Patents by Inventor Peter John Schuster

Peter John Schuster 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: 6712410
    Abstract: An extruded bumper for a vehicle includes a top face, a bottom face generally opposing the top face, a front face, and a rear face generally opposing the front face. A bumper interior cavity is generally bounded by and defined between the top face, the bottom face, the front face, and the rear face. The bumper interior cavity has at least one partition located therein which is aligned in a longitudinal plane defined by a vehicle rail. The bumper can be extruded along either the x-axis or the z-axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Conrad Michael Kudelko, Gregory Allen Kaepp, Peter John Schuster
  • Patent number: 6663151
    Abstract: A bumper system for a motor vehicle includes an energy absorber and a bumper beam interconnecting the energy absorber and vehicle structure. The bumper system also includes a push bar disposed below and operatively connected to the bumper beam to deflect and rotate during an impact with an object by the bumper system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dhafer Mansoor, Jeffrey Leonard Bladow, Peter John Schuster, Shui-Fang (Ray) Chou
  • Patent number: 6568023
    Abstract: A crushable windshield wiper pivot is provided. The crushable wiper pivot includes a pivot base, a hollow sleeve, and a cap. The pivot base is driven by a windshield wiper motor and adaptable to reciprocate the windshield wiper arm and its components across the windshield. The pivot base is disposed partially in a vehicle cowl. The hollow sleeve includes a first end mounted on the pivot base, a middle section adaptable to crush outwardly and vertically, and a second end. The cap of the present invention is mounted on the second end of the hollow sleeve. The cap has a surface adaptable to mate with a base of a wiper arm whereby the cap is vertically displaced and the hollow sleeve crushes outwardly and vertically at the middle section when subjected to a pedestrian impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Giovanni Perin, Peter John Schuster
  • Patent number: 6554332
    Abstract: A pedestrian safety device for mounting to an automotive vehicle has a relatively low-resistance mechanical response when struck by an object having the approximate width of a human leg, and relatively high-resistance response when struck by an object wider than a human leg. The impact energy management device comprises a backplate attachable the vehicle and a plurality of seesaw elements attached to the backplate for pivoting movement relative to the backplate. Each element has a first and a second contact end spaced forwardly from the beam. When a narrow object like a pedestrian's leg strikes the device, only one end of each seesaw element is urged toward the backplate and the element pivots with respect to the backplate to absorb energy and offer a relatively low resistance. When a wider object strikes the device, both contact ends of a seesaw element are engaged so that the element bends toward the backplate. The strain caused by the bending offering a higher resistance to intrusion by the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Peter John Schuster, Liz Tait, Bradley Staines, Christopher William Lucas, Edward Nathan Sickafus
  • Publication number: 20030038488
    Abstract: An extruded bumper for a vehicle includes a top face, a bottom face generally opposing the top face, a front face, and a rear face generally opposing the front face. A bumper interior cavity is generally bounded by and defined between the top face, the bottom face, the front face, and the rear face. The bumper interior cavity has at least one partition located therein which is aligned in a longitudinal plane defined by a vehicle rail. The bumper can be extruded along either the x-axis or the z-axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2001
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Conrad Michael Kudelko, Gregory Allen Kaepp, Peter John Schuster
  • Patent number: 6513843
    Abstract: A bumper system for reducing injury to a pedestrian struck by an automotive vehicle by lessening the likelihood of pedestrian knee joint damage or underbody entrapment while minimizing the point load applied to the lower leg. The bumper assembly includes a bumper beam having a front surface, cushioning material such as energy absorbent high-density foam disposed on the front surface of the bumper beam, and a pedestrian protection leg spoiler secured to the bumper beam and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom to position the leading edge of the leg spoiler below the cushioning material. The cushioning material absorbs energy of the initial impact with the leg in the vicinity of the knee, and the leg spoiler contacts the leg at a lower position. The leg spoiler has stiffness characteristics such that the impact load applied by the leg to the leading edge causes the leg spoiler to bend rearward in the manner of a cantilever beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Stanley Frederick, Peter John Schuster
  • Publication number: 20020180224
    Abstract: A bumper system for a motor vehicle includes an energy absorber and a bumper beam interconnecting the energy absorber and vehicle structure. The bumper system also includes a push bar disposed below and operatively connected to the bumper beam to deflect and rotate during an impact with an object by the bumper system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventors: Dhafer Mansoor, Jeffrey Leonard Bladow, Peter John Schuster, Shui-Fang (Ray) Chou
  • Patent number: 6460909
    Abstract: A bumper system for a motor vehicle includes an energy absorber and a bumper beam interconnecting the energy absorber and vehicle structure. The bumper system also includes a push bar disposed below and operatively connected to the bumper beam to deflect and rotate during an impact with an object by the bumper system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dhafer Mansoor, Jeffrey Leonard Bladow, Peter John Schuster, Shui-Fang Chou
  • Patent number: 6415882
    Abstract: A device for raising the hood of an automotive vehicle to increase the amount of space between the hood and underhood components to increase the energy absorbed by the hood during collision with a pedestrian. A pivot secured to the vehicle body structure engages a slot in a hinge secured to the hood. During normal vehicle operation, the pin is retained in a pin retention pocket at an upper end of the slot, and the slot narrows at a neck portion immediately below the pin retention pocket to prevent the hood from being lifted upwardly. A powered deployment cylinder is activated by a pedestrian impact detection system and urges the hood and the hinge upward relative to the body structure, the pivot sliding downward in the slot. The cylinder applies sufficient upward force to hood and/or hinge to force the pivot through the neck portion of the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter John Schuster, Shah Iskander Farooq
  • Publication number: 20020073501
    Abstract: A crushable windshield wiper pivot is provided. The crushable wiper pivot includes a pivot base, a hollow sleeve, and a cap. The pivot base is driven by a windshield wiper motor and adaptable to reciprocate the windshield wiper arm and its components across the windshield. The pivot base is disposed partially in a vehicle cowl. The hollow sleeve includes a first end mounted on the pivot base, a middle section adaptable to crush outwardly and vertically, and a second end. The cap of the present invention is mounted on the second end of the hollow sleeve. The cap has a surface adaptable to mate with a base of a wiper arm whereby the cap is vertically displaced and the hollow sleeve crushes outwardly and vertically at the middle section when subjected to a pedestrian impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventors: Giovanni Perin, Peter John Schuster
  • Patent number: 6394512
    Abstract: A pedestrian protection apparatus for a truck is provided. The apparatus includes a bumper member mounted to a vehicle, a linkage, a stiffener, an extendible cross-member and an actuator. The extendible cross-member is mounted on a stiffener which in turn is mounted at each end at a first linkage and a second linkage respectively. The pedestrian protection apparatus may extend out from under the vehicle at speeds greater than a predetermined speed in order to prevent injury to a pedestrian in a collision. The linkages are disposed between the extendible cross-member and the bumper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter John Schuster, Gregory Stanley Frederick, Shui-Fang (Ray) Chou, Jeffrey Leonard Bladow
  • Publication number: 20010030432
    Abstract: A bumper system for a motor vehicle includes an energy absorber and a bumper beam interconnecting the energy absorber and vehicle structure. The bumper system also includes a push bar disposed below and operatively connected to the bumper beam to deflect and rotate during an impact with an object by the bumper system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Publication date: October 18, 2001
    Inventors: Dhafer Mansoor, Jeffrey Leonard Bladow, Peter John Schuster, Shui-Fang (Ray) Chou
  • Patent number: 6089628
    Abstract: A stiffener assembly for a bumper system of a motor vehicle includes a stiffener operatively connected to the bumper system and movable between an up position and a down position based on a speed of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter John Schuster