Patents by Inventor Francesco Cumbo

Francesco Cumbo 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: 20220259901
    Abstract: A closure latch assembly and method for cinching a closure panel from a partially closed position to a fully closed position without pinching an object between the closure panel and a structural portion of a motor vehicle are provided. The latch assembly has a latch cinch mechanism including a cinch lever operably moveable from a cinch start position to a cinch stop position to cause a cinch link to move a ratchet from a secondary striker capture position to a primary striker capture position. A power-operated cinch actuator receives a first signal to move the cinch lever from the cinch start position to the cinch stop position and receives a second signal, in response to an object detected between the closure panel and the structural portion, to stop moving the cinch lever from the cinch start position toward the cinch stop position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventor: Francesco Cumbo
  • Publication number: 20220243503
    Abstract: A system for detecting an obstacle between a closure panel and a body of a vehicle, comprising: an actuator for moving the closure panel from a partially closed position to a closed position; a sensor for sensing a position of the closure panel between the partially closed and the closed position; and a controller for receiving position signals from the sensor and for controlling operation of the actuator; wherein the controller is adapted to inhibit moving of the closure panel when the sensor detects an improper change in the position of the closure panel during operation of the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Joseph OSMIALOWSKI, John G. ZEABARI, Francesco CUMBO
  • Publication number: 20220186540
    Abstract: A system for controlling a motion of a door of a vehicle comprising: at least one user interface device comprising a control device, the control device being in operable communication with a door check mechanism configured for resisting the motion of the door relative to a vehicle body, wherein operation of the control device controls operation of the door check mechanism. The door check mechanism can comprise: a linkage coupled between a vehicle body and the door, the linkage configured to pivot about an axis; and a brake assembly coupled to the linkage for applying a resistive force to the linkage to resist rotation of the linkage about the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Mario CAPPELLI, Giovanni GENNAI, Francesco CUMBO
  • Publication number: 20220186529
    Abstract: A door system and related method for a passenger door for a motor vehicle is provided for preventing inadvertent movement of the passenger door from a presented position toward an open position and a closed position until desired. The system includes latch with a safety catch and a door presenter. The latch and door presenter are configured for coordinated movement to allow the door to move from the closed position to the presented position and to be maintained in the presented position. The safety catch blocks the door from moving to the open position, and the door presenter blocks the door from moving to the closed position. Subsequent actuation releases the safety catch or retracts the door presenter to allow the door to open or close from the presented position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventor: Francesco Cumbo
  • Patent number: 11345220
    Abstract: An isolated fixing system for attaching an actuator to a vehicle door including an actuator fixing clip having a head portion, an engagement portion, and a guide portion, an isolation grommet with a flange and a receiving portion configured to engage the fixing clip, and a receiver integrated with the actuator to secure the actuator to a vehicle. The system may include an actuator fixing clip, a head portion, an engagement portion, and a guide portion of the actuator fixing clip that may be configured to engage an opening in a vehicle door and that, when inserted into the vehicle door, may be rotatable via the head portion from an unlocked position to a locked position, fixing the actuator to the vehicle door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES INC.
    Inventors: Dunia Sardelli, Marco Taurasi, Francesco Cumbo
  • Patent number: 11339590
    Abstract: A vehicle hood latch and method of unlatching a vehicle hood is provided. The vehicle hood latch includes a housing; a ratchet pivotally mounted on the housing; a pawl pivotally mounted on the housing and biased into engagement with the ratchet; a pin fixed for conjoint movement with the pawl; a double pull lever operably mounted to the housing and having an abutment surface configured for operable engagement with the pin, and a primary safety catch lever operably mounted to the housing. The primary safety catch lever is configured to pivot from a locked first position to an unlocked second position. The primary safety catch lever moves from the first locked position to the second unlocked position in response to translational movement of the double pull lever caused by engagement of the pin with the abutment surface of the double pull lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES S.P.A.
    Inventor: Francesco Cumbo
  • Publication number: 20220120117
    Abstract: A door latch system is provided for a motor vehicle having a front door having a forward portion configured for sealed engagement with an A-pillar and a rear door having a rearward portion configured for sealed engagement with a C-pillar, the front and rear doors being configured for movement relative to a vehicle body of the motor vehicle to bring respective rearward and forward portions into sealed engagement with one another to close off a B-pillarless opening bounded by the vehicle body. The door latch system includes a retractable striker assembly and/or retractable ratchet assembly attached to one of the front and rear doors and includes a respective retractable striker and/or retractable ratchet movable between extended and retracted positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Franco Giovanni Ottino, Francesco Cumbo, Ann-Margaret MOZOLA, Roman CETNAR, Fabio TERMINE, Luca BIGAZZI
  • Patent number: 11280121
    Abstract: A power latch assembly for motor vehicle closure applications is provided that is normally actuated via electrical signals whereat inside and outside door handles are mechanically disengaged and wherein the inside and outside door handles can be selectively and/or automatically changed for mechanically engaged actuation. The inside door handles can be provided to be mechanically actuatable in direct response to selective disengagement of a child lock. The outside door handles can be provided to be mechanically actuatable in direct response to a crash condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES INC.
    Inventors: Dunia Sardelli, Marco Taurasi, Francesco Cumbo
  • Patent number: 11274477
    Abstract: A latch assembly for a closure panel of a vehicle, the latch assembly including: a housing; a ratchet and pawl pivotally coupled to the housing, the ratchet for interaction with a striker such that one of the latch assembly and the striker being mounted on the closure panel and the other of the latch assembly and the striker being mounted on a body of the vehicle; a presentment mechanism mounted to the housing having one or more presentment members, such that the one or more presentment members is driven for influencing a position of the ratchet during presentment of the striker out of a slot of the ratchet to a presentment position; and an actuator for engaging with the presentment mechanism to effect the driven of the one or more presentment members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Inventors: Francesco Cumbo, Luca Bigazzi
  • Patent number: 11220853
    Abstract: A door presenter with a toothed clutch includes an extensible member that is controllable by a motor. The extensible member is driven by a lead screw, which is rotated by the motor via the toothed clutch to translate the extensible member. The toothed clutch includes a coupling disk and a coupling lever. The coupling disk is rotationally fixed to the lead screw, and the coupling lever is rotationally fixed to a drive gear driven by the motor. An axial load applied to the extensible member toward the toothed clutch causes rotation of the lead screw and coupling disk when the load exceeds a clutch disengagement threshold. The clutch will reengage after further relative rotation of the coupling disk and the coupling lever, which may occur in response to rotation of the lead screw or rotation of the coupling lever caused by actuation of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES, INC.
    Inventor: Francesco Cumbo
  • Publication number: 20210355716
    Abstract: A power latch assembly for a vehicle door and method of construction thereof is provided. The power latch assembly includes a pawl configured for movement between a ratchet holding position whereat the pawl maintains a ratchet in a striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat the pawl releases the ratchet to a striker release position. A pawl release lever moves the pawl between the ratchet holding position and the ratchet releasing position. A powered actuator is energizable to control movement of the pawl release lever, wherein upon the pawl reaching the ratchet releasing position, the powered actuator is automatically de-energized without a hard stop feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: Francesco CUMBO, Luca BIGAZZI
  • Patent number: 11162284
    Abstract: A power latch assembly for a motor vehicle closure system configured to provide a power cinching feature and a power release feature. The power cinching feature is configured to retain the ratchet in a cinched striker capture position with the pawl engaged from the ratchet. The power release feature is configured to move the ratchet from its cinched striker capture position to a cinch release striker capture position for unloading the seals prior to release of the ratchet to its striker release position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES S.P.A.
    Inventors: Franco Giovanni Ottino, Francesco Cumbo, Marco Taurasi, Enrico Margheritti
  • Patent number: 11136000
    Abstract: A system and method for providing access to a vehicle is provided. The system includes a plurality of capacitive sensors circumferentially spaced from one another in a circular arrangement defining a plurality of sensor nodes for receiving a touch input from a user in the form of a touch or a swipe. A controller unit is coupled to the plurality of capacitive sensors and a power source and is in communication with a plurality of vehicle systems and a latch mechanism. The controller unit detects a plurality of changes in capacitance of the plurality of capacitive sensors due to the touch input and determines whether the plurality of changes in capacitance matches a gesture sequence within a predetermined amount of time. The controller unit controls the latch mechanism in response to the communication with vehicle systems and changes in capacitance matching the gesture sequence within the predetermined amount of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES INC.
    Inventor: Francesco Cumbo
  • Publication number: 20210301561
    Abstract: A door system, presenter assembly and method for controlling movement of a motor vehicle closure panel between a closed position, a presented position and an open position are provided. Presenter assembly includes an electric motor having a drive shaft that extends along a drive shaft axis. A clutch assembly has an engaged state when electric motor is energized and a disengaged state when electric motor is de-energized. A presenter unit has a presenter lead screw and an extensible member configured for movement between a retracted position corresponding to the closed position and an extended position corresponding to the presented position. Extensible member is biased toward the retracted position by a presenter biasing member. Presenter lead screw is rotatably driven by the output member when electric motor is energized and when clutch assembly is in the engaged state to move the extensible member against the bias of the presenter biasing member to the extended position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Francesco Cumbo, Arthur J.W. Henes
  • Publication number: 20210301562
    Abstract: A latch housing for a latch for mounting on a closure panel of a vehicle, the latch housing comprising: a frame having mounted thereon: a set of latch components of the latch; and an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) having at least one sensor and a processor and memory; wherein the ECU coordinates operation of the set of latch components in view of a sensor signal received from the at least one sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventor: Francesco CUMBO
  • Publication number: 20210285529
    Abstract: A gear arrangement comprising: a housing having a gear axis and a housing stop, the housing stop having a first abutment and an second abutment spaced apart from one another about the gear axis; a rotatable member mounted on the gear axis, the rotatable member having a first member side having a first member stop and a second member side having a second member stop, the first member side opposite the second member side, such that the first member stop is positioned between the first abutment and the second abutment; and a gear mounted on the gear axis, the gear having a first gear side, and a second gear side having a gear stop, the first gear side opposite the second gear side, such that the gear stop is engageable and disengageable with the second member stop during rotation of the gear about the gear axis, the rotatable member positioned between the housing and the gear; wherein said rotation of the gear is hindered while the gear stop and the second member stop are engaged when the first member stop enter
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Giulio BIONDI, Luca Bigazzi, Francesco CUMBO
  • Publication number: 20210254389
    Abstract: A power door actuation system for a vehicle door includes a power-operated presenter actuator mounted to one of the vehicle body and the vehicle door. The power-operated presenter actuator includes a motor and an extensible member being translatable between a retracted position and an extended position along a first axis in response to selective actuation of the motor. The motor has a motor shaft that extends along a second axis that is substantially parallel to the first axis along which the extensible member translates. Powered movement of the extensible member between its retracted and extended positions results in corresponding movement of the vehicle door between closed and presented positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Fabio TERMINE, Francesco CUMBO
  • Publication number: 20210207411
    Abstract: A closure latch assembly includes a latch mechanism having a pawl moveable between a ratchet holding position, whereat a ratchet is maintained in a striker capture position, and a ratchet release position, whereat the ratchet is biased toward a striker release position. An electromagnetic actuator includes a first member, a second member, a plurality of permanent magnets fixed to one of the first and second members and a plurality of electromagnetic coils fixed to the other of the first and second members. The electromagnetic coils are energizable to attract and repel the plurality of permanent magnets to move the first member relative to the second member, whereupon the relative movement causes at least one of the following actuations: movement of the pawl between the ratchet holding and ratchet release positions; locking the pawl against movement from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet release position; and cinching the ratchet in the striker capture position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Francesco CUMBO, John Glenn ZEABARI
  • Patent number: 11035157
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a closure latch for a vehicle door, and more particularly to a closure latch for a vehicle door equipped with a passive entry feature. To this end, the present disclosure relates to the use of a bidirectional power release mechanism operable in a first mode to release a latch mechanism under normal operating conditions and which is operable in a second mode to release the latch mechanism under emergency operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES INC.
    Inventor: Francesco Cumbo
  • Patent number: 11008797
    Abstract: A power door actuation system for a vehicle door includes a power-operated presenter actuator mounted to one of the vehicle body and the vehicle door. The power-operated presenter actuator includes a motor and an extensible member being translatable between a retracted position and an extended position along a first axis in response to selective actuation of the motor. The motor has a motor shaft that extends along a second axis that is substantially parallel to the first axis along which the extensible member translates. Powered movement of the extensible member between its retracted and extended positions results in corresponding movement of the vehicle door between closed and presented positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES INC.
    Inventors: Fabio Termine, Francesco Cumbo