Patents by Inventor Joseph L. Salani

Joseph L. Salani 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: 7133813
    Abstract: A vehicle package design system includes a data store of vehicle packages defined in terms of spatial dimensions relating vehicle hard points. A design engine adaptively renders a vehicle space based on a vehicle package, and, in response to user input defining a required change in a target spatial dimension, alters the target spatial dimension according to the required change, and alters one or more potentially altered spatial dimensions based on alteration of the target spatial dimension. A user interface communicates potentially altered spatial dimensions to the user, including indicating them as potentially altered according to alteration of the target spatial dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph L Salani, Louis A Rhodes, Hugh W Cumming, Yun Lu
  • Patent number: 7077451
    Abstract: A seat assembly for a motor vehicle having a tub disposed at least partially in a floor of the vehicle. The seat assembly comprises at least one rear leg non-releasably secured to the floor of the vehicle. The at least one rear leg is pivotable to stow the seat assembly in the tub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Louis A Rhodes, Douglas J Quigley, Joseph L Salani, Carl Mather, John V Keane, David J Ewers
  • Patent number: 7066519
    Abstract: A fold-in-floor vehicle seat is supported in a use position on a generally flat load floor. To move the seat into a storage position, the seat is lowered onto a portion of the load floor that acts as an articulated base for the seat. The base approximates the footprint of the seat, and covers a storage cavity directly below the seat and configured to closely receive the seat. The base is free floating with respect to the remainder of the load floor, but is pivotally connected to the vehicle by an articulating arm that allows the base to rotate about a pivot point through an arcuate section of guide track in the storage cavity, and the arm then articulates to allow the base to travel through a straight portion of track. The arm then returns to its starting position as the base traverses a second arcuate section of track, having now inverted so that the seat is lodged within the storage cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Louis A Rhodes, Douglas J Quigley, Joseph L Salani, Carl Mather, John V Keane, David J Ewers
  • Patent number: 6962384
    Abstract: A seat assembly for a motor vehicle includes a seat cushion translatable on at least one track to a position generally above a tub disposed at least partially in a floor of the vehicle. The seat cushion is stowable in the tub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Louis A Rhodes, Douglas J Quigley, Joseph L Salani, Carl Mather, John V Keane, David J Ewers
  • Patent number: 6955386
    Abstract: A folding seating apparatus, for on-board stowage of an optionally deployable passenger seat, in a vehicle having a floor defining a floor surface that may be entirely flat when the seating apparatus is stowed. The seating apparatus includes a stowable seat having a seat cushion supported on one or more legs above the floor, a seat back that is foldable upon the seat cushion for stowage of the seat, and a seat receiving recess in the floor for on-board stowage of the seat. The seat is movable transversely in the vehicle in addition to being stowable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Louis A Rhodes, Douglas J Quigley, Joseph L Salani, Carl Mather, John V Keane, David J Ewers
  • Patent number: 6932424
    Abstract: A fold-in-floor vehicle seat is supported in a use position on a generally flat load floor. To move the seat into a storage position, the seat is lowered onto a portion of the load floor that acts as an articulated base for the seat. The base approximates the footprint of the seat, and covers a storage cavity directly below the seat and configured to closely receive the seat. The base is free floating with respect to the remainder of the load floor, but is pivotally connected to the vehicle by an articulating arm that allows the base to rotate about a pivot point through an arcuate section of guide track in the storage cavity, and the arm then articulates to allow the base to travel through a straight portion of track. The arm then returns to its starting position as the base traverses a second arcuate section of track, having now inverted so that the seat is lodged within the storage cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Louis A Rhodes, Douglas J Quigley, Joseph L Salani, Carl Mather, John V Keane, David J Ewers
  • Patent number: 6869138
    Abstract: A folding seating apparatus, for on-board stowage of an optionally deployable passenger seat, in a vehicle having a floor defining a floor surface that may be entirely flat when the seating apparatus is stowed. The seating apparatus includes a stowable seat having a seat cushion supported on one or more legs above the floor, a seat back that is foldable upon the seat cushion for stowage of the seat, and a seat receiving recess in the floor for on-board stowage of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Louis A Rhodes, Douglas J Quigley, Joseph L Salani, Carl Mather, John V Keane, David J Ewers
  • Publication number: 20040167760
    Abstract: A vehicle package design system includes a data store of vehicle packages defined in terms of spatial dimensions relating vehicle hard points. A design engine adaptively renders a vehicle space based on a vehicle package, and, in response to user input defining a required change in a target spatial dimension, alters the target spatial dimension according to the required change, and alters one or more potentially altered spatial dimensions based on alteration of the target spatial dimension. A user interface communicates potentially altered spatial dimensions to the user, including indicating them as potentially altered according to alteration of the target spatial dimension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Joseph L. Salani, Louis A. Rhodes, Hugh W. Cumming, Yun Lu
  • Publication number: 20040100114
    Abstract: A folding seating apparatus, for on-board stowage of an optionally deployable passenger seat, in a vehicle having a floor defining a floor surface that may be entirely flat when the seating apparatus is stowed. The seating apparatus includes a stowable seat having a seat cushion supported on one or more legs above the floor, a seat back that is foldable upon the seat cushion for stowage of the seat, and a seat receiving recess in the floor for on-board stowage of the seat. The seat is movable transversely in the vehicle in addition to being stowable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Louis A. Rhodes, Douglas J. Quigley, Joseph L. Salani, Carl Mather, John V. Keane, David J. Ewers
  • Publication number: 20040100115
    Abstract: A folding seating apparatus, for on-board stowage of an optionally deployable passenger seat, in a vehicle having a floor defining a floor surface that may be entirely flat when the seating apparatus is stowed. The seating apparatus includes a stowable seat having a seat cushion supported on one or more legs above the floor, a seat back that is foldable upon the seat cushion for stowage of the seat, and a seat receiving recess in the floor for on-board stowage of the seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Louis A. Rhodes, Douglas J. Quigley, Joseph L. Salani, Carl Mather, John V. Keane, David J. Ewers
  • Publication number: 20040100117
    Abstract: A seat assembly for a motor vehicle having a tub disposed at least partially in a floor of the vehicle. The seat assembly comprises at least one rear leg non-releasably secured to the floor of the vehicle. The at least one rear leg is pivotable to stow the seat assembly in the tub.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Louis A. Rhodes, Douglas J. Quigley, Joseph L. Salani, Carl Mather, John V. Keane, David J. Ewers
  • Publication number: 20040100130
    Abstract: A fold-in-floor vehicle seat is supported in a use position on a generally flat load floor. To move the seat into a storage position, the seat is lowered onto a portion of the load floor that acts as an articulated base for the seat. The base approximates the footprint of the seat, and covers a storage cavity directly below the seat and configured to closely receive the seat. The base is free floating with respect to the remainder of the load floor, but is pivotally connected to the vehicle by an articulating arm that allows the base to rotate about a pivot point through an arcuate section of guide track in the storage cavity, and the arm then articulates to allow the base to travel through a straight portion of track. The arm then returns to its starting position as the base traverses a second arcuate section of track, having now inverted so that the seat is lodged within the storage cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Louis A. Rhodes, Douglas J. Quigley, Joseph L. Salani, Carl Mather, John V. Keane, David J. Ewers
  • Publication number: 20040100116
    Abstract: A seat assembly is disclosed for a motor vehicle having a tub disposed at least partially in a floor of the vehicle. The seat assembly comprises a seat cushion translatable on at least one track to a position generally above the tub. The seat cushion is stowable in the tub.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Louis A. Rhodes, Douglas J. Quigley, Joseph L. Salani, Carl Mather, John V. Keane, David J. Ewers
  • Patent number: 6481773
    Abstract: A removable storage unit for a motor vehicle including a first portion having an open side and defining a storage area, and a second portion having an open side and defining a second storage area. The first and second portions are rotateably coupled together to allow the storage areas to be adjacently located. The removable storage unit preferably has two modes. In the first mode, the storage unit is removed from the motor vehicle, and the open sides of the first and second portions are positioned adjacent one another, which allows for easy transportation of the unit. In the second mode, the storage unit is positioned within the motor vehicle so that the open sides of the first and second portions are oriented substantially coplanar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph L Salani, Theodore R Hamilton, Louis A Rhodes, Glenn W Abbott
  • Patent number: 6174017
    Abstract: A vehicle seat that articulates and dumps is provided. The vehicle seat includes an articulation link connected to a bottom frame and a seat frame. The seat frame is also connected to a seatback frame. The seatback frame is connected to a bottom frame. The articulation link allows the seat frame to rotate down to the bottom frame while the seatback frame articulates forward and downwardly toward the seat frame. The vehicle seat can be dumped forwardly and upwardly around a dumping pivot. A dumping mechanism releases the bottom frame from the vehicle deck so that the bottom frame can rotate forwardly and upwardly. The bottom frame rotates about the dumping pivot which is attached to a dumping frame. The dumping frame is shaped so that it provides clearance for the headrest and the seat cushion end of the seat frame when the vehicle is substantially dumped in a vertical position relative to a vehicle floor pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph L. Salani, Louis A. Rhodes