Patents by Inventor Brian Kepler

Brian Kepler 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).

  • Patent number: 11203888
    Abstract: Latches including a slot having a length that allows a striker of the latch to move from a normal closed position downwardly toward the closed bottom of the slot into an over travel position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Gecom Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan Farris, Brian Kepler
  • Patent number: 10829965
    Abstract: Provide a door latch device that allowing a childproof-double-lock mechanism is simplified and the size of the door latch device is miniaturized. While supporting a childproof lever and a double lock lever by a support shaft, coordinating the childproof lever and the double lock lever by an interlocking means and for moving the double lock lever in the direction of a double-lock position in conjunction with the childproof lever and the double lock lever move to the 3rd position from the 2nd position where is a childproof lock position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Gecom Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan Farris, Brian Kepler, Aaron Martin
  • Publication number: 20200149326
    Abstract: Latches including a slot having a length that allows a striker of the latch to move from a normal closed position downwardly toward the closed bottom of the slot into an over travel position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Bryan Farris, Brian Kepler
  • Patent number: 10641016
    Abstract: A door latch device is provided which has a childproof locking mechanism of which a childproof lever is pivotally supported by a support shaft. The childproof lever of the childproof locking mechanism is pivotally supported on a casing by the support shaft extending in a transverse direction of a vehicle. This mechanism shifting between a childproof unlock state, in which a door opening operation by an inside handle is transmitted to an engagement mechanism, and a childproof lock state, in which this opening operation is not transmitted, and a manual operation part is formed at an end portion of the childproof lever in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle perpendicular to the support shaft such that this manual operation part passes through a cover member and projects backward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: GECOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cristian Damboiu, Bryan Farris, Brian Kepler
  • Patent number: 10626638
    Abstract: A door latch device having a motor cover for covering a motor and connection parts thereof, wherein the motor cover in a size for covering the motor from a vehicle interior side is formed to a switch member housed in a casing, connection parts of the motor are respectively connected to conductive members of the switch member on a vehicle-exterior-side side face of the motor cover, and the motor 44 and the connection parts thereof are covered with the motor cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: GECOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Ishiguro, Brian Kepler, Aaron Martin, Bryan Farris
  • Patent number: 10597909
    Abstract: A door latch device which allows shared use of a connector for use in door latch devices equipped with standard electric components and a connector for use in door latch devices equipped with special electric components in addition to the standard electric components, thereby achieving an increase in the efficiency of the work of connecting to an external connector and a reduction in costs. A connector (32) of a standard switch plate (26) has a coupling hole (51) which penetrates, in the connecting direction of the external connector, a portion having no standard connecting terminals (304). The coupling hole (51) can be fitted with another switch plate (46) that allows the passage of electric current through electric components different than the standard electric components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: GECOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Ishiguro, Cristian Damboiu, Bryan Farris, Brian Kepler, Aaron Martin
  • Patent number: 10577842
    Abstract: Latches including a slot having a length that allows a striker of the latch to move from a normal closed position downwardly toward the closed bottom of the slot into an over travel position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Gecom Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan Farris, Brian Kepler
  • Patent number: 10471810
    Abstract: A vehicle door lock device includes a lock/unlock unit including a lock/unlock mechanism switching whether to transmit a door opening operation to a latch mechanism; and a transmission unit transmitting a lock/unlock operation to the lock/unlock unit. Further, the lock/unlock unit includes a main case housing the lock/unlock mechanism and supporting the latch mechanism, an input member having a rotation shaft passing through the main case, being coupled to the lock/unlock mechanism in the main case, and having an external coupling part outside the main case; and a cover closing an opening of the main case, the transmission unit includes a coupling member coupling a turned member to the external coupling part, and a sub case housing the coupling member, and the external coupling part protrudes from the main case in a vehicle outside direction in a state where the main case is attached to the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignees: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation, Gecom Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron Martin, Brian Kepler, Janani Viswanathan, Bryan Farris, Hiroki Hattori
  • Publication number: 20190112841
    Abstract: Provide a door latch device allowing a childproof-double-lock mechanism is simplified and the size of the door latch device is miniaturized. While supporting a childproof lever and a double lock lever by a support shaft, coordinating the childproof lever and the double lock lever by an interlocking means and for moving the double lock lever in the direction of a double-lock position in conjunction with the childproof lever and the double lock lever move to the 3rd position from the 2nd position where is a childproof lock position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: GECOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bryan Farris, Brian Kepler, Aaron Martin
  • Publication number: 20180186218
    Abstract: A vehicle door lock device includes a lock/unlock unit including a lock/unlock mechanism switching whether to transmit a door opening operation to a latch mechanism; and a transmission unit transmitting a lock/unlock operation to the lock/unlock unit. Further, the lock/unlock unit includes a main case housing the lock/unlock mechanism and supporting the latch mechanism, an input member having a rotation shaft passing through the main case, being coupled to the lock/unlock mechanism in the main case, and having an external coupling part outside the main case; and a cover closing an opening of the main case, the transmission unit includes a coupling member coupling a turned member to the external coupling part, and a sub case housing the coupling member, and the external coupling part protrudes from the main case in a vehicle outside direction in a state where the main case is attached to the door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Aaron MARTIN, Brian KEPLER, Janani VISWANATHAN, Bryan FARRIS, Hiroki HATTORI
  • Patent number: 9982466
    Abstract: A vehicle door latch device includes: a base fixed to a door; a latch pivotally supported on the base, and configured to be rotatable in association with opening and closing of the door, the latch having a cam portion on an outer periphery thereof; a detection lever pivotally supported on the base by a shaft, the detection lever having a detecting portion, which slides along the cam portion in association with rotation of the latch, and a cam surface, the detection lever being configured to be rotatable, by the detecting portion sliding along the cam portion, to a position corresponding to a rotational position of the latch; and a detection switch configured to detect open and closed states of the door by being turned ON and OFF by coming into contact with and separating from the cam surface in association with rotation of the detection lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignees: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION, GECOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Enomoto, Brian Kepler
  • Publication number: 20180112441
    Abstract: A door latch device is provided which has a childproof locking mechanism of which a childproof lever is pivotally supported by a support shaft. The childproof lever of the childproof locking mechanism is pivotally supported on a casing by the support shaft extending in a transverse direction of a vehicle. This mechanism shifting between a childproof unlock state, in which a door opening operation by an inside handle is transmitted to an engagement mechanism, and a childproof lock state, in which this opening operation is not transmitted, and a manual operation part is formed at an end portion of the childproof lever in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle perpendicular to the support shaft such that this manual operation part passes through a cover member and projects backward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Cristian DAMBOIU, Bryan FARRIS, Brian KEPLER
  • Publication number: 20180066458
    Abstract: A door latch device having a motor cover for covering a motor and connection parts thereof, wherein the motor cover in a size for covering the motor from a vehicle interior side is formed to a switch member housed in a casing, connection parts of the motor are respectively connected to conductive members of the switch member on a vehicle-exterior-side side face of the motor cover, and the motor 44 and the connection parts thereof are covered with the motor cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Applicant: GECOM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Ishiguro, Brian Kepler, Aaron Martin, Bryan Farris
  • Publication number: 20180016818
    Abstract: A door latch device which allows shared use of a connector for use in door latch devices equipped with standard electric components and a connector for use in door latch devices equipped with special electric components in addition to the standard electric components, thereby achieving an increase in the efficiency of the work of connecting to an external connector and a reduction in costs. A connector (32) of a standard switch plate (26) has a coupling hole (51) which penetrates, in the connecting direction of the external connector, a portion having no standard connecting terminals (304). The coupling hole (51) can be fitted with another switch plate (46) that allows the passage of electric current through electric components different than the standard electric components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Katsuyuki ISHIGURO, Cristian DAMBOIU, Bryan FARRIS, Brian KEPLER, Aaron MARTIN
  • Publication number: 20160290016
    Abstract: A vehicle door latch device includes: a base fixed to a door; a latch pivotally supported on the base, and configured to be rotatable in association with opening and closing of the door, the latch having a cam portion on an outer periphery thereof; a detection lever pivotally supported on the base by a shaft, the detection lever having a detecting portion, which slides along the cam portion in association with rotation of the latch, and a cam surface, the detection lever being configured to be rotatable, by the detecting portion sliding along the cam portion, to a position corresponding to a rotational position of the latch; and a detection switch configured to detect open and closed states of the door by being turned ON and OFF by coming into contact with and separating from the cam surface in association with rotation of the detection lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Daisuke ENOMOTO, Brian KEPLER
  • Publication number: 20150145263
    Abstract: Latches including a slot having a length that allows a striker of the latch to move from a normal closed position downwardly toward the closed bottom of the slot into an over travel position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Bryan Farris, Brian Kepler
  • Publication number: 20050242652
    Abstract: A seat assembly for use in supporting an occupant in an automotive vehicle is provided, having a seat frame and a suspension material extending between and operatively secured to the seat frame for supporting the occupant of the seat assembly. A plurality of adjustment assemblies operatively couple the suspension material and the seat frame. Each adjustment assembly includes a stationary bracket secured to the seat frame and an adjustable attachment bracket operatively coupled to the stationary bracket. The suspension material is secured between the adjustable attachment bracket and the stationary bracket. The tension in select portions of the suspension material may be selectively adjusted in response to movement of the adjustable attachment bracket relative to the stationary bracket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Inventors: Brian Kepler, Christopher Welch, Stephen Becker