Patents Examined by Tiffany L. Webb
  • Patent number: 11820197
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a control arm having a first branch portion extended from a second branch portion, the first branch portion and the second branch portion being fixed with a frame of the vehicle, and a third branch portion extended from the second branch portion, and coupled with a wheel. The vehicle also includes a first joint fixing the first branch portion to the frame, and a second joint located behind the first joint along the frame in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and fixing the second branch portion to the frame with a first bracket extending along the frame, outward from the second branch portion in a vehicle lateral direction. The first bracket is fixed to the frame at a first bracket weakened portion, and configured such that the second branch portion separates the first bracket weakened portion from the frame while the first joint remains fixed to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Steven Matthew Harpster, Rajendra L. Kakarla, Bradley W. Klein
  • Patent number: 11821459
    Abstract: A system and method for a universal housing. The universal housing has a central void. The system also includes a sleeve sized to be received within the central void. The universal housing can be used to house a ball joint and a uniball interchangeably. This allows the consumer to switch between a ball joint or a uniball joint without replacing the support arm. This aids in flexibility and versatility as well as decreases the product and labor costs associated with changing from one type to another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Inventors: Jeff Kester, Jesse Johnson
  • Patent number: 11820195
    Abstract: A frame structure of a commercial vehicle having an independent suspension system may include: a front outrigger mounted at lower front ends of wheel housings along a wide direction of a vehicle; a rear outrigger mounted at lower rear ends of the wheel housings along the width direction, wherein the wheel housings are arranged between the front and rear outriggers in a vehicle body length direction; a center reinforce unit mounted on an inner lower side of the wheel housing and disposed between the wheel housings, the center reinforce unit configured to connect the front and rear outriggers along the vehicle body length direction; a side reinforce unit mounted on an inner side of the wheel housing and connected to the center reinforce unit; and a lower reinforce unit configured to be connected to the center reinforce unit and coupled to the first suspension mounting assembly through the rear outrigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Yong Woo Moon
  • Patent number: 11807184
    Abstract: In a vehicle occupant protection system, a first tether is permanently fastened to a front panel of the airbag and is detachably fixed to an actuator unit on the module side. A second tether is arranged on the module side and is connected to the first tether, wherein in an extension of the second tether there is provided a decoupling arrangement which is located between the second tether and the first tether only when the actuator unit is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Dalphi Metal Espana, S.A.
    Inventor: Óscar Ugarte Alba
  • Patent number: 11801898
    Abstract: A system for reducing risk of fuel leakage of a vehicle during a collision includes a vehicle main body configured to support and at least partially enclose a passenger. The system further includes a fuel inlet box configured to house a fuel inlet. The system further includes a rear bracket coupled to the vehicle main body at a location aft of the fuel inlet box. The system further includes a center shaft coupled to the rear bracket and extending forward from the rear bracket. The system further includes a forward bracket coupled to the vehicle main body at a location forward relative to the rear bracket and coupled to the center shaft, the forward bracket configured to deform in response to a rear collision of the vehicle to actuate the fuel inlet box in order to reduce the likelihood of a fuel leak from the fuel inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Mitch J. Gerczak, Mark D. Clauser, Brian L. Tew
  • Patent number: 11794686
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided that includes an airbag stored within an onboard compartment and inflatable by an onboard inflator. When inflated, the airbag extends from an outer surface of the vehicle, and has a shape that is recognizable, to a sensor on an approaching second vehicle, as at least a portion of a solid structure of the vehicle. The airbag is also configured to absorb at least some energy from a collision between the vehicle and the approaching second vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph T. Conners
  • Patent number: 11794683
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a roof-mounted airbag apparatus in a vehicle. The vehicle includes a roof, an instrument panel, and two passenger seats in a front row. The airbag apparatus includes an inflator and an airbag that is fluidly coupled to the inflator. The airbag is inflatable and deployable from the roof in an interior of the vehicle between the passenger seats and the instrument panel, and includes a cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, AutoLiv Asp, Inc.
    Inventors: Mangala Jayasuriya, David W. Schneider, Frank J. Herzenstiel
  • Patent number: 11794681
    Abstract: A driver seat airbag device, provided with a steering wheel and an airbag module. The steering wheel includes a variant rim with a central upper part thereof omitted, and a cover member that covers the module installation surface at the center of the rim and the airbag module. The cover member includes a frontal region on an occupant side of the airbag module, an upper region on the upper side of the airbag module, and a tear line that enables the frontal region and the upper region to open up as cover doors. The tear line extends continuously from at least the center of the frontal region to at least the center of the upper region. The cover doors open to the left and right respectively from near the center of the frontal region and upper region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Abe, Kazuki Morita, Hiroyoshi Shimono
  • Patent number: 11794846
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle including a vehicle body, front and rear wheels, a leaning mechanism that causes the vehicle body and the front and rear wheels to lean left or right when the leaning vehicle turns left or right, a lean actuator, a support stand, a detection device that detects a getting on intention input and or a getting off intention input, which respectively indicate that a rider of the leaning vehicle intends to get on and off the leaning vehicle, and a control device configured to control the lean actuator to thereby control a lean angle of the vehicle body while the vehicle body is in motion, based on a manipulation that the rider performs for turning in the left or right direction, and control the lean angle of the vehicle body while the leaning vehicle is not in motion, based on a detection result of the detection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuya Nagata, Toshifumi Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 11787359
    Abstract: In a vehicle seat having an airbag module placed in the seatback thereof, the load that may be applied to the back side of the seatback is prevented from being applied to the airbag module. The vehicle seat (1, 300, 400) comprise a seatback frame (19) including a pair of side members (26, 301) extending vertically along either side thereof and providing a structural framework of a seatback, a plate member (20, 402) positioned behind the seatback frame and including an extension (32, 410) extending in an outboard direction from the side member located on an outboard side of the seatback frame, a mounting member connected to the outboard side member, and an airbag module (23) positioned on a front side of the extension and connected to the outboard side member via the mounting member, a clearance (S) being defined between the airbag module and the extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: TS TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jinichi Tanabe, Katsuya Isomura, Sosaku Omori, Keita Wakesu, Kenji Matsuoka, Yuta Sugaya
  • Patent number: 11731577
    Abstract: A device for protecting a person standing in a motor vehicle comprises numerous airbags installed in a motor vehicle, a scanner for determining where there is empty space adjacent to the person, and a control unit that is configured to only deploy those airbags that inflate into the empty space that has been determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventor: Martin Ruchti
  • Patent number: 11731696
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method are provided for an offset tie rod joint for vehicle steering systems. The offset tie rod joint comprises a ball rotatably retained within a casing that is disposed in an opening of an offset housing. A threaded shank fixedly coupled with the offset housing is received by a steering rod. The opening is displaced from a longitudinal axis of the threaded shank by a distance that provides clearance between the offset housing and a spindle assembly during articulation of the spindle assembly during steering. A rear backstop and a front snap-ring in a groove retain the casing within the opening. A bore extending through the ball receives a bolt that fixates the ball between parallel prongs of the spindle assembly. A misalignment spacer on each side of the ball provides clearance for rotation of the ball within the offset housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Inventor: Robby Gordon
  • Patent number: 11724662
    Abstract: The present invention is an airbag device that is housed in the instrument panel of a vehicle and includes an inflator for generating inflation gas and an airbag that inflates and deploys toward the occupant side via gas released from the inflator. The airbag has a front protection part located in front of the occupant when deployed and a pair of side protruding parts located on the sides of the front protection part in the vehicle width direction and protruding further toward the occupant side than the front protection part. Furthermore, a cross tether extending in the direction intersecting the deployment direction of the airbag and connected to the inner surface of the airbag along with a pair of first front-rear tethers connected to the cross tether at the front ends thereof and connected to the front protection part at the rear ends thereof are provided inside the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Masaru Habu
  • Patent number: 11724557
    Abstract: An assembly for a hydraulically suspended vehicle axle may have a central housing, and at least two hydraulic suspension components supported on the central housing and fluidly connected to one another by a fluid line extending at least partially through the central housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Dana Italia S.R.L.
    Inventors: Daniele Tonini, Federico Bavaresco, Stefano Fasano, Alessandro Benevelli
  • Patent number: 11718261
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant protection system for a convertible includes an airbag disposed in the door. The airbag has a lower cell area, an upper cell area, and an intermediate area. The intermediate area, in a filled state of the airbag has a smaller thickness than the lower cell area and/or the upper cell area. A positioning strap has one end fastened to the vehicle at a fastening location, and a second end fastened to a fastening point at the intermediate area. A length of the positioning strap between the fastening location and the fastening point is configured to be shorter than a length of an airbag fabric between a lower edge of the airbag and the intermediate area of the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: ZF AUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBH
    Inventor: Anton Fischer
  • Patent number: 11718363
    Abstract: The integrated tank and compressor mounting system for a motorcycle has a mount block which has a mounting face, and a compressor clamp. The mount block has a threaded cylindrical section which forms a tank mount for mounting a tank. The tank has a cylindrical tubular section closed at one end and threaded at the other end such that the tank threads correspond to the mount block threads. The tank provides air for an air suspension which includes a forward suspension unit activated by air and an aft suspension unit activated by air. A supply line connects the tank air volume to an inlet valve on the suspension control unit. The suspension control unit has a cylindrical forward control valve passage and the forward control valve passage has a forward transfer chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Inventor: Vince Costa
  • Patent number: 11673609
    Abstract: A front portion of a vehicle body includes front side frames, a subframe, and a vehicle compartment front structure body. The subframe has a subframe body and a pair of rear fastening portions fastened to a vehicle compartment front structure body in left and right rear regions of the subframe body. The rear fastening portion has a tubular body through which a bolt penetrates in a vertical direction, and a convex portion protruding from the tubular body toward a vehicle rear side. The vehicle compartment front structure body has a support plate extending substantially horizontally in which the tubular body is fastened to a lower surface of the support plate by the bolt, and a fall restricting wall facing the convex portion from the vehicle rear side at a position rearward of a fastening portion of the support plate fastened with the bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Anzai
  • Patent number: 11667166
    Abstract: An all-terrain vehicle includes a frame, a transmission, an axle support, a driving shaft and a rear suspension assembly. The transmission is mounted on the frame. The driving shaft is coupled between the transmission and the axle support. The rear suspension assembly includes left and right rear suspension subassemblies symmetrically arranged at left and right sides of the frame. Each of the left and right rear suspension subassemblies includes an upper control min and a lower control arm, the upper control arm has a first end pivotally coupled to the frame and a second end pivotally coupled to the axle support, the lower control arm has a first end pivotally coupled to the frame and a second end pivotally coupled to the axle support, and a junction of the first end of the upper control arm and the frame is located behind the driving shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: SEGWAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiang Li
  • Patent number: 11654967
    Abstract: A steering shock absorbing structure for an in-wheel motor includes: a steering input unit configured to detect a steering angle of a steering wheel; a steering unit fastened to the steering input unit, and configured to steer a wheel according to the steering angle of the steering input unit; a tilting unit having a first end connected to the steering unit and a second end connected to the wheel, and configured to be tilted with respect to the steering unit; and a controller configured to selectively drive the tilting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Sang Woock Ryu
  • Patent number: 11643162
    Abstract: A representative system includes a personal transportation device with: first and second wheels aligned along an axis; an idler wheel rearward of the axis; a platform configured to support a user in a standing position; electric motors to drive the first and second wheels; first and second hand grips fixed in position at respective locations forward of the platform; and first and second control actuators disposed, respectively, on the first and second hand grips, the first and second control actuators being operative to control rotations of the first and second wheels and configured to be actuated by corresponding thumbs of the user while hands of the user are grasping corresponding ones of the first hand grip and the second hand grip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: KOOLER ICE, INC.
    Inventor: Kerry Seymour