Patents by Inventor Donald H. Bernhardt

Donald H. Bernhardt 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: 6131871
    Abstract: A seat bottom fame assembly providing a support surface for a vehicular seat includes first and second track assemblies. The first track assembly is fixedly secured to a floor of a passenger compartment. The second track assembly is slidingly connected to the first track assembly. A manually actuated seat adjuster is attached to the first and second track assemblies to permit selective sliding of the second track assembly with respect to the first track assembly. The manually actuated seat adjuster includes a rotatable driveshaft having first and second ends. A drive nut is threadingly engaged with the driveshaft between the first and second ends. A first element is fixedly secured to the first end of the driveshaft. A second element is rotatably mounted on the first end of the driveshaft and selectively engaged with the first element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Inc
    Inventors: Donald H. Bernhardt, Mark A. Farquhar, Kirk P. Koening, Michael P. Sherry
  • Patent number: 6076880
    Abstract: A seat system for a passenger vehicle includes a foldable rear seat and a foldable front seat. The rear seat includes a removable seat bottom and a forwardly folding seat back. An approximately horizontal rear support surface is formed by a surface of the rear seat back when the rear seat back is folded forward. The front seat includes a seat bottom and a forwardly folding seat back. An approximately horizontal front support surface is formed by a surface of the front seat back when the front seat back is folded forward. An extended support surface is formed by the rear support surface and the front support surface. If desired, the front seat can be mounted on a track assembly so that the front and rear support surfaces can be placed in close proximity to each other. If desired, a workstation can be formed in the front support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Inc
    Inventors: Ian J. Coffer, Paul S. Severinski, Christopher G. Durham, Donald H. Bernhardt, Mark E. Rodgers, Michael David Kolosick