Patents Examined by Diem Tran
  • Patent number: 9718643
    Abstract: An elevator alignment tool includes a longitudinal frame having rollers being configured to run along the surface of a guide rail of an elevator construction, which frame includes a bias device for biasing the frame against the guide rail and a connecting part configured to be connected to an elevator car or an installation time platform, which tool further includes a laser mounted to the frame. This alignment tool allows an easy alignment of new guide rails to be installed during elevator installation or an easy verification of the guide rail alignment of a ready built elevator construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gert van der Meijden, Jos van den Heuvel
  • Patent number: 9718645
    Abstract: An elevator damping unit, for reducing vertical oscillation of an elevator car during a standstill period, has brake shoe retainers provided with brake shoes. The brake shoe retainers are connected to an electric motor via a toothed gear mechanism. The damping unit also includes a spring device configured as a metallic bending spring and arranged between the car and a carrier structure for the brake shoe retainers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Hans Kocher, Lorenz Etzweiler
  • Patent number: 9714599
    Abstract: An engine-driven generator includes an exhaust muffler disposed adjacent to a lateral side of a cylinder block, a fan cover having an air outlet arranged to face the exhaust muffler and the cylinder block, the fan cover being configured to guide cooling air from a cooling fan directly to the air outlet, and an opening area-adjustment member provided on a muffler blow-off port of the air outlet for adjusting an opening area of the muffler blow-off port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Takahashi, Takuo Kase, Kazuki Shimozono, Kiyomi Yanai
  • Patent number: 9714700
    Abstract: A pulley for a continuously variable transmission and a method of creating an engineered surface on an outer surface of a pulley of a continuously variable transmission, with the engineered surface engaging with a belt or chain of the continuously variable transmission. The method comprising the steps of: determining an actual engineered roughness (Rpk) on the outer surface needed to obtain a predetermined friction between the engineered surface and the belt or chain; and etching microgrooves in at least a portion of the outer surface to create the engineered surface by employing a laser to etch the microgrooves, the microgrooves being formed to a depth that produces the actual engineered roughness (Rpk).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Roger L. Briggs, Martin S. Kramer, Ronald P. Buffa, Matthew P. Werner
  • Patent number: 9714597
    Abstract: A mixer includes a plurality of blades extending along a longitudinal axis. The blades are arranged in a single row, and are axially spaced from each other along a transverse axis. Each of the blades defines a window. Each of the blades includes an upstream portion, and a downstream portion. Each of the blades includes a bend at the window that forms an interior blade angle between its respective upstream portion and its respective downstream portion. The single row of the blades is arranged to include a first group of blades and a second group of blades. The interior blade angle of each of the blades in the first group faces in a first axial direction along the transverse axis. The interior blade angle of each of the blades in the second group faces in a second axial direction along the transverse axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Rahul Mital, Anil Yadav, Jianwen Li, Amit Prabhakar, Claudio Ciaravino
  • Patent number: 9714157
    Abstract: An elevator damping unit for reducing vertical oscillations of an elevator car when at a standstill, has brake shoe retainers provided with brake shoes. The brake shoe retainers are connected to a common electric motor via a toothed gear mechanism. The toothed gear mechanism has a central driving gearwheel, which adjoins a drive shaft of the motor, and eccentric gearwheels, which are each assigned to one of the brake shoes and are in operative connection with the driving gearwheel. The brake shoes are supported resiliently on the respective brake shoe retainers in each case via two helical compression springs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Lorenz Etzweiler, Hans Kocher
  • Patent number: 9709075
    Abstract: A drive system provides a displacement mechanism for driving motion of a device using energy stored in an energy accumulator in a non-electric form. A charge/discharge arrangement selectively charges the energy accumulator with energy derived from an energy source while isolated from the displacement mechanism, and the connects the energy accumulator to the displacement mechanism to provide energy for driving motion of the device. The energy accumulator may be hydraulic, pneumatic or gravitational. Examples of devices driven by the system include elevators, escalators and vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Inventors: Arie Yakuel, Hilel Yakovson, Dvir Brand
  • Patent number: 9702293
    Abstract: A diagnostic device includes: a DOC for oxidizing hydrocarbon (HC) contained in an exhaust gas; a first sensor for detecting an exhaust gas temperature at a DOC inlet; a second sensor for detecting an exhaust gas temperature at a DOC outlet; a third sensor for detecting ambient temperature; an HC heat generation rate calculation unit which calculates, based on detection values of the first and second sensors, a difference in an exhaust gas heat quantity between upstream and downstream sides of the DOC, calculates, based on the detection values of the three sensors, a heat loss quantity released to outside air from the DOC, and adds the heat loss quantity and the exhaust gas heat quantity difference to calculate a heat generation quantity of HC in the DOC; and a DOC deterioration determination unit which determines, based on the calculated HC heat generation quantity, deterioration of the DOC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED
    Inventors: Hidekazu Fujie, Tadashi Uchiyama, Satoshi Hanawa, Naoto Murasawa
  • Patent number: 9702290
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes an exhaust catalyst and a fuel injection valve. The control apparatus includes: an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: (a) acquire a cetane number of a fuel for the internal combustion engine; (b) acquire a target light-off temperature on the basis of the cetane number, the target light-off temperature being a light-off temperature of the exhaust catalyst; (c) acquire an exhaust gas temperature of the internal combustion engine; and (d) when the exhaust catalyst is heated, control additional injection on the basis of a difference between the exhaust gas temperature and the target light-off temperature, the additional injection being carried out after main injection of the fuel injection valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiya Nakajima, Koji Kitano
  • Patent number: 9695012
    Abstract: An elevator includes at least one elevator car and a counterweight which are at least partly suspended on hoisting ropes and a drive machine driving a traction sheave engaging the hoisting ropes for moving the elevator car along guide rails in an elevator shaft, which elevator further includes a compensation rope. The compensation rope is led upwards to an upper part of the elevator shaft and from there aside to a balancing area located aside of the travel paths of the car and counterweight. This solution is particularly adapted for high travel elevators facing horizontal forces during operation as e.g. ship elevators. Collision of compensation ropes are avoided in the area below the car and counterweight paths which could affect the elevator safety when subjected to high horizontal forces, e.g. during rough sea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Johannes De Jong, Jussi Perälä
  • Patent number: 9695728
    Abstract: The condensed water treatment device obtains (S1) the storage water quantity (QW) of a condensed water tank, and drains (S4) condensed water in the condensed water tank when the storage water quantity (QW) is larger than a threshold value (tu) and also urea water is supplied to an exhaust passage for a selective-reduction type NOx catalyst. Thereby, the condensed water is neutralized and then drained to the outside of an internal combustion engine through the exhaust passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Takada, Takeshi Hashizume
  • Patent number: 9688514
    Abstract: A section of stairlift guide rail having two holes for attaching to another section of stairlift guide rail is described. The two holes are positioned symmetrically about a point along one edge of the section, wherein at least one of the two holes is further configured to have a bracket for mounting the section attached thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: ISLAND MOBILITY LTD
    Inventor: Robert George Horton
  • Patent number: 9688515
    Abstract: An elevator car door interlock including a locking assembly, cable assembly, switch assembly, and top mounting assembly. The elevator car door interlock works in combination with flags installed in an elevator's hoistway. A flag is installed in the areas where it is permitted to open the elevator doors. The locking assembly includes an arm that engages the flag. The flag then prevents the arm from reaching its maximum tilt and keeps it in the substantially vertical position. This causes the hook in the locking assembly to remain in the lowered position. The hook in this position allows the cable to freely travel when the elevator doors are attempted to be open. If the elevator is in a locking zone, then there is no flag present and as the door is attempted to be open, a weighted member attached to the bottom of the cable will begin to rise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Inventors: Ricardo Macareño, Nelson Alonso
  • Patent number: 9689257
    Abstract: A guide rail rope deflection inhibition mechanism and method for a parallel soft cable suspension system in ultradeep vertical shaft construction. The guide rail rope deflection inhibition mechanism comprises a T-shaped installation support base, a rotating frame, a hydraulic support rod, and a chuck. The T-shaped installation support base comprises a vertical support rod and a horizontal support rod. The hydraulic support rod comprises an upper hydraulic support rod and a lower hydraulic support rod. The rotating frame comprises an upper Y-shaped frame and a lower Y-shaped frame. The chuck comprises an upper chuck and a lower chuck. The guide rail rope deflection inhibition method treats two guide rail rope deflection inhibition mechanisms as one group, and arranges at least two groups along the vertical direction on the shaft wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: CHINA UNIVERSITY OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Guohua Cao, Jinjie Wang, Zhencai Zhu, Weihong Peng, Yandong Wang, Lei Zhang, Gang Shen, Shanzeng Liu
  • Patent number: 9689290
    Abstract: An after-treatment (AT) system for a flow of exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine includes a first AT device and a second AT device in fluid communication with and positioned in the exhaust gas flow downstream of the first AT device. The AT system also includes an exhaust passage configured to carry the exhaust gas flow from the first AT device to the second AT device. The AT system additionally includes an injector configured to introduce a reductant into the exhaust passage. The second AT device includes an inlet cone having a volute defining a spiral primary path for the exhaust gas flow into the second AT device and configured to generate a swirling motion of and turbulence in the exhaust gas flow. A vehicle employing the AT system is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jianwen Li, Luciano Nunziato Di Perna, Rahul Mital, Roberto Argolini, Joshua Clifford Bedford
  • Patent number: 9688521
    Abstract: An industrial truck has a lift mast, which has a height-adjustable load support and an overhead guard that is disposed on a side of the lift mast facing away from the load support. The guard protects the operator against falling loads and objects. The lift mast on the side thereof facing away from the load support has an adapter for the overhead guard that has two adapter limbs disposed in parallel to each other and connected to the lift mast. The overhead guard has two projecting connection limbs each of which lies flat on one of the adapter limbs and is connected thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Jungheinrich Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: John Recchia, Kelvin Chan
  • Patent number: 9687782
    Abstract: An exhaust gas system for an engine producing an exhaust gas includes an exhaust gas tube configured to receive the exhaust gas. A particulate filter is in fluid communication with the exhaust gas tube and configured to undergo thermal regeneration when the exhaust gas in the particulate filter is heated above a regeneration temperature. A generator unit is positioned downstream of the particulate filter and includes a first catalyst. A tank is configured to store a precursor material. The generator unit is configured to employ the precursor material and the heat generated for the thermal regeneration of the particulate filter to generate an ammonia gas from the precursor material. The system includes a controller having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method of controlling generation of ammonia gas in the generator unit and injection of ammonia gas in the exhaust gas tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Yong Miao
  • Patent number: 9688054
    Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-layered composite panel. The multi-layered composite panel comprises at least two sheets of thin plates with continuous waveform patterns having the same pitch and different heights in one direction are overlapped. In the multi-layered composite panel, an air layer is formed between the overlapping thin plates, orthogonal pressing portions, which divide the waveform patterns on the top and the bottom of the thin plates into the unit of triangle-patterned cell by being pressed orthogonally to cross each other on the top and the bottom of the thin plates overlapping in the orthogonal direction crossing the direction of the waveform patterns, are formed and an undercut portion is formed by pressing the centers of both sides connecting a groove and a ridge of each cell on the top and the bottom of the thin plates with opposite orthogonal pressing portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Saehan Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae Gi Sim, Sung Jin Park, Sung Hoon Yoon
  • Patent number: 9677451
    Abstract: An electronic control module for operating an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The electronic control module is configured to monitor a first air-fuel equivalence ratio of engine exhaust gases upstream of a NOx trap, and to activate a diagnostic routine for the NOx trap when the first air-fuel equivalence ratio is smaller than one. The diagnostic routine enables the electronic control module to monitor a second air-fuel equivalence ratio of engine exhaust gases downstream of the NOx trap, to use the first and second air-fuel equivalence ratios to calculate an index that is representative of the conversion efficiency of the NOx trap, and to identify a failure of the NOx trap when the efficiency index is lower than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Alberto Giordano, Roberto Argolini, Cristian Taibi
  • Patent number: 9677511
    Abstract: An exhaust gas cooler may include an outer housing and an inner housing having a heat exchanger insert arranged therein. The heat exchanger insert may include a plurality of pipes around which exhaust gas flows transversely in the inner housing and through at least some of which a coolant of a first cooling circuit flows. At least a portion of the outer housing may be cooled by a second cooling circuit. The second cooling circuit may be separate from the first cooling circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Groezinger, Martin Paarmann, Henning Schroeder