Patents by Inventor David Merrick

David Merrick 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: 20070290535
    Abstract: A vehicle safety seat may comprise, among other things, a vehicle seat having a seat base configured to be mounted to a support surface of a motor vehicle, and a roll sensor mounted to the seat base. The vehicle seat may be a suspension seat. The vehicle seat may have other sensors, event detection systems or the like mounted thereto. The vehicle seat may include a number of vehicle/occupant safety mechanisms integral therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: INDIANA MILLS & MANUFACTURING, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffery Meredith, James Chinni, Marius Magdun, Chris Jessup, Douglas Bittner, David Merrick
  • Publication number: 20070120001
    Abstract: A load control device comprises a frame defining a first anchor slot configured to receive a first restraint member, and a second anchor slot configured to receive a second restraint member. At least a portion of the frame yields under a load between the first and second anchor slots that is in excess of a predetermined load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventors: James Esler, Michael Wiseman, James Anthony, David Merrick, Guy Dingman
  • Publication number: 20060053903
    Abstract: A web tension indicator comprises a housing configured to receive a web therethrough, a spring member carried within the housing, and means for indicating that the web is under tension when a force resulting from tension applied to the web is applied by the web against the spring member. The spring member may be a linear or coiled spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Steven Berenyi, Guy Dingman, David Merrick, Michael Ayette
  • Patent number: 5380066
    Abstract: A retractor having means for controlling the withdrawal of a belt therefrom operated by a push button. A retractor frame has a spring biased rotatably mounted spool wrappingly receiving one end of a belt harness with the belt harness having an opposite end with buckle members fixed thereto to receive a buckle tongue. A locking bar is engageable with ratchet shaped end plates of the spool. The locking bar is pivotable into the ratchet shaped end plates to prevent further withdrawal of the belt harness. A manual push button control causes movement of the locking bar away from the ratchet shaped end plates to allow withdrawal of the belt harness until the push button is released and the locking bar pivots into its normal position in contact with the ratchet shaped end plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignee: Indiana Mills & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Wiseman, Allan R. Lortz, David Merrick
  • Patent number: 4942649
    Abstract: A seat belt buckle has a plastic outer body of a color and style suitable for the intended environment, with a formed steel inner frame having horizontally-spaced upturned sides having two parallel pairs of in-turned flanges serving as crush inhibitors, release slide guides, and tongue receiver guides. An upturned frame front flange cooperates with the sides and flanges as a wrack resistor and tongue retainer. The body front has a trough-shaped entrance to admit a latchable tongue, one margin of the entrance being provided by the sloped front of an end-release operating slide. A removable slide front button is curved to assist finding for release. A pivoting latching member with a latching pawl thereon is spring-urged into position latching the pawl with the tongue, and released by a cam on the slide, with a shallow ramp for ease of intentional release. A tongue ejector holds the pawl in unlatched position when the tongue is out of the buckle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 24, 1990
    Assignee: Indiana Mills & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Anthony, David Merrick, Ronald F. Homeier, Allan R. Lortz
  • Patent number: 4876772
    Abstract: A seat belt buckle has a plastic outer body of a color and style suitable for the intended environment, with a formed steel inner frame having horizontally-spaced upturned sides having two parallel pairs of inturned flanges serving as crush inhibitors, release slide guides, and tongue receiver guides. An upturned frame front flange cooperates with the sides and flanges as a wrack resistor and tongue retainer. The body front has a trough-shaped entrance to admit a latchable tongue, one margin of the entrance being provided by the sloped front of an end-release operating slide. A removable slide front button is curved to assist finding for release. A pivoting latching pawl is spring-urged into latching position, and released by a cam on the slide, with a shallow ramp for ease of intentional release. A tongue ejector holds the pawl in unlatched position when the tongue is out of the buckle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1989
    Assignee: Indiana Mills & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Anthony, David Merrick, Ronald F. Homeier, Allan R. Lortz
  • Patent number: 4651946
    Abstract: An automatic belt retractor mounted within a boot having belt retraction locking means mounted within the boot to lockingly but releasably engage the belt to counterbalance the spring bias retraction of the retractor spool. The belt locking means includes a base member with a tongue disposed toward the belt and a moveable member slideably received by the base member also with a tongue disposed toward the belt, the belt being disposed between the base and moveable members. Such members define a belt locking position when their respective tongues are aligned to arrest the belt therebetween, preventing the retractor from cinching up the belt upon repeated momentary loosenings of the tension upon the belt. Concurrently, such moveable member's rigid rod engages the retractor's rotatable cam plate and is operable to rotate such cam plate manually to lock the retractor during all times when the belt locking means are engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Indiana Mills & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Anthony, David Merrick
  • Patent number: D338119
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: Indiana Mills & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventor: David Merrick