Patents Examined by Kristina R Fulton
  • Patent number: 11585122
    Abstract: A shootbolt system for a fenestration assembly, such as a sliding patio door system, includes a chassis mountable to a stile of a sliding panel of the fenestration assembly, and a shootbolt slidably coupled to the chassis. The shootbolt is designed to be coupled to a corner drive system of the sliding panel for movement therewith upwardly or downwardly along the stile in response to an applied actuation force, such as from an operator handle. When extended, the shootbolt engages a receiver or stop mounted to the frame to prevent the sliding panel from rebounding when an adjacent second sliding panel is slidably moved to a closed position in contact with the sliding panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: JELD-WEN, INC.
    Inventors: Shane Meyer, Chris Graetsch, David Yagla
  • Patent number: 11585117
    Abstract: A method of installing a receiving member for a latch assembly or strike assembly in a door or jamb. The receiving member including a base plate, a wall around the perimeter of the base plate, the wall extending substantially perpendicular to the base plate, and a flange extending outwardly from the perimeter of the wall distal the base plate. The base plate has an aperture therein configured to allow a latch to pass therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Inventor: Roderick Nigel Redgrave
  • Patent number: 11578509
    Abstract: An outside door handle assembly for a vehicle includes a grip cover, a grip body that is provided hinge-rotatable outward in a width direction of the vehicle in an outer panel of a vehicle door, and is engaged with the grip cover, and a balance weight that is included in the grip body to be hinge-rotatable in an opposite direction of a hinge-rotation direction of the grip body with respect to a hinge rotation point on an extension line of the grip body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Soonchan Kwon, Jungmin Jo
  • Patent number: 11578503
    Abstract: In embodiments, a closure holder for a closure, in particular a door closure, includes a base element and an undercut arranged on the base element, which can be engaged from behind by a locking element of the closure in order to form a lock, and having an actuating device for adjusting the distance of the undercut relative to the base element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: EMKA Beschlagteile GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Florian Wardi
  • Patent number: 11578514
    Abstract: A retractable outside door handle assembly may include a handle unit including a pushing portion and an outside door handle mounted selectively protruded outwardly to a handle housing, an actuator including a drive motor, a worm connected to the drive motor, a worm wheel engaging with the worm, and an operation rod that moves according to rotation of the worm wheel to push the pushing portion, and a door latch lever that is rotatably mounted on the handle housing and rotates during operation of the outside door handle protruded by operation of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jungho Han, Jinwoo Nam, Kyoung Taek Kwak, Dong Jun Kim, Do Won Sung
  • Patent number: 11577884
    Abstract: A lockset and a pallet loading bin an associated lock hole. The lockset comprises a lock bar and a handle comprising a connection end. A lock bar is provided with a hook member to interlock with the lock hole and a connection portion. The lock bar is rotatably connected via the connection portion, to a bin body of the pallet loading bin. Rotating the lock bar around the connection portion parallel to an outer surface of the bin body causes the hook member to extend into or retract from the lock hole, thereby interlocking or releasing the lockset. The handle is rotatably connected via the connection end, to a second end of the lock bar opposite to the first end of the lock bar. Rotating the handle around the connection end positions the handle close to or away from the outer surface of the bin body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Inventors: Jijun Su, Chunliang Liu, Jiansheng Ni, Bo Li
  • Patent number: 11572717
    Abstract: An electric lock for a motor vehicle opening leaf includes a bolt, a pawl, a central opening lever, and an actuator with three abutment positions and capable of interacting with the central opening lever, the actuator including a driver. The driver includes a toothed driving wheel and a driven wheel. The driven wheel includes a second driving member, a motor intended for driving the actuator, a central transfer lever able to be moved by the driven wheel of the driver by the second driving member and the movement of which is capable of being transmitted to the central opening lever in order to move the pawl into its retracted angular position. One of the wheels of the driver includes a first circle-arc shaped oblong slot and the other wheel includes a first driving member extending through the first circle-arc shaped oblong slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: U-SHIN FRANCE
    Inventor: Johann Robert
  • Patent number: 11572715
    Abstract: A motor vehicle lock, in particular for a vehicle rear door, having a lock cover and a locking mechanism consisting essentially of a rotary latch and at least one pawl, also comprising at least one coupling element, and at least one electric drive, wherein the coupling element can assume different positions, and the coupling element interacts with a drive element of the drive and a central locking mechanism, wherein the coupling element is connected to the drive element in order to take up its positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Holger Schiffer, Michael Scholz, Cyrille Roussel
  • Patent number: 11572719
    Abstract: An opening apparatus of a hood of a vehicle for emergency escape includes a hood latch and a safety hook, which constrains a striker formed on the hood to open and close the hood, which opens and closes a front trunk in a vehicle equipped with the front trunk. The opening apparatus includes an emergency lever configured to be installed in the front trunk and an emergency opening mechanism configured to operate the hood latch and the safety hook simultaneously when the emergency lever is operated to release the constraint of the striker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jeong-Su Hwang
  • Patent number: 11572723
    Abstract: A vehicle interior component is disclosed. The component may comprise a cover movable relative to a base between closed and open positions and a latch mechanism comprising a magnet arrangement for movement within the cover for engaged and disengaged states. The magnet arrangement may maintain the disengaged state after the cover is released from the base. A magnet of the base may retain the engaged state, a magnet may retain the disengaged state. The magnet arrangement may be concealed within the cover; a magnet arrangement may be concealed within the base. The base may comprise a first magnet on a sidewall and a second magnet on another sidewall; the cover may comprise a first magnet to engage the first magnet of the base and a second magnet to engage the second magnet of the base. The component may comprise a trim component, console, floor console, center console, or compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Shanghai Yanfeng Jinqiao Automotive Triim Systems Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas Scott Hodgson, Rick Alan Anderson, Dennis Jack VanHouten, Jason Rutkowski, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11572710
    Abstract: An improved mechanism of electric lock for door, comprising a case, on both side of the opening of the case arranged keeper arms, drive rods, and rotate member, and a drive mechanism connected to a drive member and a brake member; to achieve lock mode, the drive member drive the brake member to be engaged with the rotate member, making the keeper arms and drive rod unable to rotate, so the keeper arms can block the latch bolt from going through the opening; to achieve unlock mode, the drive member drive the brake member to be separate from the rotate member, making the keeper arms and drive rod able to rotate, so the latch bolt is able to go through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Inventor: Yi-Fan Liao
  • Patent number: 11566449
    Abstract: A door latch system comprises an interchangeable latch assembly for securing a door to a door frame. The interchangeable latch assembly comprises a head and a latch mounted to the head. The latch is moveable between latched and unlatched positions. A driven member is operatively connected to the latch, the driven member moveable to latch or unlatch the latch. The door latch system further comprises a universal actuating assembly removably couple-able to the interchangeable latch assembly. The universal actuating assembly comprises a mounting bracket and a driving member releasably coupled to the driven member. Actuation of the universal actuating assembly translates the driving member and the driven member, moving the latch to the unlatched position. A first interchangeable latch assembly may be swapped with a second interchangeable latch assembly without requiring modification of the universal actuating assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Hanchett Entry Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: John Brennan, Larry Gene Corwin, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11560182
    Abstract: A latch system for a vehicle includes a synchronizer and a lock unit. The synchronizer is configured to block and allow release of a number of latches of the vehicle such that some latches are blocked from being released if other latches are already released. The lock unit is configured to block selectively the release of the number of latches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: GECOM Corporation
    Inventors: Peter O. Keller, Anil K. Jain
  • Patent number: 11560740
    Abstract: A latch assembly for a vehicle, in applications such as an armrest console or a glove box, includes a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator. The SMA actuator includes an actuator housing, an SMA wire, and an actuator lever arm. The actuator lever arm is configured to pivotably rotate or linearly translate with respect to the actuator housing upon activation of the SMA wire. A connecting link is coupled to the actuator lever arm. The connecting link is configured to translate linearly along a connecting link axis when the actuator lever arm pivotably rotates or linearly translates. A striker is coupled to the connecting link and configured to rotate about a striker axis to engage a closing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Faurecia Interior Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Julien Rea, Cedric Ketels, Justin Landowne
  • Patent number: 11560738
    Abstract: A door lock assembly for a vehicle door includes a door panel, a stiffener bracket, a lock assembly, and a door pad. The door panel includes an inner door panel and an outer door panel. A stiffener bracket is connected to the inner door panel. A lock assembly is connected to the inner door panel. A door pad is connected to the stiffener bracket. The door pad is configured to interfere with the lock assembly to prevent the lock assembly from unlocking the vehicle door upon an object impacting the outer door panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Edgar Montes de Oca Contreras, Yosuke Nakai
  • Patent number: 11555340
    Abstract: A motor vehicle lock in a fitted state interacts with a striker. The motor vehicle lock includes an adjustable catch and an adjustable locking pawl. The catch is adjustable into a main locking state and into an opening state, and the locking pawl is adjustable into an entry state, and into a lifted state. The motor vehicle lock includes a tensioning mechanism. When the catch is in the main locking state and the locking pawl is in the entry state, the tensioning mechanism can be brought into a tensioned state in which the tensioning mechanism introduces a mechanical preload into the catch in its opening direction. The tensioning mechanism can be brought into a relaxed state, in which the preload originating from the tensioning mechanism is reduced or cancelled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Brose Schliesssysteme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tatjana Schmidt, Serkan Guelkan, Ludger Graute
  • Patent number: 11549287
    Abstract: A door latch and in particular a motor vehicle door latch, which is equipped with a locking mechanism consisting substantially of a catch and a pawl, further having at least one locking mechanism sensor to determine the closing/opening state of the locking mechanism, further having a control unit for evaluating signals of the locking mechanism sensors, and having a trigger sensor for opening the locking mechanism in an electro-motoric manner. According to the invention, a multiple operation of the trigger sensor regardless of the state of the locking mechanism sensor is implemented for opening the locking mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Scott Brown, Paolo Dozio, Ralph Bernasconi
  • Patent number: 11549291
    Abstract: A door barricade apparatus includes a body portion having a pushing face, a port, an advancing interface, and a release interface. The apparatus further includes a shaft portion having a shaft and a door bracket. The door bracket has a throat terminating in at least an l-shaped configuration. The door bracket is pivotably coupled to the shaft at a first end and the shaft is disposed within the port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Inventors: Matthew Srnoyachki, Jason Sopko
  • Patent number: 11542729
    Abstract: The system includes a bracket, a handle pivotally mounted about a handle axis and including a main gripping branch and a secondary branch each extending on either side of the handle axis, a safety device configured to block an ejection of the handle towards its open position in the event of an impact. The device includes a blocking pawl elastically biased into a position of blocking the pivoting of the secondary branch according to a handle ejection direction and at least one lever for releasing the secondary branch in the ejection direction, the release lever being configured to drive the pawl, against its elastic biasing force, into a release position of the secondary branch, consecutively to a manual mechanical action of pushing in the handle from its flush position and/or to the triggering of an electric actuation for ejecting the handle from its flush position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: AKWEL VIGO SPAIN SL
    Inventors: Delmiro Javier Couto Maquieira, Alberto Diez Estevez, Jose Oscar Vazquez Carballo
  • Patent number: 11542730
    Abstract: A motor control system for a closure latch assembly is provided and includes a power release motor operatively coupled to a power release gear of the closure latch assembly. A plurality of relays are coupled between one of a first motor terminal and a second motor terminal and one of a voltage supply and an electrical ground to provide one of a first motor current flow to drive the power release motor in a first direction and a second motor current flow to drive the power release motor in a second direction. An electronic control unit is coupled to the plurality of relays and configured to command the plurality of relays to provide the first motor current flow in one of a power release mode and a release mode and the second motor current flow in one of a reset mode and an unlock mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES (KUNSHAN) CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Hua Yong