Patents Examined by Jason D Shanske
  • Patent number: 11904675
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle assembly includes a frame that has a passenger side rail and a driver side rail. The assembly further includes a battery support plate and a battery pack. The battery support plate is secured to the passenger side rail and the driver side rail. The battery pack has a plurality of cross-members. To secure the battery pack to the battery support plate, mechanical fasteners each extend through an aperture in the battery support plate to engage one of the cross-members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott J. Bell, Shane Edward Foley, Sukhwinder Singh Dhindsa, Jeffrey Ronald Bohmer
  • Patent number: 11904676
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle, comprising a rear end, a front end located forwardly of the rear end, a chassis extending between the rear end and the front end, a battery protection structure provided at the rear end of the vehicle, the battery protection structure comprising a frame portion defining an opening for housing a traction battery, the frame portion having a rear side and a front side, and a projecting portion which projects forwardly from the frame portion and which is connected to the chassis at the rear end of the vehicle, wherein the projecting portion is configured to remain in a fixed connection relative to the chassis under normal operating conditions and to move forwardly along the chassis when the rear side of the frame portion is subjected to a forwardly directed impact force which is greater than a threshold force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventor: Jesper Blomstrand
  • Patent number: 11904710
    Abstract: The invention relates to a battery-powered vehicle comprising a chassis extending between the rear end and the front end of the vehicle. The chassis comprises an upper frame plate and a lower frame plate, wherein the lower frame plate is located vertically below the upper frame plate. The battery-powered vehicle further comprises a battery stack, which comprises a plurality of traction battery packs stacked on top of each other between the upper and lower frame plates, wherein each traction battery pack is vertically tightened to a neighboring traction battery pack and wherein at least one traction battery pack is tightened to one of said upper and lower frame plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventors: Jan Hendriks, Sondre Landvik, Jörgen Andersson
  • Patent number: 11904648
    Abstract: Suspension systems for recreational vehicles are disclosed. The suspension systems may include at least one adjustable member coupling a sway bar to respective suspensions. The suspension systems may include a torque actuator associated with a sway bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathon P. Graus, David D. Helgeson, Kyle W. Olson, Justin T. Anderson, Jacob P. Horky, Kevin P. Blair
  • Patent number: 11904792
    Abstract: Seat centric airbag restraint systems having pelvis restraint features, along with related methods. In some implementations, a first seat-mounted airbag cushion may be deployed along a first side of a vehicle occupant and a second seat-mounted airbag cushion may be deployed along a second side of the vehicle occupant. At least one wrap-around belt engaging at least one of the first and second seat-mounted airbag cushions may be released, either partially or fully, to inhibit forward translation of the vehicle occupant within a vehicle seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Schneider, Christina Renee Morris
  • Patent number: 11904674
    Abstract: A battery pack is placed on a battery frame. The battery frame has a lateral frame which extends in a lateral direction. A connection bracket for connecting the battery frame and a floor of a vehicle is joined to an end of the lateral frame. With the joining of the end of the lateral frame with the connection bracket, a crank shape is formed in the lateral direction. A reinforcement plate functioning as a brace is placed at a corner portion of the crank shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomotake Kosuge
  • Patent number: 11897305
    Abstract: An active roll stabilizer includes a divided torsion bar (1) having torsion bar parts (2, 3) which are arranged one behind the other along a torsion bar axis. An actuator (4) for transmitting torsional torques to the torsion bar (1) is provided. An electric motor (7) and a transmission (6) connected to the electric motor (7) are arranged in an actuator housing (5). The actuator housing (5) is connected to the one torsion bar part (2) for conjoint rotation and the transmission (6) is connected, on the output side, to the other torsion bar part (3) for conjoint rotation. A motor housing (11) of the electric motor (7) is connected, by means of only one of the two axial ends of said motor housing, to the actuator housing (5) for conjoint rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG &Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Bräutigam, Mario Arnold, Ramon Jurjanz, Simon Sagewka
  • Patent number: 11897304
    Abstract: A stabilizer bar support structure of an off-road vehicle includes a vehicle body frame having a seat base frame that supports a seat and a support frame that supports the seat base frame, a stabilizer bar that couples right and left suspensions to each other and is supported on the support frame, and a bracket attached to the support frame. The stabilizer bar is attached to the support frame through the bracket. The bracket receives the load of the seat base frame through the support frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Kawasaki Motors, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Hisamura, Yusuke Nakashima
  • Patent number: 11897322
    Abstract: A power storage device is a power storage device provided on a lower surface of a floor panel of a vehicle, the power storage device including: a housing case; a power storage module housed in the housing case; and a cooler housed in the housing case to cool the power storage module, wherein the housing case includes a bottom plate, a refrigerant passage through which a refrigerant flows is formed in a portion of the housing case, the portion being located above the bottom plate, and the refrigerant passage is connected to the cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yutaroh Gotoh, Yukinari Tanabe, Yugo Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 11897543
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a battery system arranged in a central region. The battery system includes corners corresponding to corners of an end of the vehicle, and respective chassis components are arranged at each corner. Respective shear brackets are affixed to the vehicle frame to a respective chassis component. The shear brackets are configured to absorb energy from the chassis components during deceleration events. The chassis components may include a knuckle configured to engage with the frame at an interface, to which the shear bracket may be added. Each shear bracket is formed from metal, such as sheet metal, and includes mounting features such as holes or studs to affix to the frame. The shear brackets are configured to limit intrusion of the chassis components into the battery system by absorbing energy. A bolt or fastener affixing a chassis component to the frame is strengthened by the shear bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Allen Orchard, Jiacheng Huang, Vamsi Charan Pulugurtha
  • Patent number: 11891006
    Abstract: An assembly for a vehicle includes a steering wheel. The assembly includes an airbag inflatable to an inflated position. The airbag has a main chamber supported by the steering wheel. The main chamber in the inflated position has a rear panel facing the steering wheel, an impact panel opposite the rear panel, and an outermost periphery between the impact panel and the rear panel. The airbag includes an extension having a first end and a terminal end. The extension extends from the first end to the terminal end adjacent the rear panel of the main chamber. The first end extends from the outermost periphery and the rear panel and the terminal end is connected to the rear panel. The airbag has an inflation chamber extending from the main chamber to the terminal end through the first end of the extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tzu-Chen Weng, Srinivas Reddy Malapati, Zhibing Deng
  • Patent number: 11891109
    Abstract: According to the present embodiments, locking and unlocking can be smoothly performed even when gears for fixing a steering column during a telescoping operation of the steering column are not properly engaged, a collapse motion for absorbing impact can be smoothly performed even when a vehicle collision occurs in a state in which the gears are not properly engaged, impact is absorbed at the minimum and maximum of strokes so as to enable the prevention of noise generation during the telescoping operation, and the number of components can be reduced and assembly process can be simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: HL MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sunghun Park
  • Patent number: 11884318
    Abstract: A steering device including a steering column supporting a steering shaft to be coupled to a steering wheel. The steering column is sandwiched between a bracket including a first support plate and a second support plate with a tightening shaft penetrating the first support plate and the second support plate and including a male thread at an end of the tightening shaft on a side close to the second support plate having a nut attached thereon. An operation lever is disposed between the nut and the second support plate and penetrated by the tightening shaft. A case including a bottom surface facing an end surface of the tightening shaft is attached to the operation lever, and a coil spring coming into contact with the bottom surface and the tightening shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Shin Mihara, Osamu Kurihara
  • Patent number: 11878737
    Abstract: A fastening assembly for fastening an axle support on a vehicle body. The axle support is screwed onto the vehicle body on multiple attachment points. On at least one of the attachment points, a bearing bracket for mounting a unit for the axle drive is arranged between the axle support and the vehicle body and also screwed on. A method for installing and fastening an axle support on a vehicle body in the mass production of motor vehicles is further disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignees: AUDI AG, DR. ING. H.C. F. PORSCHE AG
    Inventors: Gilbert Schantl, Thomas Artner, Hans-Peter Frensch, Marek Bujak, Thomas Wittenschläger, Stefan Rugies, Thomas Achleitner
  • Patent number: 11878606
    Abstract: A battery thermal management system for a vehicle having a drivetrain. The thermal management system includes: a high-voltage propulsion battery, a waste-heat source of the vehicle drivetrain, and a battery heating circuit configured for circulating a battery coolant. The battery heating circuit includes a pipe being routed in the vicinity of, and spaced-apart from, the waste-heat source and configured for conveying the battery coolant for enabling the battery coolant within the pipe to heat-up by heat-radiation emitted from the waste-heat source and/or heat-convection through air from the waste-heat source to the battery coolant, and the battery heating circuit is configured for conveying the heated battery coolant to the battery for enabling heating of the battery by the battery coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: NINGBO GEELY AUTOMOBILE RESEARCH & DEV. CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Sandeep David, Bengt Axelsson, Sri Vishnu Gorantla Narayana Murthy
  • Patent number: 11878561
    Abstract: A wheel suspension arrangement including a suspension spring, at least one control member arranged to control a stiffness of said suspension spring. The control member is displaceable relative to said suspension spring between a retracted position, in which the control member does not interfere with an operation of the suspension spring, and an advanced position, in which it interferes with the operation of the suspension spring in a way that the stiffness of said suspension spring is increased. The wheel suspension arrangement further includes a biasing means configured to bias said control member towards said retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: NINGBO GEELY AUTOMOBILE RESEARCH & DEV. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Linus Hallberg, Martin Edberg
  • Patent number: 11872865
    Abstract: A multi-link motor vehicle axle for the attachment of a wheel carrier to a motor vehicle body. The axle includes a first link plane and a second link plane. A first transverse link and a second transverse link are assigned to the first link plane. The second link plane includes a trapezoidal link which is attached by way of a first coupling link to the wheel carrier and by way of a second coupling link to the motor vehicle body. A longitudinal link of the multi-link motor vehicle axle is formed, which longitudinal link is connected, at its longitudinal link end facing away from the second link plane, to the motor vehicle body. The longitudinal link is attached, by way of its longitudinal link end facing toward the second link plane, to the trapezoidal link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventors: Stefan Zeretzke, Stefan Sabath, Andreas Munzert, Marcel Krawietz, Jens Kemna
  • Patent number: 11872897
    Abstract: An electric vehicle has longitudinal sills, arranged on both sides of the electric vehicle, and a traction battery, arranged between the sills, for driving the electric vehicle. The traction battery has a device for degassing the traction battery in the case of a thermal event. A duct for carrying gas during degassing of the traction battery is formed in the electric vehicle between at least one of the longitudinal sills and the traction battery. An electric vehicle of this kind ensures increased occupant protection and increased component protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventors: Philipp Kellner, Sascha Mostofi, Christopher Volkmer
  • Patent number: 11873026
    Abstract: A bogie for a lowboy trailer includes a pair of longitudinally extending main beams, each having a lower front end configured to be coupled to a lower deck, a higher rear portion configured to carry a suspension system, and a sloped intermediate portion connecting the front end to the rear portion. The bogie also includes multiple transversely extending and longitudinally spaced cross-members connected between the main beams. Each of the cross-members is trough-shaped and has a pair of transversely spaced side sections and a midsection between the side sections, the side sections sloping downwardly toward the midsection such that a top surface of the midsection is lower than respective top surfaces of the main beams. Each side section of at least one cross-member intersects with a respective one of the main beams, such that at least a portion of each side section is located directly below the respective main beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Fontaine Commercial Trailer, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory C. Benson, Andrew B. Anderson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11872895
    Abstract: A lift device comprises a base, a linear actuator, and a rechargeable battery system. The linear actuator is configured to selectively move a work platform between a raised position and a lowered position. The linear actuator includes an electric motor. The rechargeable battery system includes a battery, a heating system, and a battery charger. The battery is configured to power the electric motor of the linear actuator. The battery charger is configured to simultaneously charge the battery and provide power the heating system to heat the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
    Inventor: David Lombardo