Patents Examined by Laurie Cranmer
  • Patent number: 8911016
    Abstract: A seat structure is configured to allow three passengers to be seated, respectively, in a left seat (1L), a right seat (1R), and a region striding across a boundary between the right and left seats (1R, 1L). The left seat (1L) can be slid leftward to create a walk-through space (S) between the right and left seats (1R, 1L). A headrest (1c) for a middle seat passenger seated between the right and left seats (1R, 1L) is split into right and left split headrests each supported on a top of a seat back of a corresponding seat. The middle seat passenger's left split headrest (1c-L) is moved with the left seat (1L) when sliding the left seat (1L) to allow the right and left seats (1R, 1L) to become spaced apart from each other so as to unblock the walk-through space (S).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 8905474
    Abstract: A motorcycle backrest assembly includes a base assembly having first and second ends and a back rest rotatably connected to the first end of the base assembly such that the back rest is movable between first and second positions. A mounting plate has the second end of the base assembly rotatably connected thereto such that the base assembly is movable between first and second positions. The backrest assembly includes a first configuration as a passenger back rest where the backrest is in the first position and the base assembly is in the first position, and a second configuration as a driver backrest where the backrest is in the second position and the base assembly is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Kuryakyn Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Parvey
  • Patent number: 8905478
    Abstract: A safety seat configured for installation in a vehicle may include a seat shell that includes a bottom, a back, and first and second sides. The safety seat may also include a seat support configured to extend at least partially adjacent to the first side of the seat shell. A second seat support may extend at least partially adjacent to the second side. The bottom of the safety seat may be located between the seat supports. The safety seat may include attachment straps that are each attached at a first end to a fixed location within the vehicle and attached at a second end to a bend of the seat support that is configured to define an attachment point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Britax Child Safety, Inc.
    Inventor: L. Curtis Strong
  • Patent number: 8899677
    Abstract: A compact seat cushion that may be expanded to reveal a banner wherein the banner may be changed in accordance with the desires of the user is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the device comprises a foldable length of material which, when in a folded position, may be used as a seat cushion, and when in an expanded, unfolded position, may be used as a banner to display letters, logos, messages or other insignia. In certain embodiments, the device comprises a plurality of conjoined panels, each comprising a closed compartment comprising padded material. One or more of the panels comprise an upper layer and a lower layer joined together to form a compartment comprising padding. A plurality of strips is adapted for cooperative coupling insignia. A user desiring to form a banner may do so easily by coupling letters or phrases to the unfolded seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Inventor: Unsil C. Hurlburt
  • Patent number: 8894154
    Abstract: A seat back includes a backrest formed of a first polymeric material for supporting an occupant. A bracket formed of a different material than the first polymeric material of the backrest is anchored to the backrest for coupling to a seat cushion. A reinforcing composite layer is connected to the backrest and is formed of a second polymeric material and a plurality of fibers impregnated in the second polymeric material. The first polymeric material of the backrest is mechanically engaged with the bracket free of melt bonding between the first polymeric material of the backrest and the bracket. The first polymeric material of the backrest is melt bonded to the second polymeric material of the reinforcing composite layer integrating the backrest, the bracket, and the reinforcing composite layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, Inc.
    Inventors: Amit Kulkarni, Kipp O. Grumm, Peter A. Zorney, Bernard Denis, Philippe Duhamel, Gregory Brncick
  • Patent number: 8888175
    Abstract: A pod assembly for use in an aircraft that includes a seat with a seat bottom and a seat back, a shell that at least partially surrounds the seat, and a bed associated with the shell. The bed is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position where the bed is generally flat. The bed is supported by the shell in the deployed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Zodiac Seat Shells US LLC
    Inventors: Elijah Dobrusin, Nevenka Prijic, Eric Long, Scott Savian
  • Patent number: 8882193
    Abstract: A head rest for a vehicle seat includes: at least one first section that is oriented towards the head of the seat occupant, a second section, and a third section, wherein the second section is arranged essentially between the first and third sections. In the event of an accident, the first section can be displaced in the direction of displacement, due to the effect of a relative displacement of the second section from a working position into a safety position in the direction of the head of the seat occupant. The relative movement of the sections is a rotation about an essentially parallel rotational axis in the direction of displacement. A mounting of the first section in relation to the second section is provided during the relative displacement about the rotational axis. The first section comprises a first bearing surface and the second section comprises a second bearing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Johnson Controls GmbH
    Inventors: Ernst-Otto Fröse, Thomas Dillinger, Alexander Hasler
  • Patent number: 8876209
    Abstract: According to the present invention a back for a seating unit is provided. The back comprises a plurality of flexible finger elements. Each of the plurality of flexible finger elements has a distal end. The back further comprises a retainer connecting at least two of the flexible finger elements proximate their distal ends. When a load is applied to a flexible finger element, the retainer distributes at least a portion of the load to at least one adjacent flexible finger element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon J. Peterson, Christopher J. Norman, Russell Holdredge, Bruce Smith, Luke Pearson, Thomas Overthun, Kara Johnson
  • Patent number: 8870291
    Abstract: An aircraft seat back including a composite material seat back frame element and a composite seat back diaphragm molded to the seat back frame element during a molding step to provide a composite aircraft seat back formed of a seat back frame element and a seat back diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Nicholas Pozzi, Glenn Allen Johnson
  • Patent number: 8851564
    Abstract: A chair with a foldable desk includes a support leg having a crossbar. A seat plate installed above said support leg includes an upper seat, a lower cover and a coupler into which the crossbar is rotatably inserted. The seat plate rotates between a vertical position and a horizontal position. A back installed above a rear side of the seat plate is capable of tilting forward and rearward with tilting means. A desk installed above a side of the support leg includes an upper plate with an attachment member on its bottom. The upper plate may swing between an upper position and a lower position within an angle range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Inventor: Won ho Seo
  • Patent number: 8851567
    Abstract: Disclosed are tie down cord assemblies and methods of assembling same. According to some aspects, the tie down cord assembly includes a webbing having a tunnel portion and a flat portion, with the tunnel portion configured to receive a slotted cord and the flat portion configured to attach to fabric. The slotted cord weaves in and out of the tunnel portion and is configured to interact with a seat frame or other suitable structure to secure the fabric to a seat frame. The tie down cord assembly is configured to be universal so that it can be used with seat frames having different dimensions and/or configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Thanh Phat Nguyen, Timothy M. Russell, Larry W. Thompson, John E. Jennings, Brian Micheal Lang, Terry Louis Brown
  • Patent number: 8851569
    Abstract: A full-cover and light-weight child safety seat is disclosed, capable of improving the difficulties in manufacturing and assembling processes in conventional skills. The safety seat includes a first hard layer, a second hard layer, a body (or a cushion portion) formed by foaming expansion material and a wall formed on a peripheral zones of the body. The body is defined with an inner end surface coated with the first hard layer and an outer end surface covered by the second hard layer so that the foaming expansion material (or the body), the first hard layer and the second hard layer are snuggly and firmly formed in a composite state, thereby improving the improper conditions in conventional skills, such as carry or deliver inconvenience caused by larger thickness/volume and heavier weight for the purpose of obtaining sufficient strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Inventor: Chang-Hsien Ho
  • Patent number: 8840181
    Abstract: A monitoring and/or entertainment system, especially for a child seat, having at least one electronic assembly for displaying/recording images, films or film sequences, and having a moulded body in which the at least one electronic assembly is mounted and held. In order that the monitoring/entertainment system can be used for a child seat when the seat shell of the child seat is aligned in the direction opposite to the direction of travel, the moulded body has at least one fixing element which is arranged to form a force-based connection to the base frame of the child seat, wherein when the moulded body is in the state in which it is fixed to the base frame of the child seat the front side of the moulded body and the electronic assembly mounted in the moulded body face towards the seat shell of the child seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Cybex Industrial Ltd.
    Inventor: Martin Pos
  • Patent number: 8840182
    Abstract: A seat structure has a right seat (1R) and a left seat (1L) configured to allow three passengers to be seated, respectively, in the left seat (1L), the right seat (1R), and a region striding across a boundary between the right and left seats (1R, 1L). The left seat (1L) can be slid leftward (L) to allow the right and left seats (1R, 1L) to become spaced apart to create a walk-through space (S) therebetween. A headrest (1c) for a middle seat passenger seated in the region striding the boundary between the right and left seats (1R, 1L) is supported on a top of a seat back of the left seat (1L). The middle seat passenger's headrest (1c) can be slid leftward to unblock the walk-through space (S) when the right and left seats (1R, 1L) are in spaced-apart relation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Atsushi Onji
  • Patent number: 8833849
    Abstract: A vehicle seat (10) is equipped with a seat frame composed of a sub-frame (16) and a rod (30) provided between certain regions of the sub-frame. The rod is equipped with a minor vibration damping portion (34) that maintains rigidity of the seat frame when the seat frame is displaced by a large amount and suppresses an increase in rigidity of the seat frame when the seat frame is displaced by a small amount to reduce the level of minor vibrations in the vehicle seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Manabu Ishimoto, Keisuke Ishizaki
  • Patent number: 8833859
    Abstract: A vehicle seat including: a seat back; and a headrest that is provided to an upper part of the seat back, the headrest including, a frame that is supported to be vibratable with respect to the seat back, a headrest body that is mounted on the frame, a first cover and a second cover that nip and hold the frame in cooperation with each other in the headrest body, and a mass body that is held between the first cover and the second cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Iwao Matsushima, Keiji Morimoto, Takashi Noro
  • Patent number: 8833852
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly having a seat pad, a trim cover, an air bag module, and a pad shield. The air bag module has an air bag, an inflator, and a housing that receives the air bag when the air bag is in a stored condition. The pad shield extends at least partially around the housing. Inflation of the air bag forces the pad shield against the seat pad to inhibit the air bag from contacting at least a portion of the seat pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventor: Peter Festag
  • Patent number: 8814273
    Abstract: A seat structure may be installed in a seat assembly. The seat structure may comprise plurality of tube members forming a substantially closed structure. Some of the tube members have a substantially uniform cross-sectional area along a substantial portion of its respective longitudinal length. At least a first set of the tube members has at least one of a different dimensional property and a different material property from a second set of the tube members such that mechanical properties of each tube member is configured for stress requirements for a respective region that the respective tube member occupies. The plurality of tube members are joined such that the plurality of tube members are in fixed positions relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Ornela Zekavica, Daniel J. Sakkinen, Mark S. Williamson, Antoine Kmeid, Alexander I. Balin, Piotr Roszczenko, Yannis Poulos, Edward J. Lamont
  • Patent number: 8807653
    Abstract: An adjustable vehicle head restraint assembly is provided with a post mounted in a vehicle proximate to a seat back. A transverse shaft is mounted to the post. A head restraint is pivotally connected to the shaft. A series of teeth are provided on the head restraint. A locking mechanism is mounted to the shaft for translation in a transverse direction for engagement with the teeth. An actuator cooperates with the locking mechanism for disengaging the mechanism from the series of teeth for permitting adjustment of a tilt of the head restraint. A head restraint assembly is provided with a partial ring gear mounted to the head restraint. A sector gear is mounted to a transverse shaft in engagement with the partial ring gear. The actuator translates one of the partial ring gear and the sector gear for disengaging the gears and permitting adjustment of the tilt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Arjun V. Yetukuri, Gerald S. Locke, Scott Andrew Willard
  • Patent number: 8783765
    Abstract: The self-supporting poolside child seat places a partially submerged child seat in a pool, and secures said child seat against a side of an above-ground swimming pool. The self-supporting poolside child seat includes straps that secure the child to the child seat as a safety precaution when in use in the water of said pool. A canopy extends from behind said child seat to provide shade to the child seated therein. Armrests extend from the child seat, and provide a means by which a tray may attach to the child seat for use as a surface to place food or toys thereon. Adjustable supports extend to the rear of the child seat and work in concert with diagonal supports to secure the child seat to the side of the above-ground swimming pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Inventors: Karen Matus, Ali Matus