Multiple Piston Patents (Class 16/56)
  • Patent number: 9486331
    Abstract: A prosthetic foot is provided with a forefoot spring, a heel spring and a base spring. The base spring is connected to the heel spring and to the forefoot spring. The base spring has receiving means for the forefoot spring and the heel spring, into which receiving means the heel spring and the forefoot spring can be inserted. The heel spring is connected to the forefoot spring via a coupling element, and the coupling element extends forwards along the forefoot spring at least via one portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Otto Bock Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Jeff Friesen, Nathan A. Williams, Justin R. Smith, Kelli D. Oborn
  • Patent number: 9032978
    Abstract: A dishwasher includes a washing compartment, at least one dishware container, and a guide assembly to allow the dishware container to be moved out of the washing compartment and into the washing compartment. The movement of the dishware container in relation to the washing compartment is cushioned by at least one damping device which is arranged inside the washing compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Kiechle, Karlheinz Rehm
  • Patent number: 8960387
    Abstract: Provided is a damper position adjusting device capable of adjusting a damping force over a wide adjustment range and facilitating the adjustment work of the position of the damper. The damper position adjusting device has a damper base 38 for storing a plurality of dampers 32 in parallel to each other, each of the dampers 32 having a rod 32a that moves relative to a cylinder 32b; and a damper adjusting shaft 40 which is mounted rotatable in the damper base 38 and has a side wall 44 in contact with ends of the dampers 32 in a moving direction. By rotating the damper adjusting shaft 40, the side wall of the damper adjusting shaft 40 pushes at least one of the dampers 32 out in the moving direction of the rod 32a to change a position of the damper 32 relative to the damper base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Sugatsune Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koushi Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20140366319
    Abstract: A door operator for operating a door includes a housing, an output shaft with a cam disc, an opening piston guided in the housing, which piston, on a first side, bears against the cam disc, an energy accumulator acting upon the opening piston for storing a closing energy for the door, and a damping piston guided in a cylindrically shaped hollow space of a cylinder element, and which piston, on a second side, bears against the cam disc, wherein the cylinder element is firmly connected to the opening piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Thomas Salutzki, Alexander Hellwig, Jan Meulenbeld
  • Publication number: 20140331449
    Abstract: An adjustable door closer has a hollow pedestal with a first and a second chamber as well as an actuating groove. An actuating device is set into the actuating groove. A first piston assembly is set into the first chamber and a second piston assembly set into the second chamber. A partition wall is formed between the first and second chambers. Due to a laterally configured flow resistance unit, the holes to be set into the first and second chambers are reduced to three, including a no connecting hole and first and second backflow bypass holes, all of which are connected only to the second chamber from the partition wall. As such, the flow path structure is simplified compared to the five holes required for typical structures. The adjustable door closer could reduce significantly the manufacturing cost and realize better regulating functions with improved applicability and economic benefits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: HENG KUO CO., LTD
    Inventor: Hui-Chen Chang
  • Patent number: 8863357
    Abstract: An adjustable door closer has a hollow pedestal with a first and a second chamber as well as an actuating groove. An actuating device is set into the actuating groove. A first piston assembly is set into the first chamber and a second piston assembly set into the second chamber. A partition wall is formed between the first and second chambers. Due to a laterally configured flow resistance unit, the holes to be set into the first and second chambers are reduced to three, including a connecting hole and first and second backflow bypass holes, all of which are connected only to the second chamber from the partition wall. As such, the flow path structure is simplified compared to the five holes required for typical structures. The adjustable door closer could reduce significantly the manufacturing cost and realize better regulating functions with improved applicability and economic benefits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Heng Kuo Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Hui-Chen Chang
  • Patent number: 8613126
    Abstract: A door closure apparatus with boost for latching a door to which the apparatus is attached. The door closure includes two pivotal arms, an outer covering and an elongated housing. In the housing are a main piston with a rack to engage a pinion connected to rotate with one of the pivotal arms, a piston rod, a main spring, a divider wall, an adjustable main spring seat, a supplemental piston and a supplemental spring. The housing is filled with hydraulic fluid and is divided into three chambers with ports and passageways to move fluid during door opening, which stores energy in both the main and the supplemental springs, and door closing, which begins with energy from the main spring and latches with a boost of energy from the supplemental spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Inventor: William Edward Blockley
  • Publication number: 20130086771
    Abstract: A door closure apparatus with boost for latching a door to which the apparatus is attached. The door closure includes two pivotal arms, an outer covering and an elongated housing. In the housing are a main piston with a rack to engage a pinion connected to rotate with one of the pivotal arms, a piston rod, a main spring, a divider wall, an adjustable main spring seat, a supplemental piston and a supplemental spring. The housing is filled with hydraulic fluid and is divided into three chambers with ports and passageways to move fluid during door opening, which stores energy in both the main and the supplemental springs, and door closing, which begins with energy from the main spring and latches with a boost of energy from the supplemental spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Inventor: William Edward Blockley
  • Publication number: 20120144623
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic door closer including: a main housing having the shape of a cylinder; a damper housing adapted to divide the interior of the main housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber and having oil charged thereinto and a fixed vane formed at one side of the inner peripheral surface thereof in such a manner as to be projected toward the center thereof; a cover fixedly coupled to the upper periphery of the main housing; an activating shaft having one end extended to the outside through the cover in such a manner as to be rotatably supported and the other end rotatably supported against the bottom surface of the main housing through the damper housing; a rotary vane formed integrally to the outer periphery of the activating shaft so as to divide the interior of the damper housing into first and second chambers, together with the fixed vane; a return spring adapted to provide a returning force of returning the activating shaft to an initial setting position at the time
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventor: Saeng Yoon Woo
  • Patent number: 8181311
    Abstract: The present invention provides an adjustable hinged door closer, including a seat with the first and second cylinders, and a first and a second elastic linkage unit. A double-threaded regulator is incorporated onto the first connecting rod of the first elastic linkage unit, so as to change the compression of the spring and regulate the closing/restoring force of the door body. The double-threaded column of the double-threaded regulator has a double-thread that shifts to two thread pitches by just making one rotation, thus facilitating the fine-tuning easily. The elastic linkage unit and the regulator are structurally configured to be assembled externally, and then mated with the connecting seat of the door closer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Heng Kuo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chi-Tsao Chiang, Jack Huang, Jason Chang
  • Patent number: 8047343
    Abstract: A flow damper used in an auto-close mechanism of a sliding rail assembly is disclosed to include a first flow cylinder that has coupling grooves provided at one lateral side, and a second flow cylinder that has coupling blocks provided at one side and connectable to the coupling grooves to secure the first and second flow cylinders in parallel in one of the first condition where the piston rods of the first and second flow cylinders extend in same direction and the second condition where the piston rods of the first and second flow cylinders extend in reversed directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: KV IP Holdings Ltd.
    Inventor: Yung-Liang Chen
  • Patent number: 7356878
    Abstract: A door closer includes an anchor assembly for mounting on a door frame, an actuator assembly for mounting within the thickness of a door which is hinged for movement between open and closed positions, an operating member coupled by a linkage to the anchor assembly and mounted for a range of movements between a retracted position and an extended position, a resilient driving apparatus arranged to exert a driving force on the operating member, a damper mechanism operatively connected to the operating member so as to damp movement of the operating member at least in a direction towards the retracted position, and a resilient thrust device arranged to exert an increased driving force on the operating member over a defined part of its range of movement as the operating member approaches the retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Samuel Heath & Sons PLC
    Inventor: Keith Foster
  • Patent number: 7331435
    Abstract: A continuously blockable arresting device includes a housing and a shaft having an end received in the housing and which may be externally acted upon causing rotation thereof. The housing has a fluid-filled working space and two subchambers which can be connected to the working space. The subchambers lie next to each other. First and second pistons are guided respectively in a displaceable manner in the subchambers and can be displaced therein by a swash plate. The shaft is connected to the swash plate for rotating the swash plate. Respective control devices of the subchambers include blocking valves for respectively connecting the subchambers to the working space and passage valves for respectively connecting the working space to the subchambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Stabilus GmbH
    Inventors: Rolf Mintgen, Wilhelm Schwab, Paul Muders
  • Patent number: 7003847
    Abstract: A door closer comprising a housing, a member for driving engagement with a door, the member being rotatable relative to the housing in a door opening direction and in a door closing direction, a spring apparatus within the housing providing a resilient bias, the resilient bias being increased by rotation of the member in the door opening direction and a check device for controlling rotation of the member in the door closing direction and hence closure of the door under the action of the spring apparatus, the door closer having a back check comprising a piston member movable in a cylinder from an initial position against resistance of a fluid medium by rotation of the rotatable member in the opening direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Jebron Limited
    Inventor: Peter Edward Brown
  • Patent number: 6886217
    Abstract: A door closer having a pair of main driving springs, a fluid-filled damper arrangement and a pair of thrust springs is provided, the thrust springs coming into effect during the latter part of a door closing operation, so as to provide an augmented closing force at that point. The position at which the augmented closing force is applied is variable, with a cam mechanism being used to control application of the increased closing force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Samuel Heath & Sons PLC
    Inventor: Keith Foster
  • Patent number: 6625847
    Abstract: A door closer comprises an actuator assembly (20) adapted for fitting within the thickness of a door and an anchor member (10) adapted for fitting in a door frame in opposed relation to said edge face of the door. An operating member (30) is driven by spring means (45) and coupled to said anchor member (10) to draw the door towards the door frame. An adjustable fluid-filled damper (50) is coupled to said operating member (30) and arranged to provide variable regulation the rate of movement of the operating member under the force of said spring means (45). Resilient thrust means (85) are arranged to exert an increased driving force of said operating member (30) and adjustable control means (100) are provided whereby said thrust means (85) is operative to augment the driving force to said operating member (30) over a defined but variable part of said range of movement corresponding to movement of the door over the final part of its movement into its closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Samuel Heath & Sons PLC
    Inventor: Barrie Jones
  • Patent number: 6493904
    Abstract: A door closer includes casing fixedly fastened to a door frame, a hydraulic cylinder installed in the casing and holding a hydraulic fluid, a coupling block installed in one end of the hydraulic cylinder, the coupling block having a pivot shaft connected to a door, and a reciprocating mechanism coupled to the coupling block, fluid velocity regulating valves installed in the casing and controlled to adjust the velocity of the hydraulic fluid flowing in the casing, the reciprocating mechanism including a double-threaded adjustment rod for adjusting the spring power of compression springs thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Heng Kuo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chi-Tsao Chiang
  • Patent number: 5829097
    Abstract: A blocking device for preventing a door closer from achieving a degree of rotation corresponding to a door hold-open position. A blocking device is provided which can be selectively protruded into a door closer housing to block the translation of a cam plate under influence of a rotating cam operatively connected to one of either the door or the door frame such that the 90.degree. or 105.degree. typical door hold open position cannot be achieved. The blocking device can be a rotatable limit bar which can be positioned to an interference or no-interference position, or it can be screw pins which can be threadingly inserted into the housing to block either the cam or other moving portions of the door closer such that the closer cannot achieve the door hold open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Jackson Corporation
    Inventor: George F. Toledo
  • Patent number: 5586361
    Abstract: A door stop including an hydraulic cylinder connectable to one of a door assembly part, a stop piston longitudinally displaceable in the hydraulic cylinder and connected with another part of the door assembly by a piston rod, and two spring-biased closing pistons located in two separate conduits formed in the stop piston for communicating two, spaced by the stop piston, pressure chambers formed in the cylinder, with a limited length conduit being formed in the hydraulic cylinder and by-passing the stop piston for directly communicating the pressure chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Ed. Scharwachter GmbH & Co. KG.
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz T olle, Hermann Grothe
  • Patent number: 5417013
    Abstract: A door closer having a slide rail linkage and capable of being essentially fully concealed upon installation in either a door panel or door frame, has a housing in which is mounted a closer shaft. The closer shaft has a first end projecting from the housing to be attached to the slide rail linkage, a cam for providing the closing movement of the door, and a second end which is mounted in a journal bearing disposed within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Dorma GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Horst Tillmann
  • Patent number: 5291630
    Abstract: A door closer comprises a housing containing a cylinder and two movable pistons. When the associated door is opened, both of the pistons and the cylinder are moved relative to the housing to draw oil into the cylinder. Expulsion of oil from the cylinder through an orifice on closing of the door controls the closing movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1994
    Assignee: Jebron Limited
    Inventor: Peter E. Brown
  • Patent number: 5272787
    Abstract: An overhead concealed door closer, hydraulicly operated, within a narrow housing case which fits within a header. The housing case has a step radius design along one side and the aperture for the pinion is off-center toward the step radius design side. Hydraulics within the housing case provide a back check, delayed closing, controlled closing, and latch closing. A rack slide is provided with a broadpoint slot so that a broadpoint extending from a pinion can slide through the broadpoint slot and into the broadpoint slot housing well of the housing case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Inventors: Mike Salena, Michael Salena
  • Patent number: 4785493
    Abstract: A door check wherein a housing is affixed to the pivotable panel and a guide rail is affixed to the frame of a door. The housing contains a shaft which is rigidly connected with one end of an arm the other end of which is slidably guided by the rail. The shaft carries a disc cam having two asymmetric sections one of which is tracked by a spring-biased follower surrounding an antifriction bearing and tending to return the panel to its closed position and the other of which is tracked by a roller on the piston of a damper which yieldably opposes the movement of the panel back to its closed position. The configuration of the two cam sections is selected with a view to allow for a reduction of the resistance which the follower offers to opening of the door shortly after the panel leaves its closed position as well as to ensure that the damper can operate independently of the follower and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: Dorma-Baubeschlag GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Horst Tillmann, Giselher Sieg
  • Patent number: 4775037
    Abstract: A hydraulic device for controlling the knee-joint function in a leg prosthesis has a cylinder which is divided into first and a second cylinder parts adapted to be fixed to the lower leg of the prosthesis, and a piston rod which carries one piston in each cylinder part and is fixed to the upper leg of the prosthesis. The pistons divide the interior of the respective cylinder parts into two chambers. The adjacent first chambers of the cylinder parts are interconnected by a throttle device. The two, second chambers are also interconnected. One piston has a sealing member which is of a single-acting type to allow leakage of hydraulic fluid from the second chamber to the first chamber when the piston is moved in a direction reducing the volume of the second chamber, while it is completely sealing when the piston is moved in the opposite direction. A connection is provided between one of the first chambers and one of the second chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1988
    Assignee: Vaxjo-Protes AB
    Inventor: Karl-Erik Stenberg
  • Patent number: 4662486
    Abstract: A hydraulic device for controlling the knee-joint function in a leg prosthesis has a cylinder which is divided into first and a second cylinder parts adapted to be fixed to the lower leg of the prosthesis, and a piston rod which carries one piston in each cylinder part and is fixed to the upper leg of the prosthesis. The pistons divide the interior of the respective cylinder parts into two chambers. The adjacent first chambers of the cylinder parts are interconnected by a throttle device. The two, second chambers are also interconnected. One piston has a sealing member which is of a single-acting type to allow leakage of hydraulic fluid from the second chamber to the first chamber when the piston is moved in a direction reducing the volume of the second chamber, while it is completely sealing when the piston is moved in the opposite direction. A connection is provided between one of the first chambers and one of the second chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Vaxjo-Protes AB
    Inventor: Karl-Erik Stenberg
  • Patent number: 4489640
    Abstract: A piston and geared rack assembly are moved by pressurized air in opposite directions within a power cylinder housing as the vehicle operator registers door closing and opening commands in a solenoid valve. This lateral movement is converted to rotary movement by a pinion gear driven by the rack and coupled to turn a spindle shaft which drives the door. At full stroke during door closing, the power piston actuates a valve to charge the lower chamber of an auxiliary cylinder to move a lift piston rod, movable within the spindle shaft, to raise the closed door into a locked position. Upon a door-open command, the solenoid valve exhausts the charged cylinder chambers, admits air into the upper chamber of the auxiliary cylinder to move the lift piston and rod to lower and release the door, and slowly charges the associated opening chamber. This enables the delayed movement of the power piston and rack assembly in the opposite direction, reversing the rotation of the pinion and spindle shaft, to open the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1984
    Assignee: American Standard Inc.
    Inventor: Paul E. Olson
  • Patent number: 4483043
    Abstract: An automatic door closer has an elongated fluid-filled housing having a closed end and an opposite open end, a plug closing the open end of the housing, a first piston reciprocatably arranged in the housing and dividing the latter into a first pressure space adjacent the closed end and a second pressure space adjacent the plug, a closer shaft adapted to be connected to a door, extending transverse to the elongation of the housing and turnably mounted in the housing in the region of the closed end, elements connecting said closer shaft with said first piston for moving the latter during turning of the closer shaft in door-opening direction in a first direction reducing the volume of the first pressure space while increasing the volume of the second pressure space, the piston-moving elements comprising a piston rod slidingly guided in the first piston and having a free end facing the plug, a spring cooperating with the first piston for biasing the latter in a second direction opposite to the first direction, a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1984
    Assignee: Dorma-Baubechlag GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Horst Tillmann
  • Patent number: 4455708
    Abstract: A door closer comprising at the end of one of two pivotally interconnected arms a closing device whose housing encloses a cylindrical piston driven by the arm through a rack-and-pinion system. On each side of this piston a return spring and a bag, filled with an incompressible but deformable viscous gum placed in a hollow piston biased elastically toward the cylindrical piston are placed on each side of the first-mentioned piston. The hollow piston has a diameter distinctly larger than the diameter of the first-mentioned piston, and the combined actions of this difference in diameters and of the viscosity of the gum ensure an effective braking of the return of the first-mentioned piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1984
    Assignee: Paumellerie Electrique
    Inventor: Gerard Saigne
  • Patent number: 4414703
    Abstract: A door closer and holder has cylinders with pistons therein responsive to the relative swinging motion between a door panel and a door frame. A spring is loaded by door opening and acts against one piston to effect door closing. Various hydraulic passages opening into the cylinders have valves therein to control the door panel opening and closing speed or speeds. One of the valves, electrically operated, allows the door panel to close from a hold-open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1983
    Assignee: Schlage Lock Company
    Inventors: Raymond H. Schnarr, Richard L. Zunkel
  • Patent number: 4178655
    Abstract: A mechanism for use in counterbalancing the weight of a lid or closure incident to movements thereof between closed and open portions is in the form of a spring pressurized, hydraulic piston-cylinder arrangement. The mechanism preferably includes means providing hydraulic damping characteristics for both the fully extended and contracted conditions of the mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1979
    Assignee: Weber-Knapp Company
    Inventor: Carl H. Little
  • Patent number: 4080687
    Abstract: A door closer includes a cylinder-and-piston arrangement in which the piston is received in the cylinder for displacement between a rest position corresponding to a closed position of the door, and an end position corresponding to the fully open position of the door, through an intermediate position corresponding to a partly opened position of the door. The piston subdivides the interior of the cylinder into at least two compartments which are in communication with one another via at least two passages one of which is closable in any position of the piston by means of an electromagnetically operated valve, the other passage being open when the piston is between the rest and the intermediate position and closed when the piston is between the intermediate and the end position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1978
    Assignee: Dorma-Baubeschlag G.m.b.H. & Co. K.G.
    Inventor: Dietrich Jentsch
  • Patent number: 4068344
    Abstract: A door hinge device applicable to a door, comprising a pair of flanges, a cylinder connected to one of these flanges and housed with a pair of pistons, a valve means formed on one of the pistons, a partition mounted between the flanges, an orifice formed on the partition, and a driving mechanism mounted externally of the cylinder, wherein the antiflow valve means is opened when the flanges move in the direction to open the door, but when they move in reverse direction to close the door, the valve means of the piston controllably permits a desired quantity of working oil to flow therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1978
    Inventor: Chiyo Okabe