Patents by Inventor Pierre Savaria

Pierre Savaria 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: 7059455
    Abstract: A brake actuator is mounted on a towed vehicle. The towed vehicle's own brake pedal actuates the brakes of the towed vehicle and the brake pedal is actuated by a cable mechanically and releasably attached to the brake pedal. The cable is itself fixedly attached to a cable attachment means which is part of a body. In turn, the body is connected to the towing vehicle through a towing implement in the form of a tow bar. When the towing vehicle decelerates, the inertia of the towed vehicle causes the mounting bars to apply pressure against a lower part of the body, this is countered by the tow bar, connected on an upper part of the body, which has for effect to make the body rotate around its axis which is situated in a middle part of the body. This results in the lower part being moved forward which pulls on the cable, which in turn pulls on the brake pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Inventor: Pierre Savaria
  • Publication number: 20050218714
    Abstract: A brake actuator is mounted on a towed vehicle. The towed vehicle's own brake pedal actuates the brakes of the towed vehicle and the brake pedal is actuated by a cable mechanically and releasably attached to the brake pedal. The cable is itself fixedly attached to a cable attachment means which is part of a body. In turn, the body is connected to the towing vehicle through a towing implement in the form of a tow bar. When the towing vehicle decelerates, the inertia of the towed vehicle causes the mounting bars to apply pressure against a lower part of the body, this is countered by the tow bar, connected on an upper part of the body, which has for effect to make the body rotate around its axis which is situated in a middle part of the body. This results in the lower part being moved forward which pulls on the cable, which in turn pulls on the brake pedal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2005
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Inventor: Pierre Savaria
  • Patent number: 6293748
    Abstract: A storable ramp assembly for use with carrier vehicles such as light van is described herein. The storable ramp comprises a panel assembly hingedly mounted between first and second generally parallel longitudinal end members. The panel assembly includes a plurality of longitudinal intermediate panels hingedly mounted side by side so as to render the panel assembly accordion foldable. The storable ramp assembly further include a deployment mechanism in the form of a pivoting bar pivotally mounted to the first end member and slidably mounted to the second end member. The pivoting bar is used to position the first and second end members between a close and a spaced relationship. When the end members are in a close relationship, the intermediate panels are layered and the ramp assembly is in a storing configuration. Concurrently, when the end members are in a spaced relationship, the intermediate panels are oriented so as to form a generally continuous plane and the ramp assembly is in an operating configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Inventor: Pierre Savaria
  • Patent number: 6203266
    Abstract: A vehicular wheelchair lift with a power controlled safety barrier for physically blocking a wheelchair from inadvertently rolling off a platform of the wheelchair lift during use. The power safety barrier utilizes a linkage mechanism to open or close a roll stop. The linkage mechanism includes a pair of linkage bars and a flexible linkage member to mechanically connect the roll stop to a power actuating device. The roll stop is pivotably mounted to an outer end of the platform. The roll stop is required to open and close relative to the platform according to the relative platform positions. When the platform is in the ground position, the roll stop is opened substantially in a horizontal plane and is an extension of the platform for unloading the wheelchair. In the powered control aspects, during the wheelchair lift transition period when platform is off the ground position, the roll stop is actuated to the closed position before the wheelchair lift can be operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Ricon Corporation
    Inventors: Pierre Savaria, Dante Vincent DeLeo
  • Patent number: 6086314
    Abstract: A wheelchair lift for use in conjunction with a vehicle having a door opening and a floor. The wheelchair lift includes a foldable platform assembly having two platform plates hingeably connected along their adjacent edges which are automatically foldable and stowed at one side of the vehicle door opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Ricon Corporation
    Inventor: Pierre Savaria
  • Patent number: 5944473
    Abstract: A wheelchair lift, as for use with a vehicle, includes a platform for receiving a wheelchair carried as a pivot mechanism including two pairs of cooperating parallelogram structures adopted to be affixed to a vehicle for moving the platform between loading, entry and stowed positions by hydraulic actuation. A bridge plate structure is actuated by the pivot mechanism to be positioned as a bridge into the vehicle in the entry position, as a roll stop when a wheelchair is being carried and as a latch unit in the stowed position. A cam-cable mechanism actuates the bridge plate and the parallelogram structures of each pair are interlocked in moving between the stowed and entry positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Ricon Corporation
    Inventors: Stanton D. Saucier, Pierre Savaria, Jules Tremblay, Nelson Tremblay
  • Patent number: 5605431
    Abstract: A wheelchair lift, as for use with a vehicle, includes a platform for receiving a wheelchair carried as a pivot mechanism including two pairs of cooperating parallelogram structures adopted to be affixed to a vehicle for moving the platform between loading, entry and stowed positions by hydraulic actuation. A bridge plate structure is actuated by the pivot mechanism to be positioned as a bridge into the vehicle in the entry position, as a roll stop when a wheelchair is being carried and as a latch unit in the stowed position. A cam-cable mechanism actuates the bridge plate and the parallelogram structures of each pair are interlocked in moving between the stowed and entry positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Ricon Corporation
    Inventors: Stanton D. Saucier, Pierre Savaria, Jules Tremblay, Nelson Tremblay
  • Patent number: 5445488
    Abstract: A wheelchair lift, as for use with a vehicle, includes a platform for receiving a wheelchair carried as a pivot mechanism including two pairs of cooperating parallelogram structures adopted to be affixed to a vehicle for moving the platform between loading, entry and stowed positions by hydraulic actuation. A bridge plate structure is actuated by the pivot mechanism to be positioned as a bridge into the vehicle in the entry position, as a roll stop when a wheelchair is being carried and as a latch unit in the stowed position. A cam-cable mechanism actuates the bridge plate and the parallelogram structures of each pair are interlocked in moving between the stowed and entry positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: Ricon Corporation
    Inventors: Stanton D. Saucier, Pierre Savaria, Jules Tremblay, Nelson Tremblay
  • Patent number: 4534450
    Abstract: An invalid lift assembly installed in a vehicle such as a van or the like. It is specially adapted to permit a non-invalid person to use the door opening even when it is stored. The lift assembly comprises a platform which is made of a frame supporting two independent sections displaceable in between a coplanar position and a transverse position. The platform is rotatable in between an upstanding stored position inside the vehicle and an outside intermediate position level and parallel with the vehicle floor and moveable from that position to the ground and inversely. A pair of armatures swingable in parallel paths on each side of the platform connect the platform to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1985
    Inventor: Pierre Savaria