Patents Examined by Gregory Strimbu
  • Patent number: 9894717
    Abstract: A heated vehicle sliding window assembly has a fixed glass panel with an opening formed in it and a slidably movable glass panel capable of closing the opening. Disposed on the fixed glass panel are electrically conductive grid lines that form two grid resistors which are connected together as a series circuit, which is connected between two electrically conductive bus bars deposited on the fixed glass panel. Disposed on the slidably movable glass panel are electrically conductive grid lines that form a third grid resistor, which is connected between two other electrically conductive bus bars disposed on the movable glass panel. Both sets of electrically conductive bus bars may be connected together as a parallel circuit when the opening is either opened or closed by the movable glass panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Pilkington Group Limited
    Inventors: Charles E. Ash, Jr., Brian J. Clark, Thomas S. Hicks, David M. Kovach, Matthew A. Rapin, Keith H. Schwaderer, Shane C. Seiple, Charles Sitterlet, Robert M. Thomas
  • Patent number: 9885211
    Abstract: A sealing assembly for a hinged door is pivotable over a door threshold when the door is opened or closed. The sealing assembly includes an actuator responsive to closing of the door, the actuator having at least one connector rod extending along a channel and being movable longitudinally within the channel in response to the door closing. The rod is connected to a first end of at least one pivotable arm having rigid sections separated by flexible joints, with a second end of the arm being connected to a sealing member. The arm is flexible such that as the connector rod moves along the channel, part of the arm flexes vertically thereby imparting and maintaining vertical pressure on the sealing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: RBP ASSOCIATES LIMITED
    Inventor: Ronald Brian Parker
  • Cap
    Patent number: 9884551
    Abstract: A cap includes a main body attached to an end part of a charging port for fuel gas. The main body includes an elastic deformable portion for locking the main body to the end part when the main body is attached to the end part. The cap further includes a cover covering at least part of the elastic deformable portion and surrounding the main body. The elastic deformable portion at least partially elastically deforms when the main body is attached to the end part and when the main body is detached from the end part. The cover is a separate member from the main body. When the elastic deformable portion elastically deforms, the cover applies force to the elastic deformable portion in a direction opposite from the deforming direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Onishi, Masaaki Kondo, Akira Yamashita, Yuji Furuta, Yukio Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9867367
    Abstract: An apparatus for substantially sealing a gap disposed between an edge of a door and a surface, which, upon the attachment of the apparatus to the door, results in substantially impeding movement of vermin about the edge, the apparatus includes: (i) an outer material that substantially forms a seal between the edge and the surface; (ii) an inner material in contact with the inner surface of the outer material, wherein the inner material forms a gnaw-resistant barrier to vermin; and (iii) at least one connecting member in contact with the outer material that connects the apparatus to the edge of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Global Material Technologies, Incorporated
    Inventors: Kurt H Schild, III, Mieczyslaw F. Boczek, David A. Colbert, Mark Rak, Mariusz Walus
  • Patent number: 9868340
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle closure body includes an electronic control unit configured to measure a position of the body, measure a speed of the body, determine an opening or closing direction in which the body is operated by a user, and move the body in the determined opening or closing direction with use of a drive unit when the speed of the body measured at the measured position of the body is equal to or higher than a speed threshold at the measured position of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignees: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Nishikibe, Ryo Asano, Yoshinori Hitomi
  • Patent number: 9863183
    Abstract: An anti-sputtering sill system for a window or door frame and a method of controlling sputtering associated with a sill of the window or door frame. The anti-sputtering sill systems may reduce or prevent sputtering by preferentially allowing air bubbles formed in the water in a containment tank in the sill to pass into a vent cavity in the sill that is vented to the interior of a building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: ANDERSEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Craig Johnson, Gerard Lagos, Jared Shanholtzer, Alex Sweeney, Duane Fier
  • Patent number: 9849760
    Abstract: A vehicle has a resin back door including a skeleton portion that is closed in cross-section and a glass plate supported by the skeleton portion. A skeleton side portion includes an inner wall portion defining an innermost peripheral surface of the skeleton portion, an outer wall portion disposed between the inner wall portion and the glass plate, and an intermediate wall portion with one end connected to a vehicle outer side end portion of the inner wall portion and another end connected to a vehicle transverse direction inner side end portion of the outer wall portion. The intermediate wall portion is curved to have a convex shape at an intermediate location thereof, and the convex shape protrudes toward an exterior of the closed cross-sectional skeleton portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Adachi
  • Patent number: 9834957
    Abstract: A sash latch for engagement with a side jamb of a window includes an upper member with a spring cavity and a stop wall, a forward slot for engagement with an upper surface of a sash and a latch extension. The latch extension includes a substantially planar surface and an inclined planar surface extending at an acute angle relative to the substantially planar surface. The inclined planar surface includes a notch at a proximal end thereof, wherein the notch receives an edge of a wall of the side jamb when a heavy wind load is applied to an outer facing surface of the sash to restrain the sash relative to the side jamb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Ply Gem Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin David Campbell, Kenton Sites Gibbs, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9822575
    Abstract: A movable body driving device includes upper and lower racks movable in a lengthwise direction; a motor which can rotate forward and backward; a drive pinion fixed to a rotary shaft of the motor; and a driven pinion engaging the upper and lower racks. The driven pinion is driven to rotate by the upper rack to thereby drive the lower rack linearly in a direction reverse to the upper rack. A sliding door is connected to the lower rack and is opened or closed in accordance with forward or backward rotation of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Kitabata
  • Patent number: 9821640
    Abstract: A door structure includes (i) a door panel including a first wall provided with a hinge member, a second wall, and a first bent part provided between the first wall and the second wall, (ii) a first reinforcing plate including a first part joined to the first wall, a second part joined to the second wall, and a corner part provided between the first part and the second part, and (iii) a second reinforcing plate including a third part joined to the first part, a fourth part joined to the second part, and an intermediate part provided between the third part and the fourth part. The first reinforcing plate and the second reinforcing plate are configured such that a closed space is provided between the first reinforcing plate and the second reinforcing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Sakurai, Tsuyoshi Izuhara
  • Patent number: 9816307
    Abstract: An aircraft electric door including a locking system for actuating a safety catch for locking the door, a system for moving the door between open and closed positions, and a single electric motor for actuating both the locking system and the system for moving the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Latecoere
    Inventors: Cyrille Bessettes, Damien Buchet, Nicolas Lutzi, Renaud Othomene
  • Patent number: 9816311
    Abstract: A portable barrier for a door sill that comprises of a restriction bar, a mount bar that is disposed on the restriction bar, a connection tube that joins the restriction bar with the mount bar, and an adjustable spring mechanism that allows the mount bar to be adjusted upward or downward. The adjustable mechanism comprises springs and screws that can be manually adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Inventor: Eutimio Reyes
  • Patent number: 9802468
    Abstract: A door weather strip includes an installation base member operatively coupled on a peripheral edge of a door of an automobile and a hollow seal member integrally molded with an inner-cabin side of the installation base member. The hollow seal member makes elastic contact with a door opening edge of a body when the door is in a closed position. A prop forms a part of a wall of the hollow seal member. The prop is substantially linear in cross section and has a first protrusion formed on an end thereof. The protrusion protrudes toward the door and makes elastic contact with a panel of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: NISHIKAWA RUBBER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Fumito Okino
  • Patent number: 9803419
    Abstract: A safety device suitable for use with hinged doors or windows, as well as methods of installing such a device. The device comprises an elongate exclusion member that is adapted to fit within the hinge gap in an open door and acts to prevent or significantly reduce the risk of injury to a subject through entrapment of fingers of other appendages in the hinge gap present in many door and window systems. The device of the present invention is particularly suitable for retrofitting to existing door and window systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Safehinge Limited
    Inventor: Martin Izod
  • Patent number: 9797177
    Abstract: A window assembly may include a pane movable between open and closed positions, a cam having a cam surface, and a cam follower coupled to the movable pane for movement relative to the cam surface and engageable with the cam surface when the movable pane is near or in the closed position. The cam surface may be inclined toward a seal to direct the movable pane into the seal when the movable pane moves into the closed position. The cam surface may include a linear portion that extends along at least a majority of the path of travel of the movable pane. The cam follower may remain engaged with the cam surface throughout a desired portion of the path of travel of the movable pane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Durata Operating, LLC
    Inventor: Ronnie G. Gipson
  • Patent number: 9776476
    Abstract: A security device for a cargo van comprises a sheet metal grill stamped or laser cut to exhibit a plurality of regularly spaced apertures therethrough and surrounded by a solid border having a plurality of notches formed inward of the border into which are fitted clamp members for securing the grill in place against a window of the cargo van to inhibit break-ins and theft of articles carried by the van. The clamp members include U-shaped sockets adapted to cooperate with the notches formed in the border and base members for secure attachment of the clamp members to a frame of the window using self-tapping screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: ROM ACQUISITION CORPORATION
    Inventor: Avraham Y. Levi
  • Patent number: 9767670
    Abstract: A flexible curtain has a ballasting and sealing element and a reinforcing element, and is able to move between an open position and a closed position. The door comprises a detection unit configured to detect an encounter of the ballasting and sealing element with an obstacle. The door also comprises a wireless emitter arranged inside the curtain, close to an upright, in a lateral region of the curtain. The emitter cooperates with the detection unit and emits a radio signal when the obstacle is detected by the detection unit. The radio signal is received by a receiver which cooperates with a driving unit so as to stop or reversely move the curtain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: ASSA ABLOY ENTRANCE SYSTEMS AB
    Inventor: Bernard Kraeutler
  • Patent number: 9752271
    Abstract: A visual display unit for a laundering system including a cabinet unit (12) for housing laundering elements; an outer door assembly (42), which includes a handle element (48) and control and/or monitoring elements (60), an inner door assembly (44), which includes the visual display unit (90); and an electrical system (140) for the visual display unit. This combination of elements substantially prevents exposure of the visual display unit (90) to laundering-specific operating conditions, high temperature and elevated humidity conditions. The laundering system includes washers, dryers, and combination washer/dryer systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph Anthony Bazzinotti
  • Patent number: 9746287
    Abstract: A window in an asset having an active adaptive stealth system including a plurality of stealth plates whose temperature can be controlled to control an IR signature of the plates, the window including a window pane pivotally mounted in a wall of the asset adjacent the stealth plates, a motor drivingly coupled to the window pane, and a tilt mechanism coupled to the motor and arranged to position the window pane such that the IR signature of the stealth plates approximates an IR signature of the window pane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: ELTICS LTD
    Inventor: Ronen Meir
  • Patent number: 9732831
    Abstract: A tensioning assembly for a vehicle door includes a spring member disposed in the vehicle door and includes a sinusoidal configuration defined by a plurality of linear members having ends coupled by a plurality of arcuate members. A cable extends through the spring member in the door. The cable is interlaced with the linear member and includes a first end being operably coupled with a pulley wheel. An intermediate portion of the cable is wrapped around a drive wheel. A second end of the cable is operably coupled with the pulley wheel. A plurality of locating nubs on the linear members locate the cable through the spring member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Larry Dean Elie, John Wayne Jaranson