Patents by Inventor Robert Clayton Caldwell

Robert Clayton Caldwell 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: 11530736
    Abstract: A track system includes a track member with an elongate shaft mounted thereto. At least one support mechanism is mounted to the track member. The at least one support mechanism includes a housing. An engagement feature includes first and second engagement members spaced-apart from one another to define a receiving area therebetween. The first and second engagement members are operable between deployed and retracted positions relative to the housing. The elongate shaft is received in the receiving area when the first and second engagement members are in the deployed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Michael Kish, Joshua Gauthier, Matthew Schwope, Robert Clayton Caldwell, Johnathan Andrew Line, Cung K. Chieu, Changwei Xie, Macit Aktas, Glenn Scott
  • Patent number: 11433785
    Abstract: A rail assembly can include a track assembly, an elongate shaft mounted to the track assembly, and a carriage assembly received within the track assembly. The carriage assembly can include a slider bracket. The slider bracket includes a first ramp portion and a second ramp portion. The first and second ramp portions are disposed on opposite sides of the slider bracket. The first and second ramp portions each define a receiving aperture. The elongate shaft is received through the receiving apertures of the first and second ramp portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Macit Aktas, Joshua Gauthier, Joseph Michael Kish, Johnathan Andrew Line, Adarsh Gupta, Robert Clayton Caldwell, Changwei Xie
  • Patent number: 11332046
    Abstract: A rail assembly includes a track assembly, an elongate shaft mounted to the track assembly, and a carriage assembly received within the track assembly. The carriage assembly includes a body portion, an exterior surface of the body portion, a slider bracket fastened to the exterior surface of the body portion, and a gear box positioned within the slider bracket. The elongate shaft extends through the gear box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Macit Aktas, Joshua Gauthier, Joseph Michael Kish, Johnathan Andrew Line, Adarsh Gupta, Robert Clayton Caldwell, Changwei Xie
  • Patent number: 11332086
    Abstract: A vehicle track assembly includes a conductive rail coupled to the track assembly. The conductive rail includes an electrically insulative substrate and one or more conductive strips attached to the substrate. The vehicle track assembly further includes a track-mounted component electrically coupled to the conductive rail. The track-mounted component includes a cantilevered biasing member and one or more electrical contacts. The cantilevered biasing member biases the one or more electrical contacts toward the one or more conductive strips to maintain an electrical connection between the one or more electrical contacts and the one or more conductive strips as the track-mounted component is moved along the conductive rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Clayton Caldwell, Cung K. Chieu, Joseph Michael Kish, Macit Aktas, Glenn Scott, Ray Kurlonko
  • Patent number: 11104248
    Abstract: A rail assembly includes a track assembly defining an interior channel, a shuttle assembly received within the interior channel, and a carriage assembly coupled to the track assembly. The shuttle assembly includes a lock assembly. The carriage assembly includes a trigger assembly. The trigger assembly includes a trigger cam and an actuator cam coupled to the trigger cam. The actuator cam actuates the carriage assembly between locked and unlocked configurations relative to the track assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Glenn Scott, Alan George Dry, Eric Morse, Joseph Michael Kish, Macit Aktas, Joshua Gauthier, Cung K. Chieu, Robert Clayton Caldwell, Matthew Schwope, Changwei Xie, Johnathan Andrew Line, Ray Kurlonko, Arya Sabeti
  • Patent number: 11072260
    Abstract: A rail assembly includes a track assembly with a retaining lip and a carriage assembly that is received within the track assembly. The carriage assembly includes a body portion, an exterior surface of the body portion, and a retaining bracket fastened to the exterior surface. The retaining bracket extends outwardly from the point at which the retaining bracket is fastened to the exterior surface. The retaining bracket defines a notch that receives the retaining lip of the track assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Macit Aktas, Joshua Gauthier, Joseph Michael Kish, Johnathan Andrew Line, Adarsh Gupta, Robert Clayton Caldwell, Changwei Xie
  • Publication number: 20210159653
    Abstract: A vehicle track assembly includes a conductive rail coupled to the track assembly. The conductive rail includes an electrically insulative substrate and one or more conductive strips attached to the substrate. The vehicle track assembly further includes a track-mounted component electrically coupled to the conductive rail. The track-mounted component includes a cantilevered biasing member and one or more electrical contacts. The cantilevered biasing member biases the one or more electrical contacts toward the one or more conductive strips to maintain an electrical connection between the one or more electrical contacts and the one or more conductive strips as the track-mounted component is moved along the conductive rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Clayton Caldwell, Cung K. Chieu, Joseph Michael Kish, Macit Aktas, Glenn Scott, Ray Kurlonko
  • Publication number: 20210101506
    Abstract: A rail assembly includes a track assembly defining an interior channel, a shuttle assembly received within the interior channel, and a carriage assembly coupled to the track assembly. The shuttle assembly includes a lock assembly. The carriage assembly includes a trigger assembly. The trigger assembly includes a trigger cam and an actuator cam coupled to the trigger cam. The actuator cam actuates the carriage assembly between locked and unlocked configurations relative to the track assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: Glenn Scott, Alan George Dry, Eric Morse, Joseph Michael Kish, Macit Aktas, Joshua Gauthier, Cung K. Chieu, Robert Clayton Caldwell, Matthew Schwope, Changwei Xie, Johnathan Andrew Line, Ray Kurlonko, Arya Sabeti
  • Publication number: 20210053464
    Abstract: A rail assembly includes a track assembly with a retaining lip and a carriage assembly that is received within the track assembly. The carriage assembly includes a body portion, an exterior surface of the body portion, and a retaining bracket fastened to the exterior surface. The retaining bracket extends outwardly from the point at which the retaining bracket is fastened to the exterior surface. The retaining bracket defines a notch that receives the retaining lip of the track assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Macit Aktas, Joshua Gauthier, Joseph Michael Kish, Johnathan Andrew Line, Adarsh Gupta, Robert Clayton Caldwell, Changwei Xie
  • Publication number: 20210053467
    Abstract: A rail assembly can include a track assembly, an elongate shaft mounted to the track assembly, and a carriage assembly received within the track assembly. The carriage assembly can include a slider bracket. The slider bracket includes a first ramp portion and a second ramp portion. The first and second ramp portions are disposed on opposite sides of the slider bracket. The first and second ramp portions each define a receiving aperture. The elongate shaft is received through the receiving apertures of the first and second ramp portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Macit Aktas, Joshua Gauthier, Joseph Michael Kish, Johnathan Andrew Line, Adarsh Gupta, Robert Clayton Caldwell, Changwei Xie
  • Publication number: 20210053468
    Abstract: A rail assembly includes a track assembly, an elongate shaft mounted to the track assembly, and a carriage assembly received within the track assembly. The carriage assembly includes a body portion, an exterior surface of the body portion, a slider bracket fastened to the exterior surface of the body portion, and a gear box positioned within the slider bracket. The elongate shaft extends through the gear box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Macit Aktas, Joshua Gauthier, Joseph Michael Kish, Johnathan Andrew Line, Adarsh Gupta, Robert Clayton Caldwell, Changwei Xie
  • Publication number: 20200408280
    Abstract: A track system includes a track member with an elongate shaft mounted thereto. At least one support mechanism is mounted to the track member. The at least one support mechanism includes a housing. An engagement feature includes first and second engagement members spaced-apart from one another to define a receiving area therebetween. The first and second engagement members are operable between deployed and retracted positions relative to the housing. The elongate shaft is received in the receiving area when the first and second engagement members are in the deployed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Michael Kish, Joshua Gauthier, Matthew Schwope, Robert Clayton Caldwell, Johnathan Andrew Line, Cung K. Chieu, Changwei Xie, Macit Aktas, Glenn Scott