Patents by Inventor Palani Palaniappan

Palani Palaniappan 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).

  • Patent number: 9527464
    Abstract: Bumpers and vehicles that include bumpers are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a bumper includes a bumper beam assembly, the bumper beam assembly including a beam, the beam including a front side that is oriented to face forward in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a bumper extension portion that is coupled to the beam and positioned at an outboard end of the bumper beam assembly, the bumper extension portion including a front side that is oriented face forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a top side that is oriented transverse to the front side, and a bottom side that is oriented transverse to the front side, and a reinforcement bracket that is coupled to the bumper extension portion, where the reinforcement bracket includes a front side that extends across the front side of the bumper extension portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark D. Clauser, Yizhou Fan, Palani Palaniappan, Naipaul Ramoutar, Manikandan Baby Mony
  • Patent number: 9440607
    Abstract: A bumper includes a bumper reinforcement beam and a reinforcement bracket positioned on a front side of the bumper reinforcement beam at an outboard end of the bumper reinforcement beam. An energy diverting bumper structure is positioned on a front side of the reinforcement bracket. The energy diverting bumper structure is connected directly to the reinforcement bracket and is connected indirectly to the bumper reinforcement beam through the reinforcement bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Craig Harris, Edgardo Reyes-Crespo, Scott L. Frederick, Palani Palaniappan, Avinash S. Phadatare, Kristin Zwirlein, Sanjeev Gupta
  • Patent number: 9421821
    Abstract: Vehicle structures for dissipating and distributing energy associated with a collision are described herein. In one embodiment, a rim includes an inner flange and an outer flange that extend around a periphery of the rim, a rim wall that extends around the periphery of the rim and that extends between the inner flange and the outer flange in the vehicle lateral direction, a drop-well portion that is positioned between the rim wall and the outer flange in the vehicle lateral direction, where the rim wall comprises an increased thickness region that is positioned proximate to the drop-well portion, and where a maximum thickness of the increased thickness region is greater than a maximum thickness of the rim wall positioned outside of the increased thickness region, and at least one spoke extending radially inward from the drop-well portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Avinash S. Phadatare, Palani Palaniappan, Jesse Taylor, James E. Ralph
  • Publication number: 20160144813
    Abstract: Bumpers and vehicles that include bumpers are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a bumper includes a bumper beam assembly, the bumper beam assembly including a beam, the beam including a front side that is oriented to face forward in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a bumper extension portion that is coupled to the beam and positioned at an outboard end of the bumper beam assembly, the bumper extension portion including a front side that is oriented face forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a top side that is oriented transverse to the front side, and a bottom side that is oriented transverse to the front side, and a reinforcement bracket that is coupled to the bumper extension portion, where the reinforcement bracket includes a front side that extends across the front side of the bumper extension portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark D. Clauser, Yizhou Fan, Palani Palaniappan, Naipaul Ramoutar, Manikandan Baby Mony
  • Publication number: 20160101649
    Abstract: Vehicle structures for dissipating and distributing energy associated with a collision are described herein. In one embodiment, a rim includes an inner flange and an outer flange that extend around a periphery of the rim, a rim wall that extends around the periphery of the rim and that extends between the inner flange and the outer flange in the vehicle lateral direction, a drop-well portion that is positioned between the rim wall and the outer flange in the vehicle lateral direction, where the rim wall comprises an increased thickness region that is positioned proximate to the drop-well portion, and where a maximum thickness of the increased thickness region is greater than a maximum thickness of the rim wall positioned outside of the increased thickness region, and at least one spoke extending radially inward from the drop-well portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Avinash S. Phadatare, Palani Palaniappan, Jesse Taylor, James E. Ralph
  • Patent number: 9296427
    Abstract: Vehicle structures for dissipating energy associated with a collision are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a vehicle includes a side support that extends between a front suspension mount and a rear suspension mount of the vehicle. The side support includes a targeted energy absorption portion that defines a high-strength region of the side support. The vehicle also includes a cab mounting bracket coupled to the side support and extending outward from the side support. The cab mounting bracket includes a rearward attachment position on the side support and the rearward attachment position of the cab mounting bracket is positioned proximate to the high-strength region of the side support. The vehicle further includes a wheel assembly that is coupled to the front suspension mount and is positioned forward of the cab mounting bracket in a vehicle longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: John P. Kim, Jonathan R. Young, Palani Palaniappan, Toshiyuki Kasai, Masahiro Onoda, Shinpei Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20160068191
    Abstract: Vehicle structures for dissipating energy associated with a collision are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a vehicle includes a side support that extends between a front suspension mount and a rear suspension mount of the vehicle. The side support includes a targeted energy absorption portion that defines a high-strength region of the side support. The vehicle also includes a cab mounting bracket coupled to the side support and extending outward from the side support. The cab mounting bracket includes a rearward attachment position on the side support and the rearward attachment position of the cab mounting bracket is positioned proximate to the high-strength region of the side support. The vehicle further includes a wheel assembly that is coupled to the front suspension mount and is positioned forward of the cab mounting bracket in a vehicle longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: John P. Kim, Jonathan R. Young, Palani Palaniappan, Toshiyuki Kasai, Masahiro Onoda, Shinpei Matsumoto