Patents by Inventor John David Kotre

John David Kotre 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).

  • Tailor welded seat and components
    Patent number: 8733842
    Abstract: A tailored vehicle seat component 12 having at least two portions with different properties that are joined together, such as by an adhesive or in a welding process (e.g., laser weld). These different properties include thickness, grades, surface finishes, coatings, and the like. The laser tailored welded vehicle seat 12 components may be incorporated into seat back frames 16, seat track assemblies 26, recliners 20, seat base frames 18, head restraints 88, cushion pans 132, and the like, to optimize manufacturing operations, mass, performance quality, and costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Daniel J. Sakkinen, Michael J. Thomas, Kurt A. Seibold, John David Kotre, Christopher P. Kubacki, Mark A. Harris
  • ONE-PIECE SEAT STRUCTURES AND METHOD OF FORMING
    Publication number: 20120267935
    Abstract: A one-piece seat back frame for use in a vehicle seat assembly including a first side portion, a second side portion, an upper cross portion, a lower cross portion coupled together to form a rectangular unitary frame structure. The seat back frame also includes an inner wall extending from a front surface and an inner edge of the back frame, and an outer wall extending from the front surface and an outer edge of the back frame, thereby forming a channel on the front surface. A plurality of formations are formed in the back frame to enhance the strength and stiffness of the back frame. The seat back frame also includes a plurality of apertures for attaching other seat components, such as a head restraint assembly. The seat back frame is formed from at least one of a monolithic blank, a tailored welded blank, and/or a tailored welded coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Omela Zekavica, Daniel James Sakkinen, Youzhi Xiong, John David Kotre, Anthony Kestian, Robert J. Hicks, Nicholas Leonard Petouhoff, Antoine A. Kmeid, Phillip Wayne Wilson, David Hayes, Miodrag M. Petrovich, Elizabeth Ann Allen, Catherine M. Amodeo, Andrew J. Erard, Mark S. Williamson, Forest Hills, Joseph F. Prosniewski
  • ONE-PIECE SEAT STRUCTURE AND COLD FORMING PROCESSES TO CREATE SEAT STRUCTURES
    Publication number: 20110210596
    Abstract: A one-piece seat structure for use in a vehicle seat assembly comprising a first portion having a first set of characteristics; a second portion having a second set of characteristics; wherein the first set of characteristics differs from the second set of characteristics and wherein the number of portions within the same one piece structure can be multiple; and wherein the one-piece seat structure is formed from a tailored welded blank or monolithic blank using a cold forming process with optional additional post forming processes including post form heat treatment, edge treatment, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Ornela Zekavica, Daniel James Sakkinen, Antoine Kmeid, Youzhi Xiong, John David Kotre, Catherine M. Amodeo