching unit, wherein first teeth of the first latching unit are formed in order to realize an interlocking latching connection with second teeth of the second latching unit, and the first teeth of the first latching unit have a first tooth tip in each case, wherein the first tooth tip forms a first tooth ridge extending in a longitudinal direction of the first tooth. In order to reliably resolve a tooth-on-tooth situation and to be able to realize the desired interlocking latching connection, wherein the first tooth ridge is designed to be curved at least in portions.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2021Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: ZF Automotive Germany GmbHInventors: Goriun Grigorians-Sohruli, Richard Büker
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Patent number: 11613294Abstract: A steering column for a motor vehicle, comprising a casing unit, in which a steering spindle is mounted rotatably about a longitudinal axis and which has at least two casing tubes which are guided adjustably relative to one another by an adjustment distance in the direction of the longitudinal axis. In order to permit easier adjustment, the casing tubes can be brought along the adjustment distance relative to one another into at least one comfort region and at least one transition region, wherein a transition adjustment force for the relative adjustment of the casing tubes in the transition region is smaller than a comfort adjustment force for the relative adjustment of the casing tubes in the comfort region.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2019Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP PRESTA AG, THYSSENKRUPP AGInventors: Tim Bayer, Daniel Kreutz
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Patent number: 11613297Abstract: A locking mechanism for an axially adjustable steering column includes a lock cam including a cam portion and a hub portion, wherein the cam portion and the hub portion are independent, separately formed components. The locking mechanism also includes a pin extending through the cam portion to permit the cam portion to pivot. The locking mechanism further includes a toothed portion formed on the cam portion for pivoting into engagement with teeth associated with the axially adjustable steering column in a locked position and out of engagement with the teeth in an unlocked position. The locking mechanism yet further includes an interface surface on the hub portion that includes at least one angled surface that interfaces with an adjustable lever and biases the cam portion from the locked position to the unlocked position.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2022Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding CorporationInventors: Donald A. Buzzard, Michael P. Anspaugh, Floyd E. Eschenbacher
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Patent number: 11613295Abstract: A vehicle interior system for a vehicle includes a steering wheel support assembly operable between retracted and extended positions and having a steering wheel coupled thereto, a foot pedal disposed within a foot well of the vehicle and operable between a foot pedal use position and a foot pedal stowed position, and a foot rest disposed within the foot well and operable between a foot rest use position and a foot rest stowed position. The movement of the steering wheel support assembly toward the retracted position causes the foot pedal to move toward the foot pedal stowed position and the foot rest to move toward the foot rest use position.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2021Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Michael John Harmon, Ryan Wayne Warner, Jesse Rene Diephuis, Andrew Brand, Andrew Smith
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Patent number: 11613298Abstract: A steering column assembly includes a jacket extending along an axis and including a pair of jacket mounting plates on opposite sides of the axis. The steering column assembly also includes a mounting bracket including a pair of mounting bracket plates spaced by a bridge, wherein each of the mounting bracket plates is operably connected to a jacket mounting plate. The steering column assembly further includes at least one of the mounting bracket plates including a mating aperture defined by a pivot portion that is circular and an insertion slot extending outwardly from the pivot portion. The steering column assembly yet further includes at least one of the jacket mounting plates including a mating projection that includes at least one tab interfacing with opposite sides of the pivot portion. The insertion slot is sized to allow the at least one tab to be inserted therein during assembly.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 2021Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATIONInventors: Joen C. Bodtker, Michael P. Anspaugh, Scott E. Rezmer, Melvin L. Tinnin
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Patent number: 11613227Abstract: A tether actuation unit includes an actuator configured to form a connection with a tether that is releasable in response to actuation of the actuator, and a housing configured to receive the actuator. The housing includes a tether channel configured to allow the tether to extend therethrough. The tether channel includes sidewalls configured to receive and engage the tether along a portion of its length when the tether extends at an angle from the housing. The sidewalls of the tether channel are configured to limit movement of the tether in response to airbag deployment in order to limit tension applied to the actuator by the tether to a predetermined range of non-orthogonal directions with respect to a central axis of the actuator.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2021Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.Inventors: Uriah Horton, Douglas Gould
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Patent number: 11608022Abstract: A roof airbag apparatus for a vehicle in which an airbag deploys downward from the interior roof and protects occupants seated in seats and the airbag has a bending shape by a tether so that the restraint on occupants is secured and the occupants are safely protected.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2021Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.Inventor: Byung Ho Min
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Patent number: 11597425Abstract: A friction plate for a vehicle steering system is provided. The friction plate includes a plate body defining a slot for receiving a rake bolt therethrough, the plate body having a planar side. The friction plate also includes a plurality of protrusions extending from the plate body to define a non-planar region of the friction plate.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2021Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding CorporationInventors: Yihong (Britney) Wu, Michael P. Anspaugh, Shenbing (Assur) Wen
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Patent number: 11597426Abstract: In a steering device according to an aspect of the present disclosure, a holding portion of a driven cam that is held in a tilt guide hole includes a lock contact portion that faces one side in a bolt circumferential direction and comes into contact with an inner peripheral edge of the tilt guide hole in a locked state to restrict the driven cam from rotating toward the one side in the bolt circumferential direction with respect to a rear side plate portion and a release contact portion that faces the other side in the bolt circumferential direction and comes into contact with the inner peripheral edge of the tilt guide hole in an unlocked state to restrict the driven cam from rotating toward the other side in the bolt circumferential direction with respect to the rear side plate portion.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2021Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: YAMADA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yasushi Yokokura, Kazuya Akaishi
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Patent number: 11591002Abstract: An absorber of steering column shock energy includes a plastically deformable part forming a loop, a breakaway link closing this loop on itself, and a first attachment interface and a second attachment interface separate from the breakaway link and arranged on either side of the loop. The part and the fusible link are arranged so that the exertion of forces in opposite directions on the first attachment interface and on the second attachment interface respectively, causes a stress leading to a deformation of the loop, breaking of the breakaway link and further deformation of the loop after this break.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2019Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: Robert Bosch Automotive Steering VendomeInventors: Mickael Sauquet, Eddy Dupont
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Patent number: 11591001Abstract: A steering column may include a first adjustment drive for adjustments in a length adjustment direction and a second adjustment drive for adjustments in a height adjustment direction. The adjustment drives each have a drive motor. A joint control unit for the drive motors comprises three half bridges arranged in parallel and connected between two voltage potentials. Each half bridge has a high-side switch and a low-side switch connected in series via a connection point. The connection point of the first half bridge is electrically conductively connected to a first connection of a first drive motor. The connection point of a second half bridge is electrically conductively connected to a second connection of the first drive motor and to a first connection of the second drive motor. The connection point of a third half bridge is electrically conductively connected to a second connection of the second drive motor.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2019Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP PRESTA AG, THYSSENKRUPP AGInventors: Miklos Siklodi, Gergoe Szegoe, Daniel Vitalis
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Patent number: 11590924Abstract: An airbag is installed in a seat, and since an airbag cushion is deployed from an upper side of the seat toward the front of a passenger to expand so as to cover the passenger, the upper body of the passenger is stably restrained. In addition, the airbag cushion is deployed while advancing forward so as not to be interfered with by the passenger by the guide wire, and the binding force of the airbag cushion is secured by the guide wire so that the protection performance for the passenger via the airbag cushion is improved.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2022Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.Inventor: Byeong Mann Ko
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Patent number: 11591004Abstract: A bracket includes a first plate that faces a steering column, a second plate that faces a column cover covering the steering column, and a third plate that connects the first plate and the second plate, and a fourth plate that intersects with the first plate and the third plate.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2019Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: NSK LTD.Inventors: Suguru Sugishita, Hikaru Okabe
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Patent number: 11584330Abstract: An airbag apparatus for a vehicle is proposed. The airbag apparatus is configured to protect an occupant from an impact during a vehicle collision, to restrain the occupant to minimize occupant injuries, and to have improved storage performance to reduce a seat package volume.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2021Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.Inventors: Choong Ryung Lee, Hae Kwon Park, Sang Won Hwangbo
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Patent number: 11577773Abstract: According to the present embodiments, it is possible to prevent a tooth-on-tooth engagement between gear teeth, which may occur during the telescoping operation of the steering column, thereby leading to stable locking of the steering column, enhancing the driver's feeling of lever manipulation, and preventing damage to components.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2022Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Assignee: HL MANDO CORPORATIONInventor: Bong Sung Ko
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Patent number: 11571943Abstract: A hollow stabilizer includes a curved part having eight regions defined in a cross section. A first region includes a 90° first part when the center of the inside of the curve is taken to be at 0° and the center of the outside of the curve is taken to be at 180°. A third region includes a 0° third part. A fifth region includes a 270° fifth part. A seventh region includes a 180° seventh part. The radii of curvature of the respective outer surfaces of the third part and the seventh part are larger and the radii of curvature of the respective outer surfaces of the second part and the sixth part are smaller than the radii of curvature of the respective outer surfaces of the fourth part and the fifth part.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2021Date of Patent: February 7, 2023Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.Inventors: Norihiro Kawakami, Yurika Okudaira, Yuushi Nogami
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Patent number: 11572094Abstract: An assembly for a steering column assembly including an engagement plate and a telescope plate at least partially disposed within the engagement plate. The engagement plate may be adapted to be located between a column tube of a steering column assembly and the telescope plate. The engagement plate and the telescope plate have one or more features for engaging with or contacting each other to provide energy absorption during an impact exceeding a threshold load. These features may include one or more projections or protrusions, one or more slots, one or more ribs, or a combination.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2021Date of Patent: February 7, 2023Assignee: NSK Americas, Inc.Inventors: Abhishek Mathur, Gerald Lim, Jonathon Lyte, Victor Corona Martinez, Simon Read, David Ray Hartman
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Patent number: 11565564Abstract: A suspension device includes: a damping device that damps a force generated between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether the vehicle is jumping, using an acceleration of the vehicle in a front-rear direction, an acceleration of the vehicle in a left-right direction, and an acceleration of the vehicle in a vertical direction; and a damping force control unit that increases a damping force of the damping device so as to be greater than the damping force generated when the determination unit does not determine that the vehicle is jumping, when the determination unit determines that the vehicle is jumping.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2020Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventor: Yosuke Murakami
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Patent number: 11565648Abstract: A guide assembly for a roof airbag arrangement of a vehicle includes a guide member, at least a first sliding member and a locking member. The first sliding member is carried by the guide member and translatable relative to the guide member along a translation axis. The locking member is carried by the guide member and is operable in a first position to permit the first sliding member to translate past the locking member in a first direction and operable in a second position to prevent translation of the first sliding member past the locking member in a second direction. The second direction being opposite to the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2021Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.Inventors: Tyler Glen Christiansen, Cesar Armando Tinajero, Charles Paul Dinsdale
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Patent number: 11560118Abstract: A drive assembly, in particular for driving a flap (5), includes a hinge assembly (2), comprising a first hinge part (3) connectable to a vehicle body and a second hinge part (4) connectable to a vehicle flap (5), a joint assembly (7) comprising at least a first joint part (8) hingedly connecting said first hinge part (3) with said second hinge part (4) and a first actuator (10) for driving the second hinge part (4) to move between an opened and a closed position during a normal operation. The first actuator (10) has a first end (10a) coupleable to a vehicle body pivotally about a first pivot axis (P1) and a second end (10b). The drive assembly also includes a bearing element connected (16) to the first actuator (10) and a coupling assembly (14) for coupling the first actuator (10) to the hinge assembly (2), comprising a first coupling part (15) having a first end (15a) and a second end (15b).Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2020Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: EDSCHA ENGINERRING GMBHInventors: Srinath Polisetty, Marc Milam, Christoph Meese, James Bong, Katharina Freund, Dan Tabacaru