Patents Examined by Joseph Pape
  • Patent number: 8714633
    Abstract: The invention provides a laminated floor panel for a vehicle cabin. The panel comprises a core (1) shaped as a honeycomb and wrapped in outside metal walls (2, 3, 4). A fastener element (5) for fastening vehicle cabin equipment is set back in the panel, being made integrally in a traffic wall (2) of the panel by machining, the traffic wall (2) being derived from a metal plate (9) from which the fastener element (5) and the side walls (4) of the panel are formed by removing material from the metal plate (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
    Inventor: Alain Wary
  • Patent number: 8714629
    Abstract: A canopy (23) is provided to rise in an upper revolving structure (3) for covering an upper side of an operator's seat (19). A bend portion (25B) extending in the left-right direction and projecting upward is provided in a front end side of a roof plate (25) in the canopy (23). A plate-shaped left front lifting bracket (26) is provided in a left front connecting portion (24J), and a plate-shaped right front lifting bracket (27) is provided in a right front connecting portion (24L). The left and right front lifting brackets (26, 27) sandwich the bend portion (25B) from both sides in the left-right direction. Further, the left and right front lifting brackets (26, 27) are provided with lifting holes (26A, 27A) and also discharging notches (26B, 27B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Takeoka, Tomoyuki Tanaka, Shogo Kimura
  • Patent number: 8714220
    Abstract: A transmission assembly and a wheel thereof are presented, and the wheel includes a wheel frame and a tire skin. The wheel frame has a ring-shaped joint surface surrounding the wheel frame, and the joint surface is disposed with at least one slot. The slot has two opposite side walls and at least one stopping wall, and the stopping wall is located between the two side walls. The tire skin is ring-shaped. The tire skin is sleeved on the wheel frame, and attached to the joint surface. The tire skin has at least one protruding rib, and the protruding rib is located in the slot. The stopping wall limits displacement of the protruding rib in a direction of a wheel shaft, and the two side walls limit displacement of the protruding rib in a direction of rotation, thus achieving a good combination effect between the tire skin and the wheel frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: MSI Computer (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tse-Ying Tso, You-Wei Teng
  • Patent number: 8708379
    Abstract: A rear bumper includes a bumper central part configured to cover a rear end portion of a vehicle, a pair of bumper side parts configured to extend from both ends of the bumper central part toward respective wheel housings, a wheel arch portion disposed at an end of each of the bumper side parts, a flange formed integrally with an inner surface of each of the bumper side parts, and a wheel arch bracket disposed on the flange and configured to support fender components. The wheel arch bracket includes a component supporting portion configured to support the fender components, a flange mount portion disposed opposite to the component supporting portion and attached to the flange, and a plurality of vertical walls configured to extend from the component supporting portion toward the flange mount portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Hirose
  • Patent number: 8708386
    Abstract: An assist grip for a vehicle to which a force can be easily applied from above when a passenger gets in and out of the vehicle, facilitating the movement of the passenger at that time. The assist grip includes a grip main body 4 vertically provided along a door opening of a vehicle 2. The grip main body 4 includes the grip head portion 6. The passenger can vertically apply a force to the grip head portion 6 when getting in and out of the vehicle, and thus he/she is allowed to easily get in and out of the vehicle. Moreover, a supporting member 5 is provided in the grip head portion 6 and an attachment position of the grip head is adjustable in relation to the grip main body 4, enabling the attachment position to be adjusted according to a passenger's physical size, further improving its convenience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Access Corp.
    Inventors: Jun Abe, Kazuya Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8708397
    Abstract: A pickup truck bed low profile tool box with sliding lids mounted across the pickup truck bed inside a protective fastback style rigid shell, resting on the cargo bed rails, with gull wing doors on either side of the shell, over the low profile tool box behind the pickup truck cab, pivot up out of the way for easy access to the low profile tool box and a fastback rear hatch door that opens wide affording easy access to the tool box from inside the cargo bay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Inventor: Patrick Lynn Daylong
  • Patent number: 8702146
    Abstract: A vehicle may include a propshaft, a vehicle body and a seat assembly. The propshaft is coupled to a source of rotary power and a rear axle of the vehicle. The source of rotary power may be disposed in a front portion of the vehicle. The vehicle body includes an occupant cabin defined by a floor panel and a back wall panel. The floor panel is disposed above the propshaft and defines a lower boundary of the occupant cabin. The back wall panel extends upward from the floor panel and defines a rearward boundary of the occupant cabin. The seat assembly is disposed above the propshaft and is movable between a seating position and a stowed position. The seat assembly may be at least partially received in a space of the vehicle body that is separate from the occupant cabin when the seat assembly is in the stowed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Chrysler Group LLC
    Inventors: Carl Mather, Kenric P Socks
  • Patent number: 8702138
    Abstract: A collision energy absorption structure of a vehicle may include a bumper back beam that may be disposed in a traverse direction of the vehicle, a side member that may be disposed at a predetermined distance from the bumper back beam in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a crush box, of which a first side protrudes in a front direction of the bumper back beam and of which a second side may be interposed between the bumper back beam and the side member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Byeng Jik Ahn
  • Patent number: 8696048
    Abstract: A floor system configured for use with a storage container such as a trailer. The floor system includes an upper floor section including a plurality of upper floor boards made of glass fiber reinforced polymer, and a lower floor section including a plurality of lower floor boards made of glass fiber reinforced polymer. The upper floor boards are configured to extend along a length of the trailer and the lower floor boards are configured to extend across the width of the trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Wabash National, L.P.
    Inventors: Patrick M. Griffin, David P. Kunkel
  • Patent number: 8690233
    Abstract: A carpeted automotive vehicle load floor including a composite panel having first and second reinforced thermoplastic skins and a thermoplastic cellular core disposed between and bonded to the skins is provided. The first skin as a top surface. A cover having top and bottom surfaces is spaced apart from the composite panel. A substantially continuous top covering layer is bonded to the top surface of the panel and the top surface of the cover to at least partially form a carpeted load floor having a carpeted cover. An intermediate portion of the top covering layer between the cover and the panel is not bonded to either the panel or the cover to form a living hinge which allows the carpeted cover to pivot between different use positions relative to the rest of the load floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Global IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Darius J. Preisler, Christopher A. Heikkila
  • Patent number: 8690219
    Abstract: Telescoping cap-rails for a trailer are extensible, hidden vertical pillars within two opposing side walls of a trailer. The extensible vertical pillars are connected at the top by a cap-rail sitting atop the side walls. A set of telescoping pillars is added to each of the two side walls bordering the bed of the trailer. When extended, either manually or via a powered option, the vertical pillars, which are joined at the top by the cap-rail, form a skeleton structure of a tall side wall. The cap-rail is a stabilizing connection. The skeleton structure can be used alone or with added horizontal beams inserted through horizontal access ports in the extended pillars. Preferably, the access ports allow passage of a standard 2×4 or other stake through the pillars to create added structural stability to each set of telescoping pillars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Telescoping Associates
    Inventor: S. Mill Calvert
  • Patent number: 8690227
    Abstract: A gusset member which is provided in back of a front wheel and connects a dash panel and a hinge pillar is provided. A first reinforcing member which is connected to the gusset member to reinforce a lower portion of the hinge pillar is provided. Accordingly, a cabin deformation of a vehicle side portion as a whole can be properly restrained, thereby ensuring a sufficient space of a vehicle compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenori Matsuoka, Akiyoshi Masuda, Keizo Kawasaki, Masanobu Fukushima, Atsushi Kawamoto, Hiromasa Honji
  • Patent number: 8690225
    Abstract: A door actuation mechanism for a sliding door of a motor vehicle is disclosed as having a motor driven door actuator connected to first and second actuation cables used for opening and closing the door. Both of the actuation cables has a portion extending away from the door actuator in a direction in which the respective cable moves the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Maurice Ginn, Rob Anthony Richardson, Heath Sidney Sargeant
  • Patent number: 8690217
    Abstract: A utility vehicle includes a rollover protective structure surrounding a riding space and a cargo bed provided behind a riding space. A rear seat is changeable between a seating position and a stowed position. The screen is supported pivotably about pivot point portions such that the screen is changeable between a first position in which the screen stands substantially upright at a location in a vicinity of the front end of the cargo bed in the non-expanded state of the cargo bed, and a second position in which the screen is inclined and extends from the pivot point portions toward the front side of the riding space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruaki Yamamoto, Itsuo Takegami
  • Patent number: 8684445
    Abstract: A vehicle door arrangement having a vehicle door for closing a door opening in a bodywork of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, and having a pivoting device, which comprises a carrier arm bearing the weight of the vehicle door and at least one guide arm controlling the movement of the vehicle door, wherein the carrier arm and the guide arm are of the same length and are arranged pivotally mounted on the vehicle door and the bodywork in such a way that the arms form a parallelogram. The support arm is pivotally mounted level with a horizontal bodywork section defining a lower limit of the door opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Thomas Ellinghaus, Frank Heinisch
  • Patent number: 8684439
    Abstract: Telescoping side rails for a pickup truck are extensible, hidden vertical pillars within each side wall of a pickup truck. The extensible vertical pillars are connected at the top by the side rail sitting atop the side walls. A set of telescoping pillars is added to each of the two side walls bordering the bed of the pickup truck. When extended, either manually or via a powered option, the vertical pillars, which are joined at the top by the side rail, form a skeleton structure of a tall side wall. The side rail is an added stabilizing connection. The skeleton structure can be used alone or with added horizontal beams inserted through horizontal access ports in the extended pillars. Preferably, the access ports allow passage of a standard 2×4 or other stake through the pillars to create added structural stability to each set of telescoping pillars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: TSR Associates
    Inventor: S. Mill Calvert
  • Patent number: 8684451
    Abstract: A front vehicle body structure may include a front side member extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle, a fender apron upper member disposed in an outer direction of the front side member in a traverse direction of the vehicle, and a fender apron front reinforcement member extending in the traverse direction of the vehicle and connecting the fender apron upper member and the front side member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Ki Bong Park, Log Won Do
  • Patent number: 8684440
    Abstract: A vehicle console includes a panel that has a closed position and a stowed position. The panel at least partly covers a utility area when in the closed position, and an end of the panel is concealed from view in the stowed position. The panel pivots about a pivot point and is coupled with a movement mechanism. The movement mechanism includes one or more gears and a pivot arm with dimensional relationships that define a line of movement for the pivot arm as it moves between the closed and stowed positions. A planetary gear set may be used to define a curvilinear path, such as an elliptical path, or a rectilinear path for the pivot point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Faurecia Interior Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael K. Hishon, Brian S. Kikta
  • Patent number: 8684435
    Abstract: A tailgate inner-handle is vertically rotatably mounted and includes: cylinders having sliding holes formed in outer circumferential surfaces along a longitudinal direction; pistons inserted in the cylinders and having fitting holes; a handle mounted at one end of the piston; a carrying bar entering the cylinders through the sliding holes to be inserted in the fitting holes; a motor connected so as to slide the carrying bar; and a control module configured to apply power to the motor according to whether the tailgate is opened or closed. The inner-handle according to the present invention protrudes from the tailgate or returns to an original position according to an opening/closing state of the tailgate, so that a user may more easily and conveniently hold the inner-handle regardless of a height of the user without needing to adjust an opening angle of the tailgate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Ho-Sang Lee
  • Patent number: 8684444
    Abstract: The present invention provides a compact covering for automobiles. This device is configured to be located on a windshield of vehicles, where it is anchored to the necks of side mirrors by elastic straps. The device has four rolls of cover-sheets and a housing which is constructed of two halves inserted fitly into each other. It is easily placed onto its working position by way of a wheel and suction-cups. Cover-sheets will be pulled out via apertures on the housing and stretched over the vehicle. To help pulling easily, each of the cover-sheets will have a pipe-shaped stopper attached at its outer end. Each of the pipe-shaped stoppers will have hooks which hooks onto the edge of the chassis of the vehicle. The axes of cover-sheets rolls are mounted with the constant springs, so they can rewind after each use. Brushes above the apertures will swipe off dust, tree leaves, etc. from cover-sheets when they are rewound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Inventor: Thang Manh Dao