Patents Examined by Keith Frisby
  • Patent number: 9216760
    Abstract: A steering gear having a gearwheel, having a pinion which meshes with said gearwheel and having a pinion shaft which comprises the pinion and winch is mounted so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pinion shaft wherein the radial spacing between the pivot axis and the location of toothed engagement between the gearwheel and pinion is smaller than the core radius of the pinion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Hafermalz, Dennis Fuechsel
  • Patent number: 9211862
    Abstract: An inflation portion of an airbag, which is inflated by inflation gas, is partitioned into an upstream inflation portion and a downstream inflation portion via a partition member. When being tensioned in a planar manner, the partition member has a length in a longitudinal direction that is longer than a length in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A pressure regulating valve that is closed at an early stage of a supply period of the inflation gas to the inflation portion and is opened from the middle of the supply period includes a slit-like inner opening that is provided on the partition member and extends in the transverse direction and a pair of valve body portions that are provided around the inner opening and are selectively positioned close to and separated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Shibayama, Kensaku Honda, Yuji Sato, Michiyasu Ito, Masashi Hotta, Masashi Aoki, Daisuke Yamamura
  • Patent number: 9211861
    Abstract: An airbag system for a vehicle seat having an airbag module coupled to a vehicle seat frame by a fastener assembly and substantially surrounded by a force cloth. An isolator is substantially disposed between the force cloth and the frame. The isolator generally includes a sheet of material and a spacer positioned, in proximity to the fastener assembly, between the airbag module and seat frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Vasile E. Bozintan, Jerry B. Moore, Robert D. Blair, III
  • Patent number: 9205719
    Abstract: A pneumatic installation, especially an air suspension installation for a vehicle, operates in conjunction with a compressed air supply installation and comprises: a gallery line, at least one air spring having a pressure chamber, which can be pneumatically connected to the gallery line, an accumulator for compressed air, which is pneumatically connectable to the gallery line, and a compressed air port for pneumatic connection of the pneumatic installation and the compressed air supply installation. The pneumatic connection comprises a controllable shut-off valve system, which is formed by at least one directional valve and has first, second and third ports, the accumulator being pneumatically connected to the first port, the compressed air port being pneumatically connected to the second port, and the gallery line being pneumatically connected to the third port, the second port being switchable to a closed state in which the pneumatic connection is completely closed in both directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: WABCO GmbH
    Inventors: Dieter Frank, Frank Meissner, Uwe Stabenow
  • Patent number: 9205858
    Abstract: A tilt steering column device is provided having construction in which a displacement bracket 16a is provided on the top side of the steering column 6a and that suppresses an increase in operation force for operating an adjustment lever even when the steering wheel 1 is located at the top end of the adjustment range. A wide section 33 having a width dimension that is larger than the width dimension in the forward-backward direction of an anchor section 25 or the top-half section of a pushing member 29 is provided in the top-end section of at least one long hole 17a of a pair of long holes 17a, 17b that are provided in support plate sections 15b, 15c.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: NSK, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kii, Yoji Arai
  • Patent number: 9193376
    Abstract: A fixing device for an adjustable steering column for a motor vehicle includes a first cam carrier having one or more cams fixedly attached thereto, and at least one further cam carrier having one or more cams fixedly attached thereto. The cam carriers are arranged such as to be rotatable relative to each other about a rotational axis. Upon rotation of the cam carriers relative to each other about the rotational axis, the cam or cams of the first cam carrier interact with the cam or cams of the further cam carrier such as to slide exclusively along each other. The fixing device includes at least one energy-consuming damping device which damps the rotation of the cam carrier in at least one direction of rotation about the rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Thyssenkrupp Presta Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Konstantin Cron, Simon Blaettler, Hieronymus Schnitzer, Martin Rohr
  • Patent number: 9193323
    Abstract: A cover door that includes a frame having a wall and an upper aperture extending at the end of the wall, and a lid covering at least one portion of the upper aperture and movable relatively to the frame so as to clear the upper aperture. The lid is attached to the wall through a hinge-forming area. The hinge-forming area has at least one central hinge connecting a central portion of the lid to the frame, and at least one side hinge connecting a side portion of the lid to the frame. The side hinge has a greater length than the length of the central hinge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Faurecia Interieur Industrie
    Inventors: Thierry Schupbach, Franck Edeline
  • Patent number: 9187115
    Abstract: A steering apparatus has a tilt mechanism, and a locking direction of a tilt lock operation lever is a direction in which the operation lever is pushed down about a central axis. A width of a second end of a tilt elongate hole, which is located on a tilt direction lower side, is narrower than a width of a first end of the tilt elongate hole, which is located on a tilt direction upper side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideyuki Kakishita
  • Patent number: 9186952
    Abstract: A suspension assembly for a vehicle has left and right suspension arms, left and right shock absorbers operatively connected to their corresponding suspension arms, a sway bar operatively connected to the left and right suspension arms, left and right hinges pivotally connecting corresponding ends of the sway bar to their corresponding suspension arms. Each hinge includes a first hinge member pivotally connected to its corresponding end of the sway bar, a second hinge member pivotally connected to its corresponding suspension arm, the second hinge member being pivotally connected to the first hinge member, and a hinge lock selectively rigidly connecting the first hinge member to the second left member to prevent the first hinge member from pivoting relative to the second hinge member. A vehicle having the suspension assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: BRP FINLAND OY
    Inventor: Hannu Yleva
  • Patent number: 9181679
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a working machine allowing to form a large opening angle of an equipment cover while avoiding an obstacle even existing in front thereof. A rotating base is installed on a travelling machine body which includes right and left travelling devices, wherein an operation seat and vehicle equipment are arranged in the right and left, an equipment cover for covering the vehicle equipment is openably and closably provided, and a front lower portion of the equipment cover is pivotally supported on the rotating base via a lateral shaft. The lateral shaft of the equipment cover is inclined rearward from one end which is positioned in a side of the operation seat to the other end which is positioned in a side of a side portion of the rotating base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanori Matsumoto, Shoichi Kawano, Hiroya Hanano
  • Patent number: 9180914
    Abstract: A support structure for a vehicle is interposed between a vehicle body and a vehicle part and is connected with fastening members to support the vehicle part. The support structure is made of a non-ferrous light alloy. Among connecting surfaces of the support structure to which the vehicle body and the vehicle part are connected, an electrochemical corrosion inhibitor is applied to a connecting surface that is located on a lower side, in a vertical direction of the vehicle, of one of the vehicle body and the vehicle part. The one of the vehicle body and the vehicle part corresponds to the applied connecting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: NISSIN KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoaki Yamamoto, Takafumi Maruyama, Katsumi Iwasa, Ryuji Furusawa, Takashi Kuroiwa, Hideaki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9174666
    Abstract: A rack shaft support device includes: a support yoke, a plug, an intermediate cam component and a rotation force generating spring. The plug includes a plug body, a plug cap component and a locknut. The plug body has a plug fixing portion, a plug back wall portion, a plug cam portion, a plug internal space and a first restricting portion. The first restricting portion has a first body portion and a first facing portion. The intermediate cam component includes an intermediate cam body, an intermediate cam portion and a second restricting portion. The second restricting portion has a second body portion and a second facing portion. The second facing portion faces the first facing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taichi Yamamoto, Tetsuya Fujita
  • Patent number: 9174679
    Abstract: Front longitudinal members (11) of a vehicle (10) extend forward from a passenger cell (12) and partially bound an engine compartment (13), in which a drive unit (14) is positioned. A deflection device (17) has deflection elements (18) fastened to the front longitudinal members (11) for rotation about vertical axes (24). In the event of a partially overlapping frontal collision with a barrier, the deflection element (18) is rotated by the collision from an inoperative position in which the deflection element extends in the longitudinal direction of the respective front longitudinal member (11), into a collision position where a first portion (19) of the deflection element (18) projects into the engine compartment (13). Thus, a longitudinal pulse from the frontal collision acting toward the passenger cell (12) is at least partially converted by the deflection element (18) into a transverse pulse acting on the drive unit (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Herbert Klamser, Xuan Li
  • Patent number: 9174552
    Abstract: A driving-environment setup system has a plurality of portable devices, each of which transmits a feature identification information item used for identifying a physical feature of an associated user of the each of the plurality of portable devices and transmits an environment identification information item used for identifying a driving environment for the associated user. An in-vehicle device of the system detects a physical feature of a person sitting in a driver's seat and identifies one of the associated users as a driver when the physical feature identified based on the received feature identification information item of the one of the associated users corresponds to the detected physical feature. The in-vehicle device sets a driving environment for the driver based on the received environment identification information item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Hirotane Ikeda, Toshihiro Hattori, Mitsuyasu Matsuura
  • Patent number: 9162700
    Abstract: In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a friction plate assembly is provided. The assembly includes a locking member having a toothed portion, a bolt extending through the locking member, and a friction plate configured for frictional engagement with the locking member. The friction plate receives the bolt therethrough and includes at least one biasing member configured to bias the bolt and the locking member in a first direction. When a predetermined force acts on the at least one biasing member, the friction plate is configured to force the locking member toothed portion into engagement with an object to facilitate preventing movement of the bolt in a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventor: Melvin L. Tinnin
  • Patent number: 9156504
    Abstract: A rear frame (11) includes: a first inclined part (11A) having a rearward rising incline, a trailing arm attachment part (11B) extending horizontally at the rear side of the first inclined part (11A), and a second inclined part (11C) having a rearward rising incline at the rear side of the trailing arm attachment part (11B). An upward-convex first protrusion (41), in which at least a portion of the front end section of a trailing arm (21) is accommodated, is formed in the trailing arm attachment part (11B), a downward-convex second protrusion (42) is formed in the front section of the first inclined part (11A), and the first protrusion (41) and the second protrusion (42) are disposed so as to mutually overlap in the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Sakayu Terada, Takashi Yoshimura, Kazuya Chikamori
  • Patent number: 9150250
    Abstract: A vehicle subframe includes a hollow body part and a loft suspension support part provided to a left end part of the body part. The left suspension support part has a left front connecting part, and the left front connecting part is opened downward ward and laterally outward, whereby a left suspension arm is connected from a laterally outward side. A parting line mark of the subframe is formed in a bottom end part of a front connecting wall, and is formed in a laterally outward side part of the front connecting wall so as to extend upward from the bottom end part along the laterally outward side part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Yanagawa Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Imanishi, Nobuyuki Okabe
  • Patent number: 9150237
    Abstract: The invention relates to a steering column for a motor vehicle comprising a steering spindle, which is mounted rotatably about its axis in a steering spindle bearing unit, a holding part, which is designed to connect the steering spindle bearing unit directly or indirectly to the body of the motor vehicle, wherein at least one of the components of the steering column is at least partially formed from a material that contains reinforcing fibers, wherein the reinforcing fibers are arranged along paths on a wall surface and, by means of multiple holding fibers, which run at an angle that is greater than 0° in relation to the paths of the reinforcing fibers and enclose the reinforcing fibers, are fixed on the wall surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: THYSSENKRUPP PRESTA AG
    Inventors: Thomas Heitz, Sebastian Regner, Arne Schacht
  • Patent number: 9150189
    Abstract: Airbag assemblies and active vents for airbag assemblies are disclosed. An airbag assembly may include an airbag cushion, an active vent having an aperture and a patch configured to plug the aperture, a depth-delimiting tether, a cross tether, and a control tether. The control tether may be coupled to the patch and the depth-delimiting tether. The depth-delimiting tether and the control tether may be drawn taut as the airbag cushion expands during deployment to draw the patch toward the aperture from a first position that allows unobstructed venting to a second position that obstructs venting through the aperture. The depth-delimiting tether and the control tether can be in or transition to a slack state due to occupant impact with the airbag cushion. These tethers may also be in a slack state during the early stage of deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Ryan D. Nelson, Jeffrey D. Williams, Patrick Jamison, Kent Potter
  • Patent number: 9139218
    Abstract: A tilt steering column device is provided having construction in which a displacement bracket 16a is provided on the top side of the steering column 6a and that suppresses an increase in operation force for operating an adjustment lever even when the steering wheel 1 is located at the top end of the adjustment range. A wide section 33 having a width dimension that is larger than the width dimension in the forward-backward direction of an anchor section 25 or the top-half section of a pushing member 29 is provided in the top-end section of at least one long hole 17a of a pair of long holes 17a, 17b that are provided in support plate sections 15b, 15c.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: NSK, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kii, Yoji Arai