Patents by Inventor Brian L. Tew
Brian L. Tew 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: 11964719Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle having a breakaway tie rod. The tie rod has a longitudinal axis oriented substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and includes a rod portion and a receiver portion. The rod portion includes a proximal ball joint disposed at the proximal end and a male coupling section disposed at the distal end. The receiver portion includes a female coupling section disposed at the proximal end, a distal ball joint disposed at the distal end, and a narrowing feature disposed between the proximal end and distal end. The male coupling section of the rod portion is received into the female coupling section of the receiver portion, forming a connection, and the distal end of the rod portion is disposed proximate to the narrowing feature. The narrowing feature is configured to fracture when subjected to a threshold force substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2020Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Jeremiah T. Hammer, Brian L. Tew, Kristofer L. Karch, Nikhil V. Bhosale, John Kim, Donald Federico, Sato Koki, Isao Kohno
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Patent number: 11801898Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 25, 2020Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Mitch J. Gerczak, Mark D. Clauser, Brian L. Tew
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Patent number: 11364863Abstract: Disclosed is a device for distributing crash energy within a vehicle. The device includes a member insertable into an end of a bumper beam of a vehicle, where a first portion of the inserted member occupies an unsupported end of the bumper beam. A second portion of the inserted member is fixedly attached to the bumper beam and to a left frame rail or a right frame rail of the vehicle, and a third portion of the inserted member occupies a portion of the bumper beam between the left frame rail and the right frame rail.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2020Date of Patent: June 21, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Jeremiah T. Hammer, Brian L. Tew, John P. Kim
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Publication number: 20220063726Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2020Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventors: Mitch J. Gerczak, Mark D. Clauser, Brian L. Tew
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Publication number: 20220055686Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle having a breakaway tie rod. The tie rod has a longitudinal axis oriented substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and includes a rod portion and a receiver portion. The rod portion includes a proximal ball joint disposed at the proximal end and a male coupling section disposed at the distal end. The receiver portion includes a female coupling section disposed at the proximal end, a distal ball joint disposed at the distal end, and a narrowing feature disposed between the proximal end and distal end. The male coupling section of the rod portion is received into the female coupling section of the receiver portion, forming a connection, and the distal end of the rod portion is disposed proximate to the narrowing feature. The narrowing feature is configured to fracture when subjected to a threshold force substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2020Publication date: February 24, 2022Inventors: Jeremiah T. Hammer, Brian L. Tew, Kristofer L. Karch, Nikhil V. Bhosale, John Kim, Donald Federico, Sato Koki, Isao Kohno
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Patent number: 11220296Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for improving lateral crash pushing and distributing crash energy within a vehicle. The apparatus comprises a first frame cross member extending laterally between a left hand frame rail and a right hand frame rail of a vehicle, and a second frame cross member, aft of the first frame cross member, extending laterally between the left hand frame rail and the right hand frame rail. The apparatus further comprises an outrigger projecting outward laterally from the first frame cross member and an impact member selected from the left hand frame rail or right hand frame rail; and a connection arm projecting diagonally from a distal end of the outrigger to a connection point on the second frame cross member, beneath the impact member, such that when an impact force travels longitudinally into the outrigger, the impact force is distributed to both the first frame cross member through the outrigger and the second frame cross member through the connection arm.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2019Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Jeremiah T. Hammer, Brian L. Tew, John P. Kim, Mark Clauser
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Publication number: 20210339694Abstract: Disclosed is a device for distributing crash energy within a vehicle. The device includes a member insertable into an end of a bumper beam of a vehicle, where a first portion of the inserted member occupies an unsupported end of the bumper beam. A second portion of the inserted member is fixedly attached to the bumper beam and to a left frame rail or a right frame rail of the vehicle, and a third portion of the inserted member occupies a portion of the bumper beam between the left frame rail and the right frame rail.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2020Publication date: November 4, 2021Inventors: Jeremiah T. Hammer, Brian L. Tew, John P. Kim
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Publication number: 20210078637Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for improving lateral crash pushing and distributing crash energy within a vehicle. The apparatus comprises a first frame cross member extending laterally between a left hand frame rail and a right hand frame rail of a vehicle, and a second frame cross member, aft of the first frame cross member, extending laterally between the left hand frame rail and the right hand frame rail. The apparatus further comprises an outrigger projecting outward laterally from the first frame cross member and an impact member selected from the left hand frame rail or right hand frame rail; and a connection arm projecting diagonally from a distal end of the outrigger to a connection point on the second frame cross member, beneath the impact member, such that when an impact force travels longitudinally into the outrigger, the impact force is distributed to both the first frame cross member through the outrigger and the second frame cross member through the connection arm.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2019Publication date: March 18, 2021Inventors: Jeremiah T. Hammer, Brian L. Tew, John P. Kim, Mark Clauser
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Patent number: 9266569Abstract: A rear corner vehicle roof structure includes a rear structural pillar and a small cap-like reinforcement member. The rear pillar includes a vertically elongated base portion which transitions into a bifurcated upper end portion forming a longitudinally extending stub arm which is affixed to an associated side roof rail and a laterally extending stub arm which is affixed to an associated rear roof header. The reinforcement member includes a central bridge portion trifurcated to form extensions conforming to the pillar upper portion, the longitudinally extending stub arm and the laterally extending stub arm. The reinforcement member further includes peripherally flanged web segments disposed between circumferentially adjacent pairs of the pillar base portion, longitudinal and lateral stub arms. The flanged web segments are affixed to opposed continuous flange portions of the upper end portion and configured to support the central bridge portion in a spaced relation from the upper end portion.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2014Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Brian L. Tew, Jonathan R. Young, Matthew C. Tier