Patents by Inventor Walton H. Shurtleff

Walton H. Shurtleff 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).

  • Energy-absorbing seat assembly
    Patent number: 9434280
    Abstract: A seat assembly can include a base, a linkage assembly, a seat, and an energy-management assembly. The linkage assembly can be supported by the base and include a return plate supported by the base for rotation about a first axis of rotation. The seat can be supported by the linkage assembly for movement relative to the base along a generally arcuate path. The return plate can be operable to rotate relative to the seat about a second axis of rotation. The energy-management assembly can be supported by the base for rotation about a third axis of rotation and supported by the return plate for rotation about a fourth axis of rotation. The energy-management assembly can include a biasing member configured to resist the movement of the seat relative to the base along the generally arcuate path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: FISHER & COMPANY, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Tobias Keller, Walton H. Shurtleff
  • ENERGY-ABSORBING SEAT ASSEMBLY
    Publication number: 20150158401
    Abstract: A seat assembly can include a base, a linkage assembly, a seat, and an energy-management assembly. The linkage assembly can be supported by the base and include a return plate supported by the base for rotation about a first axis of rotation. The seat can be supported by the linkage assembly for movement relative to the base along a generally arcuate path. The return plate can be operable to rotate relative to the seat about a second axis of rotation. The energy-management assembly can be supported by the base for rotation about a third axis of rotation and supported by the return plate for rotation about a fourth axis of rotation. The energy-management assembly can include a biasing member configured to resist the movement of the seat relative to the base along the generally arcuate path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicant: FISHER & COMPANY, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: TOBIAS KELLER, WALTON H. SHURTLEFF
  • Reinforced trim cover for a vehicle seat assembly with a tear line for airbag deployment
    Patent number: 6254122
    Abstract: A vehicle seat having an inflatable airbag with the trim cover overlying the airbag being reinforced in the region adjacent to the airbag and having a weakened zone formed by cutting the reinforcement to create a tear line for deployment of the airbag through the trim cover. The reinforcement reduces stretching of the trim cover during deployment of the airbag at locations surrounding the tear line such that the trim cover ruptures along the tear line to produce a predictable airbag deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Wei-Pin Wu, Frank Wu, Walton H. Shurtleff