Patents by Inventor Michael Patrick Anspaugh
Michael Patrick Anspaugh 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: 8641094Abstract: A steering column assembly includes a rake bracket and a lower jacket secured to the rake bracket. An upper jacket is slidably disposed in the lower jacket and a locking bolt is rotatably located at the lower jacket configured to allow the upper jacket allow the translate along a steering column axis relative to the lower jacket when the locking bolt is in an unlocked position. A bolt driver is located at the locking bolt and is configured to interrupt a load path through a column retainer between the lower jacket and the rake bracket when the locking bolt is in an unlocked position.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2010Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding CorporationInventors: Melvin Lee Tinnin, Kevin M Burns, Michael Patrick Anspaugh, Matthew James-Thomas Vincent
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Publication number: 20120126522Abstract: A steering column assembly includes a rake bracket and a lower jacket secured to the rake bracket. An upper jacket is slidably disposed in the lower jacket and a locking bolt is rotatably located at the lower jacket configured to allow the upper jacket allow the translate along a steering column axis relative to the lower jacket when the locking bolt is in an unlocked position. A bolt driver is located at the locking bolt and is configured to interrupt a load path through a column retainer between the lower jacket and the rake bracket when the locking bolt is in an unlocked position.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 23, 2010Publication date: May 24, 2012Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.Inventors: Melvin Lee Tinnin, Kevin M. Burns, Michael Patrick Anspaugh, Matthew James-Thomas Vincent
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Patent number: 6854765Abstract: A steering shaft assembly has a tubular main body and a shaft, with a spring and a sleeve disposed at least partially therebetween. The shaft is disposed at least partially in the tubular main body and the sleeve is disposed at least partially between the spring and the main body. The sleeve acts to urge the spring into frictional contact with the shaft to impart an axial resistance force supporting the shaft against axial displacement in response to application of an axial force on the shaft less than the axial resistance force. The sleeve enables axial displacement of the shaft in response to application of an axial collapsing force exceeding the axial resistance force. In another construction of a steering shaft assembly, a shaft is disposed at least partially in the tubular main body and the spring is disposed at least partially in the tubular main body between the tubular main body and the shaft. The spring acts to impart a radial load between the shaft and the tubular main body.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2002Date of Patent: February 15, 2005Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Marc William Heinzman, Michael Patrick Anspaugh
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Patent number: 6799780Abstract: A plastic honey comb mounting bracket having a center passage surrounds a mast jacket of the steering column. The top of the plastic mounting bracket is clamped flush against a flat panel on a body of the motor vehicle by a pair of spring washers supported below respective ones of a pair of platforms on the mounting bracket by a pair of rigid studs on the vehicle body. The rigid studs are exposed through a pair of vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In some embodiments the spring washers release the plastic mounting bracket for linear translation as a unit with the mast jacket with the path traversed by the mast jacket being defined by the vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In another embodiment, the plastic mounting bracket remains stationary and the path traversed by the mast jacket during its collapse stroke is defined by the center passage in the plastic mounting bracket.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2003Date of Patent: October 5, 2004Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Michael Patrick Anspaugh, Thomas M. Tighe, Marc William Heinzman
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Publication number: 20040124624Abstract: A plastic honey comb mounting bracket having a center passage surrounds a mast jacket of the steering column. The top of the plastic mounting bracket is clamped flush against a flat panel on a body of the motor vehicle by a pair of spring washers supported below respective ones of a pair of platforms on the mounting bracket by a pair of rigid studs on the vehicle body. The rigid studs are exposed through a pair of vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In some embodiments the spring washers release the plastic mounting bracket for linear translation as a unit with the mast jacket with the path traversed by the mast jacket being defined by the vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In another embodiment, the plastic mounting bracket remains stationary and the path traversed by the mast jacket during its collapse stroke is defined by the center passage in the plastic mounting bracket.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2003Publication date: July 1, 2004Inventors: Michael Patrick Anspaugh, Thomas M. Tighe, Marc William Heinzman
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Publication number: 20040056467Abstract: A steering shaft assembly has a tubular main body and a shaft, with a spring and a sleeve disposed at least partially therebetween. The shaft is disposed at least partially in the tubular main body and the sleeve is disposed at least partially between the spring and the main body. The sleeve acts to urge the spring into frictional contact with the shaft to impart an axial resistance force supporting the shaft against axial displacement in response to application of an axial force on the shaft less than the axial resistance force. The sleeve enables axial displacement of the shaft in response to application of an axial collapsing force exceeding the axial resistance force. In another construction of a steering shaft assembly, a shaft is disposed at least partially in the tubular main body and the spring is disposed at least partially in the tubular main body between the tubular main body and the shaft. The spring acts to impart a radial load between the shaft and the tubular main body.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2002Publication date: March 25, 2004Applicant: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Marc William Heinzman, Michael Patrick Anspaugh
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Patent number: 6655715Abstract: A plastic honey comb mounting bracket having a center passage surrounds a mast jacket of the steering column. The top of the plastic mounting bracket is clamped flush against a flat panel on a body of the motor vehicle by a pair of spring washers supported below respective ones of a pair of platforms on the mounting bracket by a pair of rigid studs on the vehicle body. The rigid studs are exposed through a pair of vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In some embodiments the spring washers release the plastic mounting bracket for linear translation as a unit with the mast jacket with the path traversed by the mast jacket being defined by the vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In another embodiment, the plastic mounting bracket remains stationary and the path traversed by the mast jacket during its collapse stroke is defined by the center passage in the plastic mounting bracket.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2001Date of Patent: December 2, 2003Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Michael Patrick Anspaugh, Thomas M. Tighe, Marc William Heinzman
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Patent number: 6578449Abstract: The snap-on steering column shroud assembly includes an upper shroud and a lower shroud. The upper shroud has an upper steering shaft passage portion that is positioned vertically, axially and angularly relative to the upper steering shaft. A front edge is moved toward the steering column to move upper shroud cantilever snap fasteners into engagement with the steering column. Force is applied manually to force the upper shroud snap fasteners into a retaining position. A lower shroud is aligned with the upper shroud by alignment posts and alignment post receivers and then raised into contact with the steering column. Lower shroud cantilevered snap fasteners are manually forced into a lower shroud retaining position on the steering column. Snap connectors and snap receivers connect the upper shroud to the lower shroud.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2002Date of Patent: June 17, 2003Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Michael Patrick Anspaugh, Robert W. Dubay, Timothy D. Beach, Matthew J Allington, Henry A. Eurich
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Publication number: 20030001375Abstract: A mounting apparatus for an energy absorbing motor vehicle steering column including a molded structural plastic honey comb mounting bracket having a center passage around a mast jacket of the steering column. The top of the plastic mounting bracket is clamped flush against a flat panel on a body of the motor vehicle by a pair of spring washers supported below respective ones of a pair of platforms on the mounting bracket by a pair of rigid studs on the vehicle body. The rigid studs are exposed through a pair of vertical slots in the mounting bracket. In some embodiments of the mounting apparatus, the spring washers release the plastic mounting bracket for linear translation as a unit with the mast jacket through an energy absorbing collapse stroke of the latter with the path traversed by the mast jacket being defined by the vertical slots in the mounting bracket and the flat panel above the mounting bracket.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2001Publication date: January 2, 2003Inventors: Michael Patrick Anspaugh, Thomas M. Tighe, Marc William Heinzman
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Patent number: 5941129Abstract: A clamp for capturing an adjusted position of a motor vehicle steering column including a stationary bracket having planar sides on opposite sides of the steering column, vertical slots in the planar sides of the stationary bracket, and a rotatably immobilized bolt spanning the planar sides of the stationary bracket through the vertical slots. A primary nut includes a frustoconical shoulder and a tubular boss. The primary nut is screwed onto the bolt on one side of the stationary bracket and cooperates with a head of the bolt on the other side of the stationary bracket in squeezing together the planar sides of the stationary bracket. A plastic operating lever of the clamp has a lateral bore around the tubular boss on the primary nut and a frustoconical cavity which faces the frustoconical shoulder on the primary nut.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 1997Date of Patent: August 24, 1999Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Michael Patrick Anspaugh, Randy Thomas Christensen, Michael James Housel, Amy Elizabeth Foss Miller
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Patent number: 5911438Abstract: An energy absorber including a yoke on a vehicle body pivotable about a lateral centerline thereof, a linear bore in the yoke surrounding a steering column mast jacket, a ball sleeve between the mast jacket and the linear bore, a plurality of steel spheres interference fitted between the mast jacket and the linear bore and loosely received in apertures in the ball sleeve, and an annular lip on the yoke. The interference fit of the steel spheres yields a rigid, lash-free connection between the vehicle body and a lower end of the mast jacket. An impact on the steering column induces linear translation of the mast jacket through the linear bore. The ball sleeve is trapped in the linear bore by the annular lip on the yoke. The steel spheres are held stationary by the apertures in the ball sleeve and plastically deform the mast jacket by plowing tracks therein to convert into work a fraction of the kinetic energy of the impact on the steering column.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 1998Date of Patent: June 15, 1999Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Michael Patrick Anspaugh, Ray Garnet Armstrong, James Anthony Smazenka
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Patent number: 5718132Abstract: An anti-theft steering shaft lock for an energy-absorbing motor vehicle steering column having a linearly collapsible mast jacket includes a unitized construction consisting of a cylinder lock attached to an instrument panel of the motor vehicle remote from the mast jacket, a lateral housing between the cylinder lock and the mast jacket, a lock bolt in the lateral housing, rack and pinion gears which convert rotation of an element of the cylinder lock into linear translation of the lock bolt, and a frangible connection means at which an inboard part of the unitized construction adjacent the mast jacket separates from an outboard part in the direction of linear collapse of the mast jacket. The frangible connection means includes a pair of laterally aligned frangible joints between inboard and outboard segments of the lateral housing and between inboard and outboard segments of the lock bolt.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 1996Date of Patent: February 17, 1998Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Richard Kremer Riefe, David Michael Byers, Michael Patrick Anspaugh
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Patent number: 5706704Abstract: An energy absorber for a motor vehicle steering column including a yoke pivotable about a lateral centerline of a motor vehicle body and an energy absorbing means between the yoke and the mast jacket responsive to linear translation of the mast jacket relative to the yoke. The mast jacket extends through a bore in the yoke and a plastic bushing in the bore prevents the mast jacket from tilting relative to the yoke before and during linear translation of the mast jacket. The energy absorbing means includes a flat metal strap attached at one end to the mast jacket and bent over a convex anvil on the yoke. The metal strap is pulled over the anvil parallel to a longitudinal centerline of the mast jacket and plastically deformed to convert into work a fraction of the kinetic energy of an impact on the steering column.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 1996Date of Patent: January 13, 1998Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Richard Kremer Riefe, Howard David Beauch, David Michael Byers, Michael Patrick Anspaugh
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Patent number: 5669634Abstract: An energy absorber for a motor vehicle steering column including a yoke pivotable about a lateral centerline of a body of the motor vehicle and an energy absorbing structure responsive to linear translation of a mast jacket of the steering column relative to the yoke in the direction of a longitudinal centerline of the mast jacket. The mast jacket extends through a bore in the yoke and is prevented by the bore from tipping relative to the yoke. The energy absorbing structure includes a convex anvil on the mast jacket and a J-shaped flat metal strap seated on the convex anvil with a short leg rigidly attached to the yoke and a long leg juxtaposed a wall of the mast jacket.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 1996Date of Patent: September 23, 1997Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventors: Marc William Heinzman, Michael Patrick Anspaugh, Richard Kremer Riefe, David Michael Byers
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Patent number: RE39440Abstract: The snap-on steering column shroud assembly includes an upper shroud and a lower shroud. The upper shroud has an upper steering shaft passage portion that is positioned vertically, axially and angularly relative to the upper steering shaft. A front edge is moved toward the steering column to move upper shroud cantilever snap fasteners into engagement with the steering column. Force is applied manually to force the upper shroud snap fasteners into a retaining position. A lower shroud is aligned with the upper shroud by alignment posts and alignment post receivers and then raised into contact with the steering column. Lower shroud cantilevered snap fasteners are manually forced into a lower shroud retaining position on the steering column. Snap connectors and snap receivers connect the upper shroud to the lower shroud.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2004Date of Patent: December 26, 2006Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Michael Patrick Anspaugh, Robert W. Dubay, Timothy D. Beach, Matthew J. Allington, Henry A. Eurich