Patents by Inventor Heather S. Konet

Heather S. Konet 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: 7794007
    Abstract: A passenger vehicle rear end structure is provided with a vehicle body and a rear window. The vehicle body includes a vehicle interior area, a roof portion overlying the vehicle interior area, a pair of rear pillars and a rear body portion adjoined to a rear part of the roof portion by the rear pillars, at least one of the rear pillars, the rear body portion and the roof portion defining a rear window opening. The rear window is movably with respect to the vehicle body between a closed position that covers the rear window opening and an open position that exposes the rear window opening, with a majority of the rear window overlapping the roof portion when the rear window is in the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Heather S. Konet, Dan Hustyi, Andy Christensen
  • Patent number: 7651148
    Abstract: A passenger vehicle trunk structure is provided with a trunk lid, a vehicle body, a hinge arrangement and a tool free hinge release mechanism. The vehicle body defines an interior cargo area with an exterior trunk access opening. The hinge arrangement is pivotally coupling the trunk lid to the vehicle body with the trunk lid being movable between a closed position that covers the exterior trunk access opening and an open position that exposes the exterior trunk access opening to provide access to the interior cargo area through the exterior trunk access opening. The tool free hinge release mechanism is operatively coupled to the hinge arrangement to release the trunk lid from the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Dan Hustyi, Andy Christensen, Heather S. Konet
  • Publication number: 20090243333
    Abstract: A passenger vehicle rear end structure is provided with a vehicle body and a rear window. The vehicle body includes a vehicle interior area, a roof portion overlying the vehicle interior area, a pair of rear pillars and a rear body portion adjoined to a rear part of the roof portion by the rear pillars, at least one of the rear pillars, the rear body portion and the roof portion defining a rear window opening. The rear window is movably with respect to the vehicle body between a closed position that covers the rear window opening and an open position that exposes the rear window opening, with a majority of the rear window overlapping the roof portion when the rear window is in the open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Heather S. Konet, Dan Hustyi, Andy Christensen
  • Publication number: 20090243342
    Abstract: A passenger vehicle rear end structure is provided with a vehicle body, a rear body panel and connection arrangement. The vehicle body includes an interior cargo area having a rear exterior trunk access opening and a rear exterior body surface. The rear body panel is movably with respect to the vehicle body between an upright orientation and a horizontal orientation with the rear body panel forming a rear exterior panel surface that mates with the rear exterior body surface. The connection arrangement couples the rear body panel to the vehicle body for movement of the rear body panel between the upright orientation and the horizontal orientation. The rear exterior surface of the rear body panel is disposed rearward of a portion of the rear exterior body surface that mates with a bottom ledge of the rear body panel when the rear body panel is in the horizontal orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: NISSAN TECHNICAL CENTER NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Andy CHRISTENSEN, Heather S. KONET, Dan HUSTYI
  • Publication number: 20090243329
    Abstract: A passenger vehicle trunk structure is provided with a trunk lid, a vehicle body, a hinge arrangement and a tool free hinge release mechanism. The vehicle body defines an interior cargo area with an exterior trunk access opening. The hinge arrangement is pivotally coupling the trunk lid to the vehicle body with the trunk lid being movable between a closed position that covers the exterior trunk access opening and an open position that exposes the exterior trunk access opening to provide access to the interior cargo area through the exterior trunk access opening. The tool free hinge release mechanism is operatively coupled to the hinge arrangement to release the trunk lid from the vehicle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: NISSAN TECHNICAL CENTER NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Dan HUSTYI, Andy CHRISTENSEN, Heather S. KONET
  • Patent number: 7490885
    Abstract: A vehicle body basically has a first body panel section, a second body panel section, an expandable body panel section and an actuation device. The first and second body panel sections have first and second exterior surfaces. The expandable body panel section has a third exterior surface disposed between the first and second exterior surfaces of the first and second body panel sections to form a contiguous vehicle exterior. The actuation device is operatively coupled to at least one of the body panel sections to move the first body panel section with respect to the second body panel by stretch the expandable body panel section from a first surface area with the first body panel section being in a first location to a second larger surface area with the first body panel section being in a second location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Heather S Konet
  • Patent number: 7445350
    Abstract: A light panel includes an outer layer, a first proximity switch, an electroluminescent element and a base portion. The outer layer includes a translucent portion. The first proximity switch is disposed beneath the outer layer and has first and second electrically conductive switch portions that are arranged to form an electric field that emanates through the outer layer when the first proximity switch is energized. The electroluminescent element is disposed beneath the outer layer to provided backlighting to the outer layer. One of the first and second electrically conductive switch portions of the first proximity switch forms at least a portion of an electrode of the electroluminescent element. The base portion is disposed beneath the electroluminescent element and the first proximity switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Heather S. Konet, Jason M. Gray, Michael R. Miller, Jennifer J. Sterling
  • Patent number: 7387397
    Abstract: A vehicle backlit panel includes a base substrate, an electroluminescent element and an outer substrate. The electroluminescent element is disposed on one side of the base substrate. The outer substrate overlies the electroluminescent element. The outer substrate includes a translucent substrate portion having areas of different thicknesses as measured in a direction of illumination through the outer substrate to form a three-dimensional graphic image with a three-dimensional appearance resulting from different translucency levels of the areas of different thicknesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Heather S. Konet, Jason M. Gray, Michael R. Miller, Jennifer J. Sterling