Patents by Inventor Frederick J. Michelau

Frederick J. Michelau 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: 7722068
    Abstract: An adjustable seat for a children's ride-on vehicle includes a seat having a pair of tubular brackets mounted thereto. A pair of rails are positioned on the frame of the vehicle and are received within the tubular brackets so that the seat slides on the rails. A series of seat adjustment holes are formed in each rail. Locking rods have distal ends that engage the seat adjustment holes in a removable fashion so that the seat may be selectively locked in position. A locking mechanism is mounted on the seat bottom and features a housing that encloses a compression spring and a pair of squeeze buttons that engage the locking rods and urge them into the seat adjustment holes of the rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Radio Flyer Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick J. Michelau
  • Patent number: 6871863
    Abstract: A children's wagon featuring a cup holder has a molded plastic body and side, front and rear walls. The walls include inner and outer panels and the outer panel of one of the side walls has three wells formed therein. Three corresponding cavities are formed in the inner panel and the wells and cavities communicate via three bores. An E-shaped bracket features three legs that are connected to outer sections so that two openings are defined to receive beverage containers or the like. Each leg features an end with a pin positioned thereon. Each pin has an enlarged head portion. The bracket is secured to the wall with the ends of the legs engaging the cavities, the pins passing through the bores and the enlarged pin head portions positioned within the wells. Curved surfaces are molded in the inner panel and face the bracket openings and a ledge is molded in the inner panel and positioned below the bracket. A sticker or the like placed on the outer panel covers the wells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Radio Flyer INC
    Inventor: Frederick J. Michelau
  • Publication number: 20040066013
    Abstract: A children's wagon featuring a cup holder has a molded plastic body and side, front and rear walls. The walls include inner and outer panels and the outer panel of one of the side walls has three wells formed therein. Three corresponding cavities are formed in the inner panel and the wells and cavities communicate via three bores. An E-shaped bracket features three legs that are connected to outer sections so that two openings are defined to receive beverage containers or the like. Each leg features an end with a pin positioned thereon. Each pin has an enlarged head portion. The bracket is secured to the wall with the ends of the legs engaging the cavities, the pins passing through the bores and the enlarged pin head portions positioned within the wells. Curved surfaces are molded in the inner panel and face the bracket openings and a ledge is molded in the inner panel and positioned below the bracket. A sticker or the like placed on the outer panel covers the wells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2002
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventor: Frederick J. Michelau
  • Patent number: 6641149
    Abstract: A children's wagon has a molded plastic body including a horizontal floor with surrounding pockets. The wagon also includes front and rear wheels with the former mounted upon a pivoting bolster to which a handle is attached. Molded plastic front, rear and side walls surround the horizontal floor and are removably fastened to the body via their bottom edges by tabs and hook projections that engage the wagon body pockets. Horizontal surfaces are formed adjacent to the side edges of the front, rear and side walls. A knob and a cup are formed on each horizontal surface. The knobs of the side walls engage the cups of the front and rear walls while the knobs of the front and rear walls engage the cups of the side walls so that the front, rear and side walls are joined together in a secure but removable fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Radio Flyer Inc.
    Inventors: Gary T. Chiappetta, Bryan M. Fox, Joel V. Koster, Frederick J Michelau
  • Publication number: 20030038440
    Abstract: A children's wagon has a molded plastic body including a horizontal floor with surrounding pockets. The wagon also includes front and rear wheels with the former mounted upon a pivoting bolster to which a handle is attached. Molded plastic front, rear and side walls surround the horizontal floor and are removably fastened to the body via their bottom edges by tabs and hook projections that engage the wagon body pockets. Horizontal surfaces are formed adjacent to the side edges of the front, rear and side walls. A knob and a cup are formed on each horizontal surface. The knobs of the side walls engage the cups of the front and rear walls while the knobs of the front and rear walls engage the cups of the side walls so that the front, rear and side walls are joined together in a secure but removable fashion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2001
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Gary T. Chiappetta, Bryan M. Fox, Joel V. Koster, Frederick J. Michelau
  • Patent number: 6499750
    Abstract: A wagon features a plastic body, bolster and handle. The bolster is pivotally mounted to the bottom of the wagon body and receives an axle to which the front wheels are attached. The rear wheels are mounted to the bottom under the back portion of the wagon. The bolster features a number of spaced prongs, each of which includes an aperture. Some of the apertures are surrounded by channels including arcuate surfaces. The wagon handle features a number of spaced fingers, each of which includes an aperture. Some of the apertures are surrounded by bosses featuring circumferential walls. The fingers of the handle are placed between the prongs of the bolster with the bosses positioned within the channels so that the boss circumferential walls engage the channel arcuate surfaces as the wagon is pulled by its handle. A hinge pin is received through the handle and bolster apertures so that the handle and bolster are joined in a hinged fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Radio Flyer Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick J. Michelau
  • Patent number: 6186524
    Abstract: A children's wagon comprising a wagon body, a bottom wall, and front and rear bolsters secured to the bottom wall. The front bolster is pivotally secured to the bottom wall and a pin is associated with the bottom wall and is adapted to extend downwardly therefrom to interfere with the front bolster movement to thereby minimize the possibility of tipping of the wagon. The pin is adapted to be moved upwardly out of interfering position whereby the front bolster can be moved 180° in either direction to thereby place the wagon in more convenient positions for transportation and storage. The front and rear bolsters are each provided with shock absorbers positioned above the front and rear axles adjacent each of the wagon wheels. Slotted vertically extending extensions on each side of each bolster receive the wagon axles and provide for vertical movement of the bolsters relative to the axles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Radio Flyer, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas P. McQueeny, Robert Pasin, Brent Schrader, Frederick J. Michelau