Patents by Inventor Benjamin Yilma

Benjamin Yilma 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: 20200307472
    Abstract: A seating assembly for a vehicle comprising: a seat; a seatback including an occupant side configured to contact and support an occupant of the seating assembly, a rear side that faces in the generally opposite direction as the occupant side, and a top portion; seatbelt webbing, the seatbelt webbing extending along the rear side of the seatback; a plurality of emitters of UVC radiation; and an emitter support structure attached to the seatback that supports the plurality of emitters of UVC radiation such that the plurality of emitters of UVC radiation emit UVC radiation onto the seatbelt webbing extending along the rear side of the seatback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Daniel Ferretti, Michael Kolich, Scott Holmes Dunham, Edward Joseph DeSmet, Benjamin Yilma, Matthew Anthony Majkowski
  • Patent number: 10723249
    Abstract: An assembly includes a seat and an armrest moveable relative to the seat. A first arm and a second arm each include a first hinge and a second hinge. The first hinges are spaced from each other and fixed relative to the seat. The second hinges are spaced from each other and fixed relative to the armrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Brian Robert Spahn, Srinivasan Sundararajan, Derek Board, Benjamin Yilma, S. M. Akbar Berry
  • Patent number: 10717377
    Abstract: A vehicle seating arrangement includes at least one seating assembly. The at least one seating assembly includes a seat-base and an armrest. The armrest is operably coupled to the seat-base and configured for articulation in at least one of a forward, rearward, upward, and downward direction relative to the seat-base. The armrest enables the seating assembly to transition between captains' chair, loveseat, and bed configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Brian Robert Spahn, Benjamin Yilma, S. M. Akbar Berry, Kevin Wayne Preuss, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Daniel Ferretti
  • Patent number: 10710485
    Abstract: A seating assembly comprises: a head restraint that can be both separated from a seatback to a separated position, and remotely actuated via a user-accessible manipulable device located away from the head restraint to move the head restraint to a folded position when coupled to the seatback in an extending position. A cable of the seatback is not operably coupled with the head restraint when the user-accessible manipulable device is not manipulated but becomes operably coupled with the head restraint, when the user-accessible manipulable device is manipulated and the head restraint is in the extending position, to cause the head restraint to move from an upright position to the folded position. The cable of the seatback extends into a post receiver and operably couples with the head restraint within the post receiver when the head restraint is in the extending position and the user-accessible manipulable device is manipulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Yilma, Syed Haider, Chris Fredriksson, Anton Crainic
  • Patent number: 10703331
    Abstract: A webbing guide for a vehicle seat includes a base defining a length between a first end and a second end and defining a plurality of pairs of corresponding spaced-apart post holes extending through the base between top and bottom surfaces thereof. The webbing guide further includes a guide body coupled with the base and defining a guide channel extending through the guide body in a direction generally normal to the length of the base and normal to the post holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Pattrick Loew, Benjamin Yilma, Travis Justin Raines
  • Patent number: 10703324
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a floor and a seat supported by the floor. The vehicle includes a roof. The vehicle includes a base supported by the roof and movable relative to the roof. The vehicle includes an airbag supported by the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Anna Miller Hill, Paul Alan Forgette, Jeffrey Charles Paddock, Benjamin Yilma, Robert Ralph Armitage, Brian Robert Spahn
  • Patent number: 10632958
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly is provided herein. The vehicle includes a seat-base. A seatback is coupled to the seat-base. An airbag assembly is coupled to the seatback and configured to deploy therefrom. A tether is coupled to the airbag assembly and at least one of the seatback and the seat-base. The tether is configured to bias the airbag assembly seating-assembly-downward when the airbag assembly is in a deployed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Brian Robert Spahn, Benjamin Yilma, S. M. Akbar Berry, Kevin Wayne Preuss, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Daniel Ferretti
  • Patent number: 10625704
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly includes a seatback including a left lateral panel and a right lateral panel opposite the left lateral panel, a left airbag inflatable from the left lateral panel to an inflated position, a right airbag inflatable from the right lateral panel to an inflated position, and a tether extending from the left lateral panel to the right lateral panel. The tether is connected to the airbags.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Brian Robert Spahn, Johnathan Andrew Line, Benjamin Yilma, S. M. Akbar Berry
  • Publication number: 20200094719
    Abstract: A seating assembly comprises: a head restraint that can be both separated from a seatback to a separated position, and remotely actuated via a user-accessible manipulable device located away from the head restraint to move the head restraint to a folded position when coupled to the seatback in an extending position. A cable of the seatback is not operably coupled with the head restraint when the user-accessible manipulable device is not manipulated but becomes operably coupled with the head restraint, when the user-accessible manipulable device is manipulated and the head restraint is in the extending position, to cause the head restraint to move from an upright position to the folded position. The cable of the seatback extends into a post receiver and operably couples with the head restraint within the post receiver when the head restraint is in the extending position and the user-accessible manipulable device is manipulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Yilma, Syed Haider, Chris Fredriksson, Anton Crainic
  • Patent number: 10596993
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly is provided herein. The vehicle seating assembly includes a seatback coupled to a seat-base. An airbag assembly is coupled to the seatback and configured to deploy therefrom. A tether is coupled to the airbag assembly and at least one of the seatback and the seat-base. An anchoring feature is coupled to at least one of the seatback and the seat-base and is configured to restrain seating-assembly-upward movement of the tether.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Brian Robert Spahn, Benjamin Yilma, S. M. Akbar Berry, Kevin Wayne Preuss, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Daniel Ferretti
  • Patent number: 10583797
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly includes a seat, an arm connected to the seat, a carrier supported by the arm, and an airbag supported by the carrier. The arm is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The carrier is spaceable from the seat when the arm is in the deployed position. The airbag is inflatable to an inflated position in a direction toward the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Alan George Dry, Daniel Ferretti, Brian Robert Spahn, Benjamin Yilma
  • Publication number: 20200070763
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a floor and a seat supported by the floor. The vehicle includes a roof. The vehicle includes a base supported by the roof and movable relative to the roof. The vehicle includes an airbag supported by the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Anna Miller Hill, Paul Alan Forgette, Jeffrey Charles Paddock, Benjamin Yilma, Robert Ralph Armitage, Brian Robert Spahn
  • Patent number: 10562558
    Abstract: A powered folding steering wheel system includes a rim having upper and lower rim sections that are pivotably connected to a primary structure to permit rotation of the upper and lower rim sections forwardly and rearwardly from a driving position. The system includes a powered drive assembly that is configured to rotate the upper and lower rim sections forwardly and rearwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Robert Spahn, James Robert Chascsa, II, Michael Joseph Dean, Benjamin Yilma
  • Patent number: 10518684
    Abstract: A seat assembly is provided herein. The seat assembly includes a seat member having a support surface. A pair of seat member bolsters is disposed on opposing sides of the seat member. A seat base supports the seat member and has a wraparound sidewall that extends above a bottom portion of each seat member bolster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Marcos Silva Kondrad, Johnathan Andrew Line, Kevin Wayne Preuss, S. M. Akbar Berry, Benjamin Yilma, Brian Robert Spahn, Alan George Dry
  • Publication number: 20190389420
    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: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: 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: 20190389350
    Abstract: An assembly includes a seat and an armrest moveable relative to the seat. A first arm and a second arm each include a first hinge and a second hinge. The first hinges are spaced from each other and fixed relative to the seat. The second hinges are spaced from each other and fixed relative to the armrest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: ALAN GEORGE DRY, JOHNATHAN ANDREW LINE, BRIAN ROBERT SPAHN, SRINIVASAN SUNDARARAJAN, DEREK BOARD, BENJAMIN YILMA, S.M. AKBAR BERRY
  • Patent number: 10513206
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat back having a front surface and a rear surface, a panel movable along the rear surface from a stowed position adjacent the rear surface to a deployed position facing the front surface, and an airbag supported on the panel and inflatable toward the front surface to an inflated position in which the airbag contacts the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Spahn, Benjamin Yilma, Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, S. M. Akbar Berry, Jeffrey Charles Paddock
  • Patent number: 10479231
    Abstract: A vehicle seating arrangement includes a rail system that has a plurality of lateral and longitudinal rails. The vehicle seating arrangement also includes at least one seating assembly coupled to the rail system. The seating assembly includes one or more armrests coupled to a seat-base. The armrests are configured for articulation in a vertical direction relative to the seat-base. The armrests enable the seating assembly to transition between captains' chair, loveseat, and bed configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Brian Robert Spahn, Benjamin Yilma, S. M. Akbar Berry, Kevin Wayne Preuss, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Daniel Ferretti
  • Patent number: 10479310
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly is provided herein. The vehicle includes a seat-base coupled to a seatback. A guide-channel and an armrest are coupled to at least one of the seatback and the seat-base. A carrier having an airbag is slidably coupled to the guide-channel, wherein the carrier is operable between a stowed position and a use position. The carrier is disposed vehicle downward of the armrest while in the stowed position. An airbag deployment side of the carrier is generally directed seating assembly rearward while the carrier is in the use position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Brian Robert Spahn, Benjamin Yilma, S. M. Akbar Berry
  • Publication number: 20190337479
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a roof. The vehicle includes a first row and a second row of airbags supported by the roof and elongated along a vehicle-longitudinal axis. The vehicle includes a third row and a fourth row of airbags supported by the roof, elongated along a vehicle-lateral axis, and intersecting the first row and the second row of airbags.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: ANNA MILLER HILL, BRIAN ROBERT SPAHN, PAUL ALAN FORGETTE, JEFFREY CHARLES PADDOCK, BENJAMIN YILMA, ROBERT RALPH ARMITAGE