Patents by Inventor Mark Charles Stephens
Mark Charles Stephens 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).
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Patent number: 11787278Abstract: A vehicle battery tray includes a floor assembly that has elongated tray sections that attach together at lateral edge portions of adjacent tray sections to form a floor structure that supports vehicle batteries contained in the vehicle battery tray. The elongated tray sections each have a substantially consistent cross-sectional shape that extends longitudinally along a length of the respective tray section. A first tray section includes a first attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof and a second tray section includes a second attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof that corresponds with the first attachment feature. The first and second attachment features engage together at a longitudinal seam between the lateral edge portions of the first and second tray sections, such as to align upper surfaces of the first and second tray sections.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2022Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens, Helen Weykamp
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Patent number: 11691493Abstract: A battery tray for an electric vehicle includes a tub component that has a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge of the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component. The tub component may include a plurality of cross member portions that integrally interconnect with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to span laterally across the battery containment area to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments. A support structure of the battery tray may have an elongated member coupled at an exterior side of each of opposing longitudinal sections of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2020Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki, Bob Brady, Matthew Kuipers, Paul Michael Roehm
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Patent number: 11688910Abstract: A battery tray for an electric vehicle includes a tub component that has a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge of the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component. The tub component may include a plurality of cross member portions that integrally interconnect with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to span laterally across the battery containment area to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments. A support structure of the battery tray may have an elongated member coupled at an exterior side of each of opposing longitudinal sections of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2021Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki, Bob Brady, Matthew Kuipers, Paul Michael Roehm
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Publication number: 20220194199Abstract: A vehicle battery tray includes a floor assembly that has elongated tray sections that attach together at lateral edge portions of adjacent tray sections to form a floor structure that supports vehicle batteries contained in the vehicle battery tray. The elongated tray sections each have a substantially consistent cross-sectional shape that extends longitudinally along a length of the respective tray section. A first tray section includes a first attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof and a second tray section includes a second attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof that corresponds with the first attachment feature. The first and second attachment features engage together at a longitudinal seam between the lateral edge portions of the first and second tray sections, such as to align upper surfaces of the first and second tray sections.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2022Publication date: June 23, 2022Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens, Helen Weykamp
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Patent number: 11267327Abstract: A vehicle battery tray includes a floor assembly that has elongated tray sections that attach together at lateral edge portions of adjacent tray sections to form a floor structure that supports vehicle batteries contained in the vehicle battery tray. The elongated tray sections each have a substantially consistent cross-sectional shape that extends longitudinally along a length of the respective tray section. A first tray section includes a first attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof and a second tray section includes a second attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof that corresponds with the first attachment feature. The first and second attachment features engage together at a longitudinal seam between the lateral edge portions of the first and second tray sections, such as to align upper surfaces of the first and second tray sections.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2021Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens, Helen Weykamp
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Publication number: 20220059894Abstract: A battery tray for an electric vehicle includes a tub component that has a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge of the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component. The tub component may include a plurality of cross member portions that integrally interconnect with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to span laterally across the battery containment area to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments. A support structure of the battery tray may have an elongated member coupled at an exterior side of each of opposing longitudinal sections of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2021Publication date: February 24, 2022Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki, Bob Brady, Matthew Kuipers, Paul Michael Roehm
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Publication number: 20220059892Abstract: A battery tray for a vehicle includes a peripheral tubular member that borders at least a lateral side of a battery containment area relative to the vehicle. A crush section is attached along an outboard side of the peripheral tubular member. The crush section includes an outboard wall portion, an upper leg portion integrally extending inboard from an upper end of the outboard wall potion, and a lower leg portion integrally extending inboard from a lower end of the outboard wall potion. The upper and lower leg portions of the crush section each terminate inboard at an end flange of the crush section that is attached to the peripheral tubular member to enclose a hollow interior there between.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2021Publication date: February 24, 2022Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens, Matthew Kuipers, Zehua Qin
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Patent number: 11214137Abstract: A battery support structure for a vehicle includes a plurality of side reinforcement members and front and rear reinforcement members. The plurality of side reinforcement members are configured to extend longitudinally relative to an associated vehicle frame, and the front and rear reinforcement members are configured to extend laterally relative to the associated vehicle frame. A plurality of module nodes are attached between adjacent ends of the side reinforcement members and the front and rear members to together form a containment wall that generally surrounds a battery containment area. The plurality of module nodes comprise corner sections of the containment wall, such that a length of the side reinforcement members or the front and rear reinforcement members is selected to provide a desired respective length or width of the battery containment area.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2018Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki, Ed C. Pendergrass
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Patent number: 11211656Abstract: A battery tray for an electric vehicle includes a battery support structure that has a floor and a perimeter wall extending around a peripheral portion of the floor to border a battery containment area. A plurality of cross members are coupled with the perimeter wall at opposing sides of the battery support structure, where the cross members extend laterally across the battery containment area. A cover is engaged with an upper portion of the perimeter wall of the battery support structure. The cover, the floor, and/or the cross members may include a retention element that is integrally formed therewith and that is configured to engage a component that is disposed in the battery containment area.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2018Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens, Jeffrey McHenry, Matthew Kuipers
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Publication number: 20210336306Abstract: A battery tray for supporting batteries at a lower portion of a vehicle frame includes a floor plate and a perimeter wall disposed around the of the floor plate to substantially surround a containment area for storing vehicle battery cells. The perimeter wall includes a tubular member that extends along a periphery of the floor plate to form a perimeter wall around a containment area for storing vehicle battery cells. The perimeter wall is attached at an upper surface of the floor plate, such that the containment area may be generally bounded horizontally by the perimeter wall and at the bottom by the floor plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2021Publication date: October 28, 2021Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens
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Patent number: 11155150Abstract: A battery support tray for an electric vehicle includes a tray floor structure that has an upper surface that is configured to interface with battery modules. The battery support tray also includes a plurality of cooling features that integrally extend along portions of the tray floor structure that are configured to draw heat away from the battery modules supported at the upper surface of the tray floor structure. The tray floor structure may also have a cross-sectional profile that is substantially consistent longitudinally along a length of the tray floor structure or laterally across a width of the tray floor structure, such as formed from extruding a metal, such as an aluminum alloy.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2020Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki, Leonhard Fahreddin, Helen Weykamp
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Patent number: 11088412Abstract: A battery tray for supporting batteries at a lower portion of a vehicle frame includes a floor plate and a perimeter wall disposed around the of the floor plate to substantially surround a containment area for storing vehicle battery cells. The perimeter wall includes a tubular member that extends along a periphery of the floor plate to form a perimeter wall around a containment area for storing vehicle battery cells. The perimeter wall is attached at an upper surface of the floor plate, such that the containment area may be generally bounded horizontally by the perimeter wall and at the bottom by the floor plate.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2018Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: SHAPE CORP.Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens
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Publication number: 20210188071Abstract: A vehicle battery tray includes a floor assembly that has elongated tray sections that attach together at lateral edge portions of adjacent tray sections to form a floor structure that supports vehicle batteries contained in the vehicle battery tray. The elongated tray sections each have a substantially consistent cross-sectional shape that extends longitudinally along a length of the respective tray section. A first tray section includes a first attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof and a second tray section includes a second attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof that corresponds with the first attachment feature. The first and second attachment features engage together at a longitudinal seam between the lateral edge portions of the first and second tray sections, such as to align upper surfaces of the first and second tray sections.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2021Publication date: June 24, 2021Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens, Helen Weykamp
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Publication number: 20210111388Abstract: A battery tray for an electric vehicle includes a tub component that has a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge of the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component. The tub component may include a plurality of cross member portions that integrally interconnect with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to span laterally across the battery containment area to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments. A support structure of the battery tray may have an elongated member coupled at an exterior side of each of opposing longitudinal sections of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2020Publication date: April 15, 2021Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki, Bob Brady, Matthew Kuipers, Paul Michael Roehm
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Patent number: 10960748Abstract: A vehicle battery tray includes a floor assembly that has elongated tray sections that attach together at lateral edge portions of adjacent tray sections to form a floor structure that supports vehicle batteries contained in the vehicle battery tray. The elongated tray sections each have a substantially consistent cross-sectional shape that extends longitudinally along a length of the respective tray section. A first tray section includes a first attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof and a second tray section includes a second attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof that corresponds with the first attachment feature. The first and second attachment features engage together at a longitudinal seam between the lateral edge portions of the first and second tray sections, such as to align upper surfaces of the first and second tray sections.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2020Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens, Helen Weykamp
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Patent number: 10886513Abstract: A battery tray for an electric vehicle includes a tub component that has a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge of the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component. The tub component may include a plurality of cross member portions that integrally interconnect with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to span laterally across the battery containment area to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments. A support structure of the battery tray may have an elongated member coupled at an exterior side of each of opposing longitudinal sections of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2018Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki, Bob Brady, Matthew Kuipers, Paul Michael Roehm
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Publication number: 20200398652Abstract: A battery support tray for an electric vehicle includes a tray floor structure that has an upper surface that is configured to interface with battery modules. The battery support tray also includes a plurality of cooling features that integrally extend along portions of the tray floor structure that are configured to draw heat away from the battery modules supported at the upper surface of the tray floor structure. The tray floor structure may also have a cross-sectional profile that is substantially consistent longitudinally along a length of the tray floor structure or laterally across a width of the tray floor structure, such as formed from extruding a metal, such as an aluminum alloy.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2020Publication date: December 24, 2020Applicant: Shape Corp.Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki, Leonhard Fahreddin, Helen Weykamp
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Publication number: 20200238811Abstract: A vehicle battery tray includes a floor assembly that has elongated tray sections that attach together at lateral edge portions of adjacent tray sections to form a floor structure that supports vehicle batteries contained in the vehicle battery tray. The elongated tray sections each have a substantially consistent cross-sectional shape that extends longitudinally along a length of the respective tray section. A first tray section includes a first attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof and a second tray section includes a second attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof that corresponds with the first attachment feature. The first and second attachment features engage together at a longitudinal seam between the lateral edge portions of the first and second tray sections, such as to align upper surfaces of the first and second tray sections.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2020Publication date: July 30, 2020Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens, Helen Weykamp
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Patent number: 10661646Abstract: A vehicle battery tray has a floor assembly with elongated tray sections that attach together at edge portions of adjacent tray sections of the elongated tray sections to form a floor structure that supports vehicle batteries contained in the vehicle battery tray. The elongated tray sections may have substantially consistent cross-sectional shapes that extends along a length of the tray sections. A thickness of the tray sections at a central area of the floor structure may be greater than a thickness of another one of the elongated tray sections at an outboard area of the floor structure, such as to withstand an equal or greater transverse bending moment than the outboard area of the floor structure.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2018Date of Patent: May 26, 2020Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens, Helen Weykamp
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Patent number: 10483510Abstract: A battery tray for a vehicle includes two tray components or pieces that attach or mate together, such as with one tray component over or within the other tray component, to form sealed and separate battery containment areas. The lower tray component that has a panel portion and a pair of elongated reinforcement members integrally protruding upward from opposing edges of the panel portion. Also, the upper tray component has a panel portion and a cross members that integrally extend across its panel portion. The upper tray component is disposed at an upper surface of the panel portion of the lower tray component with the cross members extending between the elongated reinforcement members and defining a battery containment area between each of the cross members.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2018Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: Shape Corp.Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki