Patents by Inventor Jeff Chickola

Jeff Chickola 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).

  • Deformable pull cup arrangement and method of assembly
    Patent number: 7789455
    Abstract: A pull cup in a vehicle door is fitted to a door trim panel substrate and is connected to the door inner sheet metal panel of the vehicle door by way of a bracket or by one of a pair of inner and outer support brackets. The pull cup is provided with a bending initiator feature which is positioned a trigger area formed in the door trim panel substrate. In the event that a horizontal force is applied to the vehicle door, the vehicle inward movement of the door inner sheet metal panel causes the pull cup to be pushed upward. The bending initiator feature pushes on the trigger area causing the door trim panel substrate to buckle, thus substantially preventing vehicle inward movement of the door trim panel substrate during the impact event. The bending initiator feature also reduces the lateral stiffness of the door trim sub-system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ian Hall, John Pinkerton, Jeff Chickola, Brian Spahn, A. Mangala Jayasuriya
  • DEFORMABLE PULL CUP ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLY
    Publication number: 20080272614
    Abstract: A pull cup in a vehicle door is fitted to a door trim panel substrate and is connected to the door inner sheet metal panel of the vehicle door by way of a bracket or by one of a pair of inner and outer support brackets. The pull cup is provided with a bending initiator feature which is positioned a trigger area formed in the door trim panel substrate. In the event that a horizontal force is applied to the vehicle door, the vehicle inward movement of the door inner sheet metal panel causes the pull cup to be pushed upward. The bending initiator feature pushes on the trigger area causing the door trim panel substrate to buckle, thus substantially preventing vehicle inward movement of the door trim panel substrate during the impact event. The bending initiator feature also reduces the lateral stiffness of the door trim sub-system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ian Hall, John Pinkerton, Jeff Chickola, Brian Spahn, A. Mangala Jayasuriya