Patents Issued in May 7, 2024
  • Patent number: 11975604
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a first rail and a second rail elongated along a vehicle-longitudinal axis and spaced from each other along a vehicle-lateral axis. The vehicle includes an energy storage device between the first rail and the second rail. The vehicle includes a support structure between the first rail and the second rail. The vehicle includes a cable under tension and extending from the first rail to the second rail, the cable between the energy storage device and the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dean M. Jaradi, Mohammad Omar Faruque, S. M. Iskander Farooq, Saeed D. Barbat
  • Patent number: 11975605
    Abstract: A front wheel clutch and a front wheel acceleration clutch are supported to a front wheel transmission shaft. Between the front wheel clutch and the front wheel acceleration clutch, there is provided a holder supporting the front wheel transmission shaft. A first operational oil passage for switching over the front wheel clutch is defined respectively in and between the holder and the front wheel transmission shaft. A second operational oil passage for switching over the front wheel acceleration clutch is defined respectively in and between the holder and the front wheel transmission shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunsuke Sonoda, Kenichiro Tsuji, Hiroki Takemoto
  • Patent number: 11975606
    Abstract: A drive axle system having at least one differential assembly, a first electric motor, and a second electric motor. The first electric motor and the second electric motor may be selectively connectable to the differential assembly. The first electric motor, the second electric motor, or both may provide torque to the differential assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Edwin D. Lorenz, Adam P. Sadlik, Michael Schlundt, Rituja D. Marathe
  • Patent number: 11975607
    Abstract: During an at least partially autonomous driving operation of a motor vehicle, an arrangement and mode of action of environmental sensors of the motor vehicle, the sensor data of which are used in the at least partially autonomous driving operation, is visualized by use of a display device arranged in the motor vehicle. The motor vehicle includes a data interface for wirelessly transmitting data to the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Marcus Kühne
  • Patent number: 11975608
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for displaying display information according to a driving environment and a method thereof. The apparatus for displaying display information according to the driving environment according to the present invention includes an input unit receiving driving environment information, a memory in which a program for controlling internal and external displays of a vehicle according to a driving environment is stored, and a processor executing the program, wherein the processor controls to select and project display information according to the driving environment information in an internal screen area and an external screen area according to preset partitioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae Hun Kim, Sung Joon Ahn, Myung Bin Choi
  • Patent number: 11975609
    Abstract: Embodiments herein are directed to a transparent steering wheel system for a vehicle that includes a sensor system, a projection system, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to determine when a plurality of display data displayed on a display device behind a steering wheel is blocked by the steering wheel from a field of view of a driver, determine when a desirable notification is included in the plurality of display data, and when the desirable notification is included and the field of view of the desirable notification for the driver is blocked by the steering wheel, control the projection system to project the desirable notification onto the projection surface of the steering wheel that fully covers the steering wheel such that the steering wheel appears to be transparent when the desirable notification is displayed onto the projection surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Benjamin Piya Austin, John K. Lenneman, George M. Evans, Takeshi Yoshida, William Patrick Garrett, Rebecca L Kirschweng
  • Patent number: 11975610
    Abstract: A hybrid power system and an operating method, a torque distribution method and a gear shifting control method of the same. A transmission of the hybrid power system employs two independent input shafts and two motors which are in transmission connection with the two input shafts respectively, and an engine is in transmission connection with one of the two motors via a clutch. In this way, in one aspect, a torque compensation can be constantly carried out in a gear shift process of the hybrid power system, thereby avoiding a torque interruption phenomenon for the hybrid power system in the gear shift process; in the other aspect, the hybrid power system can enable a serial mode in which one motor is driven by the engine to charge a battery while the other motor is driven to transmit torque to the transmission for driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventor: Xinke Mu
  • Patent number: 11975611
    Abstract: A power electronics converter may include a converter commutation cell having a power circuit and a gate driver circuit. The power circuit includes at least one power semiconductor switching element and at least one capacitor. Each power semiconductor switching element is included in a power semiconductor prepackage, each prepackage including one or more power semiconductor switching elements embedded in a solid insulating material, each power semiconductor switching element having at least three terminals including a gate terminal. The gate driver circuit is electrically connected to and configured to provide switching signals to the gate terminal of each of the at least one power semiconductor switching element. A peak rated power output of the power electronics converter is greater than 25 kW and a value of a converter parameter ? is greater than or equal to 0.5 PV/FH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventors: Uwe Waltrich, Stanley Buchert, Marco Bohlländer, Claus Müller
  • Patent number: 11975612
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a first wheel, a second wheel, and a controller. The first and second of wheels have first and second tires, respectively. The controller is programmed to receive inputs indicative of tire tread wear of the first and second wheels. The controller is further programmed to, in response to a command to adjust torques of the first and second wheels to first and second desired torque values, respectively, and a difference between a tire tread wear of the first wheel and a tire tread wear of the second wheel exceeding a threshold, adjust the torque of the first electric machine to less than the first desired torque value and adjust the torque of the second electric machine to greater than the second desired torque value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Brendan F. Diamond
  • Patent number: 11975613
    Abstract: A variable-gauge train control apparatus for a variable-gauge train having a gauge variable in a gauge conversion section includes: a plurality of main motors that transmits driving force to axles and wheels; a plurality of inverters that outputs voltage to at least one of the main motors; and voltage control units that control the individual output voltages of the plurality of inverters. Each of the voltage control units corresponds to one of the inverters and, when at least one of the axles to be subjected to the driving force controlled by the corresponding one inverter is within the gauge conversion section, controls the speed of the associated main motors by using, as a speed command value, a train speed converted into a rotational frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, KYUSHU RAILWAY COMPANY
    Inventors: Kohei Fujitani, Shinsuke Kadoi, Tsuyoshi Morimitsu, Yuichi Mimura, Soichiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11975614
    Abstract: Informed towing is provided. Towing information is identified, by a towing vehicle, with respect to a towed vehicle to be towed by the towing vehicle. A towed configuration of the towed vehicle is monitored. Responsive to the towed configuration of the towed vehicle being incorrect according to the towing information, a warning is displayed in the HMI indicating the incorrect towing configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Brendan F. Diamond, Keith Weston, Andrew Denis Lewandowski, Jordan Barrett, Michael Alan McNees, Lars Niklas Pettersson
  • Patent number: 11975615
    Abstract: A vehicle battery fire sensing apparatus includes a battery pack mounted to a vehicle structure, an electronic control unit, and at least one communication line, wherein the battery pack includes a battery module including at least one battery cell, a battery management system configured to transmit a signal received from the battery module to the electronic control unit, and a battery pack case having a gas discharge portion configured to allow venting gas to be discharged therethrough. The battery pack case is provided with a sensor configured to measure at least one of temperature and pressure, and a vehicle battery fire sensing method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventor: Tae Hwan Roh
  • Patent number: 11975616
    Abstract: An electric vehicle drive system includes: a reactor; and electric vehicle control apparatuses that control electric motors for driving an electric vehicle. Each of the electric vehicle control apparatuses includes: a capacitor that defines a filter circuit together with the reactor; an inverter circuit that supplies power to the corresponding one of the electric motors; and a control unit that controls the inverter circuit. The inverter circuit is housed in a housing together with the capacitor and the control unit. The reactor is connectable to each of the housings through an electric wire having any desired length. At least one of the electric wires connecting the reactor and the housings has a length of 2 meters or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kitanaka, Tetsuo Sugahara, Hirokazu Takabayashi
  • Patent number: 11975617
    Abstract: A lower box body, a battery pack and a vehicle, where the battery pack includes the lower box body and a battery cell; the lower box body has an accommodating area, and the battery cell is accommodated in the accommodating area; the lower box body is further provided with an exhaust port and an exhaust channel, and the exhaust port is in communication with the exhaust channel; the exhaust port is arranged in the lower box body of corresponding accommodating area; and the lower box body further includes an exhaust assembly, the exhaust assembly is blocked at the exhaust port, and the exhaust assembly is configured to be open when pressure in the accommodating area reaches a set value, so that gas in the accommodating area enters the exhaust channel through the exhaust port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED
    Inventors: Zhichao Wang, Peng Wang
  • Patent number: 11975618
    Abstract: A high-voltage charging arrangement (2) is provided for charging a traction battery (20) of an electric vehicle at a DC charging station (4). The DC charging station (4) has a first voltage (Vin) and the traction battery (20) has a second voltage (Vout). At least one DC-DC converter (10) has a first conduction path (12) with a converter (16) for transforming the first voltage (Vin) into the second voltage (Vout) and a second conduction path (14) has a bypass (18) for bypassing the converter (16). A control device (26) communicates with the DC charging station (4) is possible. An input element (28) is provided for selecting a conduction path (12, 14) and is connected to the control device (26) for control purposes. A method also is provided for performing a charging process for a traction battery (20) of an electric vehicle at a DC charging station (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG
    Inventors: David Dallinger, Sven Toepler, Leonie Weidenmann, Jana Schilling, Pavithra Rao Kasargod Pattanshetty, Wolf-Georg Rampf
  • Patent number: 11975619
    Abstract: Various disclosed embodiments include illustrative controller units, direct current fast charging (DCFC) units, and methods. In an illustrative embodiment, a controller unit includes a controller and a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions are configured to cause the controller to determine status of a power electronics module (PEM) of a direct current fast charging (DCFC) unit, and instruct the PEM to control power quality of a three-phase alternating current (AC) grid power signal in response to the determined status being available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Yang Liu, Steven Schulz, Ming Li
  • Patent number: 11975620
    Abstract: A power transfer system for supplying electric power to a battery of an electric vehicle including a control architecture capable of controlling the transmission of electric power to a battery of the electric vehicle and, at the same time, capable of providing frequency control functionalities to optimize power transmission efficiency. In a further aspect, the invention relates to a method for controlling a power transfer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: ABB E-Mobility B.V.
    Inventors: Fabio Tombelli, Pawel Blaszczyk, Marco Lega, Oscar Apeldoorn
  • Patent number: 11975621
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field of EV-DWPT (electric vehicle dynamic wireless power transfer), and specifically discloses a double solenoid EV-DWPT system and a parameter optimization method thereof. The system is provided with a magnetic coupling mechanism, comprising a transmitting structure and a receiving structure. The transmitting structure includes a plurality of double solenoid transmitting rails arranged equidistantly along a road direction. Each double solenoid transmitting rail includes a square tubular magnetic core perpendicular to the road surface, and transmitting solenoids wound spirally using one and the same Litz wire wound in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Inventors: Xiaorui Wu, Yue Sun, Xiaofei Li, Jing Xiao, Shaonan Chen, Yue Zuo, Yuhong Mo, Ning Wu, Wenlan Gong, Shuai Han, Weidong Chen, Min Guo, Xiaoxuan Guo, Chunsen Tang
  • Patent number: 11975622
    Abstract: A charging inlet assembly includes a housing extending between a front and a rear. The housing has a DC section including DC terminal channels that are configured to receive DC terminals. The housing has an AC section including an AC module chamber. The DC section is configured for mating with a DC charging connector at the front. The AC section is configured for mating with an AC charging connector at the front. The charging inlet assembly includes an AC charging module removably received in the AC module chamber. The AC charging module includes an AC insert extending between an insert front and an insert rear. The AC insert includes AC terminal channels between the insert front and the insert rear. The AC charging module include AC terminals received in the AC terminal channels. The AC terminals are terminated to ends of AC cables extending from the insert rear. The AC terminals and the AC cables are removable from the housing with the AC insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH
    Inventors: Clara Marguerite Rhodes, Hurley Chester Moll, Matthew Bryan Hitchcock, Aaron James de Chazal, Kevin John Peterson
  • Patent number: 11975623
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a method for controlling a charging current of an electric vehicle and a charging device. The controlling method includes: sampling current temperature of the charging connection node; generating a current regulation amount according to the current temperature and a preset target temperature threshold; and regulating the charging current flowing through the charging connection node according to the current regulation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chao Yan, Peng Xue
  • Patent number: 11975624
    Abstract: Provided are a wireless charging system and methodology including a charging station, an application, and a server configured and operating to facilitate wireless vehicle charging. The charging station includes a charging unit for transferring power, a control unit, and a communication unit. The application is accessible through a mobile device and capable of communicating with the charging station. The server is capable of communicating with the charging station and the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: HEVO INC.
    Inventors: Jeremy Ryan McCool, Steven Clark Monks
  • Patent number: 11975625
    Abstract: A cable support comprises an elongate supporting structure configured for attachment to a vertical surface. The cable support comprises a boom arm for supporting a cable wherein the boom arm is arranged to slide along at least a portion of the elongate supporting structure. The cable support further comprises a slidable pivot for supporting the boom arm. When deployed, the boom arm slides down along at least a portion of the elongate supporting structure as the boom arm rotates outwards from the supporting structure to provide lateral support for the cable. The slidable pivot supports the boom arm by sliding downwards along the length of the supporting structure during deployment of the boom arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: NODUM INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventor: Benjamin Hector MacDonald
  • Patent number: 11975626
    Abstract: An example operation includes one or more of providing to a charging station a distance desired to be driven by a transport and determining, by the charging station, an amount of energy to retrieve from the transport such that a residual amount of energy in the transport is equivalent to the distance desired to be driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Norman Lu
  • Patent number: 11975627
    Abstract: An electric vehicle charging system provides member authentication, charging, and simple payment. The system improves convenience for a customer by extracting a unique Media Access Control (MAC) address of a vehicle and performing membership registration procedure, member authentication procedure, simple payment, and charging procedure using the extracted MAC address of the vehicle and customer information provided at the time of membership registration. The system increases customer satisfaction by providing a customer with simple payment and a payment amount along with completion of the charging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: DAEYOUNG CHAEVI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Min Kyo Jung, Kyung Soo Bae, Sang Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 11975628
    Abstract: Techniques for charging a battery associated with a vehicle are discussed herein. A dense charging station for charging the battery may have lanes arranged in parallel, and each of the lanes may have sequential charging locations. A vehicle utilizing the charging station may position itself at the first available charging location, being receiving energy, and determine if a subsequent charging station becomes available in the lane, and then position itself at the subsequent charging location, once available. Multiple charging stations may be required to maintain a threshold power state for individual vehicles in a fleet of vehicles providing a service for a geographic region. A charging coordinator may determine when a battery of a vehicle does not satisfy a threshold power state and requires a recharge. Additionally, the charging coordinator may determine a candidate charging station from among multiple charging stations associated with the geographic region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventor: Vamsi Krishna Pathipati
  • Patent number: 11975629
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for and method of determining a model for estimating battery properties in a hybrid or electrical drive system (900) for a vehicle (902), the method comprising: providing (51) a function approximator estimating a battery property as a function of two or more measured battery parameters; providing (52) a stream of measured battery parameter values as a function of time for a predetermined period to a predetermined battery cell model describing the relationship between the measured battery parameter and the battery property; determining (S3) a battery property value using the cell model based on a selected portion of the stream of measured battery parameter values; determining (S4) if a predetermined condition for the selected portion of the stream of measured battery parameter values is fulfilled; and if (S5) the predetermined condition is fulfilled, updating (S6) the function approximator based on the battery property value determined by the cell model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jonas Hellgren
  • Patent number: 11975630
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for updating of a machine learning model on a vehicle. A data processing system having at least one processor coupled with memory can predict a first value for a characteristic of the vehicle based at least on a model and measure a second value for the characteristic of the vehicle based at least on a sensor of the vehicle. The data processing system can determine a difference between the first value predicted based at least on the model and the second value measured is greater than a tolerance. The data processing system can identify a state of the vehicle associated with the difference between the first value and the second value and provide, in response to the difference determined greater than the tolerance, the state of the vehicle to a server remote from the vehicle to update the model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC.
    Inventors: Sundaresan Balasubramanian, Paul McLachlan
  • Patent number: 11975631
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for cloud processing data streamed from a vehicle and a home (e.g., any location) associated with a user account. One method includes receiving a data stream from the vehicle entity, where the data stream from the vehicle entity includes metadata from one or more data producing objects of the vehicle entity. And, receiving a data stream from the home entity, where the data stream from the home entity includes metadata from one or more data producing objects of the home entity. The method includes accessing action conditions associated with a user account. The action conditions identify a position where at least one or more states of the metadata from each of the home entity and the vehicle entity intersect. And, each action condition identifies a type or types of control information to be processed. The method includes processing the received metadata from the vehicle entity and the home entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Emerging Automotive, LLC
    Inventors: Angel A. Penilla, Albert S. Penilla
  • Patent number: 11975632
    Abstract: The present application provide a control method of a power battery heating system. The method includes: controlling all upper bridge arms of a first bridge arm group and all lower bridge arms of a second bridge arm group to be turned on, and controlling all lower bridge arms of the first bridge arm group and all upper bridge arms of the second bridge arm group to be turned off, so as to form a first loop; controlling all the lower bridge arms of the first bridge arm group and all the upper bridge arms of the second bridge arm group to be turned on, and controlling all the upper bridge arms of the first bridge arm group and all the lower bridge arms of the second bridge arm group to be turned off, so as to form a second loop. The method is used to heat the power battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED
    Inventors: Xiaojian Huang, Zhimin Dan, Jinfeng Gao, Jin Huang
  • Patent number: 11975633
    Abstract: The disclosure provides for a system. The system may include a rotational control system configured to rotate a seat of a vehicle, and one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices may have one or more processors that are configured to determine that an impact is imminent at a location on the vehicle along a collision axis. A most favorable orientation may be determined by the one or more processors based on the determined location and collision axis. Using the rotational control system, the one or more processors may rotate the seat of the vehicle to the most favorable orientation in order to reduce risks of serious injury to a passenger in the seat caused by the imminent impact. A translational control system may be used by the one or more processors to translate the seat of the vehicle to a position relative to the determined location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Lynn Larner, Courtney McCool, Thomas Daniel, Atul Gupta, Felix Jose Alvarez Rivera, Peter Craig Lombrozo
  • Patent number: 11975634
    Abstract: A seat assembly includes a four-bar linkage for providing movement of the seat assembly between a plurality of positions in an automotive vehicle. The four-bar linkage includes front and rear links which simultaneously rotate to move the seat assembly between an easy entry position in which the seat assembly tilts forwardly and downwardly toward a floor of the automotive vehicle to allow ingress and egress behind the seat assembly, a stow position in which a seat cushion lowers toward the floor of the automotive vehicle and a seat back pivots toward and overlaps the seat cushion, and an intermediate design position in which the seat cushion is spaced from the floor of the automotive vehicle and the seat back is disposed generally upright to support an occupant. The seat assembly is capable of moving directly between the easy entry and stow positions without needing to intermediately return to the design position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Magna Seating Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Zimmerman, II, Cheikh Dioum
  • Patent number: 11975635
    Abstract: A gear device includes a first gear, a second gear, and a third gear, a stopper plate, and a housing. The second gear is offset eccentrically when the first gear is rotated. The third gear is rotated at a slower speed than the first gear when the second gear is offset eccentrically. The stopper plate is engaged with the second gear thereby restricting rotational movement of the second gear while permitting linear movement of the second gear. The housing accommodates the stopper plate in a state restricting rotational movement of the stopper plate while permitting linear movement of the stopper plate. The stopper plate includes an arm extending in a linear movement direction of the stopper plate. The housing includes an accommodation pit accommodating the arm. The arm includes a branching portion. The accommodation pit includes a projected wall arranged in the branching portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Hirose, Kouhei Izuchi
  • Patent number: 11975636
    Abstract: A backrest of a vehicle seat comprises a backrest frame, at least one headrest attachment rod, and a backrest upholstery. The backrest upholstery comprises at least one rear central shell, fixed to a rear face of the backrest frame. The rear central shell comprises at least one hole traversed by the at least one headrest attachment rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: FAURECIA Sièges d'Automobile
    Inventor: Roger Ofner
  • Patent number: 11975637
    Abstract: Proposed herein is a reclining apparatus for a seat, which secures coupling between a cap and a gear plate through a uniform position adjustment of the cap when the cap of a recliner is assembled, secures operation performance between components, and prevents a bearing from being deformed and separated due to an external force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: HYUNDAI TRANSYS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sung Chul Kim, Dong Hyeon Son
  • Patent number: 11975638
    Abstract: A locking mechanism includes a housing, a cam disposed within the housing, and a plurality of pawls disposed within the housing. The housing includes a first plate and a second plate. The second plate includes a peripheral lip having an interior face that defines a plurality of teeth. Each of the plurality of pawls defines a central axis. Each of the plurality of pawls includes a plurality of pawl teeth. The plurality of pawl teeth include a first middle tooth positioned on a first side of the central axis and a second middle tooth positioned on an opposing second side of the central axis. The first middle tooth has a first flat face facing the central axis and a first curved face facing away from the central axis. The second middle tooth has a second flat face facing the central axis and a second curved face facing away from the central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: CAMACO, LLC.
    Inventors: Jeff Carroll, Sanjay Vakil, Mohammad Fazli, Yang Cao, Harish Bijwe
  • Patent number: 11975639
    Abstract: A seat back frame is provided with a plurality of upright members, and at least one cross member interconnecting the plurality of upright members. At least one of the plurality of upright members has a weakened region to control deformation of the seat back frame in an impact condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventor: Masayuki Niwa
  • Patent number: 11975640
    Abstract: The present application provides an automobile seat cushion comprising: a body shaped like a flat sheet that has a top surface in contact with the buttocks of a user and a bottom surface in contact with an automobile seat; a plurality of protrusions that are distributed under the bottom surface of the body and provided to vertically protrude downward from the bottom surface, the plurality of protrusions being formed integrally with the body of the seat cushion; and a plurality of vertical ventilation holes that are formed to be recessed downward from the top surface of the body, the plurality of vertical ventilation holes and the plurality of protrusions being in one-to-one correspondence vertically, wherein each vertical ventilation hole of the plurality of vertical ventilation holes vertically extends downward beyond the bottom surface of the body from the top surface of the body, and enters into a corresponding protrusion but does not penetrate through a bottom of the corresponding protrusion, and wherein
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Inventor: Yuhua Wang
  • Patent number: 11975641
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a sewing structure for a seat cover, comprising a first cut piece (1), a second cut piece (2), a first sewing thread (3), a second sewing thread (4) and an inlay (5), wherein the first and the second cut piece in an overlapped status are sewn together by the first and the second sewing thread which are spaced apart from each other, wherein the inlay is arranged between the first and the second cut piece and between the first and the second sewing thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Yanfeng International Automotive Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Qibin Zhou, Yaoyuan Ding, Lifeng Hu
  • Patent number: 11975642
    Abstract: A kinetic structural component may have a flexible structure having at least one degree of freedom. The flexible structure can be moved between a compressed position and an expanded position or vice versa. The flexible structure may have at least one substructure which is configured, when said flexible structure is in the expanded position, to expand to form a curve or an arc and/or linearly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Adient US LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Frotz, Daniel Bahr, Rudolf Wilhelm Hemmelrath, Sven Oldach
  • Patent number: 11975643
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat cushion, a seat back pivotally moveable between an upright position and a reclined position, and at least one upper arm support selectively moveable between a stowed position and an extended position, the at least one upper arm support adapted to provide support for an upper arm of an occupant when the seat back of the vehicle seat is in the reclined position and the at least one upper arm support is in the extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Nilesh D Mankame, Chin-hsu Lin, Paul W Alexander, Wonhee Michael Kim, Manuel Forero Rueda
  • Patent number: 11975644
    Abstract: A vehicle assembly includes a vehicle body including a side body component and a transverse body component, and a vehicle seat attached to the each of the side and transverse body components. The vehicle seat includes a seat main frame including an attached seat back, a side member attached to the seat main frame, the side member defining an outboard bolster for the seat back and an armrest, and a seat base attached to the seat main frame. A first connection bracket is secured to the transverse body component adjacent an outboard side edge portion of the seat back, and the outboard bolster of the side member is connected to the first connection bracket. A second connection bracket is secured to the side body component and extended toward the seat main frame, and the armrest of the side member is connected to the second connection bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junichi Suzuki, Fernando M. Rosero, Eric D. Daume
  • Patent number: 11975645
    Abstract: An embodiment of the disclosure may be a vehicle that may include: a vehicle body including a floor surface; a front seat base protruded from the floor surface and including an upper surface thereof on which a front seat bottom is attached; a rear seat base protruded from the floor surface and located on a rear side of the front seat base across an aisle, wherein a rear seat bottom is attached to the rear seat base; and a drink holder fixed to a portion of the upper surface of the front seat base on a rear side of the front seat bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Bradley Kathol, Naoki Hashimoto, Akira Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 11975646
    Abstract: A spring-assisted trailer loading ramp for an equipment trailer includes a ramp support and at least one ramp rotatably mounted to an end of the ramp support by a spring assist assembly. The spring assist assembly includes: a plurality of pivot tabs mounted to the end of the ramp support, a primary pivot bar received by holes in the plurality of pivot tabs and by first holes in a plurality of hinge plates, at least one primary coil spring on the primary pivot bar configured to act on the ramp support and one of the hinge plates, a secondary pivot bar received by second holes in the plurality of hinge plates and mounted to the at least one ramp, and at least one secondary coil spring on the secondary pivot bar configured to act on the at least one ramp and one of the hinge plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Norstar Trailers, LLC
    Inventors: Johan Harms, Wade Gerritt VanNoord
  • Patent number: 11975647
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a motor vehicle including a lift assembly. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a motor vehicle, including a panel and an actuator assembly configured to raise and lower the panel between a highest position and a lowest position. When the panel is in the lowest position, an underside of the panel is spaced-apart above a ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jesse Rene Diephuis, Michael John Harmon, Hussain Tajmahal, Amol Borkar
  • Patent number: 11975648
    Abstract: A communication light device for vehicles having a number of light sources, having an elongated optical unit for generating a light signature, having a control unit for controlling the number of light sources such that a locally and/or temporally variable light emission and/or illuminated area is generated in the longitudinal extent of the elongated optical unit, wherein the communication light device is designed as a body styling part that is arranged on an exterior of the vehicle body and extends in the horizontal direction all the way along a front end and/or all the way along a rear end of the vehicle and/or all the way or partially along a longitudinal side of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Marc Kaup, Heinrich Schaefer
  • Patent number: 11975649
    Abstract: The invention relates to a light device for a motor vehicle, the device including a housing, members for fastening the housing to a body of the motor vehicle, a plate arranged in the housing and supporting at least one light module, a device for manually adjusting the orientation of the housing relative to the fastening members of the motor vehicle, arranged outside the housing, and a device for dynamically adjusting the orientation of the plate relative to the housing, arranged inside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventors: Mehdi Madelaine, Nicolas Honnet, Stephane Patrizi, Matthieu Syre
  • Patent number: 11975650
    Abstract: Provided is a fog light unit of a vehicle that facilitates attachment and detachment of a light section attached to the vehicle body and is excellent in operability of the portable light. A fog light unit includes a base fixed to a body of the saddle vehicle and a light section that is detachable from the base. The light section has a built-in battery. The base and the light section are connected with a slide mechanism including a guide rail and an engaging portion that slides along the guide rail for engagement. The fog light unit further includes a lock mechanism configured to prohibit a slide motion of the slide mechanism, and the lock mechanism includes a lock pin that protrudes and retracts, and an engagement hole, with which the lock pin engages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinobu Miyagawa, Takahiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11975651
    Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to, heat a passenger cabin of a vehicle, actuate a thermal sensor to collect temperature data in the passenger cabin, identify a surface in the passenger cabin that has a temperature below a temperature threshold, and actuate one or more components to sanitize the identified surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Erick Michael Lavoie
  • Patent number: 11975652
    Abstract: A notification device is provided which decreases notifications that passengers find annoying. This notification device is provided with: a notification unit which detects an object that is approaching the vehicle and notifies a passenger of the approach of said object; a water detection unit which detects water present around the vehicle; and a notification control unit which controls the notification unit such that in the case that water has been detected by the water detection unit, the frequency of notifications is suppressed more than in the case that water is not detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
    Inventors: Tomokazu Tojo, Hiroshi Yano, Masahiro Seki
  • Patent number: 11975653
    Abstract: In a case where a person moves away in a longitudinal direction from the vicinity of a vehicle, a condition for generating a warning is satisfied due to a change in a speed in a transverse direction. Thus, a warning system generates an erroneous warning. In order to solve this problem, there are proposed a target detection system for a vehicle and a target detection method for a vehicle, both of which are capable of computing a final risk level, taking into consideration not only results of recomputing a time-to-collision and an impact point, but also the presence or absence of a target that is detected by a camera sensor. The time-to-collision and the impact point are recomputed, taking into consideration a change in a speed in a transverse direction that occurs when the target moves in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Eun Seok Kang