Patents by Inventor Kirk E. Sanborn

Kirk E. Sanborn 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).

  • Publication number: 20250136210
    Abstract: A method of assembling a vehicle that includes performing a first operation on a front vehicle structure, securing a plurality of first vehicle components to the front vehicle structure while performing the first operation on the front vehicle structure, performing a second operation on a rear vehicle structure, securing a plurality of second vehicle components to the rear vehicle structure while performing the second operation on the rear vehicle structure, and coupling the front vehicle structure and the rear vehicle structure to each other to form an intermediate vehicle structure after the first vehicle components have been secured to the front vehicle structure and the second vehicle components have been secured to the rear vehicle structure. The first operation includes continuously or intermittently rotating the front vehicle structure. The second operation includes continuously or intermittently rotating the rear vehicle structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2023
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jamil M. Alwan, Petros Frantzeskakis, Michael Jon Gutowski, Erik Billimoria, Shawn Michael Morgans, Henry W. Hausler, Christopher Bondanza, Kirk E. Sanborn, Meghan Hall
  • Patent number: 12090912
    Abstract: A vehicle cargo bed system includes a floor assembly that transitions back-and-forth between a standard floor position and an extended floor position. The floor assembly includes floor sections each having a cargo support surface. The floor sections are folded when the floor assembly is in the standard floor position. The floor sections are unfolded when the floor assembly is in the extended floor position. The assembly further includes first and second side wall assemblies of the cargo bed that transition back-and-forth between a standard wall position and an extended wall position. The first and second side wall assemblies each include an extendable portion and a fixed portion. The extendable portions extend and retract relative to the respective fixed portions when the first and second side wall assemblies transition back-and-forth between the standard wall position and the extended wall position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Ryan Mathew Sandor, Vincent Anthony Chimento, Dragan B. Stojkovic, Jack Marchlewski, Amol Borkar, Christopher Bowser, Kirk E. Sanborn, Michelle Lorraine Sacka, Hussain Z. Tajmahal, Dale F. Jordan, III
  • Patent number: 12077233
    Abstract: A method of assembling a truck includes assembling a cab structure that includes a rear roof rail coupling a top portion of a rearmost left pillar to a top portion of a rearmost right pillar to cooperate with the rearmost left pillar and the rearmost right pillar to at least partially define a rear opening of the cab structure. The rear opening extends in a vertical direction of the cab structure from the rear roof rail downward beyond a vertical midpoint of the rearmost left and right pillars. The method includes inserting first interior components through the rear opening into an interior of the cab structure and attaching the first interior components to the cab structure. The method includes attaching a rear panel to the rearmost left pillar and the rearmost right pillar after attaching the first interior components to the cab structure, the rear panel spanning the rear opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Schluentz, Kirk E. Sanborn, Jon Midbo, Daniel J. Deinek
  • Patent number: 11904951
    Abstract: A cargo bed system includes a floor assembly for a cargo bed of a vehicle. The floor assembly is configured to transition back and forth between a standard floor position and an extended floor position. The floor assembly includes a plurality of floor sections each having a cargo support surface. The floor sections are folded when the floor assembly is in the standard floor position. The floor sections are unfolded when the floor assembly is in the extended floor position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Ryan Mathew Sandor, Matthew B. Rutman, Vincent Anthony Chimento, Dragan B. Stojkovic, Jack Marchlewski, Amol Borkar, Kirk E. Sanborn, Ronald Meredith, Scott Culver Anderson, Daveanand Singh, Hussain Z Tajmahal
  • Patent number: 11904952
    Abstract: A cargo bed system includes a side wall assembly of a cargo bed. The side wall assembly is configured to transition back-and-forth between a standard wall position and an extended wall position. The side wall assembly include an extendable portion and a fixed portion. The extendable portion extends and retracts relative to the fixed portion when the side wall assembly transitions back-and-forth between the standard wall position and the extended wall position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Ryan Mathew Sandor, Matthew B. Rutman, Dragan B. Stojkovic, Amol Borkar, Kirk E. Sanborn, Ronald Meredith, Jesse Rene Diephuis
  • Publication number: 20230257031
    Abstract: A cargo bed system includes a floor assembly for a cargo bed of a vehicle. The floor assembly is configured to transition back and forth between a standard floor position and an extended floor position. The floor assembly includes a plurality of floor sections each having a cargo support surface. The floor sections are folded when the floor assembly is in the standard floor position. The floor sections are unfolded when the floor assembly is in the extended floor position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Ryan Mathew Sandor, Matthew B. Rutman, Vincent Anthony Chimento, Dragan B. Stojkovic, Jack Marchlewski, Amol Borkar, Kirk E. Sanborn, Ronald Meredith, Scott Culver Anderson, Daveanand Singh, Hussain Z. Tajmahal
  • Publication number: 20230257034
    Abstract: A cargo bed system includes a side wall assembly of a cargo bed. The side wall assembly is configured to transition back-and-forth between a standard wall position and an extended wall position. The side wall assembly include an extendable portion and a fixed portion. The extendable portion extends and retracts relative to the fixed portion when the side wall assembly transitions back-and-forth between the standard wall position and the extended wall position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Ryan Mathew Sandor, Matthew B. Rutman, Dragan B. Stojkovic, Amol Borkar, Kirk E. Sanborn, Ronald Meredith, Jesse Rene Diephuis
  • Publication number: 20230256891
    Abstract: A vehicle cargo bed system includes a floor assembly that transitions back-and-forth between a standard floor position and an extended floor position. The floor assembly includes floor sections each having a cargo support surface. The floor sections are folded when the floor assembly is in the standard floor position. The floor sections are unfolded when the floor assembly is in the extended floor position. The assembly further includes first and second side wall assemblies of the cargo bed that transition back-and-forth between a standard wall position and an extended wall position. The first and second side wall assemblies each include an extendable portion and a fixed portion. The extendable portions extend and retract relative to the respective fixed portions when the first and second side wall assemblies transition back-and-forth between the standard wall position and the extended wall position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Michael John Harmon, Ryan Mathew Sandor, Vincent Anthony Chimento, Dragan B. Stojkovic, Jack Marchlewski, Amol Borkar, Christopher Bowser, Kirk E. Sanborn, Michelle Lorraine Sacka, Hussain Z. Tajmahal, Dale F. Jordan, III
  • Publication number: 20040055147
    Abstract: A process line for fabricating an assembly from a plurality of subassemblies generated from various workpieces is provided, which includes a plurality of standardized task stations for performing a work process on a workpiece, at least first and second templates, with each of the templates comprising a defined set of standardized task stations, and with each of the sets including a predetermined arrangement of the standardized task stations and being operative to perform a work process on a workpiece, and a combination of templates including at least the first and second templates arranged in predetermined alignment to form the process line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventors: Abid Ghuman, James Wayne Lowe, Marsha J. Rosso, Kirk E. Sanborn
  • Publication number: 20040055131
    Abstract: A method of assembling on a common process line a plurality of discrete assemblies is provided including providing a plurality of standardized task stations, determining at least first and second templates, each template being operative to perform an operation on a plurality of workpieces, combining at least the first and second templates in a predetermined alignment to form a process line, presenting a first assembly workpiece to be operated on by the task stations of at least the first template to form a first assembly, and presenting a second assembly workpiece to be operated on by the task stations of at least the first template to form a second assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventors: Abid Ghuman, James Wayne Lowe, Marsha J. Rosso, Kirk E. Sanborn