Patents by Inventor Nina Tortosa-Boonacker

Nina Tortosa-Boonacker 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).

  • Retractable curved air dam
    Patent number: 7686383
    Abstract: A retractable curved air dam assembly is provided for improving the aerodynamic characteristics of a motor vehicle. The air dam assembly is segmented to include a plurality of panel members each adapted to pivotably attach to the underside of the front-end vehicle structure. The panel members are configured to selectively transition between a deployed position, in which the panel members are preferably in a generally vertical orientation, and a stowed position, in which the panel members are in a generally horizontal orientation. The panel members are shingled (i.e., partially overlapped) such that pivoting a center panel from the deployed position to the stowed position thereby pivots the side panels to the stowed position, and such that pivoting a side panel from the stowed position to the deployed position thereby pivots the center panels to the deployed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventor: Nina Tortosa-Boonacker
  • RETRACTABLE CURVED AIR DAM
    Publication number: 20100052361
    Abstract: A retractable curved air dam assembly is provided for improving the aerodynamic characteristics of a motor vehicle. The air dam assembly is segmented to include a plurality of panel members each adapted to pivotably attach to the underside of the front-end vehicle structure. The panel members are configured to selectively transition between a deployed position, in which the panel members are preferably in a generally vertical orientation, and a stowed position, in which the panel members are in a generally horizontal orientation. The panel members are shingled (i.e., partially overlapped) such that pivoting a center panel from the deployed position to the stowed position thereby pivots the side panels to the stowed position, and such that pivoting a side panel from the stowed position to the deployed position thereby pivots the center panels to the deployed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Nina Tortosa-Boonacker