Patents Examined by Glenn Dayoan
  • Patent number: 11518290
    Abstract: An interlocking tailgate utility bar for a vehicle having a tailgate at least partially defining a cargo area includes a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface and configured to be disposed against an inner wall of the tailgate when the tailgate is in an open position, opposed front and rear side surfaces, and opposed ends. A striker assembly is disposed at each end of the opposed ends and includes a striker configured to be releasably coupled to tailgate latches located on opposed sides of the tailgate to thereby selectively releasably secure the interlocking tailgate utility bar to the tailgate. A rail channel is configured to receive an attachment device of a vehicle accessory to thereby removably couple the vehicle accessory to the interlocking tailgate utility bar and thus the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Carl D May, Bryan J Macek, Douglas E Peoples
  • Patent number: 11518219
    Abstract: A vehicle may include: a window frame; a window glass pane configured to be manually raised and lowered with respect to the window frame; a hook fixed to an inner surface of the window glass pane; a bracket fixed to the window frame and configured to engage with the hook in a state where the window glass pane is in a fully closed position; and a cover covering a lower end of the bracket. A surface of the bracket may include a portion exposed from the cover, the portion being configured to be in contact with the hook in a state where the bracket engages with the hook.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Toyota, Sho Tsumita, Yoshiyuki Ryuno
  • Patent number: 11518446
    Abstract: A vehicle wiper system includes a drive mechanism, a wiper and a gutter each connected to the drive mechanism, and a locking mechanism. The wiper has a stowed position and an extended position. The drive mechanism reciprocally moves the wiper about a pivot axis to sweep a defined area of a windshield. The drive mechanism moves the gutter together with the wiper about the pivot axis between a stowed position and a deployed position wherein the gutter extends along a lateral edge of the windshield. The locking mechanism is configured to lock the gutter in the deployed position allowing the gutter to be statically disposed at the deployed position while the wiper is reciprocally moved about the pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Matthew L. Metka, Pirooz Moradnia
  • Patent number: 11518282
    Abstract: An armrest has a base, a sliding part movable translationally relative to the base between a first end position and a second end position, and first and second guides on base. One of the guides has a first bearing and a second bearing at least one of which is pivotal in a respective bearing seat. The other guide has a first guide bar and a second guide bar spaced apart in a movement direction and movable jointly in the movement direction relative to the respective first and second bearings. The first guide bar extends in a straight line along a first longitudinal axis and the second guide bar in a straight line along a second longitudinal axis. The first longitudinal axis and/or the second longitudinal axis extends at an angle to a straight line extending through a center of the first bearing and a center of the second bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: GRAMMER AG
    Inventors: Ralph Nuss, Rainer Schollenberg
  • Patent number: 11518451
    Abstract: An airflow adjusting apparatus includes two or more airflow generators and a controller. The airflow generators are arranged in first and second directions along a surface of an object. The airflow generators are configured to generate respective airflows in parallel directions parallel along the surface of the object. The second direction intersects with the first direction. The controller is configured to control outputs from the respective airflow generators independently of each other. The controller is configured to cause a total output from the airflow generators in a first group to be greater than a total output of the airflow generators in a second group. The airflow generators in the first and the second groups are arranged side by side in an airflow generation direction. The airflow generators in the second group are adjacent to those in the first group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoto Watanabe, Yusaku Dogahira
  • Patent number: 11518325
    Abstract: There is provided a reinforcement member for a vehicle which includes a cylindrical body section having a continuously closed cross section intersecting with a longitudinal direction. The cylindrical body section has a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface. The third surface has a fourth surface extending away from the second surface, and a fifth surface connecting the fourth surface and the first surface to each other. In a sectional view when viewed in the longitudinal direction, in a case where a virtual line connecting a first intersection portion where the first surface and the third surface intersect with each other and a second intersection portion where the second surface and the third surface intersect with each other is set, a third intersection portion where the fourth surface and the fifth surface intersect with each other protrudes outward with respect to the virtual line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kimihiro Nogiwa, Masayuki Ishizuka, Norieda Ueno, Kenta Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11519215
    Abstract: A sensor bracket for mounting, on a vehicle, a capacitance sensor in which a loop-shaped electric wire serving as a sensor electrode extends from a sensor main body includes a bracket main body on which the sensor main body is arranged with the electric wire looping back so as to extend in parallel with each other at a constant distance from each other, and a plate spring portion being supported by the bracket main body in a cantilever manner, having, on a tip side, a hooking portion disposed to which the electric wire can be hooked, and providing the electric wire hooked to the hooking portion with tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuma Kuroyanagi, Wataru Hattori, Hironori Koeda
  • Patent number: 11511692
    Abstract: An attachment device is mounted to a utility terrain vehicle for supporting a working accessory to the utility terrain vehicle. The attachment device has a saddle formed therein straddling the trailer hitch receiver tube of the utility terrain vehicle, and a pair of adapter brackets mounted thereto on respective side of the saddle. The adapter brackets are configured for mounting to the rear suspension posts of the vehicle and to the pivot bolts of the upper and lower control arms of the rear suspension of the vehicle. The attachment device reinforces the connection of the hitch receiver tube to the chassis of the vehicle. Any torsion stress applied to the attachment device is transmitted directly to the suspension of the vehicle, whereby a rolling of the vehicle is a direct indication of the torsion applied to the vehicle by the accessory being used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Inventor: Daniel Lebouthillier
  • Patent number: 11511820
    Abstract: A footrest system for use on a snowmobile. The footrest system includes a footrest that extends from a first proximal end to a second distal end. A fender covers a proximal portion of the footrest to define a toe pocket. A snow evacuation bore passes through the proximal portion of the footrest and the fender. The snow evacuation bore is configured to pass snow out of the toe pocket and through the footrest and fender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Hedlund
  • Patent number: 11511812
    Abstract: A vehicle frame structure has a front side member that extends forward from a dashwall. An engine cradle is attached to the front side member with a lateral side portion of the engine cradle being located beneath and spaced apart from a lower surface of the front side member. An engine is installed to the engine cradle with a portion of the engine extending upward from the engine cradle adjacent to the inboard surface of the front side member. An inboard push structure has an inboard surface, an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion is attached to an inboard surface of the front side member. The lower portion extends downward below a lower surface of the front side member. The inboard surface faces the engine proximate the lateral portion of the lateral side portion of the engine cradle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jordan Renn, Masayuki Kato, David Coakley, Yasutsune Terashima, Shuichi Okada, Syu Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11511673
    Abstract: A console element for connection to a vehicle floor of a vehicle, having a main body having a main body base and main body side walls, and having front connectors and rear connectors that are attached in each case to an underside of the main body base and can be inserted in receptacles arranged on the vehicle floor of the vehicle by means of a horizontal movement of the main body along a joining direction, characterized in that the front connectors and the rear connectors are designed to be self-centering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wadim Gasmann, Thomas Grimbach
  • Patent number: 11511685
    Abstract: A wire harness routing device includes a rail in which an insertion hole is formed, a slider that is inserted into the insertion hole and that slides with respect to the rail, and a wire harness that is routed in the insertion hole and moves in accordance with sliding of the slider, and an excess length portion of the wire harness that is generated in accordance with movement of the wire harness deforms in the insertion hole and is held in a state in which it is accommodated in the insertion hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Yamamoto, Kazuyoshi Ohara
  • Patent number: 11511808
    Abstract: An apparatus for a vehicle body including a rocker insert is provided. The apparatus includes a vehicle body including a plurality of metallic structure members and a lower portion operable to provide support to a floor surface within a passenger compartment of a vehicle and a rocker insert mounted to an in-vehicle side portion of the lower portion. The rocker insert includes an elongated bar portion including a hollow center portion including internal reinforcing web features. The rocker insert is oriented with respect to the vehicle body such that a longitudinal axis of the elongated bar portion of the rocker insert is parallel to an in-vehicle forward direction of the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Halonen, Terry A. Swartzell, Yiran Tong, Luke A. Reini, Andrew W. White, Michael D. Regiec, Warren J. Parsons, Monte L. Taylor
  • Patent number: 11511811
    Abstract: A vehicle frame structure has a front side member that extends forward from a dashwall. An engine cradle is attached to the front side member with a lateral side portion of the engine cradle being located beneath and spaced apart from a lower surface of the front side member. An engine installed to the engine cradle with a portion of the engine extending upward from the engine cradle adjacent to an inboard surface of the front side member, A push-off structure is attached to an outboard surface of the front side member adjacent to a front end surface of the front side member. A portion of the push-off structure extends outboard from the outboard surface. Another portion of the push-off structure extends downward below the lower surface of the front side member toward the lateral portion of the engine cradle and the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jordan Renn, Masayuki Katou, David Coakley, Yasutsune Terashima, Shuichi Okada, Syu Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11505251
    Abstract: A system for managing lateral loads in a vehicle includes a crossmember and one or more structures that may be deformable. The crossmember is arranged laterally spanning a first longitudinal frame member, arranged on a first side of the vehicle, and a second longitudinal frame member of the vehicle, arranged on a second side of the vehicle. The structure is affixed to one lateral side of the vehicle, arranged longitudinally forward of the crossmember, arranged laterally outside of the first frame member, and is configured to deform during a small overlap collision. The structure, when under load, is configured to apply a lateral force on an end of the crossmember to cause lateral displacement of the vehicle. A vehicle may include a structure on each side of the vehicle to generate lateral displacement of the vehicle away from a colliding rigid barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Anish Shah, Akshat Chauhan, Alastair Donald, Mohammed Nomaan Khan
  • Patent number: 11505273
    Abstract: A straddle type vehicle characterized by comprising: an air guiding plate arranged on a front side of the straddle type vehicle; and a display control unit configured to display information concerning automatic traveling control of the straddle type vehicle, wherein the display control unit displays the information concerning the automatic traveling control on the air guiding plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kihoko Kaita, Masashi Hagimoto, Yoshiyuki Kuroba, Hiroshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 11505130
    Abstract: A component tray assembly for a vehicle. For example, the component tray assembly may be installed between a body of the vehicle and a seat bulkhead of the vehicle. The component tray assembly may include at least a component shelf, a cover disposed over the component shelf, and one or more components. In some examples, the component shelf includes three openings and the one or more components include three speakers respectively disposed within the openings. The component shelf may further include notches located proximate to the side of the component shelf where the component shelf attaches to the seat bulkhead. The positions and shapes of the openings and the notches may create a weakened region of the component shelf that is configured to deform the component tray assembly during a collision. By deforming, the component tray assembly is configured to minimize the amount of force that is imparted to the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Mikael Jarsaeter, Markus Jost, Andrew Frank Raczkowski, Goutham Shanmuga Sundaram
  • Patent number: 11505146
    Abstract: A bumper cross member designed as a hollow chamber profile for a motor vehicle having an upper component and a lower component joined to the upper component. Both components are each designed as a half shell having two legs spaced apart from one another and a web connecting the legs. An insert plate is joined to the legs of the half shells. The insert plate is arranged between the joints of the legs of the half shells facing toward one another and bridges the joint spacing between the legs of the two half shells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: KIRCHHOFF AUTOMOTIVE DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Michael Weige
  • Patent number: 11505257
    Abstract: For improving the driving dynamics of a motor vehicle with two rear longitudinal members which are spaced apart from one another and which each have a rear axle bushing for receiving a rear axle and are connected to one another by a cross-member which is at the rear in the main travel direction of the motor vehicle, the rear cross-member has in the plane of its extent an offset in the direction of the rear of the vehicle. When considered in the vertical direction of the motor vehicle, an upper cross-member is located above the rear cross-member, wherein the upper cross-member is attached to the rear longitudinal members in the region of the respective rear axle bushings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mihaly Gonda, Tatjana Schoierer
  • Patent number: 11505266
    Abstract: The invention relates to a crossmember for motor vehicle construction, having at least two modules that can be arranged one above the other, wherein each module has an inner side wall and an outer side wall, which are connected to one another at their upper ends by an upper wall and at their lower ends by a lower wall, wherein the upper wall of the lower module has, over the longitudinal extent thereof, a raised portion or depression, which engages in a complementary depression or raised portion of the lower wall of the upper module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: BENTELER AUTOMOBILTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Rodscha Drabon, Siegmund Czerr, Hendrik Reineke, Stefan Grottke