Patents by Inventor Benjamin D Stephens
Benjamin D Stephens 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).
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Patent number: 10301028Abstract: An aircraft tray table assembly includes a recessed storage compartment covered by a pivoting lid which becomes an integral part of the tray table surface upon closing. A mirror may be fixedly attached to the inside of the lid. A passenger may be provided a mirror surface by flipping open the pivoting lid when positioned in a passenger seat within an aircraft. A retractor may be configured to closing of the pivoting lid when a passenger manually translates the tray table into a stowed position, thereby avoiding contact of the deployed lid with aircraft fixture surfaces proximate the stowed position of the tray table.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2017Date of Patent: May 28, 2019Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.Inventors: Benjamin D. Stephens, Robert D. Wilkey, Robert J. Henshaw, Francis Xavier L. Garing, Alexander Nicholas Pozzi
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Publication number: 20180281967Abstract: An aircraft tray table assembly includes a recessed storage compartment covered by a pivoting lid which becomes an integral part of the tray table surface upon closing. A mirror may be fixedly attached to the inside of the lid. A passenger may be provided a mirror surface by flipping open the pivoting lid when positioned in a passenger seat within an aircraft. A retractor may be configured to closing of the pivoting lid when a passenger manually translates the tray table into a stowed position, thereby avoiding contact of the deployed lid with aircraft fixture surfaces proximate the stowed position of the tray table.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2017Publication date: October 4, 2018Inventors: Benjamin D. Stephens, Robert D. Wilkey, Robert J. Henshaw, Francis Xavier L. Garing, Alexander Nicholas Pozzi
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Patent number: 9995336Abstract: In a preferred embodiment a friction bushing is configured to rotate a shaft with resistance having a housing with a bore to receive the shaft; a flange plate positioned on the housing around the bore; and a number of flanges that protrude axially from the flange plate to receive the shaft, where the flanges generate a radially-directed force by being flexible from a relaxed radius to a shaft radius of the shaft, and the flanges have internal circumferentially spaced surfaces in contact with an external surface of the shaft having a topology to control the resistance as the shaft rotates in the friction bushing.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2016Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.Inventors: Francis Xavier Garing, Benjamin D. Stephens, Mark A. Kruse
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Patent number: 9937841Abstract: A friction bushing for being positioned on a shaft for friction-retarded rotation relative to the shaft, including a housing having a bore for receiving the shaft and a flange plate positioned on the housing around the bore. A plurality of flanges are carried by the flange plate and adapted for extending axially outwardly from the flange plate and along circumferentially-spaced apart areas of the shaft for frictionally-engaging axially-extending areas of the shaft.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2015Date of Patent: April 10, 2018Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.Inventors: Francis Xavier Garing, Benjamin D. Stephens, Mark A. Kruse
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Patent number: 9919803Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an aircraft passenger seat base frame can include spaced left and right spreaders supporting a seat pan and a seatback. Additionally, a front transverse structural member and a rear transverse structural member can each interconnect with the left and right spreaders. An in-flight entertainment component compartment defined in the seat pan at least in part by placement of the front transverse structural member and the rear transverse structural member can enclose an in-flight entertainment component, wherein the front transverse structural member is positioned for aligning in a vertical plane with at least a portion of the in-flight entertainment component, and the rear transverse structural member is positioned for aligning in a horizontal plane with at least a portion of the in-flight entertainment component.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2016Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: B/E AEROSPACE, INC.Inventors: Alexander Nicholas Pozzi, Benjamin D. Stephens, Mark A. Kruse, Francis X. Garing
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Patent number: 9919802Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an aircraft passenger seat includes a seat back and a laterally-expanding tray table including a telescoping table segment and a main table segment having an interior pocket for receiving the telescoping table segment in a retracted position, where the telescoping table segment is adjacent to the main table segment in a fully extended position to form a contiguous table surface. The seat back may include a mounting region for stowing the laterally-expanding tray table, including a latching mechanism for latching the main table segment in a stowed position. The mounting region may extend across half the width of the seat back. The seat back may include storage region(s) horizontally adjacent to the mounting region, each storage region configured to stow a passenger convenience feature.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2016Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Inventors: Benjamin D. Stephens, Mark A. Kruse, Francis X. Garing
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Patent number: 9573688Abstract: An aircraft passenger seat base frame including spaced left and right spreaders cooperatively supporting a seat bottom and a seatback, spaced front and rear transverse beams interconnecting the left and right spreaders, spaced left and right leg assemblies each including a front leg and a rear leg, an in-flight entertainment component position in a space below the seat bottom, and a life vest container positioned below a front end of the seat bottom.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2015Date of Patent: February 21, 2017Assignee: B/E AEROSPACE, INC.Inventors: Alexander Nicholas Pozzi, Benjamin D. Stephens, Mark A. Kruse, Francis X. Garing
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Patent number: 9573687Abstract: A seat back tray table that includes an arm assembly attached to a seat having a seat back, and moveable between a stowed position and a deployed, use position, a first table segment carried by the arm assembly and moveable with the arm assembly between a stowed position against a stowage area of the seat back and a deployed position aft of the stowage area, and a second table segment carried by the first table segment and moveable between a stored position within the stowage area of the seat back and a deployed position laterally-extended from the first table segment to increase the total surface area of the tray table.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2015Date of Patent: February 21, 2017Assignee: B/E AEROSPACE, INC.Inventors: Benjamin D. Stephens, Mark A. Kruse, Francis X. Garing
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Publication number: 20170021933Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an aircraft passenger seat base frame can include spaced left and right spreaders supporting a seat pan and a seatback. Additionally, a front transverse structural member and a rear transverse structural member can each interconnect with the left and right spreaders. An in-flight entertainment component compartment defined in the seat pan at least in part by placement of the front transverse structural member and the rear transverse structural member can enclose an in-flight entertainment component, wherein the front transverse structural member is positioned for aligning in a vertical plane with at least a portion of the in-flight entertainment component, and the rear transverse structural member is positioned for aligning in a horizontal plane with at least a portion of the in-flight entertainment component.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2016Publication date: January 26, 2017Applicant: B/E AEROSPACE, INC.Inventors: Alexander Nicholas POZZI, Benjamin D. STEPHENS, Mark A. KRUSE, Francis X. GARING
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Publication number: 20170021931Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an aircraft passenger seat includes a seat back and a laterally-expanding tray table including a telescoping table segment and a main table segment having an interior pocket for receiving the telescoping table segment in a retracted position, where the telescoping table segment is adjacent to the main table segment in a fully extended position to form a contiguous table surface. The seat back may include a mounting region for stowing the laterally-expanding tray table, including a latching mechanism for latching the main table segment in a stowed position. The mounting region may extend across half the width of the seat back. The seat back may include storage region(s) horizontally adjacent to the mounting region, each storage region configured to stow a passenger convenience feature.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2016Publication date: January 26, 2017Applicant: B/E AEROSPACE, INC.Inventors: Benjamin D. Stephens, Mark A. Kruse, Francis X. Garing
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Publication number: 20170009804Abstract: In a preferred embodiment a friction bushing is configured to rotate a shaft with resistance having a housing with a bore to receive the shaft; a flange plate positioned on the housing around the bore; and a number of flanges that protrude axially from the flange plate to receive the shaft, where the flanges generate a radially-directed force by being flexible from a relaxed radius to a shaft radius of the shaft, and the flanges have internal circumferentially spaced surfaces in contact with an external surface of the shaft having a topology to control the resistance as the shaft rotates in the friction bushing.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2016Publication date: January 12, 2017Applicant: B/E AEROSPACE, INC.Inventors: Francis Xavier GARING, Benjamin D. Stephens, Mark A. Kruse
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Patent number: 9169020Abstract: An aircraft passenger suite including one or more privacy walls arranged to define a seating area and a living area positioned to the side of the seating area, the seating area including a seat configured to achieve a horizontal bed position and the living area including at least one amenity for use by a passenger in the suite, the living area having a length substantially less than a length of the seating area such that the suite overlaps another suite in a longitudinal direction, and wherein an entrance to the suite is defined by a break in the one or more privacy walls.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2013Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.Inventors: Russell Kroll, Suzuko Hisata, Francis X. Garing, Alexander Nicholas Pozzi, Glenn Allen Johnson, Robert J. Henshaw, JaeHun Gu, Benjamin D. Stephens
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Publication number: 20150284090Abstract: A seat back tray table that includes an arm assembly attached to a seat having a seat back, and moveable between a stowed position and a deployed, use position, a first table segment carried by the arm assembly and moveable with the arm assembly between a stowed position against a stowage area of the seat back and a deployed position aft of the stowage area, and a second table segment carried by the first table segment and moveable between a stored position within the stowage area of the seat back and a deployed position laterally-extended from the first table segment to increase the total surface area of the tray table.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2015Publication date: October 8, 2015Inventors: Benjamin D. Stephens, Mark A. Kruse, Francis X. Garing
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Publication number: 20150284095Abstract: An aircraft passenger seat base frame including spaced left and right spreaders cooperatively supporting a seat bottom and a seatback, spaced front and rear transverse beams interconnecting the left and right spreaders, spaced left and right leg assemblies each including a front leg and a rear leg, an in-flight entertainment component position in a space below the seat bottom, and a life vest container positioned below a front end of the seat bottom.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2015Publication date: October 8, 2015Inventors: Alexander Nicholas Pozzi, Benjamin D. Stephens, Mark A. Kruse, Francis X. Garing
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Publication number: 20150267757Abstract: A friction bushing for being positioned on a shaft for friction-retarded rotation relative to the shaft, including a housing having a bore for receiving the shaft and a flange plate positioned on the housing around the bore. A plurality of flanges are carried by the flange plate and adapted for extending axially outwardly from the flange plate and along circumferentially-spaced apart areas of the shaft for frictionally-engaging axially-extending areas of the shaft.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2015Publication date: September 24, 2015Inventors: Francis Xavier Garing, Benjamin D. Stephens, Mark A. Kruse
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Patent number: 8979189Abstract: A tray table assembly for a passenger seat including a table top having a cantilevered portion configured to slide horizontally between an overseat position and a position forward of a passenger seat, and a linear slide for providing horizontal motion of the table top, the linear slide configured to mount to a wall adjacent the passenger seat and support the table top in a horizontal position. A tray table assembly for an aircraft passenger suite.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2013Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Henshaw, Benjamin D. Stephens, Francis X. Garing, Alexander Nicholas Pozzi, Glenn Allen Johnson
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Publication number: 20130248654Abstract: A tray table assembly for a passenger seat including a table top having a cantilevered portion configured to slide horizontally between an overseat position and a position forward of a passenger seat, and a linear slide for providing horizontal motion of the table top, the linear slide configured to mount to a wall adjacent the passenger seat and support the table top in a horizontal position. A tray table assembly for an aircraft passenger suite.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2013Publication date: September 26, 2013Applicant: B/E Aerospace, Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Henshaw, Benjamin D. Stephens, Francis X. Garing, Alexander Nicholas Pozzi, Glenn Allen Johnson
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Patent number: D678619Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2010Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Matrice Brown Jackson, Alice Susan Gordon, Kristy Jo Giebe, Russell J. Kroll, Mark A. Kruse, Benjamin D. Stephens, Robert J. Henshaw, Philip D. Palermo
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Patent number: D683502Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2010Date of Patent: May 28, 2013Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Matrice Brown Jackson, Alice Susan Gordon, Kristy Jo Giebe, Russell J. Kroll, Mark A. Kruse, Benjamin D. Stephens, Robert J. Henshaw, Philip D. Palermo
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Patent number: D683906Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2010Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.Inventors: Matrice Brown Jackson, Alice Susan Gordon, Kristy Jo Giebe, Russell J. Kroll, Mark A. Kruse, Benjamin D. Stephens, Robert J. Henshaw, Philip D. Palermo