Patents by Inventor Gary A. Wize

Gary A. Wize 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: 5577805
    Abstract: A vehicle seat is provided which includes a riser assembly; a floor latch for joining a rear leg to a vehicle floor releasable by a pull cable; a seat back bracket joined to the riser having first, second and third pins connected thereto and a first slot; a seat back foldable from an upright position to a fold position pivotally connected to the seat back bracket via the first pin, and the seat back having a connected fourth pin captured within the seat back first slot; a pawl connected to the third pin angularly biased toward the fourth pin when the seat back is in an upright position; a release lever connected to the seat back bracket having a handle and first and second fingers bifurcated by a slot which accepts the fourth pin, one of the fingers having a tab to remove the lock pawl from engagement with the fourth pin when the seat back is moved to the folded position from the upright position; a first link pivotally connected to the seat back bracket; and a second link pivotally joined to the release leve
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Glinter, Gary A. Wize
  • Patent number: 5462332
    Abstract: A recliner seat for a vehicle is provided including a bun frame; a seat back frame pivotally mounted with respect to the bun frame; a rotatable drive screw with a first end held by a first fixture and a second end held by a second fixture, the first and second fixtures being normally positionally fixed with respect to the bun frame, the first and second ends of the drive screw being held along a first linear axis intersecting the first and second fixtures; a third fixture generally fixed with respect to the bun frame; a nut threadably encircling the drive screw and moved by the drive screw along the first linear axis; and a link pivotally connected with respect to the seat back frame and the nut. Thus, upon loading on the seat back frame exceeding a predetermined amount, the nut moves to a position nonaligned with the first linear axis to contact the third fixture to retard angular movement of the seat back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Scott T. Payne, Gary A. Wize, James E. Carl
  • Patent number: 4432524
    Abstract: A three point seat adjuster for a vehicle car seat includes a generally Y shaped frame for supporting a vehicle seat. The Y shaped frame includes a pair of transversely extending leg members supported by rollers on a pair of rear track members mounted on the vehicle floor and a longitudinally extending integral stem member which is slidably engaged through a journal in a forwardly mounted guide bracket. The guide bracket is pivotally mounted to the vehicle floor. A release mechanism associated with the guide bracket releasably locks the stem member to the guide bracket in a plurality of positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Gary A. Wize
  • Patent number: 4283075
    Abstract: A diagonal shoulder belt has an upper end attached to the vehicle body roof inboard the seat and a lower end mounted on the lower rear corner of the door by a retractor. A stiffening sleeve surrounds the uppermost portion of the shoulder belt and is pivoted to the vehicle roof. A track extends longitudinally along the roof forwardly from the point of attachment of the shoulder belt. A belt carriage is movable along the track and engages the stiffening sleeve during the initial forward movement of the carriage to abruptly pivot the stiffening sleeve from the vertically depending position to a horizontally raised position, thereby abruptly raising the shoulder belt forwardly of the occupant to a stowed position along the roof. Continued forward movement of the carriage beyond the stiffening sleeve progressively stows the shoulder belt along the roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1981
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Gary A. Wize
  • Patent number: 4169615
    Abstract: A belt securing device includes a housing having a pair of pivotally mounted tong arms, each having a curved arm portion extending outwardly therefrom for capturing encirlement of the belt. A spring acts on the tong arms to bias the curved arm portions to an open spaced-apart belt-releasing position. An actuating member is slidably mounted on the housing and has an actuating bar positioned between the curved arm portions of the tong arms and in the path of entry of the belt therebetween. One of the tong arms has an operating leg which extends into engagement with the actuating member so that movement of the actuating member relative the housing by the occupant or the belt as the belt is entered between the tong arms pivots the tong arm against the spring bias to carry the tong arms to a closed position of belt encirclement. Gear teeth provided on the tong arms are interengaged to effect simultaneous movement of the tong arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 2, 1979
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Gary A. Wize, Louis P. Garvey
  • Patent number: 4138142
    Abstract: A passive three-point lap and shoulder belt system has the inboard ends of the lap and shoulder belts mounted on the vehicle body generally adjacent the hip of the occupant by an emergency release buckle. Lap and shoulder belt retractors are mounted on the door generally adjacent the hip of the occupant for winding the belts thereon upon closing movement of the door and unwinding the belts therefrom upon opening movement of the door. An anchor loop is mounted on the door generally adjacent the shoulder of the occupant and slidably receives the shoulder belt to dispose the shoulder belt diagonally across the chest of the occupant when the door is closed and forwardly of the occupant when the door is open. A guide loop is attached to the shoulder belt at a point thereon which travels between the retractor and the anchor loop during movement of the door between open and closed positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1979
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Gary A. Wize
  • Patent number: 4093275
    Abstract: An occupant restraint system includes a belt having one end anchored outboard the seat and adjacent the lap of the occupant with the other end anchored outboard the seat and adjacent the shoulder of the occupant. At least one of the belt anchorages is provided by a retractor having a windup spring for winding the belt to a vertically extending stored position. A belt securing device mounted inboard the occupant includes a housing having pivotally mounted tong arms for capturing encirclement of the belt. A spring acts on the tong arms to bias the tong arms to an open spaced-apart belt-releasing position. An actuating member is slidably mounted on the housing and has an actuating bar positioned between the tong arms. Movement of the actuating bar by the occupant or the belt as the belt is entered between the tong arms pivots the tong arms to a closed position of belt capturing encirclement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1978
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Gary A. Wize
  • Patent number: 3969789
    Abstract: A door hold-open mechanism including a door hinge member and a body bracket member pivotally interconnected by a hinge pin, a hinge sector secured to the hinge member and having at least four door stop detent slots or pockets formed therein, a directional cam pivotally mounted on the hinge pin and frictionally connected to the hinge sector and having a pair of seats and an intermediate cam slot formed thereon adjacent the detent slots, a torque-rod mounted on the bracket member, a roller mounted on an end portion of the torque-rod and urged by the torque-rod into one of the four detent slots of the hinge member when the door is stopped and urged by an edge of the intermediate cam slot onto the adjacent seat of the directional cam while the door is in motion, overriding the detent slots until the door is once again stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1976
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Gary A. Wize
  • Patent number: 3965531
    Abstract: An infinite position door hold open includes a pair of pivotally interconnected hinge members which are respectively mounted on the door and body. The door mounted hinge member pivotally supports an arcuate link having oppositely facing braking and frictional surfaces, both generated about the pivotal axis of the hinge members. The braking surface is frictionally engageable with a brake pad adjustably mounted on the body mounted hinge member. The engagement of the braking surface with the brake pad is controlled by pivotal movement of a wedging cam relative to the door mounted hinge member between non-wedging limit positions through an intermediate wedging position. The cam has a friction member in constant engagement with the frictional surface of the brake member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1975
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1976
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Robert M. Fox, Gary A. Wize