Patents Examined by Tania Abraham
  • Personal shield devices, systems and methods
    Patent number: 10843608
    Abstract: In general, privacy apparatuses, systems, and methods are described. In one embodiment, a privacy apparatus supportable on a backrest of a seat is provided, including a frame including first and second supports, a connecting member that extends between the supports, and first and second shield panels connected to the supports. The privacy apparatus can serve as privacy shield and/or head/neck support for a user or vehicular passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Inventor: Madelyne Carlson
  • Vehicle seating arrangement
    Patent number: 10829020
    Abstract: A vehicle seating arrangement includes a first seat and a first seatback. A side-wing seat extends from the first seat. A surface of the side-wing seat is vertically displaced from a surface of the first seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan Welch, Joshua Greiner, Cameron Wood
  • Headrest for a vehicle seat
    Patent number: 10829019
    Abstract: An occupant support includes a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat bottom is coupled to a floor of a vehicle. The seat back is coupled to the seat bottom to move relative to the seat bottom. The seat back includes a back rest and a headrest coupled to the backrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC
    Inventors: Brian R. Dexter, Rod Goodrich, Jeffery T. Bonk, Ying (Carolyn) Zhao
  • Armrest for vehicle seat and vehicle seat
    Patent number: 10829018
    Abstract: A vehicle seat (10, 100, 200, 300, 400) includes a seat base (14,114, 214, 314, 414) a backrest (12, 112, 212, 312, 412) with a seat base and backrest pivot connection between the seat base and the backrest. An armrest (16, 216, 216, 316, 416) is connected to the vehicle seat at an armrest to vehicle seat support connection (20,120, 220, 320, 420). An armrest linkage system changes an inclination of the armrest relative to the backrest upon changes in inclination of the backrest relative to the seat base, over a pivot range of motion of the backrest relative to the seat base. This may maintain the inclination of the armrest relative to the seat base and the seat floor or may change the inclination of the armrest relative to the seat base and the seat floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Adient Luxembourg Holding S.รก r.l.
    Inventors: Brent Burton, Eric Michalak, Nathan Caruss, Mark Shafer, Michael J. Kapusky
  • Apparatus and method for a booster seat anchor belt retractor system
    Patent number: 10829011
    Abstract: An anchor belt retractor system can be provided with a booster seat. The booster seat can include a booster seat base and optionally a seat back. The booster seat base can include a cavity or housing within which the anchor belt retractor system is housed. The anchor belt retractor system can include at least one spool or drum about which webbing can be wound. The system can also include a first anchor webbing having a first end coupled to the spool and a second end coupled to an anchor latch. The system can also include a second anchor webbing having a first end coupled to the spool and a second end coupled to a second anchor latch. The spool or drum can be spring-biased to take up any slack in the first and second anchor webbings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: GRACO CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Laurence Campbell, Andrew Phillip Kitchens
  • Table with integrated chairs
    Patent number: 10830402
    Abstract: A unitary dining unit combining table functions and seating, which dining unit solves the above stated problems, is disclosed. The novel dining unit may be oblong, with opposed convex surfaces, to enable occupants to easily view one another, and to assist in fitting the table or desk efficiently within a square or rectangular room of a building. The unitary dining unit integrates a work surface, e.g., a table or desk surface, with seating. The integrated seating has support arms connecting the seating to the table portion, and maintaining all portions of each seat above the floor, thereby leaving space for and facilitating floor cleaning in the area of the furniture. A perimetric wall serves as an aesthetic skirt concealing seat anchorage elements and other utilitarian components from external view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Inventor: William D. Solterbeck
  • Headrest assembly
    Patent number: 10821869
    Abstract: A headrest assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a rod configured to connect the headrest assembly to a seat back. The rod includes a first vertical portion and a second vertical portion, which each have a plurality of recesses. The headrest assembly further includes a head restraint including a pushing plate having a first locking portion and a second locking portion. The first and second locking portions selectively engage the recesses of the first and second vertical portions, respectively, to adjust a vertical position of the head restraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: DAIMAY NORTH AMERICA AUTOMOTIVE, INC.
    Inventors: Yingtai Jiang, Jianhua Wang, Guojun Tang
  • Aircraft seat device including force transferring carrier element
    Patent number: 10814986
    Abstract: An aircraft seat device includes at least one seat bottom unit, a mounting unit, and at least one carrier element. The at least one seat bottom unit at least partly implements a seat surface. The at least one carrier element couples the seat bottom unit with the mounting unit and transfers force from the seat bottom unit to the mounting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: RECARO Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Alfons Stachel, Klaus Steinmeyer, Zoltan Jussli
  • Vehicle seat trim covers with knitted attachment structures formed with heat-activated yarns
    Patent number: 10808336
    Abstract: A knitted seat trim cover for attachment to a vehicle seat includes a knitted trim panel configured to be installed over at least one foam support member of the vehicle seat and a fastener member integrally knitted in the knitted trim panel. The fastener member is configured to connect the knitted trim panel to the vehicle seat and at least a portion of the fastener member is made of a heat-activated yarn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Daniel W. Booth, Paul W. Alexander, Nancy L. Johnson, Heidi H. McAdoo-Wilson, Janet C. Robincheck, Dorel M. Sala
  • Portable seat apparatus and method
    Patent number: 10791838
    Abstract: A portable seating apparatus and method for easy assembly/disassembly of the same is described. The apparatus is designed for easy display of theme based design components which may be easily changed with minimal effort and complication. The assembly includes standing and swing type embodiments. The apparatus comprises seat, side support, and back rest components. The seat component generally comprises one or more substantially horizontal seat members and a front facing frontboard member to be removably attached with the front of the seat component. Right and left side support components include integral seat support, arm rest and back rest support portions. The backrest component includes at least one backboard member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Inventors: John Pacific, James William Condry
  • Vehicle seat with storable harness
    Patent number: 10793031
    Abstract: A stowable harness system for a vehicle seat is provided. The vehicle seat has a storage area under a horizontal seat portion that pivots to provide access. The harness system includes a belt system for a child restraint. During use, the harness system is disposed on the vehicles seat. When stowed, the harness system is contained in the storage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Danny J. Daniels, James Louis Rapier, III
  • Vehicle seat with pelvis movement suppression
    Patent number: 10793032
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a pelvis movement suppression member, a moving mechanism, a control section and an energy-absorbing mechanism. The pelvis movement suppression member is disposed at a seat upper side of a seat front side of a seat cushion, extends in a seat width direction, and is movable in a seat front-rear direction relative to a frame of the seat cushion. The moving mechanism moves the pelvis movement suppression member from an initial position to a restraining position at a seat rear side relative to the initial position. When a collision is detected or predicted, the control section activates the moving mechanism and moves the pelvis movement suppression member to the restraining position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsunori Ando, Katsunori Yamada, Mitsuaki Gotoh
  • Seat frame, and method for manufacturing seat frame
    Patent number: 10793035
    Abstract: A seat frame for a framework structure of a vehicle seat includes a plurality of frame bodies formed by bending a single tubular member. The single tubular member is formed in a closed cross-sectional shape by a single long and flat member being bent in a direction that is at a right angle with respect to the lengthwise direction of the long and flat member, and then end edges of the tubular member that have come to face each other being joined together by welding. Each of the plurality of frame bodies includes a bend part and rectilinear parts. The bend part is rectangular in cross section. The rectilinear parts include a rectangular cross section portion and a cross-section-varying portion. The end part of the cross-section-varying portion, connected to the rectangular cross section portion, is rectangular in cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Noriaki Kawauchi, Satoshi Hashimoto, Shun Takagi, Hiromi Yamamoto
  • Consolidated seat back breakover mechanism
    Patent number: 10773805
    Abstract: Described is a breakover mechanism for a passenger seat that includes a frame member with a rear portion attached to two opposing sides of a seat back of the passenger seat wherein the frame member is at least partially disposed under a seat pan of the passenger seat, at least one moving portion attached to a forward portion of the frame member, a carriage portion fixedly attached to the seat pan; and a single point mechanism attached to the carriage portion. Once a threshold loading condition occurs, the single point mechanism changes states to facilitate movement of the moving portion relative to the carriage portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Safran Seats USA LLC
    Inventors: Girish J. Malligere, Nahum Madrid, Michael T. Murray, Michael Willey
  • Seat shell having a shaped one-piece wooden shell
    Patent number: 10772431
    Abstract: A seat shell includes a one-piece shaped wooden shell which has a seat part and a backrest part and which in its transition region has a bent portion bent along a bending axis. The shaped wooden shell has a veneer structure including at least nine wood layers glued on top of each other. The wood layers include a top layer at each of the front and rear of the shaped wooden shell, respectively, the top layer made of a wood layer is arranged in the longitudinal direction. The wood layers also include between the top layers a number of middle and outer wood layers arranged in the longitudinal or transverse direction. The shaped wooden shell is upholstered, and has a transversely extending cutout defined by bars at the edge in the transition region and/or the backrest part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Kusch + Co. GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Dieter Kusch
  • Conveyance seat manufacturing method and conveyance seat
    Patent number: 10766387
    Abstract: An improved conveyance seat is configured by an overlapping part of a skin material being hung in a recessed portion formed at a boundary position between a support portion and an intersecting portion of the cushion material when the cushion material divided into pieces is covered by the skin material having the overlapping part configured by two skin material fragments overlapping each other. The skin material fragments inserted into the recessed portion have first and second parts satisfying the following conditions: (1) The first parts are welded to contact each other on a back side of the recessed portion behind an opening of the recessed portion and parts of the first parts are crushed, (2) The second parts adjacent to the first parts and closer to the opening of the recessed portion than the first parts are separated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: TS TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuji Isobe, Shinichiro Motoda
  • Stowable seating
    Patent number: 10753560
    Abstract: An activities unit combining a table or other horizontal surface with seating units is shown and described. Seating units may include both permanent or fixed individual seating units and also, at least one additional seating unit movable between a stowed position to a deployed position. Both permanent or fixed seating units and also stowable seating units may each be supported on the activities unit by an arm above floor level. This enables ready cleaning of a floor surface on which the unitized table is placed without having to move seating units out of the way. Construction of the unitized table enables utilitarian components and features which may be deemed unsightly to be concealed, for example, by wood paneling both at a table top and also a depending wall. The table top may overhang the depending wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Inventor: William D. Solterbeck
  • Motion furniture mechanism with pre-aligned linkage member
    Patent number: 10750869
    Abstract: A motion furniture side mechanism includes a side plate and a pivotable swing arm pre-aligned with the side plate for insertion of a driver tube using an automated or manual assembly operation. The swing arm includes a pivotable driver arm, and a driver tube socket is defined on the driver arm. One or more bushings disposed between the side plate and the swing arm or driver arm provides a mechanical retainer to prevent the swing arm or driver arm from becoming inadvertently angularly misaligned prior to assembly. The pre-aligned side mechanism allows automated insertion of a driver tube without the need to identify a misaligned linkage or re-align a linkage prior to driver tube insertion. A method of assembly furniture includes providing a side mechanism with a pre-aligned linkage member such as a swing arm or driver arm positioned for driver tube insertion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy Robinson, Rigoberto Marquez, James Floyd
  • Straddle-type seat and cover member
    Patent number: 10745073
    Abstract: Provided is a straddle-type seat configured to prevent a cover member from being detached and to increase a crime prevention property. The cover member is configured to close a through hole formed on a seat surface. The seat is configured to support a seated occupant in a straddle state and includes a seat main body on which the occupant sits, and a cover member that covers the through hole formed in the seat main body. The cover member includes a lid portion that closes the through hole on a top surface of the seat main body, and a downward extension portion that downwardly extends from the lid portion. The downward extension portion is locked to a T-like shape protrusion formed on a bottom surface of the seat main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignees: TS Tech Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Tsurumi, Ryuji Isobe, Kosuke Maeda, Shinichiro Motoda, Gen Tanabe
  • Portable electronic device holder for tray tables
    Patent number: 10744921
    Abstract: A tray table assembly includes a table body and a support. The support can include a first end and a second end distal from the first end. The second end of the support can be pivotably attached to the table body. The support can define a receiving area between the first end and the second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Safran Seats USA LLC
    Inventors: Oscar Ruiz, Brenda L. Chaaya Aguilar