Patents Examined by Nicole Verley
  • Patent number: 9434341
    Abstract: In a vehicular seat, a side airbag module and a side support bladder are arranged inside a shell frame that constitutes a skeleton of a seat back. A base bracket of a support body is disposed between the side support bladder and the side airbag module. This base bracket is supported by the shell frame. The base bracket supports the side support bladder from outside in a seat width direction at the time of inflation of the side support bladder, and is rotated inward in the seat width direction around a hinge together with the side support bladder due to an inflation pressure of a side airbag at the time of inflation and deployment of the side airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira Kaneko, Shunsuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9428212
    Abstract: A steering device includes a steering column, a bracket, and a fixing mechanism. The fixing mechanism includes a roller clutch, an inner ring, a slip ring and a rod which penetrates through side plate portions of the bracket. The roller clutch and the inner ring are not operated in a clamping direction in which the manipulation lever is rotated to provide a clamping force and are operated in a releasing direction in which the manipulation lever is rotated to release the clamping force. The slip ring is a friction providing member which applies frictional resistance to the rod in a case where the roller clutch and the inner ring are operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Okada, Yuuichi Tomaru
  • Patent number: 9428136
    Abstract: Airbag housings that each house an airbag are respectively provided beneath the lateral face of the driver's seat backrest and the lateral face of a front passenger seat backrest inward in a vehicle width direction. The airbags are inflatable and deployable inwardly in the vehicle width direction as well as in a fore-and-aft direction and a vertical direction of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Ishida, Tooru Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9428214
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a steering column for a vehicle. The steering column of a vehicle includes: an adjusting bolt that passes through tilting guide holes having slot shapes and are formed on opposite sides of a plate bracket, and telescoping guide holes having slot shapes and are formed on opposite sides of a distance bracket; and an impact absorbing member having a hollow pipe shape into which the adjusting bolt is inserted therein, and having tilting impact absorbing parts, which protrude on an outer peripheral surface thereof that are supported by opposite lengthwise ends of the tilting guide hole, and telescoping impact absorbing parts, which protrude on the outer peripheral surface thereof that are supported by opposite lengthwise ends of the telescoping guide hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sang Chul Ku
  • Patent number: 9421936
    Abstract: A light-weight and inexpensively-manufacturable case member of an airbag device is provided. The case member includes an inner portion integrally formed with an edge portion of an opening portion of a housing portion configured to internally hold a folded airbag and an inflator. A lid is fixed to a housing portion at a position where the lid at least partially covers the airbag housed in the housing portion. The opening portion is covered by an outer portion. Thus, a light-weight case member in which the inflator and the folded airbag are housed in the housing portion and covered by the lid can be manufactured inexpensively, without integration of a separately provided housing portion and lid or fixing the airbag or the inflator using an additional component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Nihon Plast Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Sugawara, Masaru Moritake, Hiromitsu Harada, Hideaki Saito, Masatoshi Ishigaki, Satoshi Nagaeda, Junichi Umehara, Hiroyuki Koizumi, Yuto Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9421865
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has an engine compartment accommodating a powertrain and at least one strut, which is substantially parallel to an advancing longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle; the motor vehicle has a safety device configured so as to move the powertrain sideways during an impact, towards the side opposite to the one concerned by the impact; the safety device is provided with a beam having a first end, distanced from an end portion of the strut towards the outside of the engine compartment, and a second end fixed to the strut in a position which is horizontally beside the powertrain; the safety device is also provided with a restraining member fixed to the strut and having a protruding portion arranged behind a wall of the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: FCA Italy S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Bernardi, Cristian Trocino, Daniele Ghislieri, Gianfranco Del Nero, Sergio Bianco
  • Patent number: 9415792
    Abstract: In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, an adjustment assembly for allowing or preventing adjustment of a component is provided. The adjustment assembly includes a first bracket at least partially surrounding the component, a second bracket at least partially surrounding the first bracket, and a piezoelectric device biasing against one of the first bracket or the second bracket in a first position, the piezoelectric device configured to contract and release the bias against one of the first bracket and the second bracket in a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard P. Nash, Ravi Ravindra
  • Patent number: 9409539
    Abstract: A vehicle seat airbag system includes an airbag which is caused by the vehicle seat airbag system to inflate and develop within a seat back. A plurality of elastic installation supporting members is provided within a seat back frame that forms the framework of the seat back of a seat for the vehicle. A seat pad is disposed on the front surface of each elastic installation supporting member. The airbag in a contracted state is disposed rearwardly of the elastic installation supporting members. All of these components are covered by an outer layer material in a bag shape. The airbag, which inflates and develops in the seat back due to a collision or the like, elastically supports the upper body of a seated person, and elastically receives an impact force which is applied to the rear of the seat back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Isamu Nagasawa, Yoshihiro Kamata
  • Patent number: 9409606
    Abstract: When a front pillar on a driver's seat side is deformed to a vehicle rear side due to short overlap collision on the driver's seat side of an automobile, an instrument panel reinforcement bridged between left and right front pillars is bent at a long hole serving as a starting point and provided on an outer side of a column bracket in a vehicle width direction. Due to this, a steering column, which is mounted on the instrument panel reinforcement through the column bracket, is restrained from being displaced due to a load from the front pillar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Eshima, Kazuya Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 9403501
    Abstract: A carrier system includes at least one seat and a radio wave detection device. The radio wave detection device is configured to emit a detection wave towards at least one seat of the carrier. A reflected wave reflected in response to the detection wave is received by the radio wave detection device. A position of an occupied seat and a type of an occupant on the occupied seat are determined in response to the received reflected wave. A safety mechanism is activated in response to the position of the occupied seat and the type of the occupants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS SOLUTIONS GMBH
    Inventors: Chih-Wei Teng, Jiun-Shiung Chen
  • Patent number: 9399382
    Abstract: Agricultural vehicle comprising a body to which a front axle is pivotally connected. The agricultural vehicle includes a hydraulic cylinder mounted as a suspension system between the body and the axle. The hydraulic cylinder is fluid-connected, via a steerable valve, to one of an open oil reservoir and an accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Alessandro Benevelli, Riccardo Morselli
  • Patent number: 9393925
    Abstract: The present invention provides an airbag module (1) in particular for a front passenger (21, 23) of a vehicle, comprising an inflatable bag (3) having at least a first outer panel (33) and a second outer panel (35) arranged substantially symmetrically to each other with regard to a vertical middle plane (M) of the inflated bag. The airbag is characterized in that the inflatable bag (3) comprises a strap structure (5) substantially located between the first and second outer panels (33, 35), wherein the strap structure (5) is designed such that the bag is extendable from a first state having a first size to a second state having a second size depending on the size of the respective passenger and/or the kind of impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Dalphi Metal Espana S.A.
    Inventors: Francisco Miron, Alfonso Bustos Garcia
  • Patent number: 9393848
    Abstract: A torsion spring system for a wheel suspension of a motor vehicle includes an actuator that is provided on the vehicle body and variably maintains the torsion spring system under tension, and which acts, via a torsion bar and an output lever, with a biasing force on a wheel suspension element of the wheel suspension. The torsion bar is configured in two parts between the actuator and the output lever and has a first bar part and a second bar part coupled thereto with a spring element connected in between the first and second bar parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Dominik Mohrlock, Andreas Schindler, Heinrich Beringer, Joachim Schmitt
  • Patent number: 9389634
    Abstract: A stop mechanism of a helm device includes a rotation member, rotatable disks, fixed disks, and an electromagnet which presses these disks against one another. An inversion control pin is provided in a steering shaft. Slits are formed in a cylindrical portion. Both ends of the inversion control pin are inserted into the slits. The slits are shaped to be elongated in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion. A first pin receiving stopper wall is formed on one end of the slits. A second pin receiving stopper wall is formed on the other end of the slits. The inversion control pin can move within the range of inversion allowance angle between the pin receiving stopper walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keishi Washino
  • Patent number: 9381940
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle comprising a chassis, two surface-engaging front wheels, at least one surface-engaging rear wheel and a propulsion unit for driving either the front wheels or the rear wheel or wheels. Each front wheel being connected to the chassis by means of a front wheel support assembly, wherein the front wheel support assembly comprises a hydraulic cylinder associated with each front wheel. Each hydraulic cylinder comprises a housing connected to one of the chassis and the front wheel support assembly, and a piston connected to the other of the front wheel support assembly and the chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Inventor: David Andrew Gale
  • Patent number: 9381935
    Abstract: In a steering device, a restriction member urged by an urging member restricts rotation of an inner tube when the restriction member is at an inserted position at which the restriction member is inserted into a second opening of the inner tube through a first opening of an outer tube. When the inner tube moves to contract a steering column upon a secondary collision, a driving edge portion of the second opening drives the restriction member to a position at which the restriction member is retracted from the second opening against the urging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shoji Ishimura
  • Patent number: 9376154
    Abstract: A vehicle capable of preventing the vehicle from making any movement that is not intended by a rider without performing any complicated control is provided. A vehicle includes a step plate on which a rider puts his/her feet to get on the vehicle, and a handle that extends upward from a front of the step plate and is grasped by the rider, the vehicle being configured to move by performing inversion control, in which the vehicle further includes a power-on operation section for instructing the vehicle to at least start the inversion control, the starting operation section being disposed on a surface on the side opposite to a step plate side of the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Makoto Mori
  • Patent number: 9370982
    Abstract: A suspension assembly between a sprung element and an unsprung element includes load-carrying spring arranged in parallel with a negative stiffness element between the sprung element and the unsprung element. The spring is configured with a positive spring rate to support a static load of the sprung element. The negative stiffness element is configured with a negative spring rate and to exert a force opposing the spring rate of the spring. The negative spring rate has a magnitude that cancels the positive spring rate at a zero deflection point of the suspension assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Avshalom Suissa
  • Patent number: 9366007
    Abstract: A first accommodating case (13) which is located more forward than a fuel tank (12) and is small in height dimension (H1) of an upper surface (13E) is provided on the right side of a revolving frame (5). A second accommodating case (16) the position of an upper surface (16E) of which is higher than the upper surface (13E) of the first accommodating case (13) and is lower than an upper surface plate (12E) of the fuel tank (12) is provided on the rear side of the upper surface (13E) of this first accommodating case (13). Moreover, a reducing agent tank (20) is provided in a tank accommodating space (15) in the first accommodating case (13) and articles such as a tool box (23) and the like are accommodated in an article accommodating space (17) in the second accommodating case (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Azuma, Takahiro Kobayashi, Jun Yamabayashi, Satoshi Tehara
  • Patent number: 9365254
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mobility scooter and in particular to a mobility scooter having a base with a platform. The base further has a receiver at the front of the platform, a rear hitch, two risers with vertical holes for receiving chair legs and a rear axle. Two batteries and motors can be further provided. The chair can fold flat to either allow greater movement upon the platform or for storage. Multiple attachments can be provided, including a single wheel, a double wheel and coupler attachments. The attachments easily engage and are disengaged from the base. Several other attachments can also be provided, including side bars, handlebars and a car seat holder. Further, a movable throttle is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Leo Durrett