Patents by Inventor Alan George Dry

Alan George Dry has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20210016681
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a rail-mounted component. The rail-mounted component can be equipped with one or more restraints. A restraint monitoring system monitors the one or more restraints. The restraint monitoring system includes a restraint control module and a rail-mounted component control module. The rail-mounted component control module can include a restraint deployment loop and a restraint diagnostic loop for relaying restraint deployment signals and restraint diagnostic signals, respectively, between the restraint control module and the rail-mounted component control module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: David James Tippy, James Martin Lawlis, Alan George Dry, Galen Keith Thomas, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Publication number: 20210008955
    Abstract: A seating assembly includes a seating surface extending over at least one of a seat and a seatback. The seating assembly also includes a fluid mover and a fluid transfer member including a fluid inlet portion and a fluid outlet portion. The fluid inlet portion is coupled to the fluid mover, and the fluid outlet portion is proximate the seating surface. The fluid mover is selectively operable to release a pressurized fluid through the tube so that the release of the pressurized fluid at the outlet cools a seating assembly occupant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Kevin Wayne Preuss
  • Publication number: 20210009069
    Abstract: A seatback carrier module includes first and second side portions spaced-apart from one another and interconnected by an upper portion. A cradle portion is disposed along the first and second side portions and the upper portion of the seatback carrier module. The cradle portion includes inner and outer edges with a rearwardly extending body portion. A mounting portion is disposed along a portion of the inner edge of the cradle portion. The mounting portion includes inner and outer edges with a body portion disposed therebetween. The mounting portion further includes a rearwardly extending sidewall disposed along the inner edge of the mounting portion. An airbag assembly is received within the cradle portion and has an inverted U-shaped configuration to substantially surround the outer perimeter of the seatback frame. The airbag assembly is an elongate member defining an overhead airbag assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Marcos Silva Kondrad, Johnathan Andrew Line, Alan George Dry, S. M. Akbar Berry, Derek Board, Srinivasan Sundararajan, Spencer Robert Hoernke
  • Publication number: 20200398714
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly having a seat cushion and a suspension system disposed proximate an underside of the seat cushion. The suspension system includes a carrier assembly, a displaceable platform, and an attachment member extending between the carrier assembly and the displaceable platform, wherein the attachment member is positionable between the rest position and an extended position. The displaceable platform is positionable between a design position and a fully deployed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Derek Board
  • Publication number: 20200399080
    Abstract: A method of loading components into a vehicle includes the steps of opening an access door to gain access to a cabin of the vehicle, actuating a lift assembly to the open access door, securing the lift assembly to a portion of the cabin of the vehicle, and transferring the components to be loaded into the vehicle from the lift assembly to the cabin of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Publication number: 20200398776
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a rail-mounted component and a restraint monitoring system. The rail-mounted component can include one or more restraints. The restraint monitoring system includes a restraint control module, an encoder-decoder module, and a rail-mounted component control module. The rail-mounted component control module can include a restraint deployment loop and a restraint diagnostic loop. The restraint deployment loop can include a deployment signal amplifier. The restraint diagnostic loop can include a diagnostic signal amplifier. In examples that include both the deployment signal amplifier and the diagnostic signal amplifier, the deployment signal amplifier and the diagnostic signal amplifier may be wired in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: David James Tippy, Alan George Dry, Mark A. Cuddihy, Derek Board, Jimmy Moua, Galen Keith Thomas, Ajeya Gupta, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Publication number: 20200391668
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a cabin. A track assembly is mounted within the cabin. A carriage assembly is received by the track assembly. The carriage assembly includes a housing, a cam structure that is rotatable relative to the housing, a brush that is coupled to the housing and actuatable by the cam structure, and rollers that are coupled to the cam structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Publication number: 20200391667
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a cabin, a track assembly that is mounted to the cabin, and a carriage assembly that is received by the track assembly. The track assembly includes a rail structure and a conductive member coupled to the rail structure. The carriage assembly includes a brush that is movable to an extended position to engage with the conductive member of the track assembly and a first biasing member that provides an extension force when the brush is in the extended position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Patent number: 10857913
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a swivel assembly coupled to a seat base and a rail bracket. The swivel assembly can be external to an impact load-path and can include a ring gear and a spur gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Patent number: 10850646
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a carriage assembly and a track assembly. The carriage assembly includes a central roller flanked by side rollers on an axle. A carriage rail can support the axle. The track assembly includes a rack screw positioned in a lower portion of a channel. The channel receives the carriage assembly such that a drive wheel can engage with the rack screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Patent number: 10850699
    Abstract: An assembly includes a seatback. The assembly includes a first airbag and a second airbag, each inflatable to an inflated position spaced from each other at the seatback and abutting each other in front of and spaced from the seatback. The assembly includes a sheet extending from the first airbag to the second airbag in front of where the first airbag abuts the second airbag in the inflated positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Srinivasan Sundararajan, Johnathan Andrew Line, Brian Robert Spahn, Benjamin Yilma, Derek Board, S. M. Akbar Berry
  • Publication number: 20200361344
    Abstract: A seating assembly is provided that includes a seat base operably coupled with a seatback. An air cell assembly is positioned within the seat base. The air cell assembly includes a first plurality of air cells. The first plurality of air cells includes a first thigh cell. The air cell assembly also includes a second plurality of air cells. The second plurality of air cells includes a second thigh cell. A first valve is operably coupled with the first plurality of air cells. A second valve is operably coupled with the second plurality of air cells. Each of the first and second valves is configured to control airflow to and from the first and second plurality of air cells, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Publication number: 20200346531
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a cabin and a track assembly. The track assembly is coupled to a portion of the cabin. The track assembly includes a rail assembly. The rail assembly defines an interior aperture. The interior aperture is inaccessible from a top side, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side of the rail assembly. The rail assembly defines a first external channel in the first lateral side and a second external channel in the second lateral side. The first and second external channels receive a carriage power conductor and a carriage data conductor, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Publication number: 20200346561
    Abstract: A track assembly for a vehicle includes a carriage assembly and a rail assembly. The carriage assembly includes a carriage structure and one or more brush assemblies coupled to the carriage structure. The rail assembly slidably receives the carriage assembly. The rail assembly includes a first lateral side and a first external channel defined by the first lateral side. The first external channel receives one of a carriage power conductor and a carriage data conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Publication number: 20200346564
    Abstract: A track assembly for a vehicle includes a rail assembly. The rail assembly defines an interior aperture. The interior aperture may be inaccessible from a top side, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side of the rail assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Joseph Michael Kish, Jimmy Moua, Joseph Raymond Comeau
  • Patent number: 10821803
    Abstract: A seating assembly includes a seating surface extending over at least one of a seat and a seatback. The seating assembly also includes a fluid mover and a fluid transfer member including a fluid inlet portion and a fluid outlet portion. The fluid inlet portion is coupled to the fluid mover, and the fluid outlet portion is proximate the seating surface. The fluid mover is selectively operable to release a pressurized fluid through the tube so that the release of the pressurized fluid at the outlet cools a seating assembly occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Kevin Wayne Preuss
  • Patent number: 10821856
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a track that defines a guide channel and a bridge that extends over the guide channel when the bridge is in a closed position. The bridge includes a first portion that is releasably coupled to a second portion. The first portion is pivotably engaged with a first side of the track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line
  • Patent number: 10821929
    Abstract: A seatback carrier module includes first and second side portions spaced-apart from one another and interconnected by an upper portion. A cradle portion is disposed along the first and second side portions and the upper portion of the seatback carrier module. The cradle portion includes inner and outer edges with a rearwardly extending body portion. A mounting portion is disposed along a portion of the inner edge of the cradle portion. The mounting portion includes inner and outer edges with a body portion disposed therebetween. The mounting portion further includes a rearwardly extending sidewall disposed along the inner edge of the mounting portion. An airbag assembly is received within the cradle portion and has an inverted U-shaped configuration to substantially surround the outer perimeter of the seatback frame. The airbag assembly is an elongate member defining an overhead airbag assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Marcos Silva Kondrad, Johnathan Andrew Line, Alan George Dry, S. M. Akbar Berry, Derek Board, Srinivasan Sundararajan, Spencer Robert Hoernke
  • Patent number: 10814818
    Abstract: A method for operating an airbag carrier is provided herein. The method includes the steps of moving carrier containing an airbag along a guide-channel of a seating assembly from a stowed position to a use position, and deploying the airbag into an occupant space of the seating assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Brian Robert Spahn, Benjamin Yilma, S. M. Akbar Berry
  • Publication number: 20200331418
    Abstract: A seating assembly for a vehicle comprises: a seatback; an airbag having a stowed position and an inflated position, the airbag being configured to inflate from the stowed position to the inflated position in response to the vehicle impacting an object; a head restraint coupled to the seatback, the head restraint including a forward position, a rearward position, and a locking mechanism preventing the head restraint from moving from the forward position to the rearward position after taking the forward position; and as the airbag inflates from the stowed position to the inflated position, the airbag forces the head restraint from the rearward position to the forward position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Fredriksson, Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Benjamin Yilma, Michael Steven Medoro