Patents Examined by Vu Q. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8973722
    Abstract: An improved self-adjusting automatic slack adjuster for reducing slack in the brake of a vehicle is provided, in which an easily accessible external operating feature permits the automatic slack adjuster's one-way clutch assembly to be readily disengaged to allow smooth release and retraction of the brake shoes of a vehicle brake without damage to the one-way teeth of the clutch assembly. When the external feature is operated in a brake release direction, the motion of the feature is translated into a motion which axially displaces an output part of the one-way clutch away from an input part of the clutch a distance sufficient to disengage the parts' one-way teeth, thereby disengaging the one-way clutch to permit brake shoe retraction without resistance from the one-way clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC
    Inventors: Mark Kromer, John Louis, Zoltan Tormasi
  • Patent number: 8967346
    Abstract: A multi-stage shock absorber with closed ends has a plurality of tubular shock bodies telescopically interconnected together, and includes a piston arrangement slidably mounted within certain of the shock bodies to define a number of chambers variously containing damping and/or spring elements for enabling damping of shock forces applied to the shock absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Great Lakes Sound & Vibration, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen E. Polakowski, Christian Michael Muehlfeld, Steven Mattson, David Labyak
  • Patent number: 8944527
    Abstract: A brake cylinder having a parking brake function includes a cylinder housing, a piston, and a piston tube for actuating a brake. A threaded bolt protruding into the piston tube and fixed to the cylinder housing by its upper end is used to effect the parking brake function. A clamping nut displaceable by means of a forked, axially rotatable driving element extends over the threaded bolt. The driving element is rotated with the clamping nut while the cylinder is subjected to pressure by the parking brake until the clamping nut is supported against the piston in the parking position of the piston. The piston is mechanically locked when the cylinder housing is not subjected to pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: WABCO GmbH
    Inventor: Frank Schrader
  • Patent number: 8911028
    Abstract: A system and method for operating a hydraulic braking system) for motor vehicles with an electrically controllable pressure provision device), a high-pressure accumulator, which can be connected to the pressure provision device via a hydraulic connection), in which an electrically controllable shutoff valve is arranged, wheel brakes, which can be supplied with pressure medium by means of the pressure provision device and/or the high-pressure accumulator. An electronic control and regulating unit is provided for actuating the electrically controllable pressure provision device and/or the electrically controllable shutoff valve so as to regulate the hydraulic pressure which is provided by the pressure provision device and the high-pressure accumulator If a pressure buildup is carried out by activation of the pressure provision device, the high-pressure accumulator is connected only temporarily by at least partial opening of the shutoff valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Harald Biller, Gunther Buschmann
  • Patent number: 8894159
    Abstract: In a brake controlling device (20), a separating valve (60) is provided in a main flow path (45) for interconnecting a first liquid pressure circuit and a second liquid pressure circuit. When an abnormality detecting section detects an abnormality relating to brake fluid pressure, a controlling section sets the separating valve (60) to a closed state. A leakage suppressing section performs leakage suppressing processing for suppressing entry of a brake fluid, which is in the first liquid pressure circuit, into the second liquid pressure circuit after the separating valve (60) is set to the closed state. A leakage suppressing section sets a master cut valve (64) to a closed state to perform the leakage suppressing processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Nakata, Tsukasa Fukasawa, Eiji Nakamura, Takahiro Okano
  • Patent number: 8881877
    Abstract: A vibration damper includes a cylinder in which a piston fastened to a piston rod executes a translational and a rotational movement relative to the cylinder. The piston is fixed to the piston rod by an axial fastener, and a device for preventing rotation by positive engagement is formed between the piston and the piston rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Anton Krawczyk, Guido Holtmann, Heinz Sydekum, Uwe Herrmann, Rudolf Schulte, Jörg Rösseler, Ingo Gelhausen, Volker-Oliver Hupperich
  • Patent number: 8869957
    Abstract: A damper 1 includes a vessel 4 for accommodating a viscous fluid 3 in its interior 2; hampering walls 5 and 6 for hampering the flow of the viscous fluid 3; a partitioning member 11 which partitions each of interior portions 7 and 8 into two chambers 9 and 10 and is provided rotatably; a communicating hole 13 formed in the partitioning member 11 so as to allow the two chambers 9 and 10 to communicate with each other via a variable passage 12 whose passage cross-sectional area changes; a flow limiting means 14 for limiting the flow of the viscous fluid 3 in the chamber 9 into the chamber 10 through the communicating hole 13, when the internal pressure of the viscous fluid 3 accommodated in the chamber 9 has exceeded a fixed value on the basis of the rotation of the partitioning member 11; and a resilient means 15 for resiliently urging the partitioning member 11 in an R2 direction with respect to the vessel 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Oiles Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko Okimura, Yoshiteru Igarashi, Naohiro Horita
  • Patent number: 8840197
    Abstract: A vehicle hand control brake valve includes a piston, positioned based on an engagement of a vehicle parking brake, a service brake actuation valve, and a control mechanism. The control mechanism mechanically interacts with the service brake actuation valve to set a position of the service brake actuation valve. A level of actuation of vehicle service brakes is set based on the position of the service brake actuation valve. The service brake actuation valve is set to a position to actuate the service brakes when the control mechanism is set to a latch position. The control mechanism only is latched in the latch position when the vehicle parking brake is engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Charles E. Eberling, Thanh Ho
  • Patent number: 8827379
    Abstract: A hydraulic brake unit is provided. The hydraulic brake unit includes a manual hydraulic pressure supply unit that pressurizes a hydraulic medium supplied from a reservoir and generates a hydraulic pressure corresponding to a brake operation amount; first and second hydraulic systems in which the manual hydraulic pressure supply unit communicates with first and second wheel cylinders; a separation valve provided between the first hydraulic system and the second hydraulic system; and a brake ECU having a separation valve control unit and a hydraulic medium amount detection unit. The separation valve control unit executes control to close the separation valve when the hydraulic medium amount detection unit detects that the hydraulic medium stored in the reservoir has decreased below a predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Nakata, Takahiro Okano, Eiji Nakamura, Tsukasa Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 8820855
    Abstract: A braking system for farm tractors and similar vehicles, has a differential braking system and a hydraulic system for the braking assistance forming a system unit (H) which includes two circuit branches (H1,H2), each circuit branch operating the braking with respect to one side of the vehicle. To the system unit are applied, through connection interfaces (36,37), two control units (C1,C2), each control unit including an electrovalve (20) and a distributor (24) operated by the electrovalve, each distributor controlling the operation of the system unit (H) with respect to one of the circuit branches, and each electrovalve being singularly controlled by an electronic control circuit (EL) provided with sensors of the main vehicle parameters, such as a sensor (V) of the vehicle speed, sensors (R) of the speed of singular wheels, sensors (P) of the positions of the braking pedals and a sensor (A) of the position of the accelerator pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: VHIT S.p.A. Unipersonale
    Inventor: Leonardo Cadaddu
  • Patent number: 8800732
    Abstract: A hydraulic damper assembly includes a main body, a shaft assembly and a main piston operatively configured to define an upper portion and a lower portion within the main body. A hydraulic damper spool valve is adapted to provide a single path, variable hydraulic flow restriction between the upper portion and lower portion of the main body. The hydraulic damper spool valve is configured with an array of precisely shaped flow apertures that are proportionally opened and closed by a pair of valve spools in response to the pressure differential across the main piston. The damper's pressure-flow operating characteristic is simply and predictably dictated by the geometric configuration of the shaped flow apertures. The precisely defined open area of the shaped flow apertures provides a mathematically predictable hydraulic flow restriction that operates predominately in a turbulent regime resulting in insensitivity to hydraulic fluid viscosity and consequently temperature change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Multimatic Inc.
    Inventors: Laurence J. Holt, Damian O'Flynn, Andrew Tomlin
  • Patent number: 8783420
    Abstract: A luggage brake device includes a wheel and a control unit. The wheel includes positioning teeth, an engaging member, engaging teeth, a link axle, a link plate, a control wire. The control unit is disposed on a luggage body. The control unit includes a knob, a press button, a gear, a release block and a driving block connected with the control wire. Through the knob, the press button and the driving block of the control unit, the control wire is activated to link the engaging member with the engaging teeth to engage with the positioning teeth of the wheel so that the wheel is positioned. The present invention can be operated conveniently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Inventor: Wei Hung Lai
  • Patent number: 8776960
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic brake cylinder including a piston for transferring the pneumatic pressure to a brake, and a device for automatic adjustment in the event of wear of the brake linings, the device comprising a spindle, an adjusting nut, and a control sleeve that can be engaged with the adjusting nut. According to the invention, the control sleeve is embodied as a composite part including a metallic coupling ring and a sliding sleeve of a plastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Knorr-Bremse Systeme fur Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH
    Inventors: Marc-Gregory Elstorpff, Robert Haupt, Michael Mathieu
  • Patent number: 8770352
    Abstract: Provided is a braking system which can enhance the power generation efficiency of a thermoelectric conversion element by efficiently recovering the heat generated during braking, or by increasing the temperature difference between a heat source and the thermoelectric conversion element. A brake pad body in a brake pad is provided with a thermoelectric conversion element. The thermoelectric conversion element includes an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer. The n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer are provided in a recess formed in the back surface of the brake pad body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanobu Horio, Naotaka Nishida, Hiroshi Isono
  • Patent number: 8746813
    Abstract: In a vehicle capable of performing regenerative braking and fluid pressure braking, in changing from the regenerative braking to the fluid pressure braking in response to a decrease of a vehicle speed due to braking, a fluid pressure braking force is increased from 0 at a first increasing rate when the vehicle speed falls to or below a first threshold value (V1), and the fluid pressure braking force is increased at a second increasing rate, which is higher than the first increasing rate, when the vehicle speed falls to or below a second threshold value (V2), which is smaller than the first threshold value (V1). With this configuration, while occurrence of a squeal noise of a wheel cylinder can be prevented by setting the first increasing rate of the fluid pressure braking force at a small value, a required braking force can be generated without any problem by setting the second increasing rate, to be used subsequently thereto, of the fluid pressure braking force at a large value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Matsushita
  • Patent number: 8721009
    Abstract: An anti-skid braking system for an aircraft having a brake pedal in communication with a master cylinder and fluid reservoir, and a brake caliber engaged with a wheel. The system includes a three way hydraulic valve controlled by a solenoid wherein the hydraulic valve is in fluid communication with and between the master cylinder and fluid reservoir and the brake caliper. A double acting spring loaded accumulator has an accumulator piston wherein the accumulator is in fluid communication with and between the three way hydraulic valve and the brake caliper. A hydraulic pump is in fluid communication with and between the three way hydraulic valve and the brake caliper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Advent Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald Roberts
  • Patent number: 8720651
    Abstract: A bicycle hydraulic caliper brake apparatus includes a first brake arm with a first bearing surface, a second brake arm with a second bearing surface, and a hydraulic control device that includes a housing and a piston unit. The first bearing surface non-lockingly engages the piston unit, and the second bearing surface non-lockingly engages the housing. At least one of the piston unit or the housing engages a corresponding first or second bearing surface so that the piston unit or the housing rotates at least in part around an axis that is substantially parallel to at least one of the rotational axes of the brake arms. The housing is carried by the first brake arm and the second brake arm so that the housing moves together with the first brake arm and the second brake arm relative to a bicycle frame member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Shimano, Inc.
    Inventor: Daisuke Nago
  • Patent number: 8702075
    Abstract: A unique, adjustable collar for a shock absorber coil-over spring is positioned on top of the coil-over spring and below the shock lock nut. The collar serves as a bearing that can be adjusted to increase or decrease the tension applied to the coil-over spring making for easier adjustments. The collar in the preferred form has eight (8) conical gears that mate with corresponding teeth in the top. The gears are turned clockwise or counterclockwise to respectively raise or lower the ride height of the vehicle. A typical one quarter inch (¼?) socket extension or similar tool can be used to turn the gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Inventor: Matthew C. Moorefield
  • Patent number: 8695767
    Abstract: A device for braking the movement of a movable member with respect to a support structure includes a casing fixable to the movable member or to the structure and defining a chamber containing a viscous braking fluid, and a rotor, operationally associable with the movable member or with the structure, and which is rotatably connected to the casing and is mounted thereon so as to close the chamber. The rotor includes a piston-like member or portion, mounted so as to slide within the chamber in such a way as to separate the chamber into separate regions in mutual fluid communication. The piston-like member or portion is movable integrally with the rotor, such that rotation of the rotor brings about a rotatory displacement of the piston-lie member or portion, braked by the resistance to the passage of the fluid from one region to the other of the chamber caused by the displacement of the piston-like member or portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Inventor: Antonino Cultraro
  • Patent number: 8690266
    Abstract: To configure brake fluid a pressure controlling unit to open a high pressure control valve to allow a high pressure generating unit that generates a brake fluid pressure higher than the brake fluid pressure according to brake pedal operation of a driver and a brake fluid pressure adjusting unit that adjust the brake fluid pressure to wheel cylinders to communicate with each other, when actual deceleration of a vehicle becomes lower than target deceleration by execution of anti-lock brake control during brake assist control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Shimizu