Patents by Inventor Stephen F. Shuler

Stephen F. Shuler 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: 7188876
    Abstract: A bumper system for an automobile vehicle includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a beam and an energy absorber coupled to the beam. The beam has a top surface and a bottom surface, and is configured to attach to the vehicle. The energy absorber includes a body having a first side and an opposing second side, a plurality of crush lobes extending from the first side, and a plurality of vertical translational crush lobes extending from the second side. The second side faces the beam, and each vertical translational crush lobe engages the top surface or the bottom surface of the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Eric J. Jaarda, Alok Nanda, Stephen F. Shuler
  • Patent number: 7163242
    Abstract: A bumper system for an automobile vehicle includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a beam configured to attach to the vehicle, and an energy absorber coupled to the beam. The energy absorber includes a body, an upper crushable member extending from the body, and a lower crushable member extending from the body and spaced apart from the upper crushable member. The upper and lower crushable members each include an upper transverse wall, a lower transverse wall, and an outer wall. Each upper transverse wall and each lower transverse wall includes alternating solid portions and open portions. Each solid and open portion extends from the body to the outer wall of a crushable member. The solid portions of the lower transverse wall of the upper crushable member are aligned with the open portions of the upper transverse wall of the lower crushable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stephen F. Shuler, Gopi Krishna Surisetty, Alok Nanda
  • Patent number: 7086690
    Abstract: A bumper system for an automobile vehicle includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a first beam configured to attached to the vehicle and a first energy absorber coupled to the first beam. The first energy absorber is tunable for meeting predetermined criteria for both low speed and pedestrian impacts, and includes a plurality of tunable lobes. The lobes are tuned so that a stiffness of the first energy absorber varies from a center of the first energy absorber to each end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stephen F. Shuler, Alok Nanda, Takaaki Nemoto, Frank Mooijman, Katsuhisa Kumagai, A. D. Shaleena
  • Patent number: 6866313
    Abstract: A bumper system for an automobile vehicle includes a beam configured to attached to vehicle rails and an energy absorber coupled to the beam. The energy absorber is tunable for meeting predetermined criteria for both low speed and pedestrian impacts, and includes a flanged frame for attachment to the beam, a body that includes a plurality of lobes extending from the flanged frame and spaced apart from each other. Each lobe includes first and second side walls, having a concave shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Frank Mooijman, Stephen F. Shuler, Alok Nanda
  • Patent number: 6726262
    Abstract: A bumper assembly (20) for an automotive vehicle. The bumper assembly includes comprises a beam (24) and an energy absorber (22). In one example embodiment, the energy absorber is tunable for meeting predetermined criteria for both low speed and pedestrian impacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kees Marijnissen, Stephen F. Shuler, Srikanth M. Santhanam
  • Publication number: 20040066048
    Abstract: A bumper system for an automobile vehicle includes a beam configured to attached to vehicle rails and an energy absorber coupled to the beam. The energy absorber is tunable for meeting predetermined criteria for both low speed and pedestrian impacts, and includes a flanged frame for attachment to the beam, a body that includes a plurality of lobes extending from the flanged frame and spaced apart from each other. Each lobe includes first and second side walls, having a concave shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventors: Frank Mooijman, Stephen F. Shuler, Alok Nanda