Patents Examined by Keith Frisby
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Patent number: 9291230Abstract: A damper assembly for a vehicle suspension system includes a primary damper and a secondary damper coupled to the primary damper. The secondary damper includes a housing, a piston, a conduit, and a valve. The housing includes a sidewall that defines a set of apertures and at least partially surrounds the primary damper, and the volume between the sidewall and the primary damper defines a damping chamber. The piston is positioned within the damping chamber and is slidably coupled to the sidewall. The conduit forms a flow path between the set of apertures, and the valve is disposed along the flow path. The primary damper provides a base damping force, and the secondary damper provides a supplemental damping force that varies based on the position of the piston along the housing.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2014Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: Oshkosh Defense, LLCInventors: Erik S. Ellifson, Patrick S. Dillman, Jason J. Zuleger, Aaron J. Rositch, Robert K. Sollenskog
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Patent number: 9283924Abstract: A hinge for a hood of a vehicle includes a first bracket; a member rotatably coupled to the first bracket, and a second bracket rotatably coupled to the member. An actuator includes a base connected to the member and a rod moveable relative to the base. The rod moves from a retracted position to an extended position in contact with the second bracket for rotating the second bracket relative to the member.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2014Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Iskander Farooq, Mohammed Omar Faruque, Sudip Sankar Bhattacharjee, Dean M Jaradi, Srinivasan Sundararajan
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Patent number: 9279200Abstract: There is disclosed a non-coated base fabric for air bag characterized in that maximum value of inner pressure of a woven fabric in measurement of dynamic air permeability at 50 to 65° C. is 70 to 100 kpa and biaxial strain rate of the base fabric at that time is 2.9 to 4.0%. Preferably, a yarn which constitutes the woven fabric is Nylon 66 fiber, content of an oil component remaining in the woven fabric is 0.04 to 0.60% by weight to the woven fabric, main ingredient of the oil component is an olefin type polymer having a melting point of 60° C. or lower, and the woven fabric contains 20 to 200 ppm of a phosphorus component.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2013Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: TOYOBO CO., LTD.Inventors: Yoshihiro Matsui, Toshio Owari, Shingo Sogabe, Miho Yamamoto, Yusuke Kojyo, Hirokazu Nishimura
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Patent number: 9278597Abstract: An air spring for a vehicle with a lifting function includes an upper rolling piston and a lower rolling piston disposed opposite to each other. A rolling bellows encloses a compressed air space and has double rolling folds. The pressure effective surfaces of the rolling folds are coordinated with each other in such a manner that, during dynamic spring operation of the air spring over a predetermined spring travel, the pressure effective surface of the rolling fold on the lower rolling piston is larger than the pressure effective surface of the rolling fold on the upper rolling piston.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2012Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: VIBRACOUSTIC CV AIR SPRINGS GMBHInventors: Stephan Dehlwes, Jonny Dreves
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Patent number: 9273827Abstract: A kinetic response system comprising an impact member to receive an impact force thereto, one or more annular guides positioned proximate the impact member, one or more projectile masses to respectively travel along the one or more annular guides, a kinetic energy converter to accelerate the one or more projectile masses along the one or more annular guides, and a controller to selectively trigger the kinetic energy converter to accelerate the one or more projectile masses along the one or more annular guides. The one or more projectile masses being accelerated in response to the impact force contributing to acceleration of the impact member above a defined threshold. The accelerated projectile masses create a rotational force to cause a kinetic push against the impact member in opposition to the impact force.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2013Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Inventor: Roger N. Johnson
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Patent number: 9272682Abstract: An airbag assembly may include an inflatable curtain airbag with a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The inflatable curtain may have a first chamber and a second chamber that inflates forward of the first chamber. The second chamber may be separated from the first chamber by a non-inflating region. The non-inflating region may have a width selected such that in-plane bending of the inflatable curtain occurs during deployment. The in-plane bending may position the second chamber lower than the first chamber such that the second chamber overlaps a significant portion of a door adjacent to the inflatable curtain. Forward and rearward portions of the non-inflating region may be attached together to form a fold that decreases the width of the non-inflating region, thereby enhancing the in-plane bending. The second chamber may also bend out-of-plane relative to the first chamber to help provide protection in small overlap collision situations.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2013Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.Inventors: Xiaohong Wang, Takayuki Makioka
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Patent number: 9272744Abstract: The present disclosure relates to three-wheeled vehicles. The three-wheeled vehicles disclosed herein are characterized by two front wheels and a single rear wheel, an engine located rearward of the cockpit and a drivetrain configured to power the front wheels. Three-wheeled vehicle configurations in accordance with the present disclosure may enhance various handling characteristics of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2015Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Inventor: Peter de Haan
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Patent number: 9266487Abstract: A vehicle has a restraint system with at least two restraint devices. A sensor detects a potential collision object and outputs a signal representing a relative position of the potential collision object to the vehicle. A processing device suppresses deployment of at least one of the restraint devices based at least in part on the signal output by the at least one sensor.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2014Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Gerald H. Engelman, Alex Maurice Miller, Brian Robert Spahn, Richard Lee Stephenson, Levasseur Tellis, Timothy D. Zwicky
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Patent number: 9266492Abstract: Disclosed is a curtain airbag module including a curtain airbag cushion, an inflator of supplying and inflating gas into the curtain airbag cushion, and a lamp bracket fixed on a vehicle panel to support the curtain airbag cushion which is integrally provided with a lamp pattern to deploy the curtain airbag cushion into a vehicle without deploying the curtain airbag cushion into a pillar trim of a vehicle in the deployment of the curtain airbag cushion by driving the inflator. The lamp pattern wraps up at least a portion of the folded curtain airbag cushion. The lamp pattern initially wrapping up the folded curtain airbag cushion guides the curtain airbag cushion to the interior of the vehicle when the curtain airbag cushion is deployed, thereby preventing the curtain airbag cushion from being inserted into the pillar trim, so that the curtain airbag cushion is stably deployed.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2013Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT ABInventor: Jong Ki Byun
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Patent number: 9266705Abstract: A battery forklift includes a battery and a motor that includes a rotation shaft and is driven using the battery as a power source. A reduction device reduces the speed of rotation of the rotation shaft and transmits the rotation to an axle. A case accommodates the reduction device. A drive wheel is driven by rotation of the axle. The reduction device includes a helical gear rotated integrally with the rotation shaft and a drive shaft formed integrally with the helical gear and extended in a vertical direction. The reduction device further includes an upper bearing located above the helical gear to support the drive shaft rotatably relative to the case and a lower bearing located below the helical gear to support the drive shaft rotatably relative to the case. The case includes a communication portion that communicates a lower void located below the upper bearing and an upper void located above the upper bearing.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2013Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKIInventors: Takanori Kanna, Munenori Onitsuka, Kyohei Toda
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Patent number: 9254809Abstract: A tear preventer (2, 3) is provided on a side air cushion outlet seam (4) of a vehicle seat covering (5) for a vehicle seat (1). In each case a fabric tube (16) is arranged on an inner side of the vehicle seat covering(s) on the two seam ends of the side air cushion outlet seam (4) and is connected in a materially joined and/or frictionally locking fashion to the vehicle seat cover (5). Furthermore, a vehicle seat cover (5) is provided having a tear preventer (2, 3) on a side air cushion outlet seam (4).Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2012Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology CompanyInventors: Wolfgang Wiederhoeft, Hans Erber, Christian Raubal
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Patent number: 9254724Abstract: A vehicle front suspension includes a lower suspension support structure, a transverse link, a steering knuckle and a lower knuckle breakaway structure. The transverse link has an inboard side and an outboard side, the inboard side being attached to the lower suspension support structure. The steering knuckle has an upper end, a lower end, and a wheel supporting section between the upper end and the lower end. The lower end is pivotally coupled to the outboard side of the transverse link. The lower knuckle breakaway structure is formed on the steering knuckle to release the steering knuckle from the transverse link upon application of a prescribed rearward directed force on the vehicle front suspension outboard of the lower suspension support structure.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2014Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.Inventors: Ryan Corby, Joyce Lam, Kenneth Ameloot, Jeffery Dix
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Patent number: 9254811Abstract: In an inflated and deployed state of a side-airbag, a shoulder bag section is disposed to extend from the side of a shoulder of a seated occupant toward the vehicle front side, above a main bag section. The vehicle width direction dimension of the shoulder bag section is set smaller than that of the main bag section, and a vehicle width direction inner side face at an upper end side of the main bag section slopes or curves so as to rise on progression toward the vehicle width direction outer side. An upper arm is pushed upward by making sliding contact with this face. Moreover, the shoulder can be restrained by the shoulder bag section, even when the seated occupant moves under inertia obliquely toward the vehicle front.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2012Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shigeki Hayashi, Satoshi Fukushima, Shinobu Tanaka
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Patent number: 9248798Abstract: A bolster assembly for a vehicle is provided, the bolster assembly comprising a body, and a plurality of brackets provided on a front surface of the body, the plurality of brackets being arranged in paired sets. Also provided is a plurality of energy absorbing elements, wherein each of the plurality of energy absorbing elements is operably associated with a respective bracket, and where within each paired set of brackets, the energy absorbing elements are disposed in adjacent relationship separated by a gap. Each paired set of brackets is aligned with a frame structure provided in the vehicle, the frame structure having a width greater than the gap. Upon a crash event and forward displacement of the body, the paired sets of brackets engage the frame structure, the energy absorbing elements deforming during the forward displacement to absorb energy.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2013Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: Salfex Polymers LimitedInventor: Raj Roychoudhury
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Patent number: 9242556Abstract: A transaxle with a tandem axle includes an engine, a transmission and a driveshaft. The transmission has an integrated interaxle differential mounted remotely from the engine. The transmission and the integrated interaxle differential are mounted on at least one vehicle frame member so that both are sprung weight on the vehicle. The driveshaft spans a gap between the engine and the transmission.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2014Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Dana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group, LLCInventors: James F. Ziech, Timothy J. Morscheck
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Patent number: 9232692Abstract: A lift detection arrangement (100, 200) in a robotic lawnmower for detecting a lift of a body (110, 210) relative a chassis (105, 205) of the robotic lawnmower is provided. The lift detection arrangement (100, 200) comprises a connection between the chassis (105, 205) and the body (110, 220). The connection comprises a joystick element (115, 215) 5 arranged to allow a displacement of the body (1110, 210) relative the chassis (105, 205) in a collision plane during a collision, and a lift element (120, 220) arranged to provide a flexibility between the chassis (105, 205) and the body (110, 210) in a lift direction during the lift. The lift detection arrangement (100, 200) further comprises a lift sensor configured to detect a displacement over a predetermined threshold of the lift element (120, 220) 10 during the lift by detecting a change in spacing between two sensor parts (125, 126, 225, 226).Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2012Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: HUSQVARNA ABInventors: Jonathan Björn, Martin Elonsson
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Patent number: 9227687Abstract: Foldable electrical vehicles and related charging infrastructure are described. The foldable electrical vehicle generally includes three structural arms (front and rear wheel-bearing arms and a seat-bearing arm) that are pivotally interconnected along their lengths such that they may be pivoted between a closed position wherein the three arms are disposed roughly parallel to each other in a compact folded configuration, and an open riding configuration wherein an angular relation is formed between the arms.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2014Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: URBAN626, LLCInventors: Grant Delgatty, Sven Etzelsberger
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Patent number: 9221508Abstract: The present disclosure relates to three-wheeled vehicles. The three-wheeled vehicles disclosed herein are characterized by two front wheels and a single rear wheel, an engine located rearward of the cockpit and a drivetrain configured to power the front wheels. Three-wheeled vehicle configurations in accordance with the present disclosure may enhance various handling characteristics of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2014Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Inventor: Peter de Haan
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Patent number: 9221415Abstract: A method of assembling an airbag for a seatbelt restraint such that the deflated airbag lays flat when it is stacked and secured to a webbing of the seatbelt. The airbag is assembled from a plurality of material strips. The strips are edge joint welded together so that the joints lay flat between the individual strips comprising the airbag.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2014Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Srinivasan Sundararajan, Derek Board, Edward J. DeSmet, Kevin Pline
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Patent number: 9216624Abstract: A front suspension assembly and a front suspension system for a vehicle are disclosed. A tire includes an outer surface having a contact patch center point being a point on a tire center axis. A first handling link and a first ride link are coupled to a wheel carrier above a first plane. A second handling link and a second ride link are coupled to the wheel carrier below the first plane. A handling axis intersects both of a first and second distal end of the first and second handling links respectively. A ride axis intersects both of a third and fourth distal end of the first and second ride links respectively. At least one of the first and second ride links is disposed offset from respective first and second handling links to minimize a lateral distance between the handling and ride axes along the ground plane.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2014Date of Patent: December 22, 2015Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: James L. Luttinen, Jeffry Pniewski, Steven A. Lamouria