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: 20180245379
    Abstract: A method of making an electrical latch assembly for a door of a vehicle. The method includes providing an electrical housing having a fluid-tight open interior and an opening. The method also includes positioning a printed circuit board in the fluid-tight open interior, wherein the printed circuit board has an electrical control unit. The method further includes connecting a latch mechanism to the electrical housing about the opening, the latch mechanism including an electric motor. The method also includes extending an electrical connector from the printed circuit board, through the opening of the latch mechanism and to the electrical motor to establish an electrical connection between the printed circuit board and the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Marco TAURASI, Francesco CUMBO
  • Publication number: 20180222294
    Abstract: A latch assembly for a vehicle door closure system is provided, with latch assembly having a strength module including a frame plate, a latching mechanism with components pivotably mounted by clinch nuts secured to retention apertures formed in the frame plate, and threaded fasteners in threaded engagement with the clinch nuts to mount the latch assembly to the vehicle door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: Francesco CUMBO, Carlo QUARTIERI, Enrico BOERI
  • Patent number: 9957736
    Abstract: An electrical latch assembly for a vehicle door is provided. The assembly includes an electrical housing having a fluid-tight open interior and an opening. A printed circuit board is disposed in the fluid-tight open interior between the first and second cover pieces and includes an electrical control unit. A latch mechanism is connected with the electrical housing around the opening and includes an electric motor. At least one electrical connector extends from the printed circuit board through the opening and establishes an electrical connection between the printed circuit board in the open interior of the electrical housing and the electric motor of the latch mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES S.p.A.
    Inventors: Marco Taurasi, Francesco Cumbo
  • Patent number: 9959691
    Abstract: A latch release backup system for a latch assembly of a motor-vehicle door is provided with a key cylinder configured to receive a vehicle key and which is rotatably mounted to the motor-vehicle door, and a mechanical coupling arrangement mounted within the motor-vehicle door and operable to convert a rotation of the key cylinder into actuation of an actuation group of the latch assembly for causing latch release. The key cylinder defines an electrical interface socket designed to receive the vehicle key. An electronic control unit is mounted within the motor-vehicle door and is electrically connected to the electrical interface socket to receive identification information (Id) from the vehicle key when plugged into the electrical interface socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES S.p.A.
    Inventors: Francesco Cumbo, Marlia Marco, Santaniello Liberatore
  • Publication number: 20180100331
    Abstract: A closure latch assembly for a vehicular closure system equipped with a latch cinch mechanism for providing a cinching feature and which is configured to retain a ratchet of a latch mechanism in a secondary striker capture position such that the latch mechanism is only required to hold the ratchet in a primary striker capture position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventor: Francesco Cumbo
  • Publication number: 20180051502
    Abstract: A power door actuation system for a vehicle door includes a power-operated presenter assembly fixed to one of the vehicle door and vehicle body and an auxiliary latch assembly fixed to the other one of the vehicle door and vehicle body. A latched relationship is maintained between the vehicle door and the vehicle body when the presenter assembly moves the door between a closed position and a deployed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Martin Roos, Francesco Cumbo
  • Publication number: 20180016821
    Abstract: A low release effort eccentric double pawl vehicle latch includes a ratchet, primary pawl, auxiliary ratchet and secondary pawl in combination with a secure lock lever. The secure lock lever selectively inhibits movement of the secondary pawl to prevent premature or unintended opening of the latch. A drive mechanism sequences movement of the secure lock lever and secondary pawl to open the latch. Upon reset, the drive mechanism drives the auxiliary ratchet back to its closed state and in the process the auxiliary ratchet can engage and return the secondary pawl back to a closed state in the event of an insufficient bias force thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Francesco CUMBO, Marco TAURASI
  • Publication number: 20170350173
    Abstract: A door latch assembly equipped with a single ratchet-double pawl latching arrangement having a ratchet, a primary pawl and a secondary pawl. The primary pawl is configured to include a first or primary lug and a second or secondary lug, with each lug having a distinct profile to respectively provide an eccentric backout characteristic and a concentric backout characteristic in relation to the ratchet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventor: Francesco Cumbo
  • Publication number: 20170314297
    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 power child lock actuator to manage the double pull function of the closure latch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Marco Taurasi, Francesco Cumbo
  • Patent number: 9765554
    Abstract: A low release effort eccentric double pawl vehicle latch includes a ratchet, primary pawl, auxiliary ratchet and secondary pawl in combination with a secure lock lever. The secure lock lever selectively inhibits movement of the secondary pawl to prevent premature or unintended opening of the latch. A drive mechanism sequences movement of the secure lock lever and secondary pawl to open the latch. Upon reset, the drive mechanism drives the auxiliary ratchet back to its closed state and in the process the auxiliary ratchet can engage and return the secondary pawl back to a closed state in the event of an insufficient bias force thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES INC.
    Inventors: Francesco Cumbo, Marco Taurasi
  • Publication number: 20170263064
    Abstract: A latch release backup system for a latch assembly of a motor-vehicle door is provided with a key cylinder configured to receive a vehicle key and which is rotatably mounted to the motor-vehicle door, and a mechanical coupling arrangement mounted within the motor-vehicle door and operable to convert a rotation of the key cylinder into actuation of an actuation group of the latch assembly for causing latch release. The key cylinder defines an electrical interface socket designed to receive the vehicle key. An electronic control unit is mounted within the motor-vehicle door and is electrically connected to the electrical interface socket to receive identification information (Id) from the vehicle key when plugged into the electrical interface socket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Francesco Cumbo, Marlia Marco, Santaniello Liberatore
  • Patent number: 9666004
    Abstract: A latch release backup system for a latch assembly of a motor-vehicle door is provided with a key cylinder configured to receive a vehicle key and which is rotatably mounted to the motor-vehicle door, and a mechanical coupling arrangement mounted within the motor-vehicle door and operable to convert a rotation of the key cylinder into actuation of an actuation group of the latch assembly for causing latch release. The key cylinder defines an electrical interface socket designed to receive the vehicle key. An electronic control unit is mounted within the motor-vehicle door and is electrically connected to the electrical interface socket to receive identification information (Id) from the vehicle key when plugged into the electrical interface socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES S.P.A.
    Inventors: Francesco Cumbo, Marlia Marco, Santaniello Liberatore
  • Publication number: 20170138094
    Abstract: A low release effort eccentric double ratchet, double pawl vehicle latch includes a ratchet, a primary pawl, an auxiliary ratchet and a secondary pawl. A drive mechanism including a gear cam wheel sequences movement of the secondary pawl to open and reset the latch. Upon reset, the drive mechanism actuates the auxiliary ratchet back to a closed state in a soft manner without using a hard stop; instead the latch has a cushioning spring that is used to softly stop the gear train during the reset absorbing motor energy and thus eliminating impact noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Marco Taurasi, Francesco Cumbo
  • Publication number: 20170114575
    Abstract: A release cable assembly having a release cable and an inertial locking device is provided. The release cable includes a cable wire configured to operably interconnect a release handle to a moveable latch release component of a latch assembly. The inertial locking device is configured to normally permit translational movement of the cable wire, via actuation of the release handle, to move the latch release component from a latched position to an unlatched position when the inertial locking device is exposed to an acceleration that is less than a predetermined acceleration threshold. When the inertial locking device is exposed to an acceleration exceeding the predetermined acceleration threshold, the inertial locking device prevents translational movement of the release cable, thereby preventing unintentional movement of the latch release component from the latched position to the unlatched position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Francesco Cumbo, Luca Bigazzi
  • Publication number: 20170089103
    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: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Franco Giovanni Ottino, Francesco Cumbo, Marco Taurasi, Enrico Margheritti
  • Publication number: 20160362917
    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: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventor: Francesco Cumbo
  • Patent number: 9512651
    Abstract: A low release effort eccentric double ratchet, double pawl vehicle latch includes a ratchet, a primary pawl, an auxiliary ratchet and a secondary pawl. A drive mechanism including a gear cam wheel sequences movement of the secondary pawl to open and reset the latch. Upon reset, the drive mechanism actuates the auxiliary ratchet back to a closed state in a soft manner without using a hard stop; instead the latch has a cushioning spring that is used to softly stop the gear train during the reset absorbing motor energy and thus eliminating impact noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Magna Closures S.p.A.
    Inventors: Marco Taurasi, Francesco Cumbo
  • Publication number: 20160273246
    Abstract: An electrical vehicle latch including a support assembly, a releasable closure mechanism carried by the support assembly and adapted to releasably engage a striker, an electrically-operated actuator assembly carried by the support assembly and which can be selectively activated to release the closure mechanism from the striker or to lock the closure mechanism in a condition of engagement with the striker, and an electrical control unit having a printed circuit board for controlling operation of the actuator assembly. The support assembly including a first support body carrying at least a ratchet of the closure mechanism in a position parallel to a first plane (P1), and a second support body carrying at least the printed circuit board in a position parallel to a second plane (P2) transvere to the first plane (P1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: Enrico Margheritti, Francesco Cumbo
  • Publication number: 20160244999
    Abstract: A two-motor 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 disengaged 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: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Franco Giovanni OTTINO, Francesco CUMBO, Marco TAURASI, Enrico MARGHERITTI
  • Publication number: 20160245000
    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 disengaged 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: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Franco Giovanni OTTINO, Francesco CUMBO, Marco TAURASI, Enrico MARGHERITTI