Patents by Inventor Timothy Clayton Smith

Timothy Clayton Smith 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: 11529901
    Abstract: A grab bar assembly includes a support beam adapted to be mounted to a vehicle and defining a longitudinal axis, a grab bar having an inner beam disposed within the support beam and movable relative to the support beam in first and second directions along the longitudinal axis. The assembly further includes a locking plate attached to the inner beam and a locking mechanism coupled to the support beam and having a latch movable between a lock position engaging the locking plate to fix the grab bar in a location relative to the support beam and a release position disengaging the locking plate to permit adjustment of the grab bar and the inner beam along the longitudinal axis in one of the first and second directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: KA Group AG
    Inventors: Timothy Clayton Smith, Jesse L. Henrikson, Reyna Lynn Wygant
  • Patent number: 11352046
    Abstract: A lever assembly (20) has a lever (24) mounted to a lever housing (22), a plunger (26), an auto-return housing (28) pivotable relative to the lever housing (22), a trigger mechanism (30) movable relative to the auto-return housing (28), and a yoke member (32) pivotable relative to the auto-return housing (22) independent of the auto-return housing. The trigger mechanism (30) is movable to an extended position in response to movement of the plunger (26) for engaging a cam element (12) of the steering column (10) for auto-return of the lever to a rest position. The yoke member (32) interacts with the plunger (26) when the plunger (26) pivots with the lever (24) to cause the yoke (32) to pivot toward an engaged position, and the yoke (32) interacts with the trigger mechanism (30) when the yoke (32) is pivoted to move the trigger mechanism (30) toward the extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: KA Group AG
    Inventors: Timothy Clayton Smith, Christopher Glenn Turney, Kenichi Miyagi
  • Publication number: 20210354613
    Abstract: A grab bar assembly includes a support beam adapted to be mounted to a vehicle and defining a longitudinal axis, a grab bar having an inner beam disposed within the support beam and movable relative to the support beam in first and second directions along the longitudinal axis. The assembly further includes a locking plate attached to the inner beam and a locking mechanism coupled to the support beam and having a latch movable between a lock position engaging the locking plate to fix the grab bar in a location relative to the support beam and a release position disengaging the locking plate to permit adjustment of the grab bar and the inner beam along the longitudinal axis in one of the first and second directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: Timothy Clayton Smith, Jesse L. Henrikson, Reyna Wygant
  • Publication number: 20200198683
    Abstract: A lever assembly (20) has a lever (24) mounted to a lever housing (22), a plunger (26), an auto-return housing (28) pivotable relative to the lever housing (22), a trigger mechanism (30) movable relative to the auto-return housing (28), and a yoke member (32) pivotable relative to the auto-return housing (22) independent of the auto-return housing. The trigger mechanism (30) is movable to an extended position in response to movement of the plunger (26) for engaging a cam element (12) of the steering column (10) for auto-return of the lever to a rest position. The yoke member (32) interacts with the plunger (26) when the plunger (26) pivots with the lever (24) to cause the yoke (32) to pivot toward an engaged position, and the yoke (32) interacts with the trigger mechanism (30) when the yoke (32) is pivoted to move the trigger mechanism (30) toward the extended position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: KA Group AG
    Inventors: Timothy Clayton Smith, Christopher Glenn Turney, Kenichi Miyagi
  • Patent number: 10190675
    Abstract: A shifter assembly selects a first mode and a second mode of a transmission for a vehicle. The shifter assembly includes a housing and a shift lever movably coupled to the housing and pivotable relative to the housing. The shift lever includes a body and a cap defining an aperture and being coupled to the body. The cap is rotatable relative to the body between a first and a second orientations. The shift lever further includes a toggle device partially received by the cap in the aperture with at least a portion of the toggle device being moveably coupled to the body between a rest and a depressed positions. The shift lever further includes an element mounted to the toggle device and rotatable with the cap between the first and the second orientations. The shift lever further includes a sensor system configured to interact with the element to detect rotation of the cap between the first and the second orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Kongsberg Power Products Systems I, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Glenn Turney, Carlos Jose Pena, Timothy Clayton Smith, Kenichi Miyagi
  • Patent number: 10100919
    Abstract: A shifter assembly selects a first mode and a second mode of a transmission for a vehicle. The shifter assembly includes a housing and a shift lever movably coupled to the housing and pivotable relative to the housing. The shift lever includes a body and a cap defining an aperture and being coupled to the body. The cap is rotatable relative to the body between a first and a second orientations. The shift lever further includes a toggle device partially received by the cap in the aperture with at least a portion of the toggle device being moveably coupled to the body between a rest and a depressed positions. The shift lever further includes an element mounted to the toggle device and rotatable with the cap between the first and the second orientations. The shift lever further includes a sensor system configured to interact with the element to detect rotation of the cap between the first and the second orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: KONGSBERG POWER PRODUCTS SYSTEMS I, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher Glenn Turney, Carlos Jose Pena, Timothy Clayton Smith, Kenichi Miyagi
  • Publication number: 20170356543
    Abstract: A shifter assembly selects a first mode and a second mode of a transmission for a vehicle. The shifter assembly includes a housing and a shift lever movably coupled to the housing and pivotable relative to the housing. The shift lever includes a body and a cap defining an aperture and being coupled to the body. The cap is rotatable relative to the body between a first and a second orientations. The shift lever further includes a toggle device partially received by the cap in the aperture with at least a portion of the toggle device being moveably coupled to the body between a rest and a depressed positions. The shift lever further includes an element mounted to the toggle device and rotatable with the cap between the first and the second orientations. The shift lever further includes a sensor system configured to interact with the element to detect rotation of the cap between the first and the second orientations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Applicant: Kongsberg Power Products Systems I, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Glenn Turney, Carlos Jose Pena, Timothy Clayton Smith, Kenichi Miyagi