Patents Examined by Scott Haugland
  • Patent number: 8152090
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for catching and taking up as well as a winding machine for continuously winding up threads. In order to catch the thread on a winding spindle, two thread guides form a thread section upstream and downstream of the winding spindle. Preferably, said thread guides are simultaneously displaced in a synchronous manner during the catching process and in such a way that the thread section is guided vertically over the winding spindle. Preferably, the thread guides are simultaneously and synchronously displaced by coupling the thread guides to each other and displacing the same with the aid of a common drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Claus Matthies
  • Patent number: 8123154
    Abstract: A seat belt retractor for motor vehicles with a vehicle-sensitive or belt webbing sensitive controllable locking device, or both, for the belt shaft, having a profiled head that acts as a support for a displaceably mounted locking member that locks the belt shaft in the housing, and a two-stage force limiting device having two force limiting elements that are switchable between a high level and a low level of force limitation via an interposed coupling (19, 20) that is controlled by means of a control device having a countergear which determines an amount of belt webbing that is extended from the belt shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Klaus-Peter Singer
  • Patent number: 8118249
    Abstract: In a webbing winder, when a webbing belt is wound around a spool, a V gear is rotated in a winding direction together with a W pawl, a friction spring, and a contact member, thereby generating a frictional force between the contact member and a sensor holder. As a consequence, the friction spring and the contact member are located at a restriction position, so that the friction spring engages with an engaging surface of the W pawl. Therefore, even if the spool and the V gear are rapidly and slightly rotated in a withdrawal direction in reaction when the webbing belt is completely wound by the spool, the W pawl cannot mesh with a ratchet gear formed at the sensor holder due to the restriction of oscillation of the W pawl, thus preventing any end lock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Aihara, Akira Sumiyashiki
  • Patent number: 8113402
    Abstract: A feed mechanism includes a feed slide movable between a retracted position and an advanced position. The feed slide is configured to feed a product strip during a feed stroke as the feed slide is moved from the retracted position to the advanced position and the feed slide is movable with respect to the product strip during a return stroke as the feed slide is moved from the advanced position to the retracted position. The feed mechanism also includes feed fingers pivotally coupled to the feed slide at corresponding attachment points. The feed fingers are movable between an engaged position and a released position, wherein the feed fingers are configured to contact the product strip in the engaged position and the feed fingers are configured to be positioned away from the product strip in the released position. The feed fingers are moved to the released position prior to the feed slide moving along the return stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Kerry Joseph Stakem
  • Patent number: 8109460
    Abstract: This seatbelt apparatus of a vehicle is provided with: a seatbelt; a belt reel on which the seatbelt is wound; a motor that drives a rotation of the belt reel; a controller that controls a driving amount of the motor; a winding position detection device that detects a winding position of the belt reel. The controller performs a first control mode in which a substantially constant electricity is supplied to the motor, and a second control mode in which the electricity supplied to the motor is controlled based on a predetermined rule; and sets an initial value for the second control mode based on changes in the winding position detected by the winding position detection device, while changing from the first control mode to the second control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shotaro Odate, Yoshitaka Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8028950
    Abstract: A combination of belt retractor and belt pre-tensioner in which the pre-tensioning device is coupled to the belt shaft by means of the vehicle-sensitive or belt strap sensitive locking system of the belt retractor, is characterized in that a lever (16) entrained by the drive wheel (10) on its rotation in the pre-tensioning direction is mounted pivotally on the housing and on its pivoting movement effected by the rotation of the drive wheel (10) its free end (18) comes into engagement with the control disc (12) and in so doing, over part of its pivoting movement, drives the control disc (12) for its relative rotation relatively to the belt shaft and after the lever (16) has passed through its pivoting path serving to drive the control disc (12) it is released from the control disc (12) and the drive wheel (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Martin Schmidt, Stefan Suhr, Thomas Schneider
  • Patent number: 8028949
    Abstract: In a webbing take-up device 10, a worm gear 34, which is connected to a motor 44, engages with a gear wheel 32, and when the worm gear 34 rotates, driving force is transmitted via the gear wheel 32 and a clutch 26, whereby a take-up shaft 20 is rotated in a take-up direction. Helix angles of teeth of the worm gear 34 and the gear wheel 32 are set so that thrust force generated at this time along the axial direction of the gear wheel 32 faces a leg plate 16 fixed side of a case 30. Accordingly, because the thrust force acts on the leg plate 16 fixed side of the case 30, i.e., on a frame 12, there is no need to provide the case 30 or a cover clutch 31 with high strength and rigidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Takuhiro Saito, Katsuki Asagiri
  • Patent number: 7988084
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a device for pretensioning a seatbelt is provided. The device comprises a spindle for receiving a portion of the seatbelt. A retractor frame that has a weakened portion is supported by the spindle for rotational movement within the retractor frame. A pretensioner is operatively connected to the spindle for rotating the spindle to tighten the seatbelt. The pretensioner includes pretensioner balls. The pretensioner is configured to drive the pretensioner balls toward a ball collection area adjacent to the weakened portion. The weakened portion is deformed by the pretensioner balls to increase the size of the ball collection area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Jorge Lombarte, Jon Burrow
  • Patent number: 7971820
    Abstract: A webbing take-up device comprising: a take-up shaft that takes up a webbing belt; a metal frame that axially supports the take-up shaft; and a lock mechanism comprising a lock plate that blocks rotation in the pullout direction of the webbing of the take-up shaft by engaging the take-up shaft directly or indirectly. The lock plate is formed by performing press-punch and press-bend processing on a metal plate and has a connecting portion formed so that one end side thereof is continuous with a lock, which engages the take-up shaft. The connecting portion spans between one side and the other side of the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yasuho Kitazawa, Hitoshi Takamatsu, Masaki Yasuda, Kazuhiko Aihara, Toshio Nakashima, Tomonori Nagata
  • Patent number: 7963473
    Abstract: A retractor includes a pretensioner whereby increased control and variation over the load limitation characteristics of the retractor are provided. The seat belt and spool are linked to a locking mechanism through a first force limiting element, while the pretensioner is linked to the seat belt and spool through a second force limiting element. A selectively actuatable clutch is provided to operatively link the pretensioner to the spool via the second force limiting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventor: Gunter K. Clute
  • Patent number: 7926688
    Abstract: A web processing assembly including first, second and third fixed spaced apart pairs of nip rollers moving the web respectively at a first, second and third speeds, the first and third speeds being constant and similar, the second speed being variable with a mean speed similar to the first and third speeds, a first idler roller engaging the web between the first and second pair of rollers and a second idler roller engaging the web between the second and third pair of rollers, each idler roller maintaining the web in constant tension by moving along a restrained path perpendicular to its axis to compensate for a difference between the variable second speed and the respective one of the constant first and third speeds. A method for processing a web and system for conveying a web are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Durst Phototechnik AG
    Inventors: Louis Dupuis, Ross Hoge, James Koehler
  • Patent number: 7905441
    Abstract: The disclosed seat belt tensioner is for a seat belt safety system that may comprise a seat belt spindle, a drive motor for driving the seat belt spindle, and a gear connected to the drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Walter Scherzinger, Roland Schnabl, Thomas Schwer
  • Patent number: 7850157
    Abstract: Method for the movement by friction of a set of two bands of superimposed flexible material, using at least two feed rollers that turn in the direction of band movement so that they are all pulled in unison, occasionally involuntary offsetting can occur in the mutual correct position of the bands, the method includes the placing of antifriction devices between both adjacent bands that allow mutual movement between both bands when they are pressurised between the opposite rollers and are pulled by them, without slipping between the bands and rollers, and because on at least one operative cycle the method includes an adjustment stage wherein the two rollers have a tangentially different speed so that one of the bands is pulled to a greater distance than the other, in order to correct the aforesaid involuntary offsetting in the mutual position between both bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Girnet Internacional, S.L.
    Inventor: Ezequiel Giro Amigo
  • Patent number: 7823824
    Abstract: Device for winding a safety belt onto a shaft, with a principle mainspring (7), which prestresses the shaft (4) in the winding direction (a) of the safety belt (2); a ratchet wheel (12) that rotates relative to the shaft (4); a blocking device (15) for blocking the rotational movement of the ratchet wheel (12) in the winding direction (a); a balance spring (20) which transmits to the shaft (4) a prestressing force that opposes the prestressing force of the principle mainspring (7) when the ratchet wheel (12) is blocked; and a free-wheel clutch that exhibits a blocking ring (34) with teeth (35, 39) and a blocking element that interacts with said teeth (35, 39). The blocking element has two ends having an angular spacing which differs from a whole-number multiple of the divisional spacing of the teeth (35, 39).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Hugo Kern und Liebers GmbH & Co. KG Platinen- und Federnfabrik
    Inventor: Markus Benner
  • Patent number: 7775473
    Abstract: In a motorized retractor, due to an ECU and a driver switching a speed of rotation of an output shaft of a motor to a first speed or a second speed, a transfer path of rotational force from the motor to a spool is switched to a first driving force transferring section (a path through a meshing clutch and a slip mechanism) or a second driving force transferring section (a path through an overload mechanism and a centrifugal clutch). Accordingly, there is no need for a complex switching mechanism including a solenoid which is employed in conventional motorized retractors. A device can thereby be made more compact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventor: Shinji Mori
  • Patent number: 7753305
    Abstract: In a seatbelt retractor of this invention is provided with an energy-absorbing means which performs an energy absorption by twisting a rotational shaft of a spool (first energy-absorbing means) and an energy-absorbing means which performs an energy absorption by twisting a wire 2b (second energy-absorbing means), a containing side (upper side of the disk member 2c) which contains the wire 2b and a take-up side (side between the disk member 2c and a plate body 2a) which takes up the wire after being pulled out from the containing side and being twisted are made on different planes, so that the length of the wire which constitutes the second energy-absorbing means can be made longer, and the energy-absorbing time by both the torsion bar and the wire can be extended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Ashimori Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takao Katayama
  • Patent number: 7735766
    Abstract: A seatbelt retractor reduces the temporary weight during seatbelt withdrawal to increase an occupant's comfort. When a seatbelt is not being worn by an occupant (off), projections of an internal gear are placed in a circumferential center between adjacent projections by the spring force of springs. When a spool rotates in the belt withdrawing direction, the internal gear also rotates in the belt withdrawing direction. This arrangement disables a reduction mechanism's power transmission to cut off the direct connection between the spool and electric motor connected to a sun gear to reduce the temporary weight during withdrawal of the seatbelt. When the internal gear rotates at a predetermined angle, the projections come into contact with the projections to thereby stop the rotation of the internal gear. This enables the power transmission of the reduction mechanism, whereby the spool and electric motor are brought into direct connection via the reduction mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuaki Nomura
  • Patent number: 7735767
    Abstract: A webbing take-up device (10, 100) is disclosed, wherein a motor (44) is provided directly below a take-up shaft (20) between a pair of leg plates (16, 18) with a rotary shaft (50) of the motor (44) disposed perpendicularly to the take-up shaft (20), and a clutch (26) is provided at one side of one leg plate (16). Further, a gear (76) of a motor gear portion (46) is removably connected to a worm gear (34) in a clutch gear portion (28), and a mounting stay (84) is detachably attached to a case (30) with screws (86), so that the motor (44) and the motor gear portion (46) can be detached independently of the case (30) while still being assembled together. Still further, a pretensioner mechanism (156) and a sensor mechanism (182) are provided at one end side of a spool (118), and an urging mechanism (136) is disposed at the other end side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Takuhiro Saito, Katsuki Asagiri, Shuichi Harada, Shinji Mori, Fuminori Komiya, Tomonori Kimura, Hitoshi Takamatsu, Tomonori Nagata, Kazuhiko Aihara, Masaki Yasuda
  • Patent number: 7731117
    Abstract: A webbing winding device includes a spool, a pair of leg plates, a torsion shaft, a first locking mechanism, a second locking mechanism, and a control mechanism. A webbing belt is wound onto the spool. The two leg plates oppose one another in an axial direction of the spool. The torsion shaft is provided passing through the spool and deforms when a torque is applied to the spool. The first locking mechanism, at the side of one of the leg plates, restricts rotation of the spool in an unwinding direction. The second locking mechanism, at the side of the other of the leg plates, switches from a lock-release state to a locking state, and restricts rotation of the torsion shaft in the unwinding direction. The control mechanism is provided passing through the spool and causes the second locking mechanism to switch into the locking state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Masaki Yasuda, Kazuhiko Aihara, Takashi Ono
  • Patent number: RE41718
    Abstract: A toilet paper dispenser and folder system has a frame subassembly having front and rear parallel panels, an upper feeder roller and a lower feeder roller. Each panel has a large aperture and a paper roll holder aperture and a lower roller aperture and an upper roller slot. A paper rotation subassembly has a cylindrical housing with a cutting edge and a guide, and roller arm and a backplate. A pulley subassembly has a rotator bolt with two threaded ends and a bushing and threaded nuts and larger and smaller pulleys each with a central hole, and a belt between the pulleys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Tursiop Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Lester A. Quimpo