Patents by Inventor Jay T TenBrink

Jay T TenBrink 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: 10012307
    Abstract: A shifter assembly includes a shift lever, a base, a coupling member having a toothed member and pivotably coupling the shift lever to the base, and a speed sensitive damping arrangement housed in the base. The damping arrangement includes a housing associated with the base and defining an internal cavity, a shaft disposed in the cavity and having an end extending from the housing, and a gear coupled to the shaft end extending from the housing and configured for rotation therewith, where the gear is meshingly engaged with the toothed member of the coupling member such that pivotable movement of the coupling member rotates the gear and the shaft. The gear is configured to rotate faster than the shift lever such that damping to movement of the shift lever provided by the damping arrangement is proportional to a square of a speed of movement of the shift lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Jay T TenBrink, Michael Perecki
  • Publication number: 20170248223
    Abstract: A shifter assembly includes a shift lever, a base, a coupling member having a toothed member and pivotably coupling the shift lever to the base, and a speed sensitive damping arrangement housed in the base. The damping arrangement includes a housing associated with the base and defining an internal cavity, a shaft disposed in the cavity and having an end extending from the housing, and a gear coupled to the shaft end extending from the housing and configured for rotation therewith, where the gear is meshingly engaged with the toothed member of the coupling member such that pivotable movement of the coupling member rotates the gear and the shaft. The gear is configured to rotate faster than the shift lever such that damping to movement of the shift lever provided by the damping arrangement is proportional to a square of a speed of movement of the shift lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Jay T. TenBrink, Michael Perecki
  • Patent number: 9664276
    Abstract: An electronic shifter can include a base, a shift lever assembly, a detent system and a clutch system. The shift lever assembly can include a pivot base having a coupling member. The detent system can include a biasing member and a detent member associated with the shift lever assembly. The biasing member can bias the detent member into engagement with a cam member. The clutch system can include a flexible clutch member and a bearing area having a bearing surface. The bearing area can be associated with the base and can receive the coupling member and clutch member to pivotably couple the shift lever assembly to the base. The detent system can apply a downward force onto the coupling member thereby forcing the clutch member against the bearing surface and providing frictional damping of the shift lever assembly during movement thereof proportional with a biasing force of the biasing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Jay T TenBrink, Robert L Brown, Donald Niskanen, Kirk Ypma
  • Patent number: 9593770
    Abstract: An electronic shifter assembly includes a shift lever and a speed sensitive damping arrangement housed within a base of the assembly. The speed sensitive damping arrangement includes a housing, a shaft coupled to the shift lever, a plurality of stacked plates and a damping substance. The stacked plates are associated with the shaft and a cavity of the housing, where at least one of the stacked plates is keyed to the shaft and at least another one of the stacked plates is keyed to the housing such that rotation of the shaft via the shift lever causes relative movement of the keyed stacked plates. The damping substance is packed into the internal cavity and about the stacked plates such that the damping arrangement provides speed sensitive damping to the shift lever proportional to a speed of movement of the shift lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Jay T TenBrink, Michael Perecki
  • Publication number: 20160305544
    Abstract: An electronic shifter assembly includes a shift lever and a speed sensitive damping arrangement housed within a base of the assembly. The speed sensitive damping arrangement includes a housing, a shaft coupled to the shift lever, a plurality of stacked plates and a damping substance. The stacked plates are associated with the shaft and a cavity of the housing, where at least one of the stacked plates is keyed to the shaft and at least another one of the stacked plates is keyed to the housing such that rotation of the shaft via the shift lever causes relative movement of the keyed stacked plates. The damping substance is packed into the internal cavity and about the stacked plates such that the damping arrangement provides speed sensitive damping to the shift lever proportional to a speed of movement of the shift lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: Jay T. TenBrink, Michael Perecki
  • Publication number: 20150114157
    Abstract: An electronic shifter can include a base, a shift lever assembly, a detent system and a clutch system. The shift lever assembly can include a pivot base having a coupling member. The detent system can include a biasing member and a detent member associated with the shift lever assembly. The biasing member can bias the detent member into engagement with a cam member. The clutch system can include a flexible clutch member and a bearing area having a bearing surface. The bearing area can be associated with the base and can receive the coupling member and clutch member to pivotably couple the shift lever assembly to the base. The detent system can apply a downward force onto the coupling member thereby forcing the clutch member against the bearing surface and providing frictional damping of the shift lever assembly during movement thereof proportional with a biasing force of the biasing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Jay T. TenBrink, Robert L. Brown, Donald Niskanen, Kirk Ypma
  • Publication number: 20150114158
    Abstract: An electronic shifter assembly can include a shift lever assembly and a dual mechanical detent system. The shift lever assembly can include a shift lever and a pivot base that is pivotably coupled to a base of the electronic shifter assembly. The dual mechanical detent system can include first and second mechanical detent systems having respective first and second detent plungers biased into engagement with respective first and second detent cam members having first and second cam surface profiles. The first and second detent plungers can be coupled to the pivot base and can move relative to the respective first and second cam surface profiles with movement of the shift lever assembly. The first and second mechanical detent systems can each releasably retain the shift lever assembly in a selected one of a plurality of transmission gear selection locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Jay T. TenBrink, Robert L. Brown, Donald Niskanen, Kirk Ypma
  • Publication number: 20150020634
    Abstract: A poly-stable electronic shifter assembly can include a poly-stable shift lever, a shift knob, a park, reverse, neutral and drive (PRND) indication area and a flexible member. The shift lever can be coupled to a base proximate a first end of the shift lever. The shift knob can be coupled to a second end of the shift lever. The PRND indication area can be associated with the shift knob. The flexible member can be positioned about the shift lever between the shift knob and the base such that the flexible member covers the shift lever and conceals a physical location of the shift lever when positioned in one of a PRND gear selection location. The PRND indication area can be disassociated with the PRND gear selection locations such that the PRND indication area includes an absence of alignment with the shift lever in the PRND gear selection locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Jay T. TenBrink, Robert L. Brown
  • Patent number: 6570375
    Abstract: A wheel speed sensor latch for securing a wheel speed sensor to a bearing cap of a vehicle speed sensing assembly. The latch includes a main body having a collar section adapted for receiving the wheel speed sensor therethrough. The latch further includes a pair of bifurcated legs extending from the main body. The pair of bifurcated legs being engageable with a pair of latching members formed on the bearing cap such that the pair of latching members and the pair of bifurcated legs cooperate to secure the wheel speed sensor on the bearing cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Kurt H Stroeters, Loren M Trotter, Richard P Burns, Jay T TenBrink
  • Publication number: 20020125881
    Abstract: A wheel speed sensor latch for securing a wheel speed sensor to a bearing cap of a vehicle speed sensing assembly. The latch includes a main body having a collar section adapted for receiving the wheel speed sensor therethrough. The latch further includes a pair of bifurcated legs extending from the main body. The pair of bifurcated legs being engageable with a pair of latching members formed on the bearing cap such that the pair of latching members and the pair of bifurcated legs cooperate to secure the wheel speed sensor on the bearing cap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Inventors: Kurt H. Stroeters, Loren M. Trotter, Richard P. Burns, Jay T. TenBrink
  • Patent number: 5996408
    Abstract: A speed sensor assembly is mounted to a steering knuckle with a threaded fastener. The fastener is initially hand tightened until it is axially obstructed by a spacer provided on the speed sensor assembly. A tool then is used to apply high torque to the fastener so as to deflect or break away the spacer so that the speed sensor assembly may be tightly clamped to the steering knuckle by the fastener. The spacer prevents hand tightened speed sensor assemblies from being properly aligned with a tone wheel. Unless a tool is used to fully seat the speed sensor assembly, the assembly will give a false test signal indicative of improper or incomplete mounting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Jay T. TenBrink, Kurt H. Stroeters, Richard Burns, Rene J. Bacholzky, Ray Janssen
  • Patent number: 5469662
    Abstract: A vehicle door adapted to accommodate a vertically translating window pane includes an outer door panel and an inner door panel fixed to the outer panel and defining a void therebetween. The inner panel has two access openings to the void and a recessed pan portion extending into the void and separating the openings. The door inner panel also defines four approximately keyhole shaped apertures with one disposed above and below each of the two openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Jay T. TenBrink, Maryanne R. Farkas, Robert J. Vendt, Waine T. Brock
  • Patent number: 5469663
    Abstract: A glider block assembly for a window regulator in a motor vehicle structure includes a glider block and a spring clip adapted to receive a pin with an engaging head extending from a window lift plate. The glider block has an opening sized to receive the pin and a guide pin slot intersecting the opening. The spring clip is disposed in the spring clip slot and provides an entry gap smaller than the engaging head. The clip extends in part across the opening to provide an entry gap smaller than the engaging head. The spring clip expands to allow the engaging head to pass therethrough in response to pressure of the head thereagainst when the pin is received by the block and snaps back behind the head, thereby retaining the plate to the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Jay T. TenBrink, Maryanne R. Farkas