Patents by Inventor Christopher Curtis

Christopher Curtis 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: 20240268281
    Abstract: A plant container for a vertical garden includes: a container body including at least one wall and a floor; and an irrigation dispenser suspended from an upper edge of the at least one wall. The irrigation dispenser and the at least one wall define an enclosure sized to accommodate a volume of irrigation fluid, the irrigation dispenser having a bottommost surface spaced above the floor of the container body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventor: Christopher Curtis
  • Publication number: 20240239489
    Abstract: Near Field Communication (NFC) technology is applied to connect Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) to a Wi-Fi network of a vehicle such as a business jet without the need for users to follow conventional steps to establish such a connection. Once a Wi-Fi connection is established, the same approach is also used to automatically open any web application to remotely control functions without having to manually open a web browser and enter the application's URL.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Publication date: July 18, 2024
    Inventors: Marcelo DE BASTOS LAVRADOR, Christopher CURTIS
  • Patent number: 11926197
    Abstract: A door assembly for a motor vehicle includes a door trim panel attached to a door body on the vehicle inside. The door trim panel includes a first impact region and a second impact region formed integrally therewith, wherein at each of the impact regions, an intermediate space is formed between the door trim panel and the door body. In order to allow an optimized protection of an occupant's pelvic region from injury by a vehicle door in a side impact, the door trim panel includes a channel portion, which is recessed back towards the door body, is formed between the impact regions and has two mutually opposite wall portions extending in the vehicle transverse direction, each of which is formed integrally with an impact region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Curtis, Emrah Tokyuerek
  • Publication number: 20210237542
    Abstract: A door assembly for a motor vehicle includes a door trim panel attached to a door body on the vehicle inside. The door trim panel includes a first impact region and a second impact region formed integrally therewith, wherein at each of the impact regions, an intermediate space is formed between the door trim panel and the door body. In order to allow an optimized protection of an occupant's pelvic region from injury by a vehicle door in a side impact, the door trim panel includes a channel portion, which is recessed back towards the door body, is formed between the impact regions and has two mutually opposite wall portions extending in the vehicle transverse direction, each of which is formed integrally with an impact region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Curtis, Emrah Tokyuerek
  • Patent number: 10677344
    Abstract: A rotary shifter having a housing with a bezel cover. An auto return to park mechanism is provided and includes a knob supported upon the bezel cover. A rotary disk stopper is secured to the knob and seated within the housing, a spring rotationally biasing the end stopper relative to the housing. A solenoid is supported within the housing and engages the stopper in a first condition limiting the knob to manual rotary shifting between Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive gear shift positions. A PCB board is integrated into the housing and communicable with at least one external sensor associated with a driver exit condition. Upon a triggering of the exit condition with the shifter in other than a Park position, the solenoid is energized to disengage the end stopper in a second release condition permitting the spring to reset the stopper and knob to the Park position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Kuster North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Qiang Wang, Brian Mayville, Christopher Soave, Christopher Curtis, Scott Hengy
  • Patent number: 10675974
    Abstract: A rotary shifter with 360° rotation in each of clockwise and counter clockwise rotating directions. The shifter includes a package housing with a bezel cover. A cylindrical shaped plunger housing is secured to a rotary knob supported atop the housing and which is selectively rotatable in the clockwise direction from a Park gear position, in succession, to each of a Reverse gear position, a Neutral gear position and at least one Drive gear position, with further clockwise rotation preventing movement beyond a final one of the Drive gear positions. The knob is further selectively rotatable in a counter clockwise direction to return to the Park gear position, with additional permitted counter-clockwise rotation retaining the shifter in the Park gear position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Kuster North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Mayville, Yong Qiang Wang, Christopher Soave, Christopher Curtis, Scott Hengy
  • Patent number: 10300881
    Abstract: A side airbag for protection for vehicle occupants includes an interior wall separating the airbag into upstream and downstream chambers and defining an opening between two chambers adjacent a lower end of the airbag. A flow deflector between the opening and an exterior vent combines with the wall to define a channel therebetween. The channel directs inflation gasses exiting the opening into an upper end of the airbag, after which the gasses must flow around an upper end of the deflector (adjacent an outlet end of the channel) before reaching the exterior vent. The resulting S-shaped flow path serves to maintain the airbag in the inflated state for a longer time and urges an outboard arm of an occupant in a forward an upward direction to reduce the likelihood that that arm may be trapped between the inflating airbag and the occupant's thorax.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Felix Haenel, Christopher Curtis
  • Publication number: 20180257488
    Abstract: A rotary shifter with 360° rotation in each of clockwise and counter clockwise rotating directions. The shifter includes a package housing with a bezel cover. A cylindrical shaped plunger housing is secured to a rotary knob supported atop the housing and which is selectively rotatable in the clockwise direction from a Park gear position, in succession, to each of a Reverse gear position, a Neutral gear position and at least one Drive gear position, with further clockwise rotation preventing movement beyond a final one of the Drive gear positions. The knob is further selectively rotatable in a counter clockwise direction to return to the Park gear position, with additional permitted counter-clockwise rotation retaining the shifter in the Park gear position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Brian Mayville, Yong Qiang Wang, Christopher Soave, Christopher Curtis, Scott Hengy
  • Publication number: 20180259062
    Abstract: A rotary shifter having a housing with a bezel cover. An auto return to park mechanism is provided and includes a knob supported upon the bezel cover. A rotary disk stopper is secured to the knob and seated within the housing, a spring rotationally biasing the end stopper relative to the housing. A solenoid is supported within the housing and engages the stopper in a first condition limiting the knob to manual rotary shifting between Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive gear shift positions. A PCB board is integrated into the housing and communicable with at least one external sensor associated with a driver exit condition. Upon a triggering of the exit condition with the shifter in other than a Park position, the solenoid is energized to disengage the end stopper in a second release condition permitting the spring to reset the stopper and knob to the Park position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Yong Qiang Wang, Brian Mayville, Christopher Soave, Christopher Curtis, Scott Hengy
  • Publication number: 20170136983
    Abstract: A side airbag for protection for vehicle occupants includes an interior wall separating the airbag into upstream and downstream chambers and defining an opening between two chambers adjacent a lower end of the airbag. A flow deflector between the opening and an exterior vent combines with the wall to define a channel therebetween. The channel directs inflation gasses exiting the opening into an upper end of the airbag, after which the gasses must flow around an upper end of the deflector (adjacent an outlet end of the channel) before reaching the exterior vent. The resulting S-shaped flow path serves to maintain the airbag in the inflated state for a longer time and urges an outboard arm of an occupant in a forward an upward direction to reduce the likelihood that that arm may be trapped between the inflating airbag and the occupant's thorax.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Felix Haenel, Christopher Curtis
  • Patent number: 9598045
    Abstract: A side airbag for protection for vehicle occupants includes an interior wall separating the airbag into upstream and downstream chambers and defining an opening between two chambers adjacent a lower end of the airbag. A flow deflector between the opening and an exterior vent combines with the wall to define a channel therebetween. The channel directs inflation gasses exiting the opening into an upper end of the airbag, after which the gasses must flow around an upper end of the deflector (adjacent an outlet end of the channel) before reaching the exterior vent. The resulting S-shaped flow path serves to maintain the airbag in the inflated state for a longer time and urges an outboard arm of an occupant in a forward an upward direction to reduce the likelihood that that arm may be trapped between the inflating airbag and the occupant's thorax.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Felix Haenel, Christopher Curtis
  • Publication number: 20150336533
    Abstract: A side airbag for protection for vehicle occupants includes an interior wall separating the airbag into upstream and downstream chambers and defining an opening between two chambers adjacent a lower end of the airbag. A flow deflector between the opening and an exterior vent combines with the wall to define a channel therebetween. The channel directs inflation gasses exiting the opening into an upper end of the airbag, after which the gasses must flow around an upper end of the deflector (adjacent an outlet end of the channel) before reaching the exterior vent. The resulting S-shaped flow path serves to maintain the airbag in the inflated state for a longer time and urges an outboard arm of an occupant in a forward an upward direction to reduce the likelihood that that arm may be trapped between the inflating airbag and the occupant's thorax.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Felix HAENEL, Christopher CURTIS
  • Publication number: 20130320700
    Abstract: The present invention is a visor extension device that includes an elongated top piece that has a plurality of rounded edges that has a top surface and a generally rectangular shape and one or more raised edges that are disposed on the top surface and are utilized by a user to horizontally slide the visor extension device across an existing visor of a vehicle. The visor extension device also includes one or more visor clamps that are removably and slidably attached over a top portion of the existing visor to secure the elongated top piece to the top portion of the existing visor and a CD disc holder that is disposed on the top surface of the elongated top piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventors: William Curtis, Christopher Curtis
  • Patent number: 7749693
    Abstract: An organ perfusion apparatus and method monitor, sustain and/or restore viability of organs and preserve organs for storage and/or transport. Other apparatus include an organ transporter, an organ cassette and an organ diagnostic device. The method includes perfusing the organ at hypothermic and/or normothermic temperatures, preferably after hypothermic organ flushing for organ transport and/or storage. The method can be practiced with prior or subsequent static or perfusion hypothermic exposure of the organ. Organ viability is restored by restoring high energy nucleotide (e.g., ATP) levels by perfusing the organ with a medical fluid, such as an oxygenated cross-linked hemoglobin-based bicarbonate medical fluid, at normothermic temperatures. During the period in which the organ is preserved and/or maintained, various drug research and development may be performed on and/or with the organ.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Lifeline Scientific, Inc.
    Inventors: John Brassil, Douglas Schein, Christopher Curtis