Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7726434 | Holding device and method for detecting a vehicle environment with at least one camera A holding fixture for a camera and a method for monitoring the surrounding area of a vehicle, using at least one camera, which is used to draw a holding fixture out of the body shell of a vehicle, as needed. The holding fixture is extended as a function of a speed s... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7434650 | Locking system for a motor vehicle and method for controlling such a locking system A classifying seat occupancy detection device is used to classify whether a particular seat is occupied by an adult, an infant or not at all. Depending on the classification the door lock assigned to the seat is automatically switched either to a childproof mode or ... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7412307 | Refuse vehicle control system and method A refuse vehicle is disclosed that includes a control system which comprises a plurality of microprocessor based interface modules, a communication network, and at least one output device. The control system is configured to disable the output device based on certai... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7339459 | Theft prevention system for an automobile having a power door Various systems, methods, and computer programs are used to operate a vehicle having a power door. The power door may be opened in response to a user instruction when a vehicle speed value is below a predetermined vehicle speed value. When an alarm system for the ve... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7328767 | Power train supporting apparatus and method for automotive vehicle In a power train supporting apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle, at least three mount portions support a power train constituted by an engine and a transmission on a frame of a vehicle body in such a manner that the output axle of the engine intersects a ... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7327232 | System of devices for emergency opening of vehicle doors A system for emergency opening of vehicle doors, especially to open from inside the door(s) blocked or jammed during a traffic accident, consisting of pneumatic servomotor or servomotors (1) as the door-opening executing element. The servomotor (1) sup... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7311169 | Door system for automotive vehicle A door system for an automotive vehicle includes an impact-responsive catcher pin which may be operated by a supplemental restraint system having side impact sensing capability so that the impact-responsive catcher pin may be directed to deploy from a housing mounte... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7246491 | Actuator An actuator includes a hollow cylinder which has a first portion and a second portion. The inner diameter of the first portion is larger than that of the second portion. A piston is inserted in the cylinder. The actuator has a gas generator which supplies a gas into... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7222691 | Work vehicle door interlock with override position A door interlock for a door of a work vehicle is provided, the door interlock including a switch, wherein the door interlock is movable between (a) an operating position in which the switch alternately indicates (1) that the door is open and (2) that the door is clo... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7201405 | Inertia-activated mechanism An inertia activated mechanism that may be incorporated with a door handle assembly and counteracts a crash force. When the crash force is applied, a locking tab is in a lock position to prevent a latch mechanism from releasing and opening the vehicle door. When the... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7165792 | Device for improving a vehicle structural rigidity, in particular a vehicle with retractable roof Apparatus for improving the rigidity of a vehicle structure, and particularly a vehicle having a retractable roof. The apparatus includes an electromagnet carried by either an edge of a door of the vehicle that swings outwardly when the door is open, or by an opposi... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7155323 | On-vehicle electronic control apparatus with timer-based power supply An auxiliary circuit continuously executes a timer counting operation under a condition that electric power is directly supplied from a vehicle battery to the auxiliary circuit. A main circuit receives no electric power during a waiting condition and hence minimizes... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7142971 | System and method for automatically controlling a path of travel of a vehicle The method and system for automatically controlling a path of travel of a vehicle include engaging an automatic control system when the security of the onboard controls is jeopardized. Engagement may be automatic or manual from inside the vehicle or remotely via a c... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7106213 | Distance detection and display system for use in a vehicle A distance measuring and display system for use on a vehicle having a mirror assembly thereon comprises at least one front distance measuring sensor for measuring the distance to an obstacle in front of the vehicle, at least one rear distance measuring sensor for me... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7097212 | Mechanism A mechanism for selectively locking and unlocking a vehicle door latch, comprising a rheological fluid in operable connection with an output and an input, the fluid acting so as to in a first state prevent actuation of the output upon actuation of the input and in a... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7076976 | Inertial blocking mechanism A mechanical device such as a lock with anti-shock arrangement, comprising a locking member adapted for linear motion. The anti-shock arrangement comprises a balancing member mounted for linear motion substantially parallel to the locking member motion and a pivotal... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7070013 | Decentralized power supply system for a vehicle A motor vehicle has a plurality of electric consuming devices and a power supply system for supplying the electric consuming devices with electric energy. The power supply system has a decentralized construction and, for supplying electric energy to at least one ele... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7064456 | Door lock release device A door lock release device includes an actuator for releasing a door lock, a first detection means for detecting an operation of a door handle, a first control circuit for controlling an actuation of the actuator based on the detected door handle operation, a second... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7026920 | Theft prevention system for an automobile having a power door An alarm system module for an automobile includes: a logic circuit; an actual vehicle speed value input configured to receive an actual vehicle speed value from the automobile; a state selection input configured to receive a state selection instruction from a user; ... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6975084 | Power window controller A controller has a plurality of control units that are mutually connected by a communication line and are set at different places of an automobile, each corresponding to a different one of its power windows and serving to control its opening and closing. One of thes... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6937137 | Method for locking a motor vehicle in a keyless manner A method of keyless locking of a motor vehicle is described. A transponder exchanges a code with a transceiver. A control unit compares this code with the expected code and, if a match is found, activates a closing system of the vehicle in the sense of locking it. T... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6934611 | Vehicle stability operator feedback system System for monitoring vehicle operating conditions and parameters and issuing warnings to the operator when a predetermined vehicle status is present. The predetermined vehicle status includes a variety of unsafe driving conditions and is responsive to a changing ce... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6927962 | Submergence-responsive switching member driving circuit A submergence-responsive switching member driving circuit includes: a driving unit for driving a switching member of a vehicle so as to open or close it by means of a driving current that flows through between two current input-output ends; a first power terminal fo... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6894604 | Method and apparatus for operating a vehicle safety arm An apparatus for operating a reciprocating arm vehicular safety device with a magnetized element for preventing inadvertent deployment of the reciprocating arm. The apparatus has a magnetized element on the arm and an electromagnet on a vehicle bumper, the magnetize... | 05/17/2005 |
| 6850825 | Method for suppressing deployment of an inflatable restraint based on sensed occupant weight An improved method of selectively suppressing deployment of a vehicular inflatable restraint utilizes dynamic variation in the apparent weight of a vehicle occupant to infer a free mass of the seat occupant. The free mass of the occupant is inferred by filtering out... | 02/01/2005 |
| 6836716 | Restraining system comprising a restraining device for protecting at least one passenger and a method for controlling a restraining system A restraint system having a restraint device for protecting at least one passenger and a method for controlling a restraint system. The system and method act so as to to transform using a wavelet transformation, a signal measured by an acceleration sensor into a fre... | 12/28/2004 |
| 6778072 | Method and apparatus for operating a vehicle safety arm An apparatus for operating a reciprocating arm vehicular safety device with a lock for preventing inadvertent deployment of the reciprocating arm. The apparatus has a rotor provided with retaining fingers for engaging the reciprocating, rotatable between locked and ... | 08/17/2004 |
| 6668962 | Hood hanging structure for a vehicle A hood hinging structure of a vehicle is disclosed to minimize the level of an impact to be made on a pedestrian by changing a hinge structure that allows a hood to be rotatively opened or closed at a vehicle body when the pedestrian is hit by a hood havi... | 12/30/2003 |
| 6520572 | Method and apparatus for a deployable cover A cover assembly including a cover member and a cover displacement mechanism is provided. The cover displacement mechanism positions the cover within a vehicle about an opening formed in the vehicle. The cover selectively separates an interior of the vehi... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6502854 | Air bag device, production method of an air bag device, activation method of an air bag device and vehicle with an air bag device This invention relates to an air bag system for accommodation behind a vehicle covering. The air bag system contains an air bag, which advances in a main inflating direction when the air bag system is triggered, and a gas generator for supplying the air b... | 01/07/2003 |
| 6477978 | Crossing arm assembly A crossing arm assembly that includes either one or two hollow, tapered fishing rod bodies cantilevered at their butt ends to a beam-mounting portion of a combined pivot/bracket. A crosspiece connects the tips of the rods. The combined pivot/bracket pivot... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6454325 | Closure hand lever that can be used in confined environments The present invention provides a closure handle lever comprising a gripping portion rotatably mounted along an axis and a catch lever rotatably mounted along this same axis. The catch lever is rotatable about the axis from a first position to a second pos... | 09/24/2002 |
| 6412584 | Vehicle door opener A vehicle (10) has an opening (14) for ingress to and egress from a passenger compartment (12) in the vehicle. A door (16) has a closed position blocking the opening (14) and an open position enabling ingress and egress through the opening. A structure (2... | 07/02/2002 |
| 6396227 | Driver side waterproof power window apparatus permitting operation of multiple windows when submerged A waterproof power window apparatus comprises: a driver-seat switch unit; an other-seat switch unit; and a bus line allowing communication to be established between the driver-seat switch unit and the other-seat switch unit. The driver-seat switch unit ha... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6288506 | Submergence detection power-window apparatus A submergence detection power-window apparatus is provided with driving motors for moving electric-power driven opening units to opened and closed states, manual switches for manually opening/closing the electric-power driven opening units, control units ... | 09/11/2001 |
| 6278360 | Vehicle collision warning system A vehicle collision warning system includes a distance measuring device for measuring a distance from a subject vehicle to an obstacle in front of the subject vehicle, a speed detecting device for detecting a speed of the subject vehicle, a control device... | 08/21/2001 |
| 6223467 | Motor vehicle sensor arrangement for detecting jamming A motor vehicle sensor arrangement which is used to detect jamming, i.e, an obstruction, at a movable vehicle part which can be moved into an end position, such as an electric window, a sliding and tilting roof, a convertible top, or a servo-actuated door... | 05/01/2001 |
| 6217108 | Vehicle hood apparatus A vehicle hood apparatus comprises a hood-retaining mechanism for, upon collision of a vehicle with an obstacle, lifting a rear end of a hood and retaining the hood at the lifted position. The hood-retaining mechanism includes a flexible link comprised of... | 04/17/2001 |
| 6189960 | Vehicle with a sunroof When a rollover of a vehicle body is detected by a rollover detection sensor, an inflator is operated. When the inflator is operated, an air bag connected to the inflator through a hose is inflated by a gas ejected from the inflator, downwardly pushes ope... | 02/20/2001 |
| 5894906 | Accident responsive safety release for a motor vehicle's rear door child-lock device A motor vehicle rear door anti-egress CHILD-LOCK device safety release responsive to an accident involving the motor vehicle whereby a preset CHILD-LOCK device may be immediately unset upon collision between the motor vehicle and another object. The anti-... | 04/20/1999 |
