Patents Examined by Laurie K. Cranmer
  • Patent number: 7748782
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, tilt adjustment mechanism mounted on a child safety seat is provided, the tilt adjustment mechanism including: a seat portion having a recess; and a support block pivotally connected to the seat portion having a first protruding portion, the support block being rotated relative to the seat portion between a first position at which the recess of the seat portion is engaged with the first protruding portion of the support block and a second position at which the recess of the seat portion is disengaged from the first protruding portion of the support block for varying an angle between the seat portion and the support block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shun-Min Chen, Jianqun Li
  • Patent number: 7744160
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing objects, volumes, furniture modules and furniture as well as articles produced by said method that are composed of individual elements such as walls, panels, beams, legs, etc. The aim of the invention is to provide a method and articles such as objects, volumes, furniture modules and furniture that are highly stable and yet have a low weight, by providing a flat composite material composed of a plurality of layers and which is cut and folded along fold lines whereby the blank is shaped to a folded thin-walled shell which can be joined to an individual element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Inventor: Penio Stolarov
  • Patent number: 7744153
    Abstract: A thermal pack as utilized with an insert to direct at least one of heat and cooling through an open mesh back chair. Additional features may include pillow with a pocket, or a bracket configured to place the thermal pack at least in an effective thermal transfer range at a reverse side of the back portion of an open mesh chair. The insert may consist in providing at least some lumbar support in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: The Gentry Collection
    Inventors: Bryan K. Gentry, Lewis Dorsey Cox
  • Patent number: 7740316
    Abstract: In the integrated car seat with a lengthwise adjustment mechanism having two pairs of rails, with a bottom support frame having two front pivotal supports, two rear pivotal supports and two side parts carried on the pivotal supports, with a seat back connected to the side parts by a seat back joint and with a seat belt buckle, the side part is configured in the shape of a shell on the seat side that is turned away from the buckle, the side part having a bottom and a perimeter profile rim. The side part turned away from the buckle is open toward the outside, the outside preferably meaning the outboard side of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: C. Rob. Hammerstein GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Wilfried Beneker, Burckhard Becker, Jörg-Max Wölfel
  • Patent number: 7735913
    Abstract: A vehicle seat is provided with a seat back having a seating surface for supporting a back of an occupant. The seat back is adapted to be mounted to a vehicle and at least a portion of the seat back has a pivotal connection for movement from an upright position to a deployed position. A handle is mounted to the seating surface of the pivotal portion of the seat back. A cover is mounted to the seat back seating surface and extends over the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mary Rose Crombez, Dale Scott Crombez
  • Patent number: 7731284
    Abstract: A child restraint includes a seat support and a juvenile seat mounted to swivel about an axis on the seat support. The seat support is adapted to set on a vehicle seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Cosco Management, Inc.
    Inventors: Gilles Lhomme, Richard Biaud
  • Patent number: 7722117
    Abstract: A seat cushion for selective attachment to a bleacher seat includes a bracket with a front jaw and a rear jaw. The front jaw includes multiple laterally spaced attachment locations for the rear jaw. A cushioned seat including a cushioned bottom and a flexible connected backrest attaches to the bracket to be held in place on a bleacher. The backrest may include a pocket formed from a transparent material for displaying a card within the pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Integrated Stadium Seating, Inc.
    Inventor: Troy Jones
  • Patent number: 7717518
    Abstract: An elbow support apparatus with distal sides and front, back, upper and lower sides constructed as a cushioned or inflatable device having at least a flexible upper surface and a lower surface configured to fit on the lap of the driver of a motor vehicle when the driver is seated adjacent the steering wheel of the vehicle whereby the elbows of the driver are supported such that the driver's hands are maintained in the 9:15 position on the steering wheel; the device is provided with an apron attached to the front side, fasteners attached to each of the distal sides, plural fasteners attached to the back side, and plural, inverted u-shape locating members configured on the lower side of the cushion device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Inventors: Francis Nji Elung, Anthony Rollando Robinson
  • Patent number: 7717508
    Abstract: The invention relates to a headrest of an automotive vehicle seat, said headrest comprising the following features: a carrier structure comprising at least one bar and being connected to a supporting member, said carrier structure being connected to said supporting member through at least one guide region and said supporting member being movable with respect to said carrier structure along a linear forward path of travel from a normal position of utilization into an accident position in which said supporting member is located both in the x direction and in the z direction in front of the position of utilization, a drive unit being provided, said drive unit comprising a tension spring and a blocking device, said blocking device comprising a first blocking part and a disengagement device, said first blocking part comprising an oblong opening through which engages a driver member of said carrier structure, in the position of utilization the tensile force of said tension spring abutting on said first blocking par
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: C. Rob. Hammerstein GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Burckhard Becker, Rolf Steinmetz, Thomas Thiel
  • Patent number: 7712827
    Abstract: A cycle saddle structure comprising a base and a container is provided. The base has a front crotch portion and a rear supporting portion. The container is adapted to slide on the bottom portion of the rear supporting portion between an open position and a closed position with respect to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: International Bicycle Products Corporation
    Inventor: Tsai-Yun Yu
  • Patent number: 7712829
    Abstract: A seat structure for a vehicle includes front and rear seat bodies each including a seat cushion and a back rest. Each seat cushion has a front part configured to be tipped up about a rear part of the seat cushion. Each back rest has an upper part configured to be tilted backward and forward about a lower part of the back rest. The seat structure also includes first slide rails supporting the front and rear seat bodies in a fore and aft arrangement respectively. The front and rear seat bodies are configured to move backward and forward along the first slide rails. The seat structure further includes a lock member coupled to the front seat body for selectively securing the front seat body relative to the first slide rails. The lock member is movable between a locked position and a released position. The seat structure further includes a push member coupled to the rear seat body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Gilsam Park
  • Patent number: 7708340
    Abstract: A massage chair of the present invention includes an electric reclining mechanism for moving a backrest into different sloping positions, left and right holding mechanisms for respectively holding user's left and right forearms, and a controller for controlling operations of the mechanisms. The controller separately controls operations of the electric reclining mechanism and the left holding mechanism as well as operations of the electric reclining mechanism and the right holding mechanism. When controlling the former operations, the controller controls (A) allow the left holding mechanism to hold the left forearm, (B) allow the electric reclining mechanism to recline the backrest to any of the different sloping positions, (C) allow the electric reclining mechanism to raise the backrest to any of the different sloping positions, and (D) allow the left holding mechanism to release the left forearm. Similarly, the controller controls the latter operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Tanizawa, Satoshi Kajiyama, Masamichi Miyaguchi, Daisuke Tsukada, Fumihiro Nishio, Takeo Iijima, Yuichi Nishibori
  • Patent number: 7703852
    Abstract: A manual vehicle seat reclining mechanism and seat assembly incorporating the reclining mechanism is disclosed. A guide plate and a pivotal plate are assembled together and disposed between the seat base and seat back. A cam is biased by a spring to hold locking elements in engagement with the pivotal plate. A control plate is manually rotated with the cam to release the locking elements by drawing pins on one side of the locking plates radially inwardly with slots provided in the control plate. Ribs are provided on the pivotal plate that prevent the locking elements from returning to the locked position in certain radial alignments of the pivotal plate relative to the guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Wahls, James S. Wawrzyniak
  • Patent number: 7703849
    Abstract: The methods and apparatus taught herein provide an elongated spine support member integrated into or attached to a chair for providing improved back support. According to one embodiment of a chair, the chair comprises a seat, back and elongated spine support member. The back includes inner and outer sections. The inner section is spaced inwardly from opposite sides of the back and extends generally vertically through a substantial portion of the height of the back. The outer section extends along opposite sides of the inner section. The elongated spine support member is generally vertically extending and forms a part of the inner section of the back. The elongated spine support member is configured to engage and support at least two of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions of the vertebral column of a person seated in the chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: B&B Innovators, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Ronald Bilak, Ronald Edward Bilak
  • Patent number: 7695067
    Abstract: A chair mechanism for an ergonomically adjustable, reclinable chair includes a frame and profile bands mounted to the frame. The profile bands are flexible and are configured to define a forwardly projecting lumbar region, the degree of forward projection of the lumbar region being variable in response to the position and movement of the chair seat. A flexible back support surface is carried by and spans the region between the profile bands. The shape and contour of the back surface is controlled by the shape of the profile bands. The chair mechanism enables the user to shift easily between upright and reclining positions without requiring the use of heavy springs or complex linkages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Inventors: Mark W. Goetz, Michael R. Kerschbaumer
  • Patent number: 7690728
    Abstract: A vehicle seat apparatus includes a lower arm, an upper arm being rotatable relative to the lower arm in a front-rear direction of a vehicle seat, a pressing member fixed at the upper arm, a base member fixed at the lower arm, a first link supported by the base member so as to be rotatable and having a stopper pin positioned on a rotation path of the pressing member when a walk-in operation is performed and positioned out of the rotation path of the pressing member when a tilt-down operation is performed; and a second link rotatably supported by the first link and maintaining the stopper pin so as to be one of on and out of the rotation path of the pressing member, the second link being provided in a manner where a rotational axis thereof is coaxial to a central axis of the stopper pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukie Miyauchi, Naoki Niimi, Kenji Maeda
  • Patent number: 7690732
    Abstract: A seat assembly including an assembly frame having at least two seat connection brackets, a seat frame, two or more connectors attached to the seat frame, the two or more connectors removably attached to the two or more seat connection brackets, two or more flexible supports extending across at least a portion of the seat frame, each support including a woven material, and a foam cushion including one or more holes, wherein the seat frame and the two or more flexible supports are molded within the foam cushion, and wherein the one or more connectors extend at least partially within the one or more holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Series International, LLC
    Inventor: Alvaro Mauricio Olarte
  • Patent number: 7673945
    Abstract: This invention relates to a harness for securing a person to a supporting structure. The harness includes a pair of straps each having a first and second end, a back portion, a front portion, and a chest portion. The first end is looped over the front portion of each strap and attached to the front portion to form a first loop. The first loop is attached near each second end of both straps. A coupler is near the second end and spaced from where the coupler is attached to the straps. The coupler is separable and may be separated to allow said straps to be separated at the chest portion. The harness goes over both shoulders of a toddler, behind the back and the coupler fastens across the toddler's chest. This prevents a toddler from standing up when wearing the harness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Inventors: Sheila M. Riffel, Warren N. Smith
  • Patent number: 7673938
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat body having a seat back, a pair of left and right legs, a headrest coupled to the seat back at above the seat back through the pair of legs, load detecting means provided on the seat back and having a movable part that displaces in a predetermined direction upon undergoing a load from the front of the seat back; a first interacting member mechanically coupled to one leg of the pair and to the movable part of the load detecting means, to move one leg of the pair in conjunction with a displacement of the movable part caused upon undergoing the load, thereby displacing the headrest frontward, and a second interacting member mechanically coupled to the other leg of the pair and to the first interacting member, to move the other leg of the pair in conjunction with a movement of the first interacting member caused upon moving the one leg of the pair, thereby displacing the headrest frontward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignees: NHK Spring Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Yamaguchi, Makoto Hasegawa, Masato Ohchi, Masaharu Tanino, Shinji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7673940
    Abstract: A juvenile seat includes a seat base mounted for up-and-down movement on an underlying foundation. A lock is provided to set the elevation of the seat base relative to the foundation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Cosco Management, Inc.
    Inventors: Ward Fritz, Richard M. Bastien, John Ristuccia, Andrew W. Marsden