Patents Issued in July 16, 2019
  • Patent number: 10350988
    Abstract: A cooling assembly for a vehicle is capable of improving air-blowing efficiency through rotation of a fan at the time of stopping the vehicle and improving heat-exchange efficiency of a heat exchanger provided in an engine room of the vehicle through an increase in an amount of introduced driving wind at the time of driving the vehicle by including a valve assembly controlling introduction and discharge of the driving wind. The valve assembly is capable of preventing deterioration of wind-amount performance due to leakage of air by blocking a gap generated between the shroud and the valve assembly to minimize air leaked through the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: HANON SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Jong Yeol Kim, Dae Suk Park
  • Patent number: 10350989
    Abstract: A flap device for a heat exchanger of a vehicle has a support structure in which is formed a passage. A shutter is fitted to the passage, pivotable about an operationally horizontal axis (X-X) nearer to a first end of the shutter, between a rest position in which it closes the passage and a operating position in which it opens the passage, thereby allowing a flow of air to pass in a predetermined direction through the passage. In use, the shutter pivots from the rest position towards the operating position under the effect of a flow of air which strikes it in this direction, and returns by gravity towards the rest position when the air flow ceases. A stop projection formed on the first end of the shutter strikes an abutment surface on the structure when the shutter reaches the rest position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: JOHNSON ELECTRIC INTERNATIONAL AG
    Inventors: Davide Volpin, Claudio Provenzano
  • Patent number: 10350990
    Abstract: A cooling system includes: a shutter grille provided to an air guide port configured to guide air to a power compartment in which a power source of a vehicle is installed; a radiator configured to radiate heat from coolant for cooling the power source; a radiator fan configured to send the air to the radiator and the power source; a shutter grille controller configured to control opening and closing of the shutter grille; and a radiator fan controller configured to control the radiator fan. If a power source load on the power source is less than predetermined power source load, and if an air conditioning load on an air conditioner is equal to or greater than predetermined air conditioning load, the shutter grille controller and the radiator fan controller operate the radiator fan with the shutter grille closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kosuke Moro, Shinichi Kitajima, Naoaki Takebe
  • Patent number: 10350991
    Abstract: A grille shutter unit which is provided with shutters and a frame which pivotally supports shutter shafts provided at the shutters is attached to a frame-shaped shroud which supports heat exchangers. The grille shutter unit is configured to be attached to the shroud from a back-face side of the shroud at a position located in front of the heat exchangers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunsuke Fujitani, Daisuke Sakagami, Haruo Etchu, Nobuyuki Nakayama, Yuhki Takanaga, Takeshi Yamada, Masahide Kanemori
  • Patent number: 10350992
    Abstract: A method for controlling a pressure inside a fuel tank system on board a vehicle, the fuel tank system having a fuel tank and a venting circuit having at least one controllable pressure relief valve, the vehicle having a source of energy adapted to activate said at least one pressure relief valve so as to move it from a closed position to a pressure relief position. The method entails: detecting a key off event indicative of the vehicle shut-down; determining an amount of energy available at the source of energy; starting at least one pressure relief operation by verifying whether the amount of energy available is lower than a first predetermined threshold amount and, if the verification is positive, activating the at least one pressure relief valve; and terminating the at least one pressure relief operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Plastic Omnium Advanced Innovation and Research
    Inventors: David Hill, Paul Daniel Reuther, Antoine Chaussinand
  • Patent number: 10350993
    Abstract: A fuel tank system having a fuel tank and a fuel vapor recovery system including a vapor vent line fluidly coupled between the fuel tank and a canister, and a vapor purge line fluidly coupled to the canister. A multiplex director is selectively fluidly coupled to a first location in the fuel vapor recovery system and a second location in the fuel vapor recovery system. The multiplex director is movable between a first position where the multiplex director is fluidly coupled to the first location and is fluidly blocked from the second location, and a second position where the multiplex director is fluidly coupled to the second location and is fluidly blocked from the first location. The multiplex director is configured to monitor at least one of a pressure and a hydrocarbon concentration in the first location and the second location when fluidly coupled thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Vaughn K. Mills
  • Patent number: 10350994
    Abstract: According to the method, transmission apparatus of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising a drive engine (18), a mechanical transmission (16) connected to the drive engine, and a hydraulic transmission (20) having a pump (24) and n hydraulic motors (26A, 26B), where n is greater than or equal to 1, the pump being suitable for being driven by the drive engine for feeding fluid to the hydraulic motors. The method consists in performing a “low-speed” assistance stage, during which, when the vehicle is driven by the mechanical transmission, the method consists in establishing a setpoint pressure for the pressure difference between the feed and the discharge of each of the hydraulic motors, in feeding the hydraulic motors by the pump, in detecting the pressure difference between the feed and the discharge (28A, 28B) of each of the hydraulic motors (26A, 26B), and in adjusting the delivery rate of the pump so that said pressure difference is substantially equal to said setpoint pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: POCLAIN HYDRAULICS INDUSTRIE
    Inventors: Claude Didierjean, Gery Depierre, Pierre-Louis Houillon
  • Patent number: 10350995
    Abstract: A hydrostatic transmission includes a side having an upstream radial piston motor and a downstream radial piston motor. The motors are connected to each other in series via a connecting line. A flow control valve is configured to discharge pressure medium from the connecting line so that the downstream motor is only engaged in the event of a predetermined amount of slippage of the upstream motor. Each motor has at least two groups of working flanks. Each flank is configured to operatively interact with a high pressure, such that each motor has at least two transmission steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Iain Edward
  • Patent number: 10350996
    Abstract: A vehicle having at least one rear driven axle. The vehicle includes a transmission, a main drive shaft, and a rear axle assembly. The rear axle assembly can selectively transmit power from the transmission to a rearmost set of wheels of the vehicle. To selectively transmit power, the rear axle assembly can include a rear axle input shaft, a neutralizer, a differential input shaft, and a differential. The neutralizer is used to mechanically connect and disconnect the rear axle input shaft from the differential input shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventors: Krishna Kanth Tavvala, Michael E. Kahl
  • Patent number: 10350997
    Abstract: A vehicle power control system includes a driving force control unit configured to limit a driving force during acceleration of a vehicle when the vehicle is in a predetermined power control driving state. The driving force control unit includes a notification unit configured to tactilely notify a driver via a throttle manipulator that a driving force limit state occurs during the acceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Nishihara
  • Patent number: 10350998
    Abstract: An apparatus for selecting an operation of a safety driving device for a vehicle includes an input unit capable of selectively controlling operations of a plurality of safety driving support devices for the vehicle, wherein input levels inputted through the input unit are differentiated to determine whether to operate each of the plurality of the safety driving support devices for the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Seung Hwan Lee
  • Patent number: 10350999
    Abstract: A cruise control apparatus, mounted to a vehicle, controls traveling of the own vehicle, based on a predicted course, which is a future course of the own vehicle. The cruise control apparatus includes a preceding vehicle position storage unit, a course prediction computation unit, and a cancellation determination section. The preceding vehicle position storage unit chronologically stores a preceding vehicle position, which is a position of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle. The predicted course computation unit calculates a predicted course, based on the trajectory of the preceding vehicle position. The cancellation determination section cancels the preceding vehicle position stored in the preceding vehicle position storage unit when it has been determined that either the own vehicle or the preceding vehicle is in a situation where the own vehicle or the preceding vehicle is likely to depart from the current course.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Youhei Masui, Toyoharu Katsukura, Yoshihisa Ogata, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 10351000
    Abstract: In one or more embodiments of the present invention, one or more processors receive a fuel sensor reading from a fuel sensor on a vehicle. The processor(s) receive an environmental state of a route being taken by the vehicle to a destination and a biometric sensor reading that describes a biometric state of a driver of the vehicle. The processor(s) determine whether the remaining fuel will be sufficient for the vehicle to reach the destination subject to the constraints of the environmental state of the route being taken by the vehicle and the biometric state of the driver of the vehicle, and then modify an appearance of a fuel gauge on the vehicle based on whether the remaining fuel will be sufficient for the vehicle to reach the destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lambert S. Berentsen, Gregory J. Boss, James R. Kozloski, Kevin C. McConnell
  • Patent number: 10351001
    Abstract: A vehicle trim assembly that includes a trim and a display device having a display screen with a first display zone and a second display zone. The display device is movable relative to the trim between a first stable position, in which the first display zone is visible and the second display zone is hidden by the trim, and a second stable position, in which the first display zone and the second display zone are both visible. The second stable position is offset relative to the first stable position along a first direction perpendicular to the display screen in the first position, in the direction toward which the display screen is facing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Faurecia Interieur Industrie
    Inventor: Julien Beauregard
  • Patent number: 10351002
    Abstract: An inverter control device that controls a rotary electric machine drive device that includes an inverter with a plurality of switching elements, where the active short circuit control is executed in a high rotational speed region, and the shut-down control is executed in a low rotational speed region, which is on a low rotational speed side with respect to the high rotational speed region, in accordance with at least a rotational speed of the rotary electric machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Subrata Saha, Takashi Yoshida, Yuki Sugiyama, Yoichi Tajima, Masaya Kokubo
  • Patent number: 10351003
    Abstract: The electric motorcycle (M) comprises a support frame, a rear wheel (RW), a front wheel (FW), an electric propulsion motor (E), an electronic control unit (2) for driving the electric motor (E) and a wheel anti-lock system (1) operatively connected to the control unit (2), the system (1) having detection means (18) of a slippage condition (SLP) of at least one of the wheels (RW, FW) and limiting means (19) operatively connected to the detecting means (18), able to receive at input at least a maximum regeneration torque value (RTMAX) of the electric motor (E) of the electric motorcycle (M) and able to limit the maximum regeneration torque (RTMAX) in case of detection of the slippage condition (SLP), wherein the system (1) comprises verification means (20) of the friction conditions of the wheels (RW, FW) on the road surface, in order to verify the presence or not of a high friction condition (HIGH_MU) or a low friction condition (LOW_MU), wherein the limiting means (19) are operatively connected to the verific
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Energica Motor Company S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giovanni Gherardi, Giampiero Testoni, Simone Martinelli, Eleonora Montanari
  • Patent number: 10351004
    Abstract: An on-board charger (OBC) for charging a traction battery of an electric vehicle includes a Power Factor Correction (PFC) stage to convert AC power from a mains supply into DC power for use in charging the traction battery, a bi-directional DC/DC converter coupled to the traction battery, a DC link capacitor between the PFC stage and the DC/DC converter, and a controller. The controller is operable to control the PFC stage and the DC/DC converter to operate in (i) a pre-charge mode in which the DC link capacitor is pre-charged using electrical power from the traction battery and (ii) a stable operation mode in which the traction battery is charged using the AC power from the mains supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Adria Marcos Pastor, Oscar Lucia Gil, Hector Sarnago Andia, Alejandro Naval Pallares
  • Patent number: 10351005
    Abstract: A charge system includes a base, a platform including a projecting plug, at least three interlinked legs, and a first and second sets of articulating joints. The at least three interlinked legs are of a fixed same length and are mechanically biased to be perpendicular to the base. The first and second sets of articulating joints respectively connect opposite ends of the legs with the platform and base such that, responsive to a force on the plug, the legs tilt while remaining parallel to each other and the platform remains parallel with the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Matthew Haag, Michael E. Reibling, Lucas Amber
  • Patent number: 10351006
    Abstract: An inductive power transfer system for transferring electric energy to a vehicle. The system includes a wayside electric conductor arrangement and a vehicle side receiving device. The wayside electric conductor arrangement is combined with an array of a plurality of sensor coils, placed side by side to form the array. The array extends in directions transverse to a field direction of the electromagnetic field, which field direction extends from the wayside electric conductor arrangement to the vehicle side receiving device during transfer of the energy to the vehicle. A detector arrangement is connected to the plurality of the sensor coils and adapted to detect an effect of any magnetic and/or electrically conducting body, that is possibly located in the field direction on at least one electrical property of at least one of the sensor coils. At least one marker body is combined with the vehicle side receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Bombardier Primove GmbH
    Inventors: Marnix Lannoije, Robert Czainski, Dominik Anders
  • Patent number: 10351007
    Abstract: A charging device for charging a motor vehicle includes an energy supply unit which is arranged externally in relation to the motor vehicle, and which is designed to provide electrical current for a solid-state gas battery of the motor vehicle. In addition, the charging device includes a gas supply unit which is arranged externally in relation to the motor vehicle and which is designed to provide gas for the solid-state gas battery of the motor vehicle. Furthermore, the charging device has at least one supply connection by which the energy supply unit can be coupled to the motor vehicle for the purposes of a charging process for supplying electrical current for the solid-state gas battery, and by which the gas supply unit can be coupled to the motor vehicle for the purposes of the charging process for supplying gas for the solid-state gas battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Simon Nuernberger, Philipp Oberhumer
  • Patent number: 10351008
    Abstract: A coil alignment method performed in a vehicle-side coil alignment apparatus coupled to a vehicle assembly (VA) controller includes: moving a light-blocking unit protruding from a vehicle parked in a wireless charging area in a first direction toward the ground facing one side of a vehicle-side wireless power transfer pad which is mounted on the vehicle and includes a VA coil, where the light-blocking unit protrudes from the one side of the vehicle-side wireless power transfer pad; stopping movement of the light-blocking unit in response to a first stop signal from a ground assembly (GA) controller; moving the light-blocking unit in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and stopping movement of the light-blocking unit in response to a second stop signal from the GA controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Konkuk University Industrial Cooperation Corp.
    Inventors: Jae Yong Seong, Kong Pengfei, Won Shil Kang, Hyun Chul Ku, Jong Gyun Lim
  • Patent number: 10351009
    Abstract: An electric vehicle display system may include a battery, an interface configured to present at least one selectable icon configured to control a battery powered vehicle feature, and a controller programmed to, in response to state-of-charge (SOC) data indicating that a trip range exceeds a possible driving range, update the selectable icon to indicate a suggested adjustment to the vehicle feature to decrease power demand of the feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth James Miller, Douglas Raymond Martin, William Paul Perkins
  • Patent number: 10351010
    Abstract: A battery system for a vehicle includes: a battery assembly including at least one first battery module and at least one second battery module; a first relay being closed/opened between a first node and one of a first end of the first battery module and a first end of the second battery module being connected to a second end of the first battery module; a second relay being closed/opened between a second node and a second end of the second battery module; a converter converting a voltage between the nodes; a third relay being closed/opened between the converter and the first end of the first battery module; a fourth relay being closed/opened between the first end of the first battery module and a ground; and a battery manager controlling the relays based on a driving condition of the vehicle and energy storage amounts of the modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Hyo Sik Moon, Kyung In Min, Yu Seok Kim, Suk Hyung Kim, Jae Hoon Choi
  • Patent number: 10351011
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes: a rotating electric machine; a photovoltaic cell; a first electricity storage device that is charged with electricity output from the photovoltaic cell; a second electricity storage device that is chargeable with electricity generated by the rotating electric machine, and serves as a power source for generating driving force of the vehicle; and a control device. The control device either prohibits charging the first electricity storage device or lowers an upper limit value of an SOC of the first electricity storage device while the control device is executing second charge control of charging the second electricity storage device with generated electricity generated by the rotating electric machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuki Kubo, Kiyohito Machida, Tsutomu Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 10351012
    Abstract: The invention concerns a support device (1) for a tube, in particular a tube of a heat exchanger designed to come into contact with a vehicle battery for cooling thereof, the device (1) comprising a base (13) on which the tube is designed to be mounted, an element (15) for compressing the tube against the battery, and one or more elements (17) for connecting the compression element (15) to the base (13), the connecting elements (17) being configured to engage with a face (19) of the compression element (15) opposite said base (13) while being in contact with the base (13) on either side of said compression element (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques
    Inventors: Laurent Legot, Fabien Bireaud
  • Patent number: 10351013
    Abstract: An electric bicycle and a battery lift mechanism and a battery carrying device thereof are disclosed. The battery lift mechanism includes a bracket, a carrier for carrying a battery, an upward-force device coupling with the carrier, and a locking device selectively in an unlocked state or a locked state. The carrier is movable relative to the bracket along an up-down path; the upward-force device is capable of applying an upward force to the carrier. When the locking device is in the locked state, the locking device interferes with the battery to limit the relative movement between the battery and the bracket. When the locking device is in the unlocked state, the interference between the locking device and the battery is removed, so that the upward-force device drives the carrier carrying the battery to move upward relative to the bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignees: DARFON ELECTRONICS (SUZHOU) CO., LTD., DARFON ELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Yu-Chang Shieh
  • Patent number: 10351014
    Abstract: An operation control device for a fuel cell vehicle includes: a stack current determination unit monitoring a stack current of the fuel cell stack and determining whether an operation state of a fuel cell stack is in an upper-limit voltage limiting section; a battery state determination unit monitoring a state of charge (SOC) of a high voltage battery and determining whether the SOC of the high voltage battery is in a set reference SOC range; and an air flow rate control unit determining a compensation for an air flow rate of an air supply system according to the SOC of the high voltage battery, and outputting a control signal to an air compressor and an air pressure control valve according to the compensated air flow rate, when the operation state of the fuel cell stack is in the upper-limit voltage limiting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Dae Jong Kim, Gun Hyung Park, Seung Yoon Lee
  • Patent number: 10351015
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a first rotating electric machine, a second rotating electric machine coupled to drive wheels of the hybrid vehicle, a planetary gear mechanism configured to mechanically couple the engine, the first rotating electric machine, and the second rotating electric machine, an electric power storage device configured to perform charging and discharging with the first rotating electric machine and second rotating electric machine, and an electronic control unit configured to, in a case where cruise control is requested or in a case where deceleration torque is requested by the cruise control, execute motoring control and simulated stepped gear shift control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunya Kato, Masaya Sugai
  • Patent number: 10351016
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a frame unit and a vehicle body cover unit. The frame unit includes tread tubes extending toward a rear side of a vehicle body. The tread tubes are arranged pairwise leftward and rightward as a left tread tube and a right tread tube. The vehicle body cover unit includes a tread board shielding the left tread tube and the right tread tube. A battery box that receives and holds a battery is shaft-supported on the frame unit. The battery box has two sides provided with support shafts. The battery box is shaft-supported on the frame unit by the support shafts in a left-right direction. The battery box is rotatable by a drive device about a rotation center defined by the support shafts in a front-rear direction to an open position or a storage position so as to facilitate removal of the battery from the battery box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: KWANG YANG MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yi-Tso Chen
  • Patent number: 10351017
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a frame unit and a vehicle body cover unit. The vehicle body cover unit includes a thread board shielding left and right tread tubes of the frame unit between which a receiving space is defined to receive a battery box that receives and holds a battery. The battery box has two sides provided with support shafts. The battery box is rotatable between an open position and a storage position. A locking device is selectively set in releasable engagement with a positioning member provided on the battery box so as to selectively lock the battery box in the storage position. An operation unit is provided for controlling the locking device to engage with or disengage from the positioning member so as to allow the battery box to rotate from the storage position to the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: KWANG YANG MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yi-Tso Chen
  • Patent number: 10351018
    Abstract: A station-building power-supply device includes: a detector that detects a ripple in an overhead line voltage and outputs information on the detected ripple and an overhead line voltage value; a determiner that compares the information with a threshold for determining whether a ripple is in the overhead line voltage, and outputs the overhead line voltage value obtained when a ripple is determined to be not in the overhead line voltage based on the comparison result; an estimator that estimates, based on the overhead line voltage value, a no-load voltage value of an overhead line in a no-load state; a controller that sets an additional value; and a calculator that adds the additional value to the no-load voltage value to calculate a regeneration determining voltage value for determining whether an electric vehicle performs regeneration, and outputs the regeneration determining voltage value to a circuit that utilizes energy generated by the regeneration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisashi Katsumata, Yasushi Matsumura
  • Patent number: 10351019
    Abstract: An actuator assembly for moving a vehicle seat on a track includes an actuation cable having a first end and a second end, an actuation gear unit having an output gear with a spool feature attached to the first end of the actuation cable, a first biasing member, and an actuator in communication with the actuation gear unit. The output gear rotates about a first axis, the actuation cable partially windable upon the spool feature. Characteristically, the actuator when actuated rotates the actuation gear unit to wind the actuation cable onto the spool feature thereby retracting the actuation cable from a first position to a second position. Advantageously, the first biasing member biases the actuation gear unit to move the actuation cable from the second position to the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: LEAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark R. Keyser, Curtis Hudson, Greg Cook, Gary Holt
  • Patent number: 10351020
    Abstract: An occupant support adapted for use in a vehicle includes a seat bottom coupled to a floor of the vehicle and a seat back configured to pivot about a seat-back pivot axis relative to the seat bottom between an upright position and a folded-forward position. The occupant support further includes a seat-motion controller configured to control movement of the seat back relative to the seat bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC
    Inventor: Wojciech Smuk
  • Patent number: 10351021
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle seat fastening structure that enables a reduced length of a bolt for fastening a movable rail and a cushion frame in a spaced-apart manner. The cushion frame includes a bottom wall extending in a seat-width direction and a seat front-rear direction. The nut includes a body having a cylindrical shape and configured to penetrate the bottom wall, a thread groove, and a flange portion projecting radially from the body. A length of the nut along a central axis thereof is greater than a separation distance between an upper surface of the movable rail and an upper surface of the bottom wall of the cushion frame in a state in which no impact is applied to the cushion frame. The flange portion is provided in an area of the nut at a distance from an insertion opening for the bolt greater than the separation distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuki Nagatani
  • Patent number: 10351022
    Abstract: A vehicle seating arrangement includes a rail system that has a plurality of lateral and longitudinal rails. The vehicle seating arrangement also includes at least one seating assembly coupled to the rail system. The seating assembly includes one or more armrests coupled to a seat-base. The armrests are configured for articulation in a vertical direction relative to the seat-base. The armrests enable the seating assembly to transition between captains' chair, loveseat, and bed configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Johnathan Andrew Line, Brian Robert Spahn, Benjamin Yilma, S. M. Akbar Berry, Kevin Wayne Preuss, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Daniel Ferretti
  • Patent number: 10351023
    Abstract: A seat moving/securing device 10 includes a long reference member 11 extending in a longitudinal direction of a seat installation surface and securely installed, a leg part attachment member 50a having securely installed therein a leg part of a seat, a linear guide 20 attached between the long reference member 11 and the leg part attachment member 50a and enabling the leg part attachment member 50a to move horizontally along a longitudinal direction of the long reference member 11, and a locking mechanism 60 securely installed on the leg part attachment member 50a. A coil spring 68 serving as an elastic body exhibiting a pressing force is installed between the leg part attachment member 50a and the linear guide 20. Due to having this type of configuration, the seat moving/securing device 10 can move and secure a seat 200 easily and quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kaoru Hoshide, Hiroaki Mochizuki, Eiji Hosaka, Hiroomi Kuribayashi, Akito Kaneko, Keisuke Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 10351024
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly comprising a base assembly including an inner base shell and an outer base shell and defining a recess, a shell assembly operably coupled to the base assembly, wherein a bottom of the shell assembly nests within the recess, at least one armrest integrally formed with the shell assembly, and at least one headrest wing integrally formed with the shell assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin VanNieulande, John Wayne Jaranson, Christian J. Hosbach, Victoria Leigh Schein
  • Patent number: 10351025
    Abstract: A vehicle seat, in particular a passenger seat for a bus, includes a seat member with a seat upholstery carrier and seat upholstery, which is rigidly arranged on the seat upholstery carrier; the vehicle seat also includes a backrest with a back upholstery carrier and back upholstery, which is rigidly arranged on the back upholstery carrier; and a support structure for receiving forces which act on the vehicle seat. The support structure is constructed as a rigid carrier frame arranged at the peripheral side outside the seat member and the backrest and which is connected to the seat upholstery carrier and the back upholstery carrier. The carrier frame has carrier rails which are arranged in pairs and which extend along opposing lateral edges of the seat member and the backrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: MAN TRUCK & BUS SE
    Inventors: Michael Scherello, Achim Burmeister
  • Patent number: 10351026
    Abstract: A seat system of a vehicle includes a cushion portion configured to support an occupant sitting on the cushion portion, and a back portion configured to support the back of the occupant sitting on the cushion portion. A lower portion includes: a first side; a second side that is opposite the first side; and an infant car seat base located on the first side. An actuator is configured to selectively actuate the lower portion to: a first position where the infant car seat base is located entirely under the cushion portion; and a second position where at least a portion of the second side of the lower portion contacts the cushion portion and the infant car seat base is located entirely above the cushion portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: John J. Berndtson, Larisa M. Ensign, Anne M. Gatt, James M. Faucett, Nittin Jindia, Roshan M. Shah
  • Patent number: 10351027
    Abstract: A child safety seat includes a seat shell having a child seating area configured to hold an infant or small child and a mounting base for securing the seat shell into a vehicle. The seat shell includes handle mounts located on opposite lateral sides of the seating area configured to attach opposing ends a movable carry handle in a manner enabling pivoting movement thereof. The carry handle includes a pair of lock mechanisms, one disposed at each handle end that enables the handle to be fixed into a selected pivotal position. Each lock mechanism includes a release actuator enabling the lock mechanism to be unlocked so that the carry handle may be repositioned. The release actuators are interconnected in a manner such that releasing movement of one will be transferred to the other, enabling simultaneous release of both lock mechanisms by operation of either release actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Inventor: Mitchell L. Shellenberger
  • Patent number: 10351028
    Abstract: A seat assembly includes a lower rail track configured for attachment to a floor of the vehicle. An upper rail track is coupled to the lower rail track. A seat riser is attached to the upper rail track. A seat cushion and a seat back are each coupled to and supported by the seat riser. A seatbelt is attached to the seat riser. The seatbelt is operable to transfer a tensile force to the seat riser. An energy absorber interconnects the upper rail track and seat riser. The energy absorber is operable to reduce energy transfer between the seat riser and the upper rail track in response to the seatbelt applying the tensile force to the seat riser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC.
    Inventors: Anand V. Iyer, Shrikant A. Gholap
  • Patent number: 10351029
    Abstract: A method includes: establishing a dynamic target temperature range for a seat of a vehicle having a seat heating unit installed therein, the dynamic target temperature range defined by an adjustable minimum and maximum target temperature; activating a seat heating mode of multiple predefined seat heating modes based on an interior climate of the vehicle; defining the minimum target temperature and the maximum target temperature according to the activated seat heating mode; and controlling the seat heating unit such that a temperature of the seat continuously oscillates within the defined minimum target temperature and the defined maximum target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc., Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Ziolek, Amanda Christiana
  • Patent number: 10351030
    Abstract: A vehicle comprises: a first seating assembly including a seat, a seatback, and a midline defining an outboard direction directed away from the midline, and an inboard direction directed toward the midline; the seatback comprising a trim carrier interconnected with a closeout panel through a snap-fit connection; wherein, the snap-fit connection resists disconnection of the trim carrier from the closeout panel when a force is applied to the trim carrier from the outboard direction of the snap-fit connection to a greater degree than when a force is applied to the trim carrier from the inboard direction of the snap-fit connection. A grommet attached to the trim carrier can provide the snap-fit connection between the trim carrier and the closeout panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Jay Osterhoff
  • Patent number: 10351031
    Abstract: A pump assembly for a vehicle seatback includes a plurality of air bladders defining a lumbar support and a pneumatic cylinder that has a sealed head slidably disposed within a cylindrical cavity coupled defining an outlet. A selection device operably engages the outlet with a select one of the plurality of air bladders for inflating the select one of the plurality of air bladders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christian J. Hosbach, Adam Sachs, Marc Kondrad, Johnathan Andrew Line, Jason Nisbett, Mandeep Singh Sidhu
  • Patent number: 10351032
    Abstract: A sliding sleeve (6, 60) for fixing in a securing support (5, 50). The sliding sleeve (6, 60) includes a sleeve body (6.2, 60.2) with a coupling section (6.3, 60.3) with at least one flexible coupling face (6.4, 60.4) for bearing against the securing body (5, 50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: ADIENT LUXEMBOURG HOLDING S.ÀR.L.
    Inventor: Karsten Wehling
  • Patent number: 10351033
    Abstract: A load detection sensor unit includes: a load detection sensor which includes a pair of electrodes facing each other with a predetermined gap interposed therebetween and a metal plate covering at least a part of one electrode; and a pressing member that includes a pressing portion pressed against a sheet cushion of a seat device and harder than the sheet cushion, and the pair of electrodes contacts each other when the metal plate is bent in a case in which the pressing portion presses a part of the metal plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kawahira, Noriyuki Karasawa, Shigeru Nakazaki
  • Patent number: 10351034
    Abstract: A pressure medium distributor, for a pneumatic adjustment arrangement of a vehicle seat. The pressure medium distributor has a distribution element including at least one first and one second film connected to each other along a connection seam in order to form a first and at least one second pressure medium chamber. The pressure medium distributor has a first pressure medium inlet line to admit the pressure medium into the first pressure medium chamber, and at least one second pressure medium inlet line to admit the pressure medium into the at least one second pressure medium chamber. At least one first pressure medium outlet line is provided for discharge of the pressure medium from the first pressure medium chamber, and at least one second pressure medium outlet line is provided for discharge of the pressure medium from the second pressure medium chamber creating a pressure medium distributor which is flexible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Schütze, Johann Steinberger
  • Patent number: 10351035
    Abstract: A vehicle comprises: a floor pan; a riser attached to the floor pan, the riser comprising a pin-guide surface at least partially surrounding a pin-receiving aperture, the pin-guide surface having an angled portion; and a seatback comprising a retractable pivot pin assembly, which includes a pin; inserted into the pin-receiving aperture of the riser; wherein, the pin is inserted into the pin-receiving aperture; and wherein, during the insertion of the pin into the pin-receiving aperture, the pin first contacts the angled portion of the pin-guide surface while the pin is in an extended state. During the insertion of the pin into the pin-receiving aperture, as the pin moves toward the pin-receiving aperture, the angled portion of the pin-guide surface forces the pin toward a retracted state within the retractable pivot pin assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Raghavan Narayan Setlur, George Jacob
  • Patent number: 10351036
    Abstract: A tray table assembly including a stowage module, a tray table configured to transition between a stowed position within the stowage module and a deployed position outside of the stowage module, and an assembly coupled to the tray table and the stowage module movable relative to the stowage module to provide arced deployment motion of the tray table as the tray table transitions between the stowed and deployed positions of the tray table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark W. Foohey
  • Patent number: 10351037
    Abstract: An object holder attached to an air register of a vehicle is provided. The holder comprises an outer member detachably connected to a bezel of the air register and configured to be pivotable away from the bezel; an inner member slidably connected to the outer member. The inner member includes a sliding mechanism and a base, and the sliding mechanism is configured to slide along an inner surface of the outer member. The sliding mechanism is stowed inside the frame at a non-use position and the sliding member is at an extended state and outside the frame at a use position. At the use position, both the outer member and the inner member are translated and pivoted away from the air register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Jeancarlo dos Santos Cancado, Ryan Cantle