Patents by Inventor Rory Patrick Pheiffer

Rory Patrick Pheiffer 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).

  • Vehicle seat drive having a mechanical inchworm linear motion actuator
    Patent number: 6666513
    Abstract: A vehicle seat drive for driving a vehicle seat includes a mechanical inchworm linear motion actuator. A linearly movable shaft is coupled to the vehicle seat such that the vehicle seat moves as the shaft moves. The actuator includes a jamming module and an actuation module. The jamming module has left and right jamming plates operable for engaging and disengaging the shaft while moving linearly with respect to the shaft. The actuation module is operable for applying linear forces on the jamming plates to have the jamming plates engage and disengage the shaft and move linearly with respect to the shaft. The actuation module applies a first linear force in a first linear direction on a jamming plate to have the jamming plate engage and move the shaft in the first linear direction thereby moving the vehicle seat in the first linear direction while causing the other jamming plate to disengage from the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Chun Hua Zheng, H. Winston Maue, Rory Patrick Pheiffer, Luke Massery, Daniel Sandoval, Ernesto E. Blanco
  • Vehicle seat drive having a mechanical inchworm linear motion actuator
    Publication number: 20020145323
    Abstract: A vehicle seat drive for driving a vehicle seat includes a mechanical inchworm linear motion actuator. A linearly movable shaft is coupled to the vehicle seat such that the vehicle seat moves as the shaft moves. The actuator includes a jamming module and an actuation module. The jamming module has left and right jamming plates operable for engaging and disengaging the shaft while moving linearly with respect to the shaft. The actuation module is operable for applying linear forces on the jamming plates to have the jamming plates engage and disengage the shaft and move linearly with respect to the shaft. The actuation module applies a first linear force in a first linear direction on a jamming plate to have the jamming plate engage and move the shaft in the first linear direction thereby moving the vehicle seat in the first linear direction while causing the other jamming plate to disengage from the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Applicant: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Chun hua Zheng, H. Winston Maue, Rory Patrick Pheiffer, Luke Massery, Daniel Sandoval, Ernesto E. Blanco