Celebrity Inventors
Glam girl Heddy Lamar may have used her good looks to good effect on the silver screen, but she put her smarts to better use as an inventor. During World War II, she co-patented a frequency-switching system for torpedo guidance that was considered years ahead of its time.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7677665 | Fitting for a vehicle seat A compound fitting (18) for a vehicle seat, especially for an automotive seat, comprises two individual fittings (10, 50) that are arranged axially juxtaposed and in parallel in relation to the flow of force, and that each have at least two fitting par... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7673943 | Seat reclining apparatus for vehicle A seat reclining apparatus for a vehicle, including a stationary bracket and a movable bracket provided integral with a seat cushion and seat back, respectively. The movable bracket is equipped with a driving device. A speed-reduction unit is provided including an i... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7594699 | Seat apparatus A seat apparatus includes a seat cushion on which an operator is seated, a seatback supporting the operator seated on the seat cushion, the seatback being configured to incline forward to reduce an angle of the seatback relative to the seat cushion and to incline re... | 09/29/2009 |
| 7547069 | Vehicle seat, particularly a motor vehicle seat Disclosed is a vehicle seat (1), particularly a motor vehicle seat, comprising a seat part (3), at least one fitting (5) which is provided with a first fitting part (7) and a second fitting part (8) that can be swiveled relative to... | 06/16/2009 |
| 7425038 | Vehicle seat Vehicle seat includes a seat frame, a backrest frame with a motor fastened thereto, a rotary adjustment fitting with a backrest-side fitting half attached to backrest frame, and a seat-side fitting half, rotatable relative to one another via a shaft driven by the mo... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7419216 | Seat back unit for a chair, in particular for a wheelchair or a stand-up wheelchair The seat back unit has a seat back frame which can be tilted around the tilting axis (11) of the support (21). Movable on the seat back frame (13) is the seat back (25). A linear motor (33) serves to incline the seat back frame ( | 09/02/2008 |
| 7387338 | Automotive multi-position seat assembly A seat assembly is disclosed for a passenger vehicle which provides multiple positions by translating a seat back between a fore position and an aft position relative to the seat bottom. A carriage is disclosed mounted to a track within a seat bottom for translating... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7374245 | Vehicular seat A vehicular seat has a seat cushion supported on a floor portion of a vehicle body panel, a seat back divided into a seat back upper and a seat back lower and controlled to be reclined, a seat back upper frame supporting the seat back upper and fixed to a rear porti... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7367624 | Powered remote release actuator for a seat assembly A mechanism for a vehicle seat is includes a seat bottom supported by the vehicle and a seatback coupled to the seat bottom. The mechanism includes a first adjustment mechanism connected to the vehicle seat and operable between a locked position and an unlocked posi... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7340974 | Spindle gear for an adjusting device in a motor vehicle seat A spindle gear for a motor vehicle seat adjusting device having a housing, a spindle nut, a spindle and a worm wheel. The spindle nut may have an external bearing surface and a bearing shell may include an internal bearing surface cooperating with the external beari... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7328939 | Seat assembly for vehicle A seat assembly for a vehicle includes a seatback, a seat cushion, a link mechanism for supporting the seat cushion, and a drive unit for driving the link mechanism and moving the seat cushion between a seating position and a stowed position. When the seat cushion i... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7328930 | Automobile vehicle seat including a backrest pivoting in relation to the seat pan and which can be placed in table position The seat includes a backrest (2) installed so as to pivot on the seat pan (1) and arranged to be placed in a table position where the rear wall of the backrest is maintained in horizontal position, more or less parallel to a seat support frame (3 | 02/12/2008 |
| 7329200 | Drive unit of an adjuster of a vehicle seat In a drive unit (10) of an adjuster (80) of a vehicle seat, in particular of a motor vehicle seat, having at least one particularly electronically commutated motor (12) and at least one gear stage (14) provided on the output side of the m... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7318625 | Reclining element A reclining element includes a pivotal backrest, a headrest, which is coupled in an articulated manner thereto, and optionally a footrest. These pivotal parts can be displaced by an electromotive adjusting device. The reclining element is so configured as to elimina... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7294081 | Drive unit for a vehicle seat In a drive unit (10) for vehicle seat, in particular for a motor vehicle seat, having at least one motor (12) and at least one gear stage (14) provided on the output side of the motor (12), the gear stage (14) is designed as a swit... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7273243 | Seat for a rear row of seats in a vehicle Seat for a rear row of seats in a vehicle, which seat can be collapsed into a recess positioned in the cargo area behind the row of seats for the purpose of expanding cargo space, so that the back side of the backrest, which is folded forward onto the seat portion, ... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7261373 | Structure of a reclining seat A reclining seat includes a first locking mechanism for locking a first backrest frame at a sloping position, and a second locking mechanism for locking a second backrest frame at the sloping position. The reclining seat further includes a first shaft for releasing ... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7243994 | Continuously operable seat-reclining device for vehicles Disclosed herein is a continuously operable seat-reclining device having an improved actuator to substantially carry out a reclining operation of the reclining device such that an actuating force of a shaft is uniformly transmitted to the entirety of a coupling. The... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7237847 | Automotive seat with active back A vehicle seat for use by an occupant in a vehicle, for example an automobile. The vehicle seat comprises a seat base (12) coupled to a support structure (6) of the vehicle. A back frame (40) including side members (41, 43), the back fram... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7201451 | Aircraft passenger seat A drive (35, 37) reversible to two active states for optional generation of a force of displacement effecting retraction or extension of a foot rest configuration (11) is provided in an aircraft seat. The seat has seat components such as backrest seat ... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7200474 | Vehicle occupant protection apparatus Protection apparatus includes: a seat back pivotable between reclined and upright positions; a pivoting-angle adjustment section for adjusting the pivoting angle of the seat back through a motor; a prediction section for predicting an object likely to collide agains... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7192089 | Automotive seat with a backrest whose position can be electrically adjusted In the case of a vehicle seat (1), in particular rear seat or rear seat bench, having a seat part (2) and having a backrest (3) which has a foldover function brought about with an electric drive, the foldover function bringing about a folding ov... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7192090 | Recliner adjuster A recliner adjuster for appropriately adjusting an inclination of a seat back with respect to a seat cushion includes a worm rotatably mounted on the seat cushion, and a helical gear held in engagement with the worm and mounted on the seat back via an auxiliary lock... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7188904 | Lead screw and gear box for use with a motorized adjustable seat back and exhibiting a nut and nylon spacer bushing in abutting engagement with a slotted catcher bracket for preventing end-play of the lead screw as well as buzz, squeak and rattle in tensile and compressive loading situations A powered seat assembly for reducing end-play of an associated lead screw interconnecting a pivotally secured seat back to a motor gear box. A motor actuates the lead screw through an input to the motor gear box and in order to pivotally readjust the seat back. The ... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7152922 | Powered remote release actuator for a seat assembly A mechanism for a vehicle seat is includes a seat bottom supported by the vehicle and a seatback coupled to the seat bottom. The mechanism includes a first adjustment mechanism connected to the vehicle seat and operable between a locked position and an unlocked posi... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7134725 | Motor vehicle seat A motor vehicle seat including a foldable backrest and a lowerable seat part, wherein the backrest is foldable toward the seat part and a mechanism is provided so the seat part is lowerable from a use position into a forward position, wherein a coupling element is p... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7118178 | Power folding seat A power folding seat for installation within a vehicle includes a seat cushion mountable to the vehicle, a seat back pivotally coupled to the seat cushion, and a power actuator disposed within the seat back for automatically rotating the seat back between an upright... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7108306 | Electric stowing system for vehicle seat The invention provides a seat stowing system for stowing in a floor recess (16) a seat (15) with a seat back (22, 23) tipped forward to fold it against a seat cushion (21). The stowing system (20) includes a seat back forward-tippi... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7104608 | Device for adjusting the position of at least one movable part of a vehicle seat A device for adjusting the position of a movable part of a vehicle seat. One of two connection elements is secured to the movable part and to the other connection element for rotation about a first axis. A lever mechanism selectively either allows the one connection... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7100985 | Seat in particular a vehicle seat preferably an aeroplane seat A seat includes a first seat piece (10) and a further seat piece (12), which may be adjusted for inclination by a controllable operating device (14). The operating device (14) engages the further seat piece (12) by at least two adj... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7066543 | Powered fold-flat seat hinge assembly A fold-flat hinge assembly for use with a seat assembly includes an arm pivotably supported by a support member and adapted to support the seat back, as well as a gear fixedly attached to a shaft that is rotatably supported within a first slot of the support member.... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7063368 | Electric vehicle seat stowing structure An electric vehicle seat stowing structure having a swing drive mechanism for swinging a seat cushion between a seating position and a stowing position, the swing drive mechanism provided on a floor of a vehicle in the vicinity of a wheel house including a group of ... | 06/20/2006 |
| 6945605 | Chair having a slide mechanism for the seat A chair includes a seat portion 1(1B), a seat support 2(2B) supporting the seat portion 1, a rear seat support 3(3B) extending rearwardly upwardly relative to the seat support 2(2B), and a slide mechanis... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6921132 | Seat structure In order to improve vibration absorbency and impact absorbency, the seat structure includes a swing member provided in a manner to be able to swing at least back and forth on a rear frame member positioned around the rear of a seat cushion, a pelvis supporting membe... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6918635 | Fitting for a vehicle seat In the case of a fitting for a vehicle seat, in particular for a motor vehicle seat, having a first fitting part (11), a second fitting part (12) connected by a gear mechanism to the first fitting part (11), a driving ring (26), which at ... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6916069 | Seat A seat, in particular a vehicle seat, preferably an aircraft passenger seat, has seating components such as a sitting part (20), a back rest (22), and a leg rest (24). The positions of these components, particularly their inclination relative to... | 07/12/2005 |
| 6910741 | Lumbar support A back portion for a chair includes a peripheral frame defining an opening therein. A lumbar support portion is disposed in the opening. The lumbar support portion comprises a substantially rigid panel. Two hinge devices are hingedly mounted on opposite sides of the... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6910737 | Seat reclining devices Seat reclining devices for a vehicle seat may include a first seat reclining mechanism (10) having a first rotational shaft (18) and a second seat reclining mechanism (60) having a second rotational shaft (62). A connector sleeve (34 | 06/28/2005 |
| 6893092 | Inertia increasing vehicle seat adjustment mechanism An inertia increasing seat-recliner assembly for adjusting the angular position of a vehicle seat back relative to a seat bottom is provided. The seat-recliner includes a drive assembly, a driven assembly adapted to be coupled to a seat back, a transmission assembly... | 05/17/2005 |
| 6874855 | Method for managing the control system of a seat with pre-programmed positions and seat therefor The method for controlling the dynamics applies to a seat (10) comprising at least three parts (16, 20, 22) which can move with respect to each other and at least two actuators (24, 26) for moving the three parts (16, 20, 22). The method ... | 04/05/2005 |