Patents Examined by Peter R. Brown
  • Patent number: 8096612
    Abstract: A releasing device for a table part of a seat system for passenger vehicles. In a releasing device for a table part of a seat system for passenger vehicles, in particular for aircraft, comprising seat components such as a seat structure, a seat part, a seat back and an armrest, the position of at least one of these seat components being adjustable, wherein the table part is arranged on the seat structure to be tiltable between an operative position and a stowed position, the table part can be secured in the stowed position by means of a locking device which, for releasing the table part into its operative position, can be actuated by the adjustment movement of at least one armrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: RECARO Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Klaus Schumm, Gerhard Klein, Branislav Miskovic, Oliver Schwarz
  • Patent number: 8087725
    Abstract: A car seat includes a vertically adjustable head rest and harness support apparatus that will properly locate the position of the harness relative to the child in response to the positioning of the head rest. The head rest is movable along a curved track to provide horizontal clearance with respect to the vehicle head rest when in a fully raised position. The harness belt is trapped in a length adjustment lock and follows a path that extends around a fixed guide bar at the top of the car seat frame then downwardly through a guide member that directs the belt through an opening in the seat back for engagement with the child. The guide member is supported on a harness control tube that engages a rack device to fix the position of the harness control tube when the position of the head rest is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: James M. F. Hutchinson, Robert E. Haut
  • Patent number: 8083292
    Abstract: A seatback frame for vehicles has a lower cross member that prevents a back pad and a recliner hinge shaft from interfering with each other. The seatback frame includes a back frame and a lower cross member. The lower cross member includes a reinforcing part and a hinge-shaft cover. The back frame is hinged to a seat frame via a recliner hinge shaft. The lower cross member couples both sides of the lower end of the back frame to each other. The reinforcing part has the shape of an embossment which extends in a longitudinal direction of the lower cross member. The hinge-shaft cover is provided on the lower portion of the lower cross member, and is bent to surround the recliner hinge shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Byung Yong Choi, Sang Do Park, Dong Woo Jeong, Sang Nam Park
  • Patent number: 8075054
    Abstract: A seating system designed to accommodate a variety of activities that can be performed while a person is sitting or resting, and more particularly waiting. A single tandem row of seats or a back to back configuration of tandem seats has an electrical wire way extending behind or between each seat back, respectively. A cover plate encloses the wire way, and a plurality of electrical and data ports are accessible from the cover plate. Laptop computers, music players and other electrical devices can be plugged into the seating system so that the user can comfortably operate such a device while waiting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Inventor: Laura Lisa Smith
  • Patent number: 8070224
    Abstract: A vehicle entertainment system includes a video system mounted within an automobile armrest/console, the armrest/console including an upper support surface. The video system includes an integrated housing supporting a video monitor and a video source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Audiovox Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher J. Vitito
  • Patent number: 8070233
    Abstract: A folding seat for an aircraft has a backrest, a seat area and an armrest. The seat area is pivotable. When the seat area is pivoted, the armrest is pivotable downwards, the seat area and the armrest being coupled by at least one coupling element in the form of a bevel gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Schumacher, Andrew Muin
  • Patent number: 8061766
    Abstract: A chair. The chair folds by a plurality of hinges between an expanded position and a collapsed position to seat a person substantially horizontal while the chair is positioned on an angled surface. The chair comprises a back assembly, a seat assembly, a leg assembly, a seat, an arm assembly. The chair further comprises at least one anchor that is configured to penetrate the angled surface in order to stabilize the chair on the angled surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Inventor: Greg Miller
  • Patent number: 8056857
    Abstract: An aircraft passenger seat that includes a frame with a seat bottom mounted for translating fore and aft movement, and a seat back linked to the seat bottom and mounted for generally vertical movement between a lowered and upright position. A stationary seat back shell assembly is provided within which the seat back is mounted for movement. A seat back position indicator is carried by the shell proximate a top end thereof and cooperates with the seat back. The seat back position indicator has a first condition indicating that the seat back is in the lowered position within the shell and a second condition indicating that the seat back is in the upright position within the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: BE Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Brian Dowty, Michael Furrer
  • Patent number: 8056984
    Abstract: The invention relates to a head rest carrying element which is produced out of a tubular member and which, can be connected to a seat at one end, and which carries a head rest at its second end. The tubular member is produced by being formed out of a flexibly rolled strip material with a variable wall thickness. Furthermore, the invention relates to a process of producing such a head rest carrying element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Inventors: Stephan Hentschel, Peter Finge, Georg Mintkewitz, Andreas Rinsdorf
  • Patent number: 8052208
    Abstract: An apparatus for locking a table of a seat back to selectively secure the table in multiple stages, may include a base, a shaft coupled to the base and the table, an actuating arm fastened to the shaft and rotatable with the shaft, the actuating arm having actuating gear teeth, a locking arm rotatably provided on the base, wherein the locking arm includes locking gear teeth and the locking gear teeth is selectively engaged with the actuating gear teeth by the actuating arm such that when the actuating arm is rotated in a forward direction, the actuating gear teeth is engaged with the locking gear teeth or pass over the locking gear teeth according to rotational degree of the actuating arm, and a locking arm holding unit co-axially coupled with the actuating arm to the base and selectively activated by the actuating arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Dymos Inc.
    Inventors: Sang Ho Kim, Hyun Ko, Chae Hoon Ma, Sung Ah Kim, Seung Hyock Tak, Jong Kweon Pyun, Jin Ho Seo
  • Patent number: 8042872
    Abstract: The present invention provides a recliner for vehicle seats. The recliner includes a gear rim, a guide plate, a lever rotating shaft, a cam, elastic members, a main control disk, locking gears and locking gear support members. The gear rim has internal gear teeth. The guide plate is coupled to the gear rim and has guide blocks thereon. The lever rotating shaft is inserted through the gear rim and the guide plate. The cam has support protrusions on both ends thereof. The elastic members are provided on the inner surface of the guide plate, and each elastic member elastically supports a first end of the corresponding support protrusion. The main control disk is coupled to the cam. Inner and outer guide holes are formed through the main control disk. The locking gears are slidably provided between the facing guide blocks, and each locking gear has a support depression. The support depression has a concave curved surface and a convex curved surface. External gear teeth are formed in each locking gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Daewon Precision Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-Il Kim, Jae-Won Sim
  • Patent number: 8038212
    Abstract: A child vehicle seating system, for fitment on a vehicle seat to support and restrain a child, comprises at least one seating component. Each seating component includes a closed frame over which a flexible membrane is stretched to define a support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Space Net Technology Limited
    Inventors: Robert Ian Vickers, Samuel Blackburn Pearce
  • Patent number: 8038216
    Abstract: The portable seat is positioned on the two seat rail tubes of a standard wheelchair with brackets. The seat has a lower frame and an upper frame having four pivoted legs slidably mounted in channels. A horizontal arm connects the two front legs at the lower part thereof and has a pivoting and threaded drive nut. Another horizontal arm connects the two rear legs at the lower part thereof and has a pivoting and threaded drive nut, being oppositely threaded. A drive screw is mounted to both drive nuts and when rotated the legs are pushed together to raise the seat thereon. As an additional feature, a tilt seat section may be attached to the upper frame causing the seat to tilt forward allowing the user too more easily dismount. This feature may be activated when the seat is or is not elevated. Appropriate electronics operates the portable seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Inventor: Marjorie H. Palmer
  • Patent number: 8038219
    Abstract: A vehicle seat is disclosed that provides longitudinal adjustment and height adjustment of a head restraint by actuation of a manual release. One embodiment discloses a vehicle seat with a rod extending from a seat back and a frame mounted to the rod. A head restraint is mounted to the frame by a linkage to extend and retract. A locking mechanism cooperates with the head restraint and the frame for permitting incremental locking positions of the head restraint relative to the frame. A manual release releases the locking mechanism to extend and retract the head restraint relative to the rod. Another embodiment includes an eccentric mechanism pivotally connected to the frame. A wire spring is mounted to the frame for engaging a notch in the rod. An actuator rotates an eccentric mechanism for disengaging the wire spring from the notch in the rod for permitting height adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Klaus Boes, Juergen Geisslinger, Tobias Bokelmann
  • Patent number: 8033600
    Abstract: A seat system has separate air bladders in the seat bottom and seat back. The seat bottom bladder is in fluid communication with the seat back bladder through a plurality of rigid interconnecting tubes, and valves in the tubes or orifice size can control flow rate of air exchange between the seat bottom bladder and the seat back bladder. A panel of resilient, compressible open cell foam extends in each of the seat bottom bladder and the seat back bladder. Through-holes in the foam panel permit accelerated air evacuation to the other bladder when the seat withstands a significant shock event. The vibration and shock attenuation characteristics of the seat are jointly provided by the panel spring force and the bladder air pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: ErgoAir, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas D. Reynolds, Erik Wolf
  • Patent number: 8033601
    Abstract: There is provided a head rest moving mechanism of moving a support portion of a head rest relative to a seat back when a vehicle is subjected to a back collision. The head rest moving mechanism moves the support portion from an initial position to a collision corresponding position in a front upper direction. The head rest moving mechanism includes a base installed at an upper portion of the seat back, link means for linking the support portion and the base, an engaging pin moved integrally with the support portion for operating an attitude of the support portion in accordance with a relative movement thereof, and a guide path slidably engaged with the engaging pin for guiding to slide the engaging pin in accordance with the relative movement of the support portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Taiyo Otsuka
  • Patent number: 8033613
    Abstract: A chair back has a shell and a cushion overlying the shell for a patient chair configured to move from a generally upright sitting position to a generally supine position. A patient contact surface is bounded in part by a top edge and an opposing bottom edge, and has resiliently deflectable opposed wing sections extending between the top edge and the bottom edge. A stiff support region is centrally positioned relative to and at least partially recessed from the outer wing sections. The support region is configured to support a patient's spine when the patient chair is positioned in a generally supine position. The opposed wing sections extend laterally outwardly of the support region and are configured to support the arms of the patient when the patient chair is positioned in the generally supine position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: A-dec, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl G. Nordstrom, Edward R. Jacobs, Mathew H. Parlier, Craig J. Beard, Kenneth E. Mattocks, Christopher C. Stone
  • Patent number: 8033608
    Abstract: A vehicle seat is provided with: a rotation lock mechanism for inhibiting or permitting rotation of the both support arms placed at a fixed position relative to base frames and a support arm operation mechanism for actuating the rotation lock mechanism by tilting of a backrest. In the vehicle seat, when the backrest is tilted forward beyond a maximum forward adjustment angle of a reclining angle range, the rotation of the both support arms from the fixed position is permitted. When the backrest is tilted further backward than the maximum forward adjustment angle, the rotation of the both support arms from the fixed position is inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nao Yoshida, Yutaka Iwahori
  • Patent number: 8025338
    Abstract: A support structure of a head restraint system for an automotive vehicle seat includes an actuator configured to be actuated by an occupant. A locking arrangement is disposable within a back of the vehicle seat and is configured to selectively secure the support structure relative to the back of the vehicle seat. At least a portion of the locking arrangement is operatively associated with the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Stefan Brunner, Markus Schmid
  • Patent number: 8020933
    Abstract: A lumbar support device of a seat for a vehicle surrounds and supports the lumbar region of a passenger. In the lumbar support device, a mounting bracket is fastened to a seat back frame. A support panel is coupled to the mounting bracket through link units so as to be movable ahead of the seat back frame. Side support units are coupled to respective opposite ends of the support panel so as to be rotatable. A connection wire is connected between each of the side support units and the corresponding link unit of the support panel such that when the support panel moves forwards, the side support units surround side portions of the lumbar region of the passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corp.
    Inventors: Tae Hyung Kim, Byeong Joon Min, Deok Soo Lim, Ji Hyun Kim, Sam Jae Cho