Specifically Related To Vehicle Closure Patents (Class 292/169.11)
  • Patent number: 11619079
    Abstract: A vehicle handle assembly includes, among other things, an attachment bracket secured to a powered closure assembly of a vehicle, a handle core that is mounted to the attachment bracket, and a switch mounted to the handle core. The switch is configured to transition from a first state to a second state in response to a user grasping the handle core. The powered closure assembly can move between a first position and a different, second position in response to a transition of the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Howard Paul Tsvi Linden, Onoyom Essien Ekanem, Constantin Manolescu, Marc Beeman, Rafic Jergess
  • Patent number: 10941595
    Abstract: An example motor vehicle includes, among other things, a door having an exterior surface, and a handle moveably coupled to the door. The handle is moveable within a plane of movement oblique to the exterior surface. A door handle and a method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Rajesh K. Patel, Kosta Papanikolaou
  • Patent number: 10858868
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock, which is equipped with a ratchet mechanism, at least one actuation lever for triggering the ratchet mechanism and a ratchet lever that is pivotable about an axis. The ratchet lever renders the ratchet mechanism ineffective, at least with regard to the magnitude and direction of occurring retarding forces, for example in the event of an accident (“in the event of a crash”). According to the invention the ratchet lever is mounted eccentrically on the axis thereof and thereby produces in dependence of the occurring retarding forces a counter-torque that blocks the actuation lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Kiekert Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Klaus Gotzen, Carsten Fuchs
  • Patent number: 10612277
    Abstract: A vehicle door opening device that enables a door, in a lock state, to open comprises an operating unit. The operating unit comprises a first outside lever that is pivotally mounted, via a first shaft, and rotates with an outside handle; a second outside lever that is pivotally mounted, via a second shaft that differs from the first shaft, releasing action of the second outside lever is made by a release electric power source, the second outside lever is connected to the first outside lever so that the releasing action is not transmitted to the first outside lever; and a release lever that is pivotally mounted, via the second shaft, and carries out releasing action caused by the releasing action of the second outside lever so that the releasing action of the releasing lever can be transmitted to door latch units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation
    Inventor: Kohei Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10526818
    Abstract: The application is directed to a motor vehicle lock for a door arrangement, wherein the catch may be brought into holding engagement with a lock striker, wherein the pawl may be brought into an engagement position, wherein the pawl may be deflected into a release position, wherein an actuation lever is provided for deflecting the pawl, wherein a switchable lock arrangement is in an actuation drive train between the actuation lever and the pawl, wherein the switchable lock arrangement may be brought into a functional state, wherein, with the switchable lock arrangement being in the unlocked state, an actuation movement of the actuation lever deflects the pawl and a drive train component of the actuation drive train is decoupled from the pawl for letting the actuation movement of the actuation lever run free or a drive train component is blocked for blocking an actuation movement of the actuation lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Brose Schliesssysteme GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: David Rosales, Michael Wittelsbuerger, Stepan Hanke
  • Patent number: 10352070
    Abstract: A closure latch for a vehicle door is provided. The closure latch includes an emergency lock actuator to permit a person to lock the door in the event that the power lock actuator is unusable. The latch also includes an ‘impatient passenger’ feature, which permits the doors to be unlocked using the remote keyless-entry feature on the key fob even in a situation where an ‘impatient passenger’ had prematurely lifted the door handle of the vehicle. In some prior art latches, such an action by an ‘impatient passenger’ would prevent the drive motor on the latch from unlocking the latch, thereby necessitating the owner to press the unlock button on the key fob a second time. There is some overlap in the components that used for the ‘impatient passenger’ feature and the components used for the emergency lock actuator, thereby reducing cost and complexity of the latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Magna Closures Inc.
    Inventors: Enrico Margheritti, Francesco Cumbo, Marco Taurasi
  • Patent number: 10081970
    Abstract: An active glove box bolster system for an automotive vehicle comprises an instrument panel housing defining a door space. A glove box door comprises a longitudinally-movable latch rod having a sloped end. A striker is provided on the housing for receiving the latch rod in a pocket between a front wall and a rear wall. The front wall slidably engages the sloped end during closing of the door to retract the latch rod until it enters the pocket. The latch rod includes a first interlock element adjacent to the sloped end, and the rear wall includes a second interlock element aligned with the first interlock element. The interlock elements engage to resist movement in response to a force against the door in a direction to push the door through the door space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Brandon M. Aselage, Stacey H. Raines, Sean B. West
  • Patent number: 9874046
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle lock for a motor vehicle door arrangement, wherein a catch and a pawl are provided. The catch can be brought into an opening position and into a closed position. The catch may be brought into holding engagement with a lock striker. The pawl may be brought into an engagement position. The pawl may be deflected into a release position. A pawl actuation lever is provided for deflecting the pawl. An engagement arrangement is provided. The engagement arrangement comprises a deflection lever on the side of the pawl actuation lever and a counter contour on the side of the pawl. The deflection lever is configured to engage the counter contour. An actuation movement of the pawl actuation lever can deflect the pawl into the release. An inertial characteristic of the deflection lever causes a deflection movement along a free-wheeling path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Brose Schliesssysteme GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Wittelsbuerger, David Rosales
  • Patent number: 9212507
    Abstract: A lockset is actuable by pivoting a handle about a longitudinal axis of the lockset by rotating the handle and by pivoting the handle about an axis transverse to the lockset axis, such as by pushing or pulling. The lockset includes an inside handle and an outside handle, each associated with an independent mechanism, each of which can independently actuate the lockset. A locking mechanism prevents actuation of a first one of the independent handle mechanisms without affecting operation of the other handle mechanism. Upon actuation of the other handle mechanism, a retractor engages a surface of the locking mechanism and removes it from engagement with the first locking mechanism. An adjustment ring has a first configuration that centers the lockset in a door having a first standard thickness and a second configuration that centers the lockset in a door having a second standard thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Hampton Products International Corporation
    Inventors: Xin Ben Ou, Xin Min Ou, Han Gui Xiao, Zhi Man Yuan, Shi Hao Chen, Guo Hua Liu
  • Patent number: 8127962
    Abstract: A lid body is constituted so as to enable to selectively take a lid closing preparation position wherein the lid body is moved forward to a housing frontward side with an approximately horizontal condition and projects to a housing front, a lid closed position closing an opening portion of a housing with an approximately vertical condition, and a lid open position wherein the lid body is moved to a housing backward side with an approximately horizontal condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: NIFCO Inc.
    Inventor: Mitsuru Kogami
  • Patent number: 7695028
    Abstract: A lock apparatus includes a operation handle, a pair of springs movably supported by the container member, a pair of slide pins urged in directions of lock holes defined on the support member by the springs, respectively, and a pair of cam members to which rear end portions of the slide pins are fitted, respectively, to urge each slide pin to project and retract. When the operation handle is operated in a swing manner, a front end portion of each slide pin is retracted from each lock hole of the support member against pressure of each spring. Engagement holes are defined on opposed surfaces of each front end portion of the cam member having a cylindrical shape. Each rear end portion of the slide pin is formed in a bifurcated structure to have elastic pieces. Each of elastic pieces has a protrusion for detachably engaging with each of engagement holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignees: Piolax, Inc., Kanto Auto Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouichi Katou, Noboru Niikura, Toshihiko Ookawara
  • Patent number: 6837461
    Abstract: The present invention provides a balance load actuator for effecting motion between a first part and a second part. An embodiment of the present invention comprises a main housing; a shaft; a motion transfer assembly; and a load balancing assembly. The balance load actuator receives substantial external loads through a load balance assembly and distributes the loads to the main housing, thus relieving undue stress otherwise exerted on the shaft and enabling lighter and smaller design components and construct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Sam Shiao
  • Publication number: 20030218340
    Abstract: A latch arrangement includes a latch and a release mechanism. The arrangement is operable such that with the latch in an unlocked latched first condition, an initial actuation of the release mechanism changes the state of the latch to a latched second condition, which is different from the first condition. A subsequent actuation of the release mechanism unlatches the latch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Inventors: Peter Coleman, Gurbinder Kalsi