Patents Examined by Greg Blankenship
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Patent number: 7399015Abstract: An underrun energy-absorbing structure (14) (“structure”) for a vehicle (10) includes a rail member (16), a deformable crush tube (18), and a plate (20). Rail member (16) is formed from an inboard panel (22) and an outboard panel (24). Crush tube (18) is sandwiched between inboard panel (22) and outboard panel (24) and extends perpendicularly from rail member (16). Plate (20) is adjacent to crush tube (18) and extends perpendicularly from rail member (16). Plate (20) is supported by crush tube (18) during a vehicle collision.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2006Date of Patent: July 15, 2008Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Deepak Patel, Bhimaraddi Alavandi, Thiag Subbian, Djamal Midoun
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Patent number: 7393038Abstract: A vehicle seat is provided which includes a seat base detachably mounted on a vehicle floor, a seat cushion detachably provided on the seat base, and a backrest foldably supported on the seat base. The seat cushion is detached from the seat base, and the seat cushion and the seat base with the backrest folded are juxtaposed to be stored in a recess provided in the vehicle floor or an area under another seat. In the case of non-use, the vehicle seat can be removed from the vehicle floor to be efficiently stored inside a vehicle. A vehicle seat storing structure and a vehicle seat structure are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2004Date of Patent: July 1, 2008Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kiyoshi Yajima, Yuichi Tsukada, Koji Kamida, Hidetaka Shinozaki, Tamotsu Oishi
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Patent number: 7390052Abstract: A recreational vehicle includes a hull coupled to a chassis where the hull is formed by coupling pre-formed panels together using two piece channel members, and/or the chassis is formed by mechanically coupling pre-formed segments together. In some instances, the two piece channel members will interconnect substantially perpendicular panels such as by coupling wall panels to a floor panel, to a ceiling panel, and to adjacent wall panels. Such a vehicle can be quickly assembled from space efficient pre-formed pieces by lower skilled assemblers than are typically required in manufacturing a recreational vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2005Date of Patent: June 24, 2008Assignee: Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: Jim Bertoch, Ken Biddle, Larry Budica, Scott Craig
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Patent number: 7384090Abstract: A flexible tonneau cover for trucks that is easily folded for storage or shipping. The tonneau cover has a collapsible peripheral frame, with supporting bows spanning the width of the frame. The bows include separable parts for storage or shipping and can be assembled and expanded to spread the frame.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2006Date of Patent: June 10, 2008Assignee: Advantage Truck Accessories, Inc.Inventor: Ross Weldy
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Patent number: 7384091Abstract: A vehicle door comprises a door panel member having an outer panel, the outer panel having a concave portion which receives a user's hand, a handle member which is provided outside the outer panel and extends to cross the concave portion, a base member which is fixed on an internal surface of the outer panel and supports end portions of the handle member on both sides of the concave portion, the base member being formed to have a shape of detouring around the concave portion and reaching from one end to the other end of the concave portion, within a range of a depth of the concave portion in a thickness direction of the door panel member.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2006Date of Patent: June 10, 2008Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kensuke Fukuda, Toshiyuki Adachi, Katsuhisa Ishihara, Atsuhiko Furukawa
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Patent number: 7380853Abstract: A crash worthy vehicle partition for securely separating the front of a vehicle from the rear of vehicle. The vehicle partition includes upper mounting brackets and lower mounting brackets that allow for limited, rearward motion of the vehicle parrition in the event of a rear-end collision to reduce the crash impact forces on front seat occupants. The vehicle partition further includes pivotable wings that are disposed on each side of the vehicle partition in a vehicle's side curtain airbag deployment zones. These pivota+e wings are mechanically retracted out of the side curtain airbag; deployment zones in the event of an airbag deployment event.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2005Date of Patent: June 3, 2008Inventor: James Wells
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Patent number: 7377579Abstract: A structure for mounting a horizontal hood latch to an automobile includes an upper panel of a front-end module and a bracket over-molded onto the upper panel of the front-end module. A pair of through-openings are provided on opposite side portions of the bracket that allow both surfaces of the bracket to be coated by plastic material and the bracket to be mounted onto the upper panel, as the plastic material is poured thereon.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2005Date of Patent: May 27, 2008Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.Inventor: Oh-jin Kwon
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Patent number: 7377574Abstract: A retractable top for a vehicle includes a front section, a middle section and a rear section. A first embodiment includes rigid front, middle and rear sections. A second embodiment includes rigid front and rear sections and a membranous middle section. A single retracting mechanism design is utilized for both the first and second embodiments, which allows selective movement of the front, middle and rear sections of the top between an open position and a closed position.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2005Date of Patent: May 27, 2008Assignee: Wilhelm Karmann GmbHInventors: Wolfgang Richter, David Connolly, Markus Wulf, Frank Neubrand
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Patent number: 7374219Abstract: There is disclosed a reinforcement member with a carrier member and a reinforcement material disposed on the carrier member.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2005Date of Patent: May 20, 2008Assignee: Zephyros, Inc.Inventor: Eric Brennecke
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Patent number: 7374218Abstract: A slide-out drive member controllably moves a slide-out section that is associated with a vehicle, such as a recreational vehicle, from a retracted position to an extended position. The slide-out drive member includes an inner driven member with embedded teeth with tips that are preferably substantially flush with a bottom surface of the inner driven member; and an outer member that houses the inner driven member along with a gear mechanism that engages with the teeth in the inner driven member to drive the inner driven member, thereby driving the slide-out section. The present slide-out tube overcomes the deficiencies of conventional slide-out tubes by driving the slide-out section in a smooth, uniform, even manner while providing a low profile.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2005Date of Patent: May 20, 2008Assignee: Lippert Components, Inc.Inventor: Robert Schneider
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Patent number: 7374231Abstract: Force and deceleration delimiting devices and methods for operating the same in a vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2005Date of Patent: May 20, 2008Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.Inventors: Jan H. Aase, Alan L. Browne, Nancy L. Johnson
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Patent number: 7364222Abstract: A wire collision sensor system for a vehicle, which includes a vehicle body, includes a bumper, a wire, a wire deformation sensor and a determination circuit. The bumper is mounted on a longitudinal end portion of the vehicle body. The wire, which senses a collision of the vehicle, is received in the bumper and extends along the bumper in a transverse direction of the vehicle. The wire is connected to at least one of the vehicle body and the bumper at both ends in such a manner that the wire is displaceable in a longitudinal direction of the wire. The wire deformation sensor electrically senses a physical quantity, which is associated with a deformation of the wire at a time of the collision. The wire deformation sensor transmits an output, which indicates the sensed physical quantity. The determination circuit determines a state of the collision based on the output.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2005Date of Patent: April 29, 2008Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Takatoshi Tanabe
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Patent number: 7360818Abstract: A structure of an auxiliary tail gate, to open and close a main cargo area when it is impossible to provide enough space to move a main tail gate because another vehicle or obstacle is parked or placed near, and to store small cargo separately from the main cargo area. The auxiliary tail gate is rotatably disposed to the main tail gate by a hinge so as to open and close the main cargo area, an upper trim and a lower trim are attached to an inner panel of the main tail gate, and a trim door, disposed between the upper trim and the lower trim, defines an auxiliary cargo area between the trim door and an inner panel of the auxiliary tail gate, the trim door being detachably engaged with the upper trim and the lower trim.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2006Date of Patent: April 22, 2008Assignee: Hyundai Motor CompanyInventor: Dong-Min Jeon
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Patent number: 7357432Abstract: A bumper for a motor vehicle includes a cross member disposed transversely to side rails of a motor vehicle frame and having a U-shaped cross section with a wall and two legs extending from opposite ends of the wall. The cross member is supported via integral crash boxes against the side rails. Each crash box has a cross member proximal end which abuts against the wall of the cross member, and includes vertical legs and horizontal legs to define a casing-like configuration. The wall of the cross member is formed in an area of the cross member proximal end of the crash box with a depression which extends in a direction of the crash box, with the vertical legs of the crash box joined at the cross member proximal end to the wall of the cross member, and with the horizontal legs of the crash box spaced from the wall of the cross member by a distance.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2006Date of Patent: April 15, 2008Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbHInventors: Michael Roll, Ulrich Lütke-Bexten, Wilhelm Arns, Elmar Mollemeier
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Patent number: 7357448Abstract: A one-piece B-pillar having a front flange and a rear flange formed on an upper portion of the B-pillar. The front and rear flanges extend forwardly and rearwardly from a trapezoidal section of the B-pillar. An inner concave portion is provided in a lower portion of the B-pillar. The one-piece B-pillar is secured to the outer and upper surfaces of a roof rail and to the outer surface of a rocker to provide side impact strength. The B-pillar is hydroformed in one-piece to provide superior strength for roof crush performance. The tubular portion of the B-pillar is partially collapsed to form a trapezoidal section in the upper portion of the B-pillar.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2006Date of Patent: April 15, 2008Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Vari-Form, Inc.Inventors: Xiaoming Chen, Omar Faruque, Thierry Guimberteau, Everett Kuo, Raj Mehta, David Wagner, Dean Gericke, Daniel Szalay
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Patent number: 7354087Abstract: A loading-space protection device includes a holding unit, in which at least one winding shaft for winding up or unwinding a flexible sheet-like structure is mounted, and fastening means for securing the holding unit in a functional position, fixed on the vehicle, in mounts on the vehicle. At least one fastening means is assigned at least one securing means which is mounted moveably in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle between a blocking position, which blocks the fastening means in its fastening position within the mount on the vehicle in an interlocking manner, and a rest position, which is disengaged from the fastening means, in such a manner that severe longitudinal accelerations of the vehicle, in particular positive or negative accelerations in the form of a front or rear impact, lead to the securing means being displaced into the blocking position.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2006Date of Patent: April 8, 2008Assignee: Bos GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Marina Ehrenberger, Herbert Walter
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Patent number: 7347476Abstract: A ramp door suited to pivot about an axis that extends substantially horizontally along the bottom of a cargo compartment opening has features of lightweight construction that may be used separately or in combination with features of a frame assembly having an upright configured to extend substantially vertically along one side of the opening to provide an interior space that may be used to house components of a ramp door lift assist system and/or components of a ramp door latching system. In some embodiments, the extent to which a lift assist cable is exposed when the ramp door is open is minimized by connecting the cable to the ramp door, and by guiding the cable into the interior space of the upright, at locations relatively near to the pivot axis.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2005Date of Patent: March 25, 2008Assignee: The Eastern CompanyInventors: Richard E. Luehr, Ron W. Phillips, Peter T. Watson
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Patent number: 7328935Abstract: A trailer canopy system for providing an area adjacent a trailer that is protected from inclement weather includes a canopy that is extendable from a side of a trailer. The canopy protects an area under the canopy from inclement weather when the canopy is extended from the trailer. A support bar is coupled to a free edge of the canopy positioned opposite of the trailer. Each of a pair of bracing assemblies is pivotally coupled to each of the support bar and the trailer. Each of the bracing assemblies pivots between a stored position and a deployed position. The stored position is defined when each of the bracing assemblies is positioned adjacent the side of the trailer. The deployed positioned is defined when each of the bracing assemblies extends away from the trailer and supports the support bar and the canopy over a ground surface.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2006Date of Patent: February 12, 2008Inventor: Robert Tarin
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Patent number: 7328938Abstract: A side impact load transmitting structure includes: a vehicular seat disposed in a cabin; a tunnel portion that is disposed such that it protrudes upward into the cabin and extends in a front-rear direction of a vehicle body; a load transmitting member including a load receiving portion that is disposed at the underside of the vehicular seat and receives a side impact load acting on a vehicle body side portion at the time of a side impact collision, with the load transmitting member being configured to transmit the side impact load received by the load receiving portion to the tunnel portion; and a downward movement suppressing member that suppresses the downward movement of the load transmitting member resulting from a downward load component of the side impact load.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2006Date of Patent: February 12, 2008Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hidenori Matsuda
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Patent number: 7325860Abstract: A recreational vehicle is disclosed, comprising a plurality of wheels configured to enable the recreational vehicle to roll along the ground, an interior living space enclosed by a plurality of walls, and a generally U-shaped seating area. In some embodiments, the generally U-shaped seating area may comprise two side couches and an interior couch that utilizes a lower mattress as a seat cushion. An exterior couch may face opposite the interior couch and also utilize the lower mattress as a seat cushion. In some embodiments, the recreational vehicle also comprises tracks for elevating the lower mattress and an upper mattress, and elevated table mounts attached to the bottom of the upper mattress that may be used to store one or more table tops below the upper mattress.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2006Date of Patent: February 5, 2008Assignee: Extreme RV's, LLCInventor: Donald B. Day