Patents Examined by Joseph D. Pape
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Patent number: 11975666Abstract: A seat device for a vehicle includes: a support member detachably attached to a floor of the vehicle; an occupant seat movably supported by the support member and provided with an electrical component; and a wireless power supply mechanism configured to supply electric power to the electrical component. The wireless power supply mechanism includes a power transmitting unit attached to the floor, and a power receiving unit attached to the support member so as to face the power transmitting unit and configured to receive the electric power wirelessly from the power transmitting unit.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2022Date of Patent: May 7, 2024Assignee: TS TECH CO., LTD.Inventors: Chase Hemmelgarn, Steven Johnson
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Patent number: 11975597Abstract: Disclosed herein are accessory devices and systems for vehicles including: a base plate assembly comprising a base plate and an articulating bracket, the base plate configured to be fixedly secured to a portion of a vehicle and the articulating bracket configured to be releasably secured to the vehicle using the base plate at a plurality of locations; and at least one auxiliary visor panel or accessory connected to the base plate assembly. Also disclosed herein are method of using the disclosed devices and systems for interchangeably moving the base plate assembly with connected auxiliary visor panel or accessory between vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2022Date of Patent: May 7, 2024Assignee: Smart Additions, Inc.Inventor: Daniel Johananoff
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Patent number: 11970051Abstract: A retractable vehicle top system includes a frame including a pair of front looped chains rotatably positioned along a left side and a right side of the frame, respectively, a front header configured to be positioned adjacent to a front windshield of a vehicle, the front header having a first spool and a pair of first brackets operably coupled to the front looped chains, respectively, a second spool having a pair of second sprockets operably coupled to the front looped chains, respectively, and a front motor having a front drive shaft and a pair of third sprockets operably coupled to the front looped chains, respectively. The front header is configured to linearly travel along a bi-directional travel path as the third sprockets rotatably drive the second sprockets and the front looped chains.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2022Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Inventor: Daniel Romein
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Patent number: 11965373Abstract: A device has at least two components which are movable relative to one another. The first component is equipped with a rotary receptacle and wherein the second component is rotatably received on the rotary receptacle. A third component is coupled to the second component. Two connection units which are movable relative to one another and a controllable braking device are included, wherein the braking device is designed as a controllable rotary brake in order to provide controlled damping of a movement of a door device between a closed position and an open position. The first connection unit is formed on the first component, and the second connection unit is pivotably coupled to the third component. The pivot axis is oriented transversely with respect to an axis of rotation of the second component.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2019Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: INVENTUS Engineering GmbHInventor: Stefan Battlogg
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Patent number: 11964705Abstract: An electro-mechanical aerodynamic apparatus includes a support structure that couples to a tongue of a trailer in a position between a tow vehicle and a body of the trailer, an extendible housing that couples to the support structure and extendibly moves to a plurality of aerodynamic states including an extended state and a contracted state, and a drive assembly coupled to the support structure and the extendible housing that, when actuated, moves the extendible housing into one of the plurality of aerodynamic states.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2023Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: Pebble Mobility, Inc.Inventors: Aonan Li, Bingrui Yang
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Patent number: 11964598Abstract: A utility vehicle includes a chassis, a prime mover supported by the chassis, an operator cab supported by the chassis, a control system including a controller, an operator support positioned within the operator cab and having a seat portion and a backrest portion and an actuator positioned within at least one of the seat portion and the backrest portion. The actuator is in communication with the controller and configured to move in a first pattern in response to a first notification signal from the controller in order to relay information to the operator.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2021Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: Deere & CompanyInventors: Brian M. Huenink, Gregory O. McConoughey
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Patent number: 11958346Abstract: A tonneau cover for a vehicle has a topside and an underside. The tonneau cover also includes a rail system attached to the underside. The tonneau cover also includes a ramp system. The ramp system is slidably engaged with the rail system and is configured to slide out from the underside along the rail system such that a rear end of the ramp system engages a ground surface to create a rampway between the topside and the ground surface. The ramp system can be used to load large cargo onto the topside of the tonneau cover. The ramp system is also removable from the rail system and attachable to an end of a truck bed of the vehicle such that the ramp system can be used to load cargo into the truck bed.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2022Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Ryan C. Harris, Scott Louis Frederick
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Patent number: 11952047Abstract: An embodiment rear floor side member assembly includes a rear side member including a rear inner portion disposed toward an inside of a vehicle body, a rear upper portion curved toward an outside of the vehicle body from the rear inner portion, and a rear lower portion curved from the rear inner portion toward the outside of the vehicle body, a reinforcement mounting portion formed on the rear lower portion, a rear side member reinforcement mounted on the reinforcement mounting portion, and a rear spring seat assembly mounted at a bottom part of the rear side member reinforcement.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2021Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia CorporationInventor: ChangHak Kang
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Patent number: 11951887Abstract: A vehicle, and a rear seat arrangement for a vehicle, includes at least one backrest. The at least one backrest comprises a strut bar, and at least one of the at least one backrest is adapted to be pivotally folded into a backward folded position for connecting the strut bar to a mounting structure at a body of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2021Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATIONInventors: David Schulz, Urs Schiel, Florent Larrosa, Esteve Josa
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Patent number: 11946287Abstract: A vehicle includes a plurality of walls defining a volume adapted to house passengers and/or merchandise and at least one electric battery pack to supply energy for the operation of the vehicle, said at least one electric battery pack being housed in a respective seat made in at least one of the walls and defining with the latter a housing volume comprising at least one cover configured to assume a first operating position in which the volume communicates with the outside environment and a second operating position in which the volume is isolated from the outside environment. The vehicle also includes a security system configured to enable the covers to move from the first operating position to the second operating position when a temperature of the electric battery pack and/or a temperature inside the volume exceed/s a pre-set threshold temperature value.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2020Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: IVECO S.P.A.Inventor: Marco Aimo Boot
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Patent number: 11938800Abstract: A tonneau cover that includes a first panel, a second panel, a hinge between the first panel and the second panel, and a torsion element between the first panel and the second panel. The torsion element applies an urging force onto one or both of the first panel and the second panel during movement of the first panel and/or the second panel about the hinge.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2023Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: EXTANG CORPORATIONInventors: Jerome Facchinello, Chad A. Carter
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Patent number: 11932090Abstract: An exterior panel structure for a vehicle prevents unevenness of an outer surface of an exterior panel material caused by joining of a reinforcing member to the exterior panel. The reinforcing member is joined to the exterior panel material such that rigidity is maintained, thereby keeping dents in the exterior panel material small even when a user presses on the exterior panel material during waxing of the vehicle, or the like. The exterior panel structure includes a door outer panel, a reinforcing member, and a bracket. In the bracket, a joint surface which follows an inner surface of the door outer panel is joined to an outer peripheral edge of the door panel which is separated from the inner surface of the door outer panel in a thickness direction of the door outer panel, and another joint surface is joined to a reinforcing outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing member.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2022Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Yukihiro Moriyama, Eisuke Kuramoto
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Patent number: 11932179Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle intended to be driven by a driver comprising a cabin comprising a floor with an upper surface, a passenger compartment delimited in a vertical direction by the upper surface of the floor and extending on an upper side of the upper surface, at least one electronic device configured to be electronically controlled, and a box housing an electronic equipment configured to control the at least one electronic device, wherein the box is waterproof and at least a portion of the box extends on a lower side of the upper surface, the lower side of the upper surface being opposite to the upper side. The invention also relates to a method for assembling the box to the cabin of the motor vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2021Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: Volvo Truck CorporationInventors: Rémi Michallet, Patrick Dalmas
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Patent number: 11932318Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for increasing fuel efficiency of a vehicle moving through air, comprising the steps of: carrying, by the vehicle, a tail cone in an undeployed state; deploying the tail cone on a back of the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion, the tail cone comprising a flexible material; and pressurizing, with the air, an interior space at least partially enclosed by the tail cone, the tail cone forming an aerodynamic feature extending at least fifteen inches behind the vehicle, where pressurizing transforms the tail cone from a flexible material to a static and compliant aerodynamic feature, which increases miles per gallon of the vehicle by at least ten percent at speeds in excess of fifty miles an hour through a reduction in drag force on the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2022Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Inventor: W. Davis Lee
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Patent number: 11932091Abstract: An exterior panel structure for a vehicle prevents unevenness caused by distortion of an outer surface of the exterior panel and keeps dents small even when a user presses the exterior panel from the outside. The exterior panel structure includes the exterior panel, and a reinforcing member having joint sections and coupling sections. The joint sections are separated from each other along an inner surface of the exterior panel, and each is joined to the inner surface of the exterior panel. The coupling section follows the inner surface of the exterior panel and couples the adjacent joint sections. The inner surface of the exterior panel and the coupling section abut each other when a pressing force equal to or larger than a specified value is applied inward in a thickness direction of the exterior panel from an outer surface of the exterior panel, and are otherwise separated from each other.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2022Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Yukihiro Moriyama, Eisuke Kuramoto
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Patent number: 11932175Abstract: A mascot retraction mechanism has a support (6) movably mounted to a track (5) for movement between a mascot deployed position and a mascot stowed position. A drive mechanism (7, 34, 35) may be arranged to drive the support along the track via a releasable latch (30). The releasable latch may be released by tilting of a mascot able to enable the support to move along the track free of the drive mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2020Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: BENTLEY MOTORS LIMITEDInventors: David Molyneux, Steve Crowe, Paul Wentworth
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Patent number: 11919361Abstract: A vehicle includes a passenger compartment. The passenger compartment includes an upper region and a lower region. The passenger compartment also includes a floor. A plurality of track assemblies are positioned on the floor and extend along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Each of the plurality of track assemblies includes a first rail assembly and a second rail assembly. Ductwork is positioned between adjacent track assemblies of the plurality of track assemblies. The plurality of track assemblies and the ductwork are coupled together as a floor panel such that installation of the floor panel within the passenger compartment results in a simultaneous installation of the plurality of track assemblies and the ductwork.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2022Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Scott Culver Anderson, Clay Mastin, Justin D. Sorum, Albert Kim, Abbas Ghamlouche
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Patent number: 11912185Abstract: A vehicle includes a body, an access aperture that is defined by the body, a closure panel, and an auxiliary panel. The closure panel is movably coupled to the body. The closure panel is movable between an open position and a closed position such that the closure panel selectively covers the access aperture. The auxiliary panel is removably coupled to the closure panel. The auxiliary panel is movable between an engaged state and a disengaged state relative to the closure panel. The auxiliary panel travels with the closure panel when the auxiliary panel is in the engaged state. The disengaged state of the auxiliary panel corresponds with a use position of the auxiliary panel.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2022Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Pablo Francisco Santos Zubiaur, Carlos Ricardo Rios Guadarrama
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Patent number: 11912346Abstract: A vehicle includes a chassis, a passenger compartment supported by the chassis, and a box supported by the chassis spaced from the passenger compartment. The box including a lower bed fixedly mounted to the chassis, an upper bed, and a tail gate pivotally connected to the upper bed. Each of the upper bed, and the tail gate is shiftable relative to the lower bed.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Anthony Bernal, Orlando Espana
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Patent number: 11912113Abstract: A door assembly includes a door that turns between a fully-closed position and a fully-open position to open or close a door opening, and hinges that support a front edge portion of the door and are provided such that the trajectory of the center of gravity of the door when the door turns from the fully-closed position to the fully-open position is curved upwardly in an up-down direction and the highest point of the trajectory is positioned between both ends of the trajectory.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2022Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.Inventor: Teruaki Yamamoto