Patents by Inventor William A. Kirk
William A. Kirk 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).
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Publication number: 20240076203Abstract: An apparatus for covering a water container having an open top and treating a source water therein. The apparatus has one or more dividing walls mountable to an interior space of the water container for partitioning it into multiple water-treatment zones, and a cover mountable to at least a portion of the open top of the water container above the one or more dividing walls. Each dividing wall has or forms one or more openings for directing the source water from one water-treatment zone to the next. The cover has one or more vaulted cover sections each defining a gas chamber above the dividing walls. Each cover section has a condensation surface in the corresponding gas chamber for condensing a steam evaporated from the source water to clean water, and at least one water-collection channel coupled to at least one side of the condensation surface for collecting the condensed clean water.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2021Publication date: March 7, 2024Inventors: Todd William KIRK, Daniel WHITNEY, Asir THAMBIRAJA, Roger GEORGE, Abheek BANERJEE
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Patent number: 11920647Abstract: In one aspect of the present disclosure, a disc brake rotor assembly is provided that includes a disc brake rotor and a wheel hub. One of the disc brake rotor and the wheel hub includes a plurality of pairs of partial keyways and the other of the disc brake rotor and the wheel hub includes intermediate partial keyways configured to fit intermediate the pairs of partial keyways to form keyways. The disc brake rotor assembly further includes a plurality of fasteners configured to be received in the keyways to secure the disc brake rotor and the wheel hub together.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2021Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: Consolidated Metco, Inc.Inventors: Jonathan David Harrington, Jared Wiley Richard Burris, William Joseph Edwards, Darren Kirk Johnson, Pavan Kumar Dunna, Jeffrey Adam Ricks
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Patent number: 11745665Abstract: An automotive vehicle with a storage compartment has a cabin, a set of rear wheels located behind the cabin, a cargo space, and a closable integrated storage compartment located adjacent to the cabin, rearward of a rear-most seat of the automotive vehicle, and forward of the set of rear wheels. At least a portion of the storage compartment is positioned forward of a forward wall of the cargo space. The storage compartment has at least one sidewall enclosing an interior portion of the storage compartment and extending from a first side panel at a first side of the automotive vehicle toward a second side of the automotive vehicle, a first opening to the storage compartment at the first side of the automotive vehicle, and a first door at the first opening. The first door has a first step member with a horizontal step surface when open.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2022Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLCInventors: Robert J. Scaringe, Mason Verbridge, Jared Odle, Brian Gase, William Kirk Robinson
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Patent number: 11745807Abstract: Vehicle tailgate assembly that includes a sill flap and tailgate, where the sill flap has rollers that contact the tailgate while the sill flap and tailgate are opened or closed. The sill flap thus maintains rolling contact with the tailgate during opening and closing operations. In embodiments of the disclosure, the tailgate opens to leave a gap between the edge of the vehicle bed and the edge of the tailgate, and the sill flap is pivoted into this gap. While being pivoted into this open position, the sill flap rollers rotatably contact the tailgate, so that the sill flap maintains rolling contact with the tailgate rather than frictional contact therewith. This prevents damage to the sill flap and tailgate when opened and closed.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2022Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLCInventors: Eric Griffith, Brian Gase, Kyle Mulligan, William Kirk Robinson, Chayan Mishra
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Patent number: 11673507Abstract: A tailgate for a vehicle includes a main panel, a step, and a plurality of links that couple the step to the main panel and support the step for movement relative to the main panel between a stowed position and a deployed position. The main panel defines a cutout open through its rearward side. The main panel is mounted to the vehicle's cargo area and movable between a closed position and an open position. The step includes a cargo side and a rearward side. When the step is in the stowed position, the step is received in the cutout and the step's cargo side is substantially parallel to the main panel's cargo side. When the step is in the deployed position, the step is offset from the main panel and the step's cargo side is substantially parallel to the main panel's cargo side.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2020Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLCInventors: William Kirk Robinson, Mason Verbridge
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Patent number: 11661120Abstract: A tailgate assembly of a vehicle includes a tailgate configured to provide a boundary of a cargo area, and a hinge assembly coupled to the tailgate and coupled to the vehicle. The hinge assembly is configured to control a trajectory of the tailgate. The tailgate is configured to achieve a vertical closed position, a horizontal open position, and a vertical open position rotated about 180° from the first position. The hinge assembly includes a hinge arm coupled to the vehicle at a first hinge and coupled to the tailgate at a second hinge. In some embodiments, a cable assembly is used to control the position of the tailgate. In the vertical closed position, the cable end is not engaged. In the horizontal open position, the cable end is engaged. In the vertical open position rotated about 180° from the closed position, the cable end is not engaged or under tension.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2022Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLCInventors: William Kirk Robinson, Sheetanshu Tyagi, Mark Vinnels
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Publication number: 20230120007Abstract: A protective headgear system includes a support configured to engage the head of a user, a facial shield having an upper portion coupled to the support and a lower portion having a lower extremity, a flexible sheet coupled to the facial shield, a base carried by the support, a first microphone carried below the lower extremity of the facial shield and preferentially oriented away from the user, a second microphone carried by the base and preferentially oriented toward the user, a first audio generator capable of being sensed by at least one ear of the user, and a second audio generator including a loudspeaker carried by the base such that the loudspeaker is located below the lower extremity of the facial shield and is oriented for preferential sound energy delivery generally away from the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2021Publication date: April 20, 2023Inventors: LAWRENCE J. GREEN, CARLO C. MEMITA, CHRISTOPHER SIMBULAN, JACOB HERBERT, ALLAN SCHULTZ, JOSE MAURICIO GARCIA PRIETO, H. NICHOLAS HERBERT, WILLIAM KIRK
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Publication number: 20230074813Abstract: Vehicle tailgate assembly that includes a sill flap and tailgate, where the sill flap has rollers that contact the tailgate while the sill flap and tailgate are opened or closed. The sill flap thus maintains rolling contact with the tailgate during opening and closing operations. In embodiments of the disclosure, the tailgate opens to leave a gap between the edge of the vehicle bed and the edge of the tailgate, and the sill flap is pivoted into this gap. While being pivoted into this open position, the sill flap rollers rotatably contact the tailgate, so that the sill flap maintains rolling contact with the tailgate rather than frictional contact therewith. This prevents damage to the sill flap and tailgate when opened and closed.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2022Publication date: March 9, 2023Inventors: Eric Griffith, Brian Gase, Kyle Mulligan, William Kirk Robinson, Chayan Mishra
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Patent number: 11498626Abstract: Vehicle tailgate assembly that includes a sill flap and tailgate, where the sill flap has rollers that contact the tailgate while the sill flap and tailgate are opened or closed. The sill flap thus maintains rolling contact with the tailgate during opening and closing operations. In embodiments of the disclosure, the tailgate opens to leave a gap between the edge of the vehicle bed and the edge of the tailgate, and the sill flap is pivoted into this gap. While being pivoted into this open position, the sill flap rollers rotatably contact the tailgate, so that the sill flap maintains rolling contact with the tailgate rather than frictional contact therewith. This prevents damage to the sill flap and tailgate when opened and closed.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2020Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLCInventors: Eric Griffith, Brian Gase, Kyle Mulligan, William Kirk Robinson, Chayan Mishra
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Publication number: 20220348142Abstract: An automotive vehicle with a storage compartment has a cabin, a set of rear wheels located behind the cabin, a cargo space, and a closable integrated storage compartment located adjacent to the cabin, rearward of a rear-most seat of the automotive vehicle, and forward of the set of rear wheels. At least a portion of the storage compartment is positioned forward of a forward wall of the cargo space. The storage compartment has at least one sidewall enclosing an interior portion of the storage compartment and extending from a first side panel at a first side of the automotive vehicle toward a second side of the automotive vehicle, a first opening to the storage compartment at the first side of the automotive vehicle, and a first door at the first opening. The first door has a first step member with a horizontal step surface when open.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2022Publication date: November 3, 2022Inventors: Robert J. Scaringe, Mason Verbridge, Jared Odle, Brian Gase, William Kirk Robinson
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Patent number: 11377036Abstract: An automotive vehicle with a storage compartment has a cabin, a set of rear wheels located behind the cabin, a cargo space, and a closable integrated storage compartment located adjacent to the cabin, rearward of a rear-most seat of the automotive vehicle, and forward of the set of rear wheels. At least a portion of the storage compartment is positioned forward of a forward wall of the cargo space. The storage compartment has at least one sidewall enclosing an interior portion of the storage compartment and extending from a first side panel at a first side of the automotive vehicle toward a second side of the automotive vehicle, a first opening to the storage compartment at the first side of the automotive vehicle, and a first door at the first opening. The first door has a first step member with a horizontal step surface when open.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2020Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLCInventors: Robert J. Scaringe, Mason Verbridge, Jared Odle, Brian Gase, William Kirk Robinson
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Patent number: 11375122Abstract: Digital image capture session and metadata association techniques are described. In one example, a user input is received to initiate an image capture session. At least one digital image is captured using a digital camera during the image capture session. Audio input data is also collected using an audio input device during the image capture session and is converted into text data, e.g., speech-to-text. Metadata is generated based on the text data and associated with the at least one digital image. The at least one digital image is output as having the associated metadata as completion of the image capture session.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2021Date of Patent: June 28, 2022Assignee: eBay Inc.Inventors: Joshua Reino Timonen, William Kirk Brohman, Jonathan David Chard, Erin Courtney Miller
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Publication number: 20220144351Abstract: Vehicle tailgate assembly that includes a sill flap and tailgate, where the sill flap has rollers that contact the tailgate while the sill flap and tailgate are opened or closed. The sill flap thus maintains rolling contact with the tailgate during opening and closing operations. In embodiments of the disclosure, the tailgate opens to leave a gap between the edge of the vehicle bed and the edge of the tailgate, and the sill flap is pivoted into this gap. While being pivoted into this open position, the sill flap rollers rotatably contact the tailgate, so that the sill flap maintains rolling contact with the tailgate rather than frictional contact therewith. This prevents damage to the sill flap and tailgate when opened and closed.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2020Publication date: May 12, 2022Inventors: Eric Griffith, Brian Gase, Kyle Mulligan, William Kirk Robinson, Chayan Mishra
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Publication number: 20220135147Abstract: A tailgate assembly of a vehicle includes a tailgate configured to provide a boundary of a cargo area, and a hinge assembly coupled to the tailgate and coupled to the vehicle. The hinge assembly is configured to control a trajectory of the tailgate. The tailgate is configured to achieve a vertical closed position, a horizontal open position, and a vertical open position rotated about 180° from the first position. The hinge assembly includes a hinge arm coupled to the vehicle at a first hinge and coupled to the tailgate at a second hinge. In some embodiments, a cable assembly is used to control the position of the tailgate. In the vertical closed position, the cable end is not engaged. In the horizontal open position, the cable end is engaged. In the vertical open position rotated about 180° from the closed position, the cable end is not engaged or under tension.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2022Publication date: May 5, 2022Inventors: William Kirk Robinson, Sheetanshu Tyagi, Mark Vinnels
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Publication number: 20220062797Abstract: A filtering apparatus has a volume-changeable filtering chamber having one or more flexible enclosing walls and receiving therein a compressible porous filtering medium, a fluid inlet coupled to the filtering chamber for introducing an input fluid stream with impurities into the filtering chamber, a fluid outlet coupled to the filtering chamber for discharging a filtered fluid stream from the filtering chamber, and a volume-changing structure coupled to or in association with the filtering chamber, adapted to permit increasing or decreasing of the volume of the filtering chamber so as to compress or decompress the compressible porous filtering medium therein so as to correspondingly adjust the pore size of the compressible porous filtering medium in said filtering chamber. A method for flushing a compressible filter media, and a method of variably adjusting the amount of filtering, is further disclosed and claimed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2021Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventor: Todd William KIRK
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Patent number: 11220301Abstract: A tailgate assembly of a vehicle includes a tailgate configured to provide a boundary of a cargo area, and a hinge assembly coupled to the tailgate and coupled to the vehicle. The hinge assembly is configured to control a trajectory of the tailgate. The tailgate is configured to achieve a vertical closed position, a horizontal open position, and a vertical open position rotated about 180° from the first position. The hinge assembly includes a hinge arm coupled to the vehicle at a first hinge and coupled to the tailgate at a second hinge. In some embodiments, a cable assembly is used to control the position of the tailgate. In the vertical closed position, the cable end is not engaged. In the horizontal open position, the cable end is engaged. In the vertical open position rotated about 180° from the closed position, the cable end is not engaged or under tension.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2019Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLCInventors: William Kirk Robinson, Sheetanshu Tyagi, Mark Vinnels
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Publication number: 20210402929Abstract: A tailgate for a vehicle includes a main panel, a step, and a plurality of links that couple the step to the main panel and support the step for movement relative to the main panel between a stowed position and a deployed position. The main panel defines a cutout open through its rearward side. The main panel is mounted to the vehicle's cargo area and movable between a closed position and an open position. The step includes a cargo side and a rearward side. When the step is in the stowed position, the step is received in the cutout and the step's cargo side is substantially parallel to the main panel's cargo side. When the step is in the deployed position, the step is offset from the main panel and the step's cargo side is substantially parallel to the main panel's cargo side.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2020Publication date: December 30, 2021Inventors: William Kirk Robinson, Mason Verbridge
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Publication number: 20210258502Abstract: Digital image capture session and metadata association techniques are described. In one example, a user input is received to initiate an image capture session. At least one digital image is captured using a digital camera during the image capture session. Audio input data is also collected using an audio input device during the image capture session and is converted into text data, e.g., speech-to-text. Metadata is generated based on the text data and associated with the at least one digital image. The at least one digital image is output as having the associated metadata as completion of the image capture session.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2021Publication date: August 19, 2021Applicant: eBay Inc.Inventors: Joshua Reino Timonen, William Kirk Brohman, Jonathan David Chard, Erin Courtney Miller
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Patent number: 11025827Abstract: Digital image capture session and metadata association techniques are described. In one example, a user input is received to initiate an image capture session. At least one digital image is captured using a digital camera during the image capture session. Audio input data is also collected using an audio input device during the image capture session and is converted into text data, e.g., speech-to-text. Metadata is generated based on the text data and associated with the at least one digital image. The at least one digital image is output as having the associated metadata as completion of the image capture session.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2019Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: eBay Inc.Inventors: Joshua Reino Timonen, William Kirk Brohman, Jonathan David Chard, Erin Courtney Miller
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Patent number: D1008827Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2022Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Inventors: Ryan Breeze, James William Kirk, Thomas Robert Llewelyn Gozney