Patents Examined by Peter Brown
  • Patent number: 9365143
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a composite support structure formed by a lower pressure compression mold and defines at least one open section. A subassembly is disposed over the composite support structure and includes a trim piece integrally formed on the subassembly and defines a center seat and at least one cushion attachment support is disposed adjacent to the at least one open section. A seat cushion insert is operably coupled to the at least one cushion attachment support and is disposed over the at least one open section and defines a side seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Sachs, Benjamin Craig, Christian J. Hosbach, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Patent number: 9364378
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a wheelchair (10) comprising a wheelchair frame (1) resting on wheels (2, 3) and supporting a seat (4), and a backrest frame (5) supporting a backrest (6), said backrest frame (5) being pivotally connected to said wheelchair frame (1) and comprising two lateral tubular elements (5a), wherein each tubular element (5a) comprises an upper end portion (5b) provided with a handle (5d) and a lower end portion (5c) pivotally mounted on an axis (7) supported on a support (11) fixedly connected to the wheelchair frame (1), characterized in that locking/unlocking means (12) are provided for preventing the lower end portion (5c) of at least one of said tubular elements (5a), and preferably of each one of said tubular elements, to pivot relative to the corresponding support (11) in a locked inclined position of the backrest frame (5), said locking/unlocking means (12) being configured so as to permit a stepless adjustment of the angle (?0) between a plane (P1) defined by the backrest (6)
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: INVACARE INTERNATIONAL SARL
    Inventors: Robert Mael, Jean-Michel Roncin
  • Patent number: 9352674
    Abstract: A seat that includes a seat bottom and seat back, an endbay assembly positioned to one side of the seat bottom, and an armrest positioned within the endbay assembly and selectively moveable between an upper position for use as an armrest and a lower position level with an upper seating surface of the seat bottom for allowing ingress and egress to the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan J. Suhre, Mark W. Peurifoy
  • Patent number: 9352840
    Abstract: A tray table for use with a passenger seat of a transportation vehicle is provided. The tray table may be moveable between a deployed position and a stowed position relative to a seat. The tray table may include a storage compartment for storing belongings of a passenger. A lid may be provided for covering an opening of the storage compartment. A portion of the lid may be transparent such that contents of the storage compartment may be readily viewed by a passenger when the tray table is in the deployed position. A portion of a storage compartment bottom may be transparent such that contents of the storage compartment may be readily viewed by a passenger when the tray table is in the stowed position. The tray table may have any number of storage compartments and a single lid or multiple lids may be used to cover the storage compartment openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Zodiac Seats US LLC
    Inventor: Udo W. Schultheis
  • Patent number: 9345329
    Abstract: A folding chair having seat, backrest, front leg, and rear leg interconnected with backrest pivoted to front leg and back leg, and seat pivoted to front leg and back leg so as to lock backrest when chair is unfolded, and when weight is applied to the seat a force is applied further locking the backrest. A modification provides a folding chair with outer and inner frames for locking backrest and rear leg in position when chair is unfolded for use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Inventor: Alexander Gendell
  • Patent number: 9346380
    Abstract: A vehicle seat, has a seat part, a backrest, and at least one fitting, by which the back rest is attached pivotably to the seat part. The fitting has a first fitting part connected to the backrest and a second fitting part connected to the seat part. The fittings are normally located in the force flux between the backrest and seat part. The seat has at least one deformation zone which is deformed in the event of a crash. A supporting element is mounted on the backrest and a supporting element is mounted on the seat part, the supporting elements normally being spaced apart from each other and, in the event of a crash, coming into contact with each other because of the deformation of the deformation zone to provide a further force flux path lying parallel to the fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: KEIPER GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Christian Markel, Thomas Dill, Wolfgang Pluta, Viktor Enns, Gerhard Mueller
  • Patent number: 9346378
    Abstract: An infant care device includes a casing, a latch member, a driving member and a first resilient member. The casing has an insertion space permitting an insertion portion of a mounting seat to be inserted thereinto. The latch member is mounted movably to the casing. The first resilient member biases the latch member to engage the insertion portion so as to prevent relative movement between the infant care device and the insertion portion. The driving member is mounted to the casing, and is able to be pushed to move a cam portion thereof to disengage the latch member from the insertion portion against the biasing action of the first resilient member, so as to permit the relative movement between the infant care device and the insertion portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: BP CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS HK CO., LIMITED
    Inventor: Da-Liang Zhang
  • Patent number: 9346383
    Abstract: A locking device for a headrest has a headrest rod, a guide sleeve for the headrest rod and a blocking element. The blocking element is displaceable relative to the guide sleeve between a locking position, in which the blocking element is in engagement with a recess in the headrest rod, and a unlocking position, in which the blocking element is not in engagement with recesses in the headrest rod. The blocking element is pivotable in relation to the guide sleeve about an axis of rotation parallel to the headrest rod. The blocking element is mounted in the guide sleeve such that, when there is a relative rotational movement between the guide sleeve and the headrest rod, the blocking element rotates at least partially jointly in conjunction with the headrest rod about the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS GMBH
    Inventors: Patrick Martin, Richard Johnathan Howells, Ivan Jakubec
  • Patent number: 9340133
    Abstract: A monitor adapted for mounting in an automobile headrest is provided. A screen structure of the monitor is pivotable about an upper edge thereof, such that the monitor occupies little volume within the headrest. A viewing angle of the screen structure is independently adjustable by a viewer, such that the viewer can continuously select the optimum viewing angle with changing conditions inside the automobile. The screen structure automatically retracts into a housing when struck. Thus, the monitor poses little risk of injury to passengers. The housing of the monitor is attachable to the headrest with screws, which provides a very sturdy connection and reduces the chances of the housing becoming detached from the headrest during a vehicle collision. The hinged connection between the screen structure and the housing is preferably constructed of interconnected components made from sturdy materials, such as metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson Safety, Inc.
    Inventor: Chung L. Chang
  • Patent number: 9326608
    Abstract: A seating device such as a chair or sofa. The seating device includes a frame, a seat platform supported by the frame, and a backrest attached to the seat platform. The seat platform has opposite front and rear ends. The backrest has a first backrest portion extending upwardly from proximate the rear end of the seat platform. A lower end of the first backrest portion is positioned adjacent to an upper surface of the seat platform. The first backrest portion is capable of being moved forwardly and rearwardly along the upper surface of the seat platform while the lower end remains proximate the upper surface of the seat platform. A backrest-adjustment powered actuator operates the backrest for moving at least the first backrest portion forwardly and rearwardly partially along the upper surface of the seat platform to adjust an effective depth of the seat platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Goldilocks Associates, LLC
    Inventors: David E. Hoy, Brian H. Edmunds, Vernon C. Martell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9321377
    Abstract: The invention refers to a motor vehicle child safety seat comprising a support with means of side anchoring to the vehicle and a telescopic leg for support on the floor of the vehicle, characterized by the fact that the support is made up of a sloping frame, with means for anchoring it and having means to adjust the its length, so that by varying the length of the leg, you can change the slope of the support and thus the tilt of the chair. Thus, it is not necessary that the seat comprises means of conventional articulation to achieve the tilt of the chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: JANE, S.A.
    Inventor: Manuel Jane Santamaria
  • Patent number: 9315132
    Abstract: A part of the planar member, which is defined by the slits and extends over the center groove made in a seat pad, serves as a bridge part. As the sewn part of a trim cover is pulled into the groove, the bridge part is pressed onto the sewn part of the trim cover and pulled into the groove, together with the sewn part, and is bend in the form like letter U and held in the groove. The groove defines a through hole penetrating the seat pad at the bridge part of the planar member. The bridge part is not pressed onto the bottom of the groove even if the seat pad undergoes compressive deformation and is pressed down in the groove, because the groove has no bottom at some parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: TACHI-S CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yohei Mabashi, Makoto Miyabata, Mutsuo Muramatsu, Kenichi Sugimoto, Toshiki Igarashi, Masaaki Honda, Kazuya Imayou, Yayoi Hirano
  • Patent number: 9308847
    Abstract: A lumbar support operation member comprising a shaft attachment portion that is configured so as to be fixed to a rotation shaft that transmits rotation force to a moving mechanism of a lumbar support provided to a seatback and that is positioned at a side portion of the seatback; and operation portions that are provided at an radial direction outside of the shaft attachment portion, that are separated from each other in a circumferential direction of the shaft attachment portion, and that make the shaft attachment portion rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Arakawa, Akihiro Hayashi, Hiroshi Tsunashima, Kozo Yamaura
  • Patent number: 9290271
    Abstract: A vehicle seat carrier device includes at least one vehicle seat carrier unit which is provided to be arranged in at least one assembled state on at least one backrest unit of a seat unit. The vehicle seat carrier unit has at least one base unit and at least one cover unit which is embodied separately from the base unit and which is provided to be connected to the base unit in the assembled state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: RECARO Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christoph Schürg, Tim Schreyer
  • Patent number: 9283871
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle seat, in particular a utility motor vehicle seat, having a seat part, having a backrest comprising a lower backrest part and an upper backrest part, and having a holding device, by means of which the upper backrest part is mounted displaceably with respect to the lower backrest part, wherein the holding device comprises a guide device, by means of which the upper backrest part can be linearly displaced along a displacement curve laterally past at least one side edge of the lower backrest part in such a way that the upper backrest part can also be rotated about the displacement curve and/or about a transverse axis extending in a transverse manner to the displacement curve during the lateral displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: GRAMMER AG
    Inventor: Roland Uebelacker
  • Patent number: 9285193
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle seat comprising a base portion for attachment in a vehicle; a seat bottom part, with a top side and an underside, which seat bottom part is attached to the base portion; a waist belt, which extends between the seat bottom part's sides. At least one hinge mechanism that is adjustable between a first and a second position is arranged at the base portion. The waist belt is attached to the hinge mechanism, so that the waist belts position in relation to the seat bottom part changes when one on the seat bottom part acting force reaches a predetermined value, which force leads the hinge mechanism from the first to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS HÄGGLUNDS AKTIENBOLAG
    Inventor: Martin Carlsson
  • Patent number: 9284055
    Abstract: A vehicle seat that includes a linkage assembly interconnecting a seat pan assembly, seat back assembly and leg rest assembly whereby, as the seat carriage assembly is moved aft the seat pan assembly and the seat back assembly simultaneously adjust to maintain a predetermined seating position during an initial recline motion with the leg rest assembly remaining in a retracted position below the seat pan assembly. The leg rest assembly progressively elevates into a leg-supporting position during a subsequent recline motion as the back rest assembly and seat pan assembly progressively recline towards a lie-flat configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Beroth, Dan Udriste, Javier Valdes De La Garza
  • Patent number: 9278634
    Abstract: A motor vehicle seat comprises a seat component and a backrest. The backrest has a shell structure which is provided on an occupant side with an upholstered element. The shell structure has at least one depression for accommodating the upholstered element. The upholstered element is thickened at the location of the at least one depression. The shell structure may have a central part and side wings arranged in an elastically resilient manner on the central part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Ian Mathews, David Cooke, Marc Van-Soolingen, Robin Ndagi-Jimana, Wolfgang Pellenz
  • Patent number: 9277823
    Abstract: A motor assembly for reclining furniture includes a motor having one or more first fittings that correspond to one or more second fittings comprised within reclining furniture actuation mechanism and the first and second fittings are configured to be mutually connectable without tools or fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Inventor: Billy Joe Griggs, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9272642
    Abstract: In a vehicle seat (car seat 1) including a first seat portion (seat cushion 10) movable between a use position and a retracted position, and a second seat portion (seat back 20) movable between a use position and a retracted position, an actuator mechanism is configured to cause the second seat portion to start moving toward its retracted position at a time when the first seat portion passes a predetermined intermediate position that is on a way from the use position toward the retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignees: TS TECH CO., LTD., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD
    Inventors: Hideki Kobayashi, Tetsuya Ishikawa, Kazuhisa Nishimura