Patents Examined by James K. Hsiao
  • Patent number: 11560932
    Abstract: A damping device (1) for a suspension (100) of a bicycle includes: a first tubular body (2) defining a first chamber (4); a second tubular body (3) defining a second chamber (5) fluidically communicating with the first chamber (4); a third tubular body (8) disposed inside the second chamber (5), the interior thereof defining a third chamber (9) fluidically communicating with the second chamber (5); a hollow stem (10) integral with the first tubular body (2), defining a through cavity (11) which establishes a fluid communication between the third chamber (9) and the first chamber (4); a first static valve (12) disposed between the second chamber (5) and the third chamber (9); a second static valve (14), connected to the stem (10), operatively disposed between the third chamber (9) and the cavity (11) of the stem (10); a dynamic valve (15) connected to the first tubular body (2) inside the first chamber (4), operatively disposed between the cavity (11) of the stem (10) and the first chamber (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: HIRIDE SUSPENSION S.R.L.
    Inventors: Domenico Borgese, Fabio Noce
  • Patent number: 11555525
    Abstract: A vibration damper with an adjustable damping force may comprise an inner cylinder having at least one working chamber, an outer cylinder that surrounds the inner cylinder, and at least one damping valve element that in terms of flow is connected via a flow connection to the working chamber. An adapter sleeve may guide the flow connection, with the adapter sleeve being inserted in the inner cylinder on an internal circumference of the inner cylinder. The flow connection may be guided into the damping valve element by way of a flow opening that is configured in a wall of the inner cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP BILSTENN GMBH, THYSSENKRUPP AG
    Inventor: Klaus Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11548342
    Abstract: A coilover shock absorber includes a damper element and a coil spring, where the coilover shock absorber includes a first mount for the damper element and a second mount for the damper element, and where the coilover shock absorber includes a first seat for the coil spring and a second seat for the coil spring, where the first mount for the damper element is operatively separate from the first seat for the coil spring, where the second mount for the damper element is operatively separate from the second seat for the coil spring. The resulting inverted coilover shock absorber allows for separate load paths for the damper element and the coil spring to the chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: NINGBO GEELY AUTOMOBILE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CO.
    Inventor: Magnus Nilsson Gatenholm
  • Patent number: 11549566
    Abstract: A hydraulically damping mount for mounting a motor vehicle unit on a motor vehicle body includes a support and a support mount which are interconnected by a support spring made of an elastomeric material. In embodiments, a support spring limits a working chamber which is separated from a compensating chamber by a separating device, wherein the working chamber and the compensating chamber may be filled with a fluid and may be connected to one another via a damping channel included in the separating device, wherein the separating device may include two nozzle discs between which a first membrane and a second membrane are arranged, and wherein one of the membranes has at least one through-hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Vibracoustic SE
    Inventors: Roland Holz, Stefan Gölz, Robert Jambor, Tina Heilmann
  • Patent number: 11535076
    Abstract: A damper mount structure improves accuracy of positioning to increase assembling efficiency and includes a damper mount for fixing an upper portion of a suspension device to an attachment opening formed in a vehicle body. The damper mount includes: a housing to be mounted on the upper portion of the suspension device; a stay which protrudes from an outer circumferential surface of the housing and is brought in contact with a lower surface of a circumferential edge of the attachment opening in a state that the housing has been inserted through the attachment opening to attach the housing to the circumferential edge of the attachment opening; and a plurality of ribs which connect the stay with an outer circumferential surface of the housing. A first rib, a second rib, and a third rib include side surfaces, respectively, facing an inner circumferential surface of the attachment opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Kubota, Yasufumi Nakajima, Takashi Okazaki
  • Patent number: 11536335
    Abstract: A backing plate and associated brake pad that includes a reinforcement plate and a retention plate. The reinforcement plate has an outboard surface, an inboard surface, and a mold hole. The retention plate has an outboard surface, an inboard surface, and a locking projection that cooperates with the mold hole of the reinforcement plate to mechanically lock the retention plate to the reinforcement plate so that the inboard surface of the reinforcement plate faces the outboard surface of the retention plate. A dampening layer may be included between the reinforcement plate and the retention plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: FEDERAL-MOGUL MOTORPARTS LLC
    Inventors: Jason Scott Foster, Stefan Ulrich Anger
  • Patent number: 11536346
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes a bearing unit having a bearing and a bearing holding member, and a seal unit having a seal member and a seal holding member. The seal holding member includes a seal accommodating portion being configured to accommodate the seal member, and an insertion hole through which a piston rod is inserted. The seal member is pressed against an outer circumferential surface of the piston rod and the seal accommodating portion by working-fluid pressure in the extension-side chamber. And the bearing is provided such that a first end surface of the bearing facing the seal member matches an aperture plane of a through hole of the bearing holding member or such that the first end surface of the bearing projects out from the aperture plane of the through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: KYB CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gai Cho, Naoki Kubota, Masahiro Miwa
  • Patent number: 11536344
    Abstract: The valve includes a valve case; an annular valve body, an outer peripheral end of which is a free end movable to both sides in an axial direction with respect to the valve case; a facing portion provided in the valve case, the facing portion including an annular facing surface which is located on an outer peripheral side of the valve body and is configured to face the free end with a gap; and first and second valve stoppers which are located on both sides respectively in the axial direction of the valve body. The first and second valve stoppers, respectively, have a plurality of support portions that are configured to support different positions of the valve body in a radial direction at different heights when the valve body deflects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: KYB CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Kimishima, Takeshi Yasui
  • Patent number: 11530730
    Abstract: A seal member includes a base portion held by a cylinder, the base portion being configured such that a rod is inserted through the base portion, and a lip portion provided on the base portion, the lip portion being brought into sliding contact with an outer circumference of the rod, wherein the lip portion is formed of an elastic body containing fibers oriented in the axial direction of the rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: KYB CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyoaki Ito, Naohide Takimoto
  • Patent number: 11512758
    Abstract: A bracket comprises a body extending along a center axis between a first end and a second end. The body defines a first groove and a second groove. The first groove, located at the first end and flaring radially outwardly, presents a first slanted surface. The second groove, located at the second end and flaring radially outwardly, presents a second slanted surface. A pair of coupling members including a first and a second coupling member are respectively located in the first and second grooves for engagement with a housing of a hydraulic damper assembly. The first end includes at least one first deformation for retaining the first coupling member. The second end includes at least one second deformation for retaining the second coupling member. A hydraulic damper assembly including the bracket and a method of joining the bracket and the hydraulic damper assembly are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJINGWEST INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Saiman Lun, II, Steven Edward Pyle, Michael W. Hurtt
  • Patent number: 11505426
    Abstract: A brake device includes: a fixed member; a moving member which is movable between a retracted position in which the moving member is adjacent to the fixed member and separate from a braking member, and a braking position in which a friction plate of the moving member contacts the braking member and provides a braking force to the braking member; an elastic member connected between the moving member and the fixed member; a coil disposed in the fixed member; and a controller which provides an operating current to the coil when the elevator is in normal operation, wherein the controller is configured to implement a test mode in which the controller provides a test current less than the operating current to the coil and determines whether the moving member has been attracted to the retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: GuoSong Li, Hua Zhou, Zixu Zhang
  • Patent number: 11485188
    Abstract: A first electric suspension device includes a first electromagnetic actuator that is provided between the vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle and generates a driving force for damping vibration of the vehicle. The first electromagnetic actuator includes a columnar rod member and a casing surrounding the rod member and being provided capable of moving forward and backward axially relative to the rod member. The rod member has a conductive shaft and a tubular pipe portion surrounding the shaft. First ends of rod-side armature coils provided in the rod member are connected to the shaft. Power supply to the rod-side armature coils provided in the rod member is performed through the shaft of the rod member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Yamazaki, Takashi Yanagi
  • Patent number: 11473644
    Abstract: A damper for a telescopic fork leg for a front fork of a vehicle, wherein the damper comprises a twin-tube cylinder and a piston rod assembly comprising a piston rod, wherein a first piston is attached to the inner end portion of the piston rod, wherein a second piston is attached to the piston rod between the first piston and an outer end portion of the piston rod, wherein the inner tube is provided with at least one outlet hole 19 through the wall of the inner tube, the outlet hole being positioned such that a sealing portion of the second piston at compression of the damper travels past at the at least one outlet hole, and wherein the inner tube is provided with at least one return hole through the wall of the inner tube, the at least one return hole being positioned such that it connects a chamber of the twin-tube cylinder to an outer volume of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: ÖHLINS RACING AB
    Inventor: Erik Hansson
  • Patent number: 11473635
    Abstract: A brake drum for utility vehicles configured to mount rotatably about an axis of rotation and including a friction section and a connection section, wherein the friction section includes a friction surface and a plurality of transmission structures, wherein the connection section comprises at least one mounting surface and a plurality of transfer structures, wherein the transfer structures engage positively and/or nonpositively in the respective complementary transmission structures so that a torque about the axis of rotation can be transmitted positively, and wherein the mounting surface serves to fix the brake drum indirectly or directly to a hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: SAF-HOLLAND GmbH
    Inventor: Kerstin Kreiner
  • Patent number: 11472280
    Abstract: A conical mount includes a housing defining an axis of rotation, a base member enclosed within the housing, a main rubber element coupled to the base member and enclosed within the housing, an upper metal portion positioned within the housing such that the main rubber element is positioned between the base member and upper metal portion, a radial snubber extending circumferentially around the upper metal portion, and a bearing assembly coupled with the radial snubber and positioned between the radial snubber and the upper metal portion. The bearing assembly enables the radial snubber to rotate freely about the axis of rotation to reduce a tangential load on the radial snubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Michael A. Gutierrez, Michael T. Quaggiotto
  • Patent number: 11473641
    Abstract: A vibration damper for vehicles includes a damper tube which is at least partially filled with damper medium and which has a longitudinal axis along which a piston rod is movable back and forth. A working piston is movable jointly with the piston rod, by means of which working piston the interior space of the damper tube is divided into a piston-rod-side working space and a piston-rod-remote working space. The vibration damper has a leakage indicator for the damper medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP BILSTEIN GMBH, THYSSENKRUPP AG
    Inventors: Tim Noruschat, Haris Bajramovic
  • Patent number: 11465483
    Abstract: A variable stiffness vibration damping device includes a first support member, a second support member, a main elastic member, a diaphragm, a partition elastic member, a first communication passage, a coil, a yoke, and a magnetic fluid. The first communication passage is provided in one of the first support member and the second support member such that a first liquid chamber and a second liquid chamber communicate with each other via the first communication passage. The first communication passage includes a first circumferential passage. The coil is wound coaxially with the one of the first support member and the second support member. The yoke is included in the one of the first support member and the second support member and forms a first magnetic gap overlapping at least partially with the first circumferential passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuho Ito, Toshio Inoue
  • Patent number: 11466747
    Abstract: A damping force generating mechanism includes: a flow passage formation part that forms a flow passage through which a liquid flows; and a valve that is configured to control a flow of the liquid in the flow passage. The flow passage formation part includes a first seat part that is provided radially outward of a flow passage port of the flow passage, protrudes from the flow passage port and contacts the valve, a second seat part that is provided radially outward of the first seat part, protrudes from the flow passage port and contacts the valve, and a circulation part having an orifice that allows the liquid to flow from the flow passage port toward the second seat part in a state in which the valve is in contact with the first seat part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Gota Nakano, Chikara Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 11460082
    Abstract: A rotary to linear actuator comprising: (a) a nut having a threading; (b) a spindle having an external threading and positioned at least partially within the nut; and (c) a drive shaft in communication with the nut to rotate the nut; wherein rotation of the drive shaft rotates the nut, and the threading of the nut engages the external threading of the spindle to move the spindle axially away from the drive shaft to drive a piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: AKEBNON BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Waleed Mahmoud Al-Mahshi, Aurelian Bahmata
  • Patent number: 11454291
    Abstract: A damper includes an inner tube. The damper includes a piston slidably disposed within the inner tube. The piston defines a first working chamber and a second working chamber within the inner tube. The damper also includes an outer tube disposed around the inner tube. The outer tube defines an outer chamber between the inner tube and the outer tube. The damper further includes a cover member mounted on an outer surface of the outer tube. The cover member defines a collector chamber between the outer tube and the cover member. The damper includes a first control valve mounted on the cover member. The damper also includes a second control valve mounted on the cover member and spaced apart from the first control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventor: Stefan Deferme