Patents Examined by Melissa A. Black
  • Patent number: 9868403
    Abstract: Disclosed are vehicle storage containers, methods for making and methods for using vehicle storage containers, and motor vehicles with utility storage containers. Disclosed, for example, is a utility storage container for a motor vehicle. The utility storage container includes a container basin that attaches to the vehicle body and stows within the vehicle's cargo compartment. The container basin includes multiple sidewalls projecting from a base to cooperatively define a basin opening. An articulated door assembly includes a first door segment pivotably coupled to the container basin to transition the door assembly between a closed position, whereat the door segments cooperatively cover the basin opening, and a full-open position, whereat the door segments uncover the opening. A second door segment is pivotably coupled to the first door segment to transition the door assembly between the closed position and a half-open position, whereat the second door segment partially uncovers the basin opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Pulleyblank, Randy S. Bugbee
  • Patent number: 9855983
    Abstract: A rectifier that is installed on a vehicle which includes a front shield at a front of a vehicle compartment, a hood in front of the front shield, a cowl between a back edge of the hood and a lower end of the front shield, and a fender on an outside of the hood and the cowl in a vehicle width direction, the rectifier including a rectifier member that is installed at a region on a side surface of the fender and adjacent to the back edge of the hood, and has a negative pressure generation part which causes an airflow created when the vehicle travels to generate a negative pressure backward. The front shield is shaped like a curved surface that projects toward a front of the vehicle. At least a part of the negative pressure generation part is disposed in front of a shield extension virtual curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusaku Dogahira, Naoto Watanabe, Hiroshi Niitsu, Kento Ota, Hisafumi Nakaura, Hiroshi Natsui
  • Patent number: 9849920
    Abstract: An automobile body structure is provided in which a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic cabin formed of a bathtub shape includes an inverted U-shaped roll bar providing a connection between front parts of a pair of left and right side frames, and a pair of left and right roll bar-supporting bars connecting an upper portion of the roll bar to rear parts of the pair of left and right side frames. Since a rear part of a roof panel and a front part of a tailgate panel are supported on a mounting bracket provided on the roll bar-supporting bar, it is possible, by changing the fore-and-aft position of the mounting bracket, to freely set the rear end position of the roof panel and the front end position of the tailgate panel and, moreover, it is possible to strongly support the roof panel and the tailgate panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahira Kawata, Shotaro Ayuzawa
  • Patent number: 9849756
    Abstract: A sun visor assembly may include a visor having a first attachment including a first magnet, and a second attachment arranged on a vehicle headliner and including a pair of spaced supports and a pin maintained therein, wherein the pin includes a second magnet and is rotatable with respect to the supports, wherein the first attachment is configured to selectively attach to the second attachment via the first and second magnets, and further wherein the pin is rotatable in an attached state to adjust an angle of the visor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Alejandro Juarez Corona
  • Patent number: 9845116
    Abstract: A support structure in a framework construction is provided. The support structure includes a first and a second rod of an axle support of a motor vehicle, a positioning element, and a first and a second fiber winding. The positioning element fixes an alignment of the first rod relative to an alignment of the second rod. A first support section of the positioning element is drawn by the first fiber winding in the direction of a support section of the first rod, and a second support section of the positioning element is drawn by the second fiber winding in the direction of a support section of the second rod in order to hold the first and second rods in the fixed alignment relative to each other by a frictional connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Gerhard Steber
  • Patent number: 9840133
    Abstract: A concave portion, that is concave in a direction away from a back door glass, is formed at a facing wall of an outer member at a facing region that faces a bus bar portion. Due thereto, a gap between a bottom surface of the concave portion and the bus bar portion that is disposed at the back door glass can be made to be large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kawashima, Miho Mizukoshi
  • Patent number: 9840216
    Abstract: A protector that replaceably attaches to, and protects without obscuring, one of a front bumper cover of a vehicle and a rear bumper cover of the vehicle. The front bumper cover of the vehicle has a top and a pair of sides. The rear bumper cover of the vehicle has a top and a pair of sides. The vehicle has a grille, a pair of front wheel wells, a trunk, and a pair of rear wheel wells. The protector includes a body and an attaching apparatus. The body overlies, and protects without obscuring, the one of the front bumper cover of the vehicle and the rear bumper cover of the vehicle. The attaching apparatus is disposed on the body, and replaceably attaches the body to the one of the front bumper cover of the vehicle and the rear bumper cover of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Inventor: Darrin Dagrossa
  • Patent number: 9840134
    Abstract: A sunshade assembly for use in a vehicle roof assembly comprises a flexible sunscreen having at least a central part and two opposed inwardly folded longitudinal edges connected to the central part by means of folding lines. A winding shaft for winding and unwinding the flexible sunscreen is provided at the trailing edge and an operating beam at the leading edge of the sunscreen. Two opposed longitudinal guides retain therein and guide corresponding ones of the folded longitudinal edges of the sunscreen. The guides are provided with locking members for engaging an outer end of the inwardly folded longitudinal edges for preventing these edges from moving out of the longitudinal guides when the sunscreen is at least partly unwound. The sunscreen includes at least two members which are each arranged substantially parallel to a respective longitudinal edge and which are buckle-stiff in a direction parallel to said longitudinal edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: INALFA ROOF SYSTEMS GROUP B.V.
    Inventor: Eduardus Christianus Henricus Van Boxtel
  • Patent number: 9834252
    Abstract: A profile strip of a vehicle body is provided, wherein the profile strip is configured with at least one shell component made of fiber-reinforced plastic material and with at least one pultrusion component. The profile strip is subjected to bending in a bending direction and the pultrusion component is arranged alongside the shell component, as seen in the bending direction. The pultrusion component is configured with an outer shell and with at least one inner crosspiece, which is coupled to the inside of the outer shell. The at least one inner crosspiece extends in the bending direction and the at least one shell component has additional inner ribs, which extend likewise in the bending direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Schnaufer, Andre Koch
  • Patent number: 9828043
    Abstract: In a moving body side section structure that includes a flow correction fin 1A that is provided on a side section of a moving body, the flow correction fin includes a first inclined portion 1Ae which is formed at a front end in the longitudinal direction of the moving body and in which a width in a width direction of the moving body is widened toward a rear side in the longitudinal direction of the moving body, and a second inclined portion 1Af which is formed further rearward than the first inclined portion 1Ae in the longitudinal direction of the moving body and in which the width in the width direction of the moving body is narrowed toward the rear side in the longitudinal direction of the moving body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Narito Fujii, Masaaki Morimoto, Koshi Yamada, Nagataka Sassa, Naohiko Saito
  • Patent number: 9827833
    Abstract: A zipper less removable window system having removable windows for use with a foldable, stowable roof for a vehicle. A plurality of attachment devices of the zipper less removable window system connect the windows to the foldable, stowable roof and to the vehicle without the use of zippers. The operator zipper effort caused by traditional windows is thereby eliminated and misalignment issues present with traditional zippered windows is eliminated or reduced. The stress placed on the portions of the windows connectable to the foldable roof during installation and removal, including around curved portions of the removable window, is eliminated or reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Bestop, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric John Hanson
  • Patent number: 9827916
    Abstract: A collapsible trunk for use with a vehicle having a wheel well. The trunk comprises a base wall and a side wall pivotally connected thereto. The side wall extends from the base wall and terminates at an upper edge. The side wall and base wall collectively define a storage cavity. The base wall and the side wall each have an expandable portion conformable to the wheel well in response to placement of the base wall and the side wall over the wheel well. The trunk is selectively transitional between a collapsed configuration and a deployed configuration. In the collapsed configuration, the base panels overlap each other, and in the deployed configuration, the plurality of base panels are co-planar to each other. The upper edge of the side wall moves away from the base wall as the trunk transitions from the collapsed configuration toward the deployed configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Inventor: Nicholas J. Singer
  • Patent number: 9827934
    Abstract: An ornamental grille arranged for attachment to a peripheral frame of a motor vehicle radiator grille includes a grille structure having respective grille elements. Domes are formed on points of intersection of the grille elements of the grille structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Maier, Jochen Roesch, Achim Koehler
  • Patent number: 9821740
    Abstract: A bumper assembly includes a bumper beam, an inner extension, an outer extension, and a reinforcing element. The bumper beam extends longitudinally from a first end to a second end. The inner extension is welded to the first end of the bumper beam, and the outer extension is welded to the inner extension. The inner extension and the outer extension are elongated from the bumper beam and define an elongated cavity therebetween. The reinforcing element is fastened to the inner extension and disposed in and elongated along the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Marcus Jordan
  • Patent number: 9815501
    Abstract: A cargo compartment for use with a motorized vehicle, and a vehicle having a cargo compartment, have a floor, a roof, a first side wall, and a second side wall. Each side wall extends between the floor and the roof, defining intersections therebetween. A molding assembly is disposed in the intersection and has an elongated back portion and an elongated cover portion, so that the cover portion is disposed between the back portion and an interior cargo compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: GREAT DANE LLC
    Inventors: Daniel J. McCormack, Timothy P. Meyer
  • Patent number: 9809261
    Abstract: A vehicle body lateral structure includes a rear strake which is provided with a mounting part for being mounted on a plate-shaped member of a side sill through a rear inner fender, a bolt fastening surface which protrudes from the mounting part by a first protrusion amount toward the front of the vehicle, and a bolt through-hole which opens from the bolt fastening surface toward the front of the vehicle. The rear inner fender includes a cut-out section which has a larger diameter than the bolt fastening surface. A stepped bolt includes in its axial direction, a screw portion which screws into a nut fixed to the plate-shaped member of the side sill, a small-diameter cylindrical portion, and a flange portion which has a smaller diameter than the bolt fastening surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiko Emura
  • Patent number: 9809203
    Abstract: This vehicle is provided with: a window opening and a secondary window opening, which are formed adjacent to each other in a vehicle body; a window panel for covering the window opening; a secondary window panel for covering the secondary window opening; and a wiper device for wiping both the window panel and the secondary window panel. The wiper device is provided with a wiper blade that is capable of passing over a boundary between the window panel and the secondary window panel to continuously wipe from the window panel to the secondary window panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shuken Matsuura, Koji Okabe, Tomoaki Hosobe
  • Patent number: 9802662
    Abstract: A base rail of a trailer includes an upper portion configured to be coupled to the inner surface of a sidewall of a trailer. The upper portion includes a plurality of spaced-apart ridges configured to extend inwardly away from an inner surface of the upper portion and into a storage area of the trailer. The base rail also includes a lower portion configured to be coupled to the floor assembly of the trailer, and a bumper guard coupled to the inner surface of the upper portion and positioned between spaced-apart ridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Wabash National, L.P.
    Inventor: Rodney P. Ehrlich
  • Patent number: 9802657
    Abstract: A powered deployable spoiler assembly includes a support member adapted for mounting to a motor vehicle and a spoiler panel disposed in a recessed segment of the support member. A pair of power-operated drive units interconnect the spoiler panel to the support member and are operable to move the spoiler panel between a non-deployed position, a first deployed position to provide aerodynamic assistance at a first vehicle speed, and a second deployed position to provide augmented aerodynamic assistance at a second higher vehicle speed. Each drive unit defines a guide slot and includes a stanchion fixed to the spoiler panel and a follower assembly fixed to the stanchion and disposed for movement within the guide slot. Electric motors are coupled to rotary-to-linear conversion mechanisms for converting rotation into translation of the follower assemblies to control movement of the spoiler panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES INC.
    Inventors: Peter Lance Oxley, Vadym Podkopayev
  • Patent number: 9796249
    Abstract: A side window assembly for a vehicle comprising a cabin, a chassis window frame rail, and a body with a door integral therewith and aligned with the chassis rail axis, comprising a window frame fitted within an opening between a front post of the door and an internal edge of the cabin independently of an internal fender panel and of a fender of the cabin, and a glazing, secured to the window frame to fill the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: CORPORATION MICRO BIRD INC.
    Inventors: Hugues Beaupre, Pascal Chabot