Patents by Inventor Matthew Kuipers

Matthew Kuipers 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: 20220059894
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki, Bob Brady, Matthew Kuipers, Paul Michael Roehm
  • Patent number: 11207963
    Abstract: A crossmember for a vehicle battery tray provides a beam that has a closed cross-sectional shape with a top wall coupled with parallel side walls along a length of the beam. A reinforcing top cap is disposed along the beam, where a C-shaped transverse cross-sectional shape of the top cap has a central section that disposed along the top wall and legs of the top cap welded to the side walls. The legs include inward angled tabs that are biased against the beam and welded thereto. The top wall of the beam and the central section of the top cap have aligned fastener openings disposed at spaced intervals along the length of the beam and configured to receive fasteners that secure at least one of a battery module or tray cover to the crossmember.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Shape Corp.
    Inventors: Zehua Qin, Matthew Kuipers, Mark C. Stephens
  • Patent number: 11211656
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Shape Corp.
    Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens, Jeffrey McHenry, Matthew Kuipers
  • Publication number: 20210309297
    Abstract: A rocker component for a vehicle includes a reinforcement beam having a metal sheet that is shaped with a plurality of elongated bends extending in parallel along a length of the reinforcement beam that together form a cross-sectional shape extending continuously along the length of the reinforcement beam. The cross-sectional shape of reinforcement beam includes a beam portion and a flange portion integrally extending from the beam portion. The beam portion has a multi-hollow shape that encloses a plurality of hollow cavities that extend longitudinally between openings at opposing ends of the reinforcement beam. The flange portion integrally extends from the beam portion and includes an edge of the metal sheet. The flange portion is configured to attach to the vehicle for supporting the rocker component along an outboard side region of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Joseph R. Matecki, Brian Oxley, Matthew Kuipers, Cody Alger, Douglas S. Baas
  • Publication number: 20210111388
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki, Bob Brady, Matthew Kuipers, Paul Michael Roehm
  • Patent number: 10886513
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Shape Corp.
    Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki, Bob Brady, Matthew Kuipers, Paul Michael Roehm
  • Publication number: 20200384842
    Abstract: A crossmember for a vehicle battery tray provides a beam that has a closed cross-sectional shape with a top wall coupled with parallel side walls along a length of the beam. A reinforcing top cap is disposed along the beam, where a C-shaped transverse cross-sectional shape of the top cap has a central section that disposed along the top wall and legs of the top cap welded to the side walls. The legs include inward angled tabs that are biased against the beam and welded thereto. The top wall of the beam and the central section of the top cap have aligned fastener openings disposed at spaced intervals along the length of the beam and configured to receive fasteners that secure at least one of a battery module or tray cover to the crossmember.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Zehua Qin, Matthew Kuipers, Mark C. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20180337377
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Charles Stephens, Joseph Robert Matecki, Bob Brady, Matthew Kuipers, Paul Michael Roehm
  • Publication number: 20180337374
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Joseph Robert Matecki, Mark Charles Stephens, Jeffrey McHenry, Matthew Kuipers