Patents Examined by Sang K Kim
  • Cranes and methods for erecting a tower
    Patent number: 11795038
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a crane (200) for erecting a tower including a plurality of tower segments (171, 72, 173, 174, 175), the crane (200) comprising: a telescopic mast (210), and a jib (230) rotatably mounted with respect to the telescopic mast (210) and comprising lifting equipment (240). The telescopic mast (210) comprises a lower mast segment (211) having one or more lower clamp assemblies (202, 204) for selectively gripping portions of the tower and a roller assembly (300) for rolling along the tower, and comprising one or more further mast segments (212, 213, 214, 215, 216) having an upper clamp assembly (206) for selectively gripping portions of the tower, the further mast segments (212, 213, 214, 215, 216) being slidable with respect to the lower mast segment (211). The disclosure also relates to methods for climbing a tower with a crane (200) and methods for mounting a wind turbine tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventor: Daniel Gomez Mora
  • Method of making a coreless retail, paper roll
    Patent number: 11795022
    Abstract: A paper rewinding machine includes a rewinding assembly operable to produce coreless retail paper rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: JENNERJAHN MACHINE, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher B. Jennerjahn, Roger W. Vogel
  • Shroudless blade for a high-speed turbine stage
    Patent number: 11788415
    Abstract: Described is a blade for a high-speed turbine stage of an aircraft gas turbine, in particular of an aircraft engine, the blade including a radially inner blade root, and an airfoil extending radially outwardly from the blade root. It is provided that the blade be shroudless and that the airfoil have a radially outer end portion that is positionable opposite a rub surface when the blade is in an installed state, and that the airfoil have a radially inner chord length that is at least 1.1 times, preferably at least 1.2 times, in particular at least 1.3 times a radially outer chord length, the inner chord length being measured at the airfoil directly above the blade root, and the outer chord length being measured at the airfoil in the region of or below the end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG
    Inventors: Karl Maar, Joerg Frischbier, Hermann Klingels, Jens Wittmer, Martin Pernleitner
  • Seatbelt retractor frame assembly
    Patent number: 11787364
    Abstract: A seatbelt pretensioner system for use in a seatbelt retractor assembly having a spindle includes a frame assembly having a frame and an attachment bracket adapted to be interlocked to have an inner space for receiving the spindle, a housing adapted for being mounted to the frame and having an interior cavity, a pretensioner tube having a first tube end in fluid communication with a gas generator and a second tube end in fluid communication with the interior cavity of the housing, a pinion being rotatably mounted in the housing and fixedly coupled to the spindle adapted for taking up seatbelt webbing during pretensioning, and a pretensioner rod disposed inside the pretensioner tube. Further, the pretensioner rod has a proximal end disposed towards the gas generator and a distal end disposed away from the gas generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Jon E. Burrow, Daniel Robert Murphy, Bin Wang
  • Webbing take-up device
    Patent number: 11787363
    Abstract: In a vehicle emergency, a spool of a webbing take-up device is rotated in a pull-out direction such that a main lock is displaced toward a rotation-radial direction outside of the spool and engages with a clutch gear configuring a first rotation body. Rotation of the spool in the pull-out direction is thus restricted. Also in a vehicle emergency, the first rotation body is rotated in a take-up direction of the spool such that the main lock engages with the first rotation body, and rotation force of the first rotation body is transmitted to the spool through the main lock and the spool is rotated in the take-up direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Atsushi Nishino, Takuhiro Saito, Kazuhiro Yamada, Chihiro Matsuoka
  • Motorized tensioning system with sensors
    Patent number: 11786013
    Abstract: A tensioning system for articles of footwear and articles of apparel is disclosed. The tensioning system includes a tensioning member that is tightened or loosened using a motorized tensioning device for winding and unwinding the tensioning member on a spool. The tensioning system may be used with various sensors to determine how the motorized tensioning device should be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Tiffany A. Beers, Andrew A. Owings, Cody Collier Henderson, James Alan Capra, Mark Stanley Soderberg, Daniel Hipwood
  • Variable roll cage machine and process
    Patent number: 11787655
    Abstract: A variable roll cage machine and process to roll up material, like high expansion force material. The machine includes a roll chamber to receive the material. The roll chamber has a longitudinal central axis and a plurality of rollers located around a circumference of the roll chamber. The plurality of rollers include two roll groups of at least two rollers in each roll group. At least one of the rollers in each roll group is movable toward the longitudinal central axis independent of at least one other roller in the roll group. A material infeed gap is in the circumference of the roll chamber located between the two roll groups and spaced from the at least one of the rollers in each roll group that is movable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: C3 Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph F. Van De Hey, Alex M. Zirbel, Alex N. Kuffel, David M. DeHaai, Jeffery J. VanHandel
  • Rope guiding device and a method for guiding a rope
    Patent number: 11780713
    Abstract: A rope guiding device for guiding a rope on a rope drum, the rope drum being adaptable to rotate about a drum axis to wind the rope around the rope drum or from the rope drum to hoist and lower a load adapted on the rope, includes at least guiding element, and an actuator for generating a rope guiding force, which force affects each guiding element in the direction of the drum axis so that the movement of each guiding element in the direction of the drum axis may be guided by the force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: KONECRANES GLOBAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jari Kaiturinmäki
  • Propeller blade angle feedback arrangement and method
    Patent number: 11780561
    Abstract: There is provided a blade angle feedback assembly for a propeller of an aircraft engine. The propeller is rotatable about an axis and has propeller blades rotatable about respective spanwise axes to adjust a blade angle thereof. The blade angle feedback assembly comprises a feedback ring having a plurality of position markers disposed thereon, at least one sensor configured to provide feedback on the blade angle of the propeller blades by detecting a relative movement between the feedback ring and the at least one sensor, and at least one shielding element provided between the feedback ring and the propeller, the at least one shielding element configured to shield the feedback ring from electromagnetism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Joseph Ernesto Marone, Ella Yakobov, Ian Farrell, Olivier Basse, Martin Dobson, Martin Clermont, Marc Lavoie
  • Belt tightener
    Patent number: 11766992
    Abstract: A belt retractor (10) of a seatbelt system comprises a belt tensioner (11) which is adapted to rotate a belt reel (14) of the belt retractor (10) accommodated in a belt retractor frame (12), wherein the belt retractor frame (12) is closed by a cover (16) on the tensioner side in the area of the spindle of the belt reel (14) and in the cover (16) a bearing for the belt reel (14) is provided. The cover (16) includes a first pot-shaped cover part (16a) which is mounted directly on the belt retractor frame (12) and has a side wall (24) merging into a flat portion (26). In the flat portion (26) an opening (32) is spared and a second cover part (16b) is provided which engages in the opening (32) in the first cover part (16a) and on which a bearing (40) is formed in which an end (42) of the spindle of the belt reel (14) is supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Mödinger, Bernd Gentner, Martin Nuding
  • Spacer material, for reducing a bond gap between a beam structure and a blade shell of a segmented rotor blade
    Patent number: 11767819
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine including first and second blade segments extending in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. The first and second blade segments include one or more shell members and internal support structures coupled to an inner surface of the one or more shell members of the first and second blade segments. The internal support structure of the first blade segment includes a beam structure extending between a first end at the chord-wise joint and a second end such that the beam structure is received by a receiving section of the internal support structure of the second blade segment. The rotor blade includes one or more spacer materials arranged within the first blade segment between an exterior surface of the beam structure and the inner surface of the one or more shell members to reduce a bond gap therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Jacob Huth, Andrew Mitchell Rodwell, Andrew Ross Collier, Alec Antonio Lopez
  • Roll replacing device and adhesive tape sticking equipment
    Patent number: 11760596
    Abstract: The present application relates to a roll replacing device and an adhesive tape sticking equipment. The roll replacing roll device replacing includes an unwinding member, a roll replacing member, a cutting member, and an end pressing member, which can realize automatic roll replacing of a work strip and a spare strip and reduce staffing, thereby reducing labor cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: WUXI LEAD INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Er Cao, Xiaofei Yang
  • Spool device and related methods
    Patent number: 11760601
    Abstract: Implementations of spool devices may include a frame including an anchor, the anchor configured to directly couple to a belt of a user, an axle coupled through the frame, and a first spool coupled over a first portion of the axle. The first portion of the axle may extend entirely through the first spool. The spool device may also include a second spool coupled over a second portion of the axle. The second portion of the axle may extend entirely through the second spool. The spool device may also include a first spool handle directly coupled to an outer wall of the first spool, a second spool handle directly coupled to an outer wall of the second spool, a first hose roller directly coupled to the frame, and a second hose roller directly coupled to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: BLAZING SPOOLS LLC
    Inventors: Charles Mack, James Mack
  • Wind turbine blade manufacture
    Patent number: 11761421
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade having a spar cap and a shear web system is described. The spar cap comprises a pultruded strip of fibrous reinforcing material with a first datum feature visible at a surface of the pultruded strip. The shear web system comprises a second datum feature, wherein the first datum feature of the spar cap is aligned with the second datum feature of the shear web system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventor: Sean Keohan
  • Unducted propulsion system
    Patent number: 11753144
    Abstract: Apparatuses and systems are provided herein for unducted propulsion systems. The system includes a forward housing for high efficiency for high subsonic sustained flight. A plurality of blades are affixed to the forward housing, wherein the forward housing defines a flowpath curve extending from the forward-most end of the forward housing through the axial extent of a forward blade root. The flowpath curve is described by an axial direction parallel to an axis of rotation and a radius from the axis of rotation. The flowpath curve includes a first point having a first radius where the radius reaches a maximum forward of the forward blade root and a second point aft of the first point having a second radius where the radius stops decreasing. The ratio of the first radius to the second radius is greater than or equal to 1.029.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel L. Tweedt, Syed Arif Khalid
  • Stamping strip reel replacing system
    Patent number: 11753265
    Abstract: A stamping strip reel replacing system includes an autonomous mobile robot and an automatic guide vehicle. The autonomous mobile robot is adapted to autonomously move to a position where a reel driving shaft for mounting the reel is located, and includes a grabbing tool for grabbing the reel. The automatic guide vehicle moves together with the autonomous mobile robot, and carries an empty reel wound with no stamping strip. The autonomous mobile robot is further adapted to unload a full reel wound with the stamping strip from the reel driving shaft and place the unloaded full reel onto the automatic guide vehicle by operating the grabbing tool. The autonomous mobile robot is further adapted to grab the empty reel from the automatic guide vehicle and mount the grabbed empty reel onto the reel driving shaft by operating the grabbing tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignees: TE Connectivity Germany GmbH, Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH
    Inventors: Yingcong Deng, Dandan Zhang, Lvhai Hu, Fengchun Xie, Roberto Francisco-Yi Lu, Josef Sinder, Zongjie Tao, Xiaochen Yu, Swapnilsinh Solanki, Jiankun Zhou, Tim Darr
  • Collapsible/pop-up reel and method of making same
    Patent number: 11753271
    Abstract: A collapsible reel having a high strength to weight ratio is provided. The collapsible reel comprises a core, around which a flexible media is wound, and flanges which prevent the wound flexible media from migrating axially off the core. The core is formed of first and second blanks having core portions and a plurality of spaced apart arms or tabs projecting from the core portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Vail Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: James T. Higgins
  • Wind turbine blade and wind turbine including the same
    Patent number: 11754038
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade capable of being easily manufactured and improving structural strength, and a wind turbine including the same are provided. The wind turbine blade includes an outer skin defining an external appearance, an inner skin spaced apart from the outer skin, a plurality of spar caps positioned between the outer skin and the inner skin and spaced apart from each other in a thickness direction of the blade, and shear webs configured to connect the plurality of spar caps, wherein at least one of the plurality of spar caps has a structure in which a resin is impregnated with reinforcing fiber sheets, and the other spar caps each have a structure in which support plates including reinforcing fibers are stacked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: DOOSAN ENERBILITY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Hoon Lee, In Gyu Oh, Seung Jun Lee, Wan Don Joo
  • Firehose winder
    Patent number: 11753270
    Abstract: A firehose winding apparatus having at least one pair of opposing arms. Each opposing arm has a flanged member at one end of the opposing arm and an attachment point at the other end. A central hub member attached to the pair of opposing arms at the attachment point of each opposing arm so that the arms extend from the central hub member. For foldable arms, a locking pin is secured to each opposing arm. A central pin extends from a vertical member that provides vertical support for the firehose winding apparatus and provides an axis of rotation about which the opposing arms and central hub member rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Inventor: Richard Nalder
  • Jib system for a vehicle crane comprising a bracing apparatus and method for rigging and de-rigging a bracing apparatus of a vehicle crane
    Patent number: 11753282
    Abstract: A jib system for a vehicle crane having a telescopic jib and a bracing apparatus that can be coupled to the jib by its base frame, where the jib has a roller head and a lifting cable that is deflected via the roller head. Only minor structural measures and preparations are required for automatically rigging and de-rigging the vehicle crane, including by providing at least one transfer rocker that can be integrated in an articulated manner between the jib and the bracing apparatus. By the pivotable support of the transfer rocker on the jib, the base frame configured for coupling to the lifting cable can be displaced by a change in the length of the lifting cable that is effected in the coupled state on a circular path around its roller head from a set-down position of the bracing apparatus to a set-up position of the bracing apparatus and back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: TADANO DEMAG GMBH
    Inventor: Klaus Königstein