Patents by Inventor Todd Rupert Muck

Todd Rupert Muck 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: 8104834
    Abstract: A seat assembly for a motor vehicle which includes a locking mechanism is provided. The seat assembly has a base frame mounted to the floor of the vehicle. A seat cushion is pivotally mounted to the base frame for movement between a seated position and a stowed position. A locking mechanism operable to lock the seat cushion in the seated position is mounted to the base frame. The locking mechanism is capable of engaging the seat cushion at an intermediate position between the stowed position and the seated position. Upon engagement of the locking mechanism with the seat cushion at the intermediate position, movement of the seat cushion towards the stowed position is prevented while movement of the seat cushion towards the seated position is unimpeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter James Moegling, Robert Joseph Hazlewood, Todd Rupert Muck
  • Publication number: 20110127822
    Abstract: A seat assembly for an automotive vehicle having a rear actuated release mechanism is provided. The seat assembly includes a seat frame, and a seat back pivotally mounted to the seat frame about a pivot axis for movement between a seated position and a stowed position. The seat assembly further includes a release mechanism capable of locking, releasing, and moving the seat back from a seated position to a stowed position. The release mechanism is actuated by a release handle having an elongated slot formed therein. An egress mechanism operable to actuate the release mechanism from the rear of the seat assembly, includes a bracket pivotally attached to the seat frame and having a pin engaged within the slot of the release handle. The rotation of the bracket from a first position to a second position rotates the release handle to actuate the release mechanism to pivot the seat back from the seated position to the stowed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter James Moegling, Robert Joseph Hazlewood, Todd Rupert Muck
  • Publication number: 20110031773
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a removable rear seat assembly for use in a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment and a vehicle floor. A seat frame is mounted to the vehicle floor. A release mechanism is provided operatively connecting the seat frame to the vehicle floor as to prevent movement of the seat frame. A release handle is mounted to a rear of the seat frame and is connected to the release mechanism for purposes of activating the release mechanism. The release handle may also be used as a carrying handle allowing for increased maneuverability of the seat frame after removal. The seat frame is removable from the passenger compartment upon a downward pulling and upward rotation of the release handle. This specific movement requirement prevents the inadvertent release of the seat frame from the vehicle floor. The release handle is prevented from an immediate rotation upwards preventing a vehicle occupant from activating the release mechanism by kicking or lifting the release handle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Rupert Muck, John Fredrik Runske
  • Publication number: 20100289313
    Abstract: A seat assembly for a motor vehicle which provides easy access to a third row of passenger seating and folds to provide additional cargo space. The seat assembly includes a base frame operatively attached to the floor of the vehicle. A seat back is pivotally coupled to the base frame about a first pivot axis for movement between a seated position, a stowed position, and a folded position. A proximate end of a sub frame is pivotally coupled to the seat back about a second pivot axis for movement between a seated position and a folded position. A seat cushion is pivotally coupled to the sub frame at a third pivot axis for movement between a seated position, a stowed position, and a folded position. A first end of a link member is pivotally coupled to the base frame and a second opposite end of the link member is pivotally coupled to a distal end of the sub frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter James Moegling, Todd Rupert Muck
  • Publication number: 20100270839
    Abstract: A seat assembly for a motor vehicle which includes a locking mechanism is provided. The seat assembly has a base frame mounted to the floor of the vehicle. A seat cushion is pivotally mounted to the base frame for movement between a seated position and a stowed position. A locking mechanism operable to lock the seat cushion in the seated position is mounted to the base frame. The locking mechanism is capable of engaging the seat cushion at an intermediate position between the stowed position and the seated position. Upon engagement of the locking mechanism with the seat cushion at the intermediate position, movement of the seat cushion towards the stowed position is prevented while movement of the seat cushion towards the seated position is unimpeded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter James Moegling, Robert Joseph Hazlewood, Todd Rupert Muck
  • Patent number: 7484786
    Abstract: A rear seat assembly for a truck includes a seat cushion and a seat back. The seat cushion supports an occupant above the floor of the vehicle. The seat cushion has opposite and spaced apart front and rear ends. The seat back supports the back of the occupant while seated on the seat cushion. The seat back is operatively coupled to the seat cushion to allow selective angular adjustment of the seat back relative to the seat cushion between a plurality of seating positions. The seat back is also movable between any one of the seating positions and a folded flat position overlying the seat cushion. The rear seat assembly is movable along the floor of the vehicle between a full rear position, where the rear end of the seat cushion is adjacent a rear wall, and a full forward position, where the front end of the seat cushion is spaced apart from the rear wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Rupert Muck, Masroor Fahim, Bill Deming
  • Patent number: 7338103
    Abstract: A trim member for covering an interior surface of a vehicle has an elastically collapsible outer wall. The trim member includes a substantially rigid frame and a cover. The frame is adapted for fixedly securing the cover to the interior surface. The cover is fixedly secured to and covering at least a portion of the frame, the cover being elastically deformable to prevent pinching of an appendage of a user between the frame and an adjacent fixed surface in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Rupert Muck, Masroor Fahim
  • Patent number: 7325879
    Abstract: A seat belt guide includes first and second walls each having opposite top and bottom ends. A pair of generally parallel end walls extends from the first wall. The end walls are spaced apart for retaining the seat belt in a transverse direction. A pair of generally parallel side walls extends from the second wall. The side walls are spaced apart for retaining the seat belt in the transverse direction. First and second lips protrude outwardly for maintaining the seat belt spaced apart from the second wall to minimize friction associated with sliding of the seat belt through the guide. A pair of retaining walls extends toward each other from the pair of side walls, the retaining walls being spaced apart from the second wall for retaining the seat belt therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Masroor Fahim, Todd Rupert Muck, Yi-Ru Chen, Bill Deming