Patents by Inventor Janice E. Cote

Janice E. Cote 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: 5920039
    Abstract: A speaker support bar supports a pair of speakers and speaker covers above a vehicle headliner. A lamp may also be mounted into the support bar. The speaker support is positioned vertically above the headliner, and thus the uniform appearance of the headliner is preserved. The speaker support extends between lateral support ends which transfer the weight of the speakers to the headliner over a wide area, and near the vehicle frame. Thus, the headliner is able to easily support the weight of the speakers. A seal incorporated into the headliner defines a sound chamber. The invention also facilitates the pre-assembly of the headliner and its sound system prior to attachment of the headliner to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: United Technologies Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Janice E. Cote, Anthony J. Finocchio, Edward C. Curtindale
  • Patent number: 5078452
    Abstract: One-piece plastic actuation button for a vehicle seat adjuster providing ready snap-in interlocking capture of the button in a panel elongated opening while permitting smooth reciprocal travel therein. The button comprises an elongated head portion having its undersurface formed with a coextensive guide channel sized to receive therein a tongue portion of a seat adjust lever. The channel cooperates with upper and lower vertically spaced stem portions projecting normally from the button face to swing the tongue and operate the release lever. The upper stem portion is a push-in retainer comprising bifurcated mirror-image hook-halves defining a slotted intermediate space therebetween and two opposed outwardly divergent slopes terminating in a pair of undercut locking shoulders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Lynn K. Tilly, Janice E. Cote, Michael J. Sweers
  • Patent number: 4971380
    Abstract: An improved attachment arrangement for a backrest assembly in combination with an auxiliary folding seat cushion having a pair of hinge assemblies mounting the seat cushion on a vertical wall of a vehicle. The backrest assembly comprises a base panel supporting a coextensive foam pad enclosed by an outer upholstery cover. The base panel for single passenger setting requires a pair of pre-attached hangers spaced along its upper edge and a pair of pre-attached spring clips spaced along its lower portion. The lower spring clips are adapted for ready connection to wall mounted hinges of the folding seat cushion while the upper hangers provide ready initial pre-positioning of the backrest assembly to the vehicle wall. A single screw hole in each hanger is self-aligned with a vehicle wall installation hole allowing subsequent ready piloting and driving of the hanger screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Janice E. Cote, William M. Safran
  • Patent number: 4771507
    Abstract: A hinge assembly for use in mounting an auxiliary seat on a vertical body wall of a vehicle such as a pickup truck extended cab. The hinge assembly comprises a seat-half banana hinge member and a body-half bracket hinge member for rotating the auxiliary seat between a first vertical stowed position and a second horizontal seating position. The bracket hinge has a pair of vertically extending side walls each formed with an oblique guide slot so as to movably support one end of a spring rod for reciprocal travel therein. A cam track having forward and rear notched detents is formed on each bracket hinge member side wall and is adapted for capturing a respective one of a pair of cam followers mounted adjacent each end of the spring rod. An overcenter tension spring urges the cam followers into rolling engagement with their associated jump motion cam track providing quick-return capture of the followers into their associated forward or rear notched detents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Assignee: Chrysler Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas E. Draplin, Janice E. Cote, Matthew E. Dukatz
  • Patent number: 4742984
    Abstract: A seat cushion is mounted as a vehicle floor panel by a plastic anchor member adapted to be snap-fitted into position in a panel aperture by means of locking fingers. The anchor member has an oval-sectioned tubular open-ended body with the interior of its side walls formed with parallel mutually opposed pairs of ribs defining a pair of spaced upwardly open V-shaped notches. Each pair of ribs have their lower ends interconnected by mutually opposed base flanges defining therebeteween an elongated gap. The base flange undersurfaces are sloped upwardly providing an inverted V-shaped locking catch. The catch is adapted to capture the striker upon it being forcefully pushed downwardly into the V-notches allowing the striker to snappingly pass through the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1988
    Assignee: Chrysler Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Janice E. Cote, Donald L. Silsbe