Patents Examined by Karen Beck
  • Patent number: 10800456
    Abstract: A subframe for a rear axle of a motor vehicle includes a transverse structure and a steering device for wheels of the motor vehicle which are fastened to the rear axle. In the installed state of the subframe in the motor vehicle, the transverse structure extends in the transverse direction of the motor vehicle. The transverse structure includes an upper transverse structure element and a lower transverse structure element. The steering device is arranged between the upper transverse structure element and the lower transverse structure element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Lutz Bauer
  • Patent number: 10800223
    Abstract: An air suspension system includes a tank, a tank-side open/close valve, an air suspension-side open/close valve, a system portion, and the like. The system portion includes a compressor, an air drier, and a first passage and a second passage provided between the tank-side open/close valve and the air suspension-side open/close valve in parallel, a discharge valve, a tank-side control valve, an air suspension-side control valve, and the like. Due to this configuration, the air suspension system regenerates the air drier by opening the discharge valve to thus cause the air in the second passage to flow from an opposite side toward one side of the air drier when no power is supplied to the tank-side control valve and the air suspension-side control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Kan Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10800353
    Abstract: A utility vehicle powertrain enclosure includes an engine and a transmission mounted to a carrier under a utility vehicle cargo box and substantially enclosed by the carrier and a plurality of panels. The carrier has a forward end pivotably attached to a frame member of the utility vehicle, and sides flexibly connected to panels alongside the engine, and a rearward end mounted to the utility vehicle with a pair of suspension members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Brian D. Seegert, Vilas Chaudhari, Sandeep Burli
  • Patent number: 10787141
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (AGS) for controlling the air intake for a front face module for a motor vehicle, comprising shutters (SHT1, SHT2), an actuator (ACT) arranged so as to control the shutters (SHT1, SHT2), and a flexible connection (STR, ROD) connecting the actuator (ACT) to the shutters (SHT1, SHT2), which can displace the actuator (ACT) in order to prevent it (ACT) from causing damage to an entity (PED, OBS) in the event of a collusion between the motor vehicle and said entity (PED, OBS). The invention also relates to a front face module for a motor vehicle comprising such an air intake control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques
    Inventors: Frédéric Vacca, Enzo Mitidieri
  • Patent number: 10766450
    Abstract: A side airbag device including an airbag (2); an inflator (3); and an inner tube (4) formed of a fabric and covering discharge holes (3a) of the inflator (3). The inner tube (4) protrudes toward a center of the airbag (2) in a deployed state and a first end (4b) is closed in the direction of gas discharge, and second ends (4c) that are in a vehicle height direction of the airbag (2) in the deployed state are open. The inner tube (4) is folded back at a folded-back portion (4d) inside the airbag (2) when the airbag (2) is folded in a case where the side airbag device is installed in a vehicle seat back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Naoki Hatakeyama, Atsushi Murai
  • Patent number: 10766519
    Abstract: A steering column (10), comprising: a base (20); an upper section (50) connected to the base (20), wherein the upper section (50) is movable relative to the base (20) with respect to at least two degrees of freedom; an actuation lever (60) connected to the upper section (50) and operable between a locked position, in which the actuation lever (60) is in stable equilibrium and constrains both degrees of freedom of the upper section (50) relative to the base (20), and two distinct unlocked positions, each of which respectively releases one of the two degrees of freedom of the upper section (50) relative to the base (20); wherein, in the two unlocked positions, the actuation lever (60) is located in two distinct respective stable equilibrium positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: MMX—MECCANOPLAST S.R.L.
    Inventor: Massimiliano Casini
  • Patent number: 10752069
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension is provided, including an axle having an axle body with an exterior surface, a main trailing arm shell portion having a first axle engagement surface configured for engaging a first portion of the exterior surface, and a second trailing arm shell portion having a second axle engagement surface configured for engaging a second portion of the exterior surface. Upon assembly to the axle, the main trailing arm shell portion and the second trailing arm shell portion engage more than 180° of a curvature of the exterior surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: REYCO GRANNING, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth Wall, Michael G. Ochse
  • Patent number: 10752075
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a sprung mass including a cabin coupled to a chassis, tractive assemblies engaging the chassis, each tractive assembly including a pair of tractive elements, gas springs coupling the tractive elements to the sprung mass, and a controller operatively coupled to pressure sensors. Each gas spring is configured to impart an upward force on the sprung mass. The upward force varies based on a pressure of a pressurized gas within a chamber of the gas spring. Each pressure sensor is configured to provide a signal indicative of the pressure of the pressurized gas within one of the chambers. The controller is configured to determine a weight of the sprung mass using the signals from the pressure sensors. The controller is configured to monitor at least one operational condition of the vehicle and determine whether or not to disable determination of the weight based on the operational condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Oshkosh Defense, LLC
    Inventors: Deepak Shukla, Ron Zhang, David Hansen
  • Patent number: 10753404
    Abstract: A steering device includes an inner shaft and an outer shaft. The inner shaft includes an axial member provided on an axial line, a first abutting member provided on an outer circumference of the axial member, and a second abutting member disposed adjacent to the first abutting member, and having a different hardness from that of the first abutting member. An abutting member support of the axial member where the first abutting member and the second abutting member are provided is formed in a shape other than a circular shape. The outer shaft includes a torque transmitting member which abuts only either the first abutting member or the second abutting member and which is capable of transmitting torque only with the abutting member that is abutting the torque transmitting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: YAMADA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toru Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 10744832
    Abstract: A control arm includes a pair of mounting portions provided separately from each other and a main body portion extending in a X-direction and connecting the pair of mounting portions. At a cross-section perpendicular to the X-direction at a position along the X-direction, the main body portion includes: a first V-shaped member having a first apex and opening from the first apex in a V-shape toward one side in a Y-direction, and a second V-shaped member having a second apex and opening from the second apex in a V-shape toward the other side in the Y-direction. At the cross-section, the first apex and the second apex are joined. At a cross-section perpendicular to the X-direction at the center position of the main body portion in the X-direction, an opening angle of the first V-shaped member and an opening angle of the second V-shaped member are each no more than 150°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yujiro Tatsumi, Kenichiro Otsuka, Yoshiaki Nakazawa, Masanori Yasuyama, Hitoshi Sakuma, Ayaka Musha
  • Patent number: 10730471
    Abstract: An airbag device includes: a gas generator which is extended along an axial line thereof and which includes: a generator body including a gas injection section at one end section; and an installing protrusion protruding from an outer face of the generator body; and an airbag which includes a bag body developed and inflated by an inflation gas supplied from the gas injection section. The gas generator and the airbag are installed on a vehicle by the installing protrusion. The bag body includes an insertion port having a size allowing the gas injection section to pass through and not allowing a portion of the gas generator provided with the installing protrusion to pass through. The gas injection section is disposed inside the bag body, and the installing protrusion is disposed outside the bag body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTDA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Nobuya Nakano
  • Patent number: 10723195
    Abstract: A moving body includes a frame, a pair of right and left first wheels, a pair of right and left second wheels, a pair of right and left first parallel links connecting the first wheels and the second wheels, and a second parallel link connecting the pair of right and left first parallel links. Furthermore, a height changing unit connects the second parallel link and the frame and changes a position of the frame in a height direction with respect to the second parallel link, and a controller controls the height changing unit so as to maintain a height of the frame from a road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Noriaki Imaoka, Takeshi Ando
  • Patent number: 10723225
    Abstract: A PTO transmission includes a PTO control system, an input shaft, a first output shaft, a parallel intermediate shaft, a second output shaft coaxially disposed with respect to the first output shaft, four gear pairs disposed so that the input shaft comprises two gears, the first output shaft comprises three gears, the intermediate shaft comprises two gears, and the second output shaft comprises one gear. Two gear pairs are in engagement between the input shaft and the first output shaft, one gear pair is in engagement between the first output shaft and the intermediate shaft, and one gear pair is in engagement between the input shaft and the second output shaft. At least one gear of each gear pair is shiftable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: David Müller, Rainer Gugel
  • Patent number: 10717404
    Abstract: A side pillar air curtain guide includes a main body having a ramp receiver and an air curtain ramp insert connected to the main body. The air curtain ramp receiver insert includes a plurality of ribs projecting from the main body at an acute included angle with the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Diego Fabricio Villacres Mesias, Alfredo Cuevas Vega, Hector Hernandez Hernandez, Robert Ralph Armitage, Jr., Amy Marie Boardman
  • Patent number: 10703323
    Abstract: An occupant protection system for a vehicle may include an expandable curtain and/or an expandable bladder configured to be expanded from a stowed state to a deployed state. In the deployed state, the expandable curtain may include first and second sides configured to extend along respective portions of first and second interior sides of the vehicle. The expandable curtain may also include a transverse portion extending between the first and second sides, and the first and second sides, and the transverse portion of the expandable curtain may form a contiguous barrier. The expandable bladder when deployed may be supported by the expandable curtain during contact by an occupant. The occupant protection system may also include a deployment control system configured to cause the expandable curtain and/or the expandable bladder to expand to the deployed state. The occupant protection system may be used in vehicles having a carriage-style seating arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Jost, Timothy David Kentley-Klay, Josh Alexander Jimenez, Andrew John Piper
  • Patent number: 10703157
    Abstract: A suspension interconnection assembly for a vehicle adapted to move along a surface of the ground includes an axle housing and a spring seat. The spring seat includes a pocket defined by a U-shaped saddle having a bottom wall that extends between a first leg and a second leg. The first and second legs include claw portions that are adapted to engage an upper portion of the axle housing. Welds secure the first and second claw portions to the axle housing so that areas of the axle housing adjacent the welds are in a state of residual tensile stress based on forming. The position of the welds provides a stress cancelling effect upon application of the load to the axle housing in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Mahindra N.A. Tech Center
    Inventor: David E. Peck
  • Patent number: 10703322
    Abstract: A vehicle side airbag device including: a side airbag that is accommodated in a folded-up state within a side portion, which is at a vehicle transverse direction outer side at a seatback of a vehicle seat, and, at a time of a side collision, the side airbag inflating and expanding between an upper body of a vehicle occupant and a vehicle side portion, and a vehicle transverse direction inner side surface of the side airbag, which faces the vehicle occupant, sinking in toward a vehicle transverse direction outer side; and a cloth body that is disposed at a vehicle occupant side with respect to the inflated and expanded side airbag, and that spans between front and rear both end portions of the side airbag and is stretched between the front and rear both end portions, a gap being formed between the side airbag and the cloth body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuichi Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 10696265
    Abstract: A curtain airbag system of a vehicle is configured such that a position of an auxiliary chamber provided in a curtain airbag is changed to correspond to an occupant's seating posture or the occupant's lying posture in response to a vehicle collision, so that the occupant is safely protected in various seating postures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Hyo Shub Shin, Hyock In Kwon
  • Patent number: 10668885
    Abstract: A side airbag device for a rear seat relating to the technique of the present disclosure includes: an airbag module that is provided at an interior of a side garnish that is disposed between a vehicle body side portion and a vehicle transverse direction outer side of a seatback of a rear seat; a tubular flow regulating cloth that is provided at an interior of a side airbag of the airbag module, at a periphery of an inflator; and an airbag door that is provided at the side garnish, and that has a hinge portion and a tear portion at a periphery thereof, and that is pushed by the tubular flow regulating cloth when gas is generated from the inflator, wherein the tubular flow regulating cloth has openings at both ends thereof, and has exhaust holes in a peripheral wall thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Seiji Hioda, Yoshinori Beppu, Atsushi Yamada, Takuya Sudo
  • Patent number: 10668887
    Abstract: A vehicle seat with a side airbag device includes: a gas generating device attached to an inner side of an outer side frame in a vehicle-width direction, which is disposed in a side portion on an outside of a seat back in the vehicle-width direction; a side airbag which inflates and deploys to expand over the outer side frame from a vehicle front side of the outer side frame in the vehicle-width direction by receiving gas from the gas generating device accommodated in the side airbag; and an inflation width expansion portion which is provided in the side airbag and causes an inflation width of the side airbag in the vehicle-width direction to be greater outside a side surface provided on an outside of the outer side frame in the vehicle-width direction than inside the side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Osamu Fukawatase, Takamichi Komura, Masato Kunisada, Hiroyuki Nagura, Takuma Kawai, Takayuki Shimizu