Patents Examined by Karen A Beck
  • Patent number: 8419058
    Abstract: An air bag module (30) includes an air bag (14) having a deflated condition and an inflated condition and a structure (34) for supporting the air bag. A first tether (106) has a first end connected to the structure via an actuatable fastener (122) and an opposite second end connected to the air bag (14). A second tether (104) having a first end secured to the first tether (106) by a releasable connection (132) at a location between the first and second ends of the first tether. The second tether has a second end connected to a deployable portion of the air bag (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt F. Fischer, Douglas M. Gould, Simon Kramer, Daniele Aranzulla, Martin Burkhardtsmaier, Jochen Weiss, Bernd Issler
  • Patent number: 8327970
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, a vehicle includes a vehicle body frame including a main frame extending rearward from a head pipe, and a pivot frame extending downward from a rear portion of the main frame. An engine is supported by the vehicle body frame. A shift pedal is provided, with which a driver performs a gear-shifting operation. A base part is provided, to which a detector and a moveable part are attached. The detector is configured to detect the gear-shifting operation, and the moveable part is configured such that an operation thereof is detected by the detector. A link is provided, which links the shift pedal and the moveable part to each other. The base part is detachably provided to the engine, and the base part and the moveable part are configured, in a plan view, inward of an outer side surface of the main frame in a vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Furuse, Kenji Morita
  • Patent number: 8301345
    Abstract: A device and a method for transmitting an activation decision for an actuator system from a first to at least one second control unit is provided, the second control unit activating the actuator system as a function of at least two messages from the first control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Schmid, Holger Denz
  • Patent number: 8296010
    Abstract: A suspension control apparatus enabling a driver to obtain an excellent driving feeling. The suspension control apparatus controls an actuator disposed between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle. The suspension control apparatus includes a lateral acceleration detector operable to detect a lateral acceleration, a lateral jerk detector operable to detect a lateral jerk, and a suspension controller operable to control the actuator to change a pitch of the vehicle based the detected lateral acceleration and lateral jerk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryusuke Hirao, Masaaki Uchiyama, Nobuyuki Ichimaru, Takahide Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8272469
    Abstract: The invention provides a trunnion bearing assembly for the drive system of a snow blower, mower, tractor, or other self-propelled utility vehicle. In certain embodiments, the trunnion assembly comprises a bearing having ball bearings, roller bearings, or another type of bearing set. This can provide free relative rotation of several components of the bearing assembly relative to a trunnion housing of the bearing assembly. This rotation is imparted when a friction disk of the assembly engages a spinning motor flywheel of the drive system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Oconomowoc Mfg. Corp.
    Inventors: Kyle C. Stoehr, Scott T. Breyer
  • Patent number: 8275509
    Abstract: System and method for detecting and storing at least speed as an information relevant for resignation for a tachograph system. to provide a tamperproof tachograph system offering a high degree of security. An arithmetic unit detects signals for determining the speed from at least two independent sensors and compares them with each other and stores a sensor-related error message if the signals deviate significantly from each other. The signals of at least three independent sensors are compared with each other in the arithmetic unit and are checked for their plausibility by excluding any signals that significantly deviate from a plurality of signals and determining the speed of the vehicle to be stored only using one or more of those signals that deviate from each other only within defined limits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Gerd Fritsch, Gunnar Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8272654
    Abstract: A locking pin mechanism for a transport semi-trailer, the locking pin mechanism is used for locking longitudinally extending members of a frame of a transport semi-trailer together with a trailer body movably arranged on the longitudinally extending members. The locking pin mechanism comprises at least two bolt assemblies and a linkage assembly for driving the at least two bolt assemblies. The bolt assembly comprises a bolt, an inner spring, a sliding sleeve, an outer spring and a bracket. The sliding sleeve at an end away from its sliding sleeve end-plate is connected with the linkage assembly; the linkage assembly can be pulled such that the sliding sleeve of the bolt assembly is compresses the inner and outer springs to force the bolt to be pulled out from a locating hole under an action of an elastic force of the inner spring; and after the linkage assembly is released, the bolt can be inserted into the locating hole under the action of the elastic force of the outer spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: CIMC Vehicles Group Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Liangfu Xie
  • Patent number: 8272664
    Abstract: The airbag assembly features an airbag cushion, a deployment flap, an extension flap attached to the deployment flap, and a lateral flap. The deployment flap is configured to protect the airbag cushion as it deploys from the module housing. The extension flap is configured to position the airbag cushion during deployment. The lateral flap is configured to allow for proper airbag deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse Benny, Michael Lachat, Anna Libby, Bobby Lusk
  • Patent number: 8267410
    Abstract: A suspension for a trailer vehicle that allows the trailer itself to be used as a ramp. The suspension has an axle having an axis and wheels at each end of the axle. The axle is pivotally connected to the vehicle at a pivotal connection and the axis of the axle is offset from the pivotal connection to the vehicle. An actuation device having a first and second end is pivotally connected to the axle at its first end. The actuation device is movable between a retracted length and extended length. Shifting the actuation device between its retracted and extended lengths causes the axle to pivot about the pivotal connection on the trailer, thereby changing the height of the vehicle relative to the ground surface. The trailer can be used as a ramp, thus, eliminating the need for separate ramps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Inventors: Michael S. Stutz, John Slayter
  • Patent number: 8262131
    Abstract: An automotive knee bolster system includes a cross-car beam, and a variable stiffness member attached to the cross-car beam and configured to absorb occupant knee impact energy. The member includes a plurality of nested panels each having a different length and substantially the same radius of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Laike Misikir, Wanjun Lei, Ami Nicole Kapadia
  • Patent number: 8265832
    Abstract: There is described a vehicle comprising a spring-mounted vehicle seat (3; 13) in a spring-mounted vehicle cab (2; 12), wherein the vehicle seat (3; 13) is spring-mounted by means of at least one first spring element (24) and/or one first damping element (25) relative to the vehicle cab (2; 12) in the vehicle height and/or vehicle length and/or vehicle width direction, and the vehicle cab (2; 12) is spring-mounted by means of at least one second spring element (15) and/or second damping element (14) relative to a vehicle frame (11) in the vehicle height and/or vehicle length and/or vehicle width direction, comprising a control device (34) which, as a function of a first measured acceleration value of an excursion of the vehicle frame (11), causes a first application of force for regulating the excursion of the first spring element (24) and/or damping element (25) and a second application of force for regulating the excursion of the second spring element (15) and/or the functional element (14), in mutual depend
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Grammer AG
    Inventors: Erwin Haller, Jens Kolb
  • Patent number: 8262130
    Abstract: An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant (20) of a vehicle (12) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) having a deflated condition and an inflated condition. Tear stitching (200) interconnects portions (220 and 230) of the protection device (14) and is rupturable to permit the interconnected portions to move relative to each other. The tear stitching (200) includes a break point (210) and first and second segments (212) that extend away from the break point. The tear stitching (200) is arranged on the protection device (14) such that tension forces acting to rupture the tear stitching act primarily on the break point (210) so that the tear stitching ruptures first at the break point and then along the first and second segments (212) of the tear stitching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt F. Fischer, John Klakulak, Heather R. Kramer, Alberto Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 8245806
    Abstract: In some embodiments, systems and methods provided herein relate to a riding mower including a plurality of user support components coupled to a main frame and a suspension component coupled to the plurality of user support components such that movement of the plurality of user support component parallels each other. The mower may include a seat that can be moved such that operational components (e.g., a mower engine, battery, pump, or steering control) are more accessible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Inventor: Nick Newell
  • Patent number: 8244413
    Abstract: A method executes at least one instruction in an on-board maintenance device from a remote system connected to the maintenance device via a communication network. The method includes receiving at least one datum representative of at least one command having a correspondence with the at least one instruction. The method also includes filtering the at least one received datum. In response to the filtering, if the at least one received datum represents a valid command, the method includes converting the at least one received datum to identify the at least one instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Michel Bovet, Georges Ric
  • Patent number: 8240688
    Abstract: Forming a recess in an intermediate section in an axis direction of an outer peripheral face of a stabilizer bush allows the contact surface pressure between an inner peripheral face thereof and an outer peripheral face of a torsion portion to be low in a section where the recess is formed. Therefore, when the torsion portion twistedly deforms, slipping against the torsion portion starts from the intermediate section in the axis direction of the stabilizer bush, and the slipping spreads to opposite end parts in the axis direction, thus enhancing the ride comfort of a vehicle. Moreover, open ends of axially opposite end parts of the stabilizer bush, where no recess is formed, are put in intimate contact with the outer peripheral face of the torsion portion, thus preventing sand and mud from entering therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuo Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 8235418
    Abstract: An airbag system for a vehicle includes an inflatable rear curtain airbag configured to deploy adjacent a rear window positioned between rear pillars in the vehicle, a housing for the rear curtain airbag, and an inflator to inflate the rear curtain airbag. The housing, rear curtain airbag, and inflator are mounted to a roof of the vehicle. The rear curtain airbag is configured to deploy to prevent ejection of an occupant out of the rear window and to prevent objects intruding through the rear window from contacting an occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Paul MariaAntonius Slaats, Jim Karlow, Pongdet Paul Wipasuramonton, Moe Boumarafi
  • Patent number: 8239095
    Abstract: A cooling system of the invention mounted on a motor vehicle has a damper configured to switch over an air blow mode between an inside air intake mode of taking in the air from a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle via operation of a battery blower fan and directly blowing the intake air to a battery and an A/C intake mode of taking in the air cooled down by an air conditioner (evaporator) via operation of the battery blower fan and blowing the cooled intake air to the battery. In response to a switchover demand of the air blow mode, when a vehicle speed is not lower than a preset reference speed, a switchover of the damper is immediately performed to switch over the air blow mode. When the vehicle speed is lower than the preset reference speed, the switchover of the damper is prohibited to keep the air blow mode unchanged. At the higher vehicle speed, the drive-related noise (background noise) sufficiently masks the wind noise occurring in the course of the switchover of the damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kikuchi, Tetsuya Ishihara
  • Patent number: 8224540
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle and method of operating the same, where the agricultural vehicle has an engine, a continuously variable transmission, a processor, an inching controller, and a speed controller. The speed controller sends a first signal to the processor, and the processor controls the transmission to operate the vehicle at a first speed based on the first signal. The inching controller sends a second signal to the processor, and the processor controls the transmission to move the agricultural vehicle in a forward or reverse direction, depending on the second signal. If the first speed based on the first signal is zero, the second signal triggers the processor to control the transmission to move the agricultural vehicle in the forward or reverse direction a predetermined first distance. The control of the vehicle to be at zero speed or to be in a particular position is effectuated by a position control mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Inventors: Peter John Dix, Garth H. Bulgrien, Brian A. Hartman
  • Patent number: 8215668
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle including a seat on which a passenger may be seated; an airbag cushion that is expanded according to an inflow of a gas to protect the passenger seated on the seat; an inflator that introduces the gas into the airbag cushion; a first vent hole provided at the airbag cushion to exhaust therethrough the gas introduced from the inflator; a second vent hole provided at the airbag cushion to face the passenger to exhaust therethrough the gas introduced from the inflator; and a vent amount adjustment member connected to the second vent hole to adjust the amount of the gas exhausted through the second vent hole depending on whether an adult is seated on the seat or a child restraint system is installed on the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yeong Gi Cho, Yeon Kyeong Kim, Gun Woo Kim
  • Patent number: 8219281
    Abstract: A system, method, and program product controls an operation of a vehicle based on the presence of one or more foreign objects within one or more monitored zones about the vehicle. One or more transceivers receive information about the one or more foreign objects. Based on the received information and the one or more corresponding zones, one or more controllers identify a response, which may include notifying the user about the foreign object and/or generating a signal that inhibits the ignition from turning on. The system, method, and program product also control an operation of a vehicle based on the absence of an object of the vehicle. Likewise, the one or more controllers identify a response, which may include notifying the user about the missing object and/or generating a signal that inhibits the ignition from turning on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory J. Boss, Peter G. Finn, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Brian M. O'Connell, James W. Seaman, Keith R. Walker