Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Davis and Bujold
  • Patent number: 8182678
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating liquid includes a tank having a water inlet for receiving water, a treated water outlet for outputting treated water and a flow path between the inlet and the outlet. An injection section of the tank is located along the flow path of the tank with an outlet toward a bottom of the tank. Ozonated liquid containing ozone microbubbles is injected through an injection manifold positioned within the injection section of the tank. The ozone microbubbles adsorb to impurities in the ozonated water. A separation section of the tank is positioned downstream of the outlet of the injection section. The separation section has a contact surface such that the ozonated water travels upward to contact the contact surface and such that at least a portion of the ozone microbubbles adsorb to the contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Seair Inc.
    Inventors: Harold Kinasewich, Kyle Greene
  • Patent number: 8182386
    Abstract: A transmission device with at least two output shafts and at least two multi-shaft planetary gearsets that are actively connected with one another. A shaft of a planetary gearset can be actively connected with an output shaft. In addition, a shifting mechanism, located between the two output shafts, shifts between a first power path or a second power path. In one of the planetary gearsets, torque from an electric machine can be transmitted along either the first or the second power path. In the first power path, torque from the electric machine is transmitted to the two output shafts in equal parts and with the same sign. In the second power path, torque is transmitted to the two output shafts in equal parts but with opposite signs. The planetary gearset, in the area of which the torque from the electric machine can be transmitted, is a simple negative planetary gearset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Thomas Rosemeier, Bernd-Robert Hohn, Christoph Pelchen
  • Patent number: 8182392
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive train of a motor vehicle. The drive train comprising a hybrid drive with an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, a transmission arranged between the hybrid drive and a drive output, and a clutch arranged between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor. The internal combustion engine is started by engaging the clutch only when the electric motor is providing drive power. In this situation when shifting gears in the transmission with interruption of the traction force, immediately after the gear change and during a load build-up phase of the shift operation, the internal combustion engine is started by the electric motor without traction force interruption. The clutch is controlled to partially engage to start the combustion engine and then it is completely disengaged before reaching a synchronous speed between the combustion engine and the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Christian Mittelberger, Stefan Blattner
  • Patent number: 8182388
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission for a front-transverse arrangement including a dual clutch and two partial transmissions (PG1, PG2). Each of the two clutches (K1, K2) of the dual clutch acts on one coaxial transmission input shaft (AW1, AW2), which acts upon a partial transmission (PG1, PG2). The partial transmissions are designed as planetary transmissions (PG1, PG2) that are to be shifted in a positive manner. The output is located on the same side of the transmission as the input and is axially parallel to the input in the same rotational direction. Torque is transmitted through the dual clutch transmission to the output shaft (Ab) by way of at least one intermediate shaft (W1, W2) that is parallel to the transmission input shafts (AW1, AW2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Gumpoltsberger
  • Patent number: 8179128
    Abstract: A wheel suspension for a vehicle which includes a wheel (8) and at least one suspension arm (2) that connects the wheel (8) to the body (7) of the vehicle. The arm (2) is pivotally mounted to the body (7) by an inner part (9) of a bearing (3) such that the arm (2) pivots about an axis (6). An angle measuring device senses rotation of the arm (2) about the pivot axis (6) relative to the body (7) and includes a signal generator (25) and a sensor (18). One of the signal generator (25) and the sensor (18) is attached to an outside of the arm (2) while the other is rigidly attached, via a bracket (15), to the body (7) at a distance from the suspension arm (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Michael Klank, Andreas Gartner
  • Patent number: 8178745
    Abstract: The invention relates to a medical plaster which is able to supply damaged skin and open wounds with an active compound which helps to accelerate wound healing and allows it to proceed better. The plaster has novel design features which enable, in particular, protein- or peptide-containing medicaments, such as, for example, erythropoietin (EPO), to exert their wound-healing or wound-healing-promoting action by release of the active compound from the plaster without being significantly deactivated or metabolized in the process by substances occurring in the wound secretion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Inventor: Augustinus Bader
  • Patent number: 8176993
    Abstract: A ripper plough for soil tillage includes a body having an upper mounting attachment end, a lower soil engaging end, a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed sides. A ploughshare support extends outwardly from the body from the leading edge toward the trailing edge at a plough angle of between 40 degrees and 55 degrees and extends outwardly and downwardly relative to the body at a thrust angle of between 40 degrees and 50 degrees. Ploughshares are mounted on the ploughshare support. The ploughshares have a length between a leading edge and a trailing edge of at least 1.5 feet and are spaced apart at the trailing edge by at least two feet, to provide an average lift angle of upward lift of between 10 degrees and 15 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Inventor: David H. McNabb
  • Patent number: 8176579
    Abstract: A modular shower pan includes at least four polygon panels adapted to interlock in side by side relation to form a body. Each panel has a planar bottom surface and a top surface that is sloped based upon a pre-selected drain position on the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Inventor: Madison Daniels
  • Patent number: 8176865
    Abstract: A steering actuator (1) designed as a linear electro-mechanical actuator for a ship control system which comprises an electric motor (2), a controller (11) connected, via a CAN bus, to the electronic control unit of the ship control system (ECU) and an angle sensor (12) actively connected to the controller (11) for determining the angular position of the rudder (13). The electric motor (2) is designed as a vector-controlled brushless motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Adriano Zanfei
  • Patent number: 8171813
    Abstract: A double clutch transmission with two clutches that have inputs connected to a drive shaft and outputs which are each connected to one of first and second transmission input shafts. Fixed gears are coupled to the input shafts and engage idler gears. Several coupling devices connect the idler gears to a respective countershaft which have an output gear that couples with an output shaft such that forward and reverse gears can be shifted. First and second dual gear planes each comprise two idler gears supported by a respective countershaft, and one fixed gear. In each of the first and the second gear planes, at least one idler gear is used for two gears. First and second single gear planes each comprise an idler gear and a fixed gear such that at least one winding-path gear can be shifted via at least one, non-engaged coupling device, assigned to one of the output gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Gumpoltsberger, Juergen Wafzig, Matthias Reisch, Wolfgang Rieger, Ralf Dreibholz
  • Patent number: 8172053
    Abstract: A hydraulic circuit arrangement for operating a hydrodynamic torque converter (1, 10) with a converter bridging clutch (11). The circuit arrangement comprises a hydraulic switching unit (3, 14) having at least one valve for controlling an inflow flow and a return flow of oil to the converter (1, 10) and the converter bridging clutch (11), an oil cooler (4, 15), a first line (5, 12) for acting upon the converter bridging clutch (11) with an engagement pressure (PWKzu) and a second line (6, 13) for acting upon the converter bridging clutch (11) with a disengagement pressure (PWKauf). The circuit arrangement comprises a bypass line (8, 17) which is connected directly with the oil cooler (4, 15) so as to bypass the hydraulic switching unit (3, 14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Horst Leichsenring, Berron Hairston, Jochen Birkle, Thomas Aisenpreis
  • Patent number: 8172718
    Abstract: A planetary gear unit (1) having two guide discs (2, 3) that are arranged parallel to one another and include perforations for accommodating pins (4) which have journals (5, 6) and shoulders arranged on the end sides. The shoulders have circumferential cutting edges (11, 12) and the pins (4) are cut into the guide discs (2, 3) by way of the cutting edges (2, 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Tobias Büchner, Peter Höhne
  • Patent number: 8167218
    Abstract: A support including a rail (10) that preferably has an I-shaped section and is provided in a slot (2) filled with concrete (4). During the manufacture of the rail, the rail is partially coated, substantially along its entire length, with a filler material (8) which defines at least one side extension (16) and bears on the concrete. A side groove (9) is formed in the coating of filler material (8) for the passage of a guiding or rolling wheel. The rail is directly maintained by the concrete such that an intermediate device, for additional maintenance of the rail, is not required. The rail can be bent and curved at the time of installation to conform to the curves of the track without any independent or additional bending step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Lohr Industrie
    Inventor: Jean-Luc Andre
  • Patent number: 8167105
    Abstract: A pressure medium-actuated control device of an automated step-by-step variable speed transmission. The device having a control valve for controlling an actively engaged disconnectable type clutch which is disposed along a power flow path between a motor and a transmission input shaft, and a self-retaining valve located in the pressure supply of the clutch control valve for a rotational speed-dependent emergency actuation of the disconnectable type clutch. An electrical switch-off actuator is connected to the self-retaining valve such that the valve piston, of the self-retaining valve, can be moved into an idle position to lock the pressure supply of the clutch control valve in a powered state of the switch-off actuator, and into an operating position determined by the applied control pressures in the power-off state of the switch-off actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Markus Herrmann, Thomas John
  • Patent number: 8168560
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying catalyst is provided which includes a catalyst substrate and a catalyst coating layer. The catalyst coating layer is formed on the catalyst substrate and contains a noble metal and a refractory inorganic oxide. The catalyst coating layer has a layered structure including an A-layer and a B-layer. The A-layer contains Pd and Pt as the noble metal in a weight ratio of 3:1 to 20:1. The B-layer includes Rh as the noble metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Cataler Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Taki, Akimasa Hirai, Ichiro Kitamura
  • Patent number: 8166847
    Abstract: A multi-group transmission (1) is proposed, comprising a gearbox actuator, in which an exhaust channel (3) is provided in the gearbox housing (2), said channel extending from a gearbox compartment (4) provided on the gearbox housing (2) for the installation of the gearbox actuator, to the output sensor (5), whereby the gearbox compartment (4) also serves as a collecting chamber for exhaust air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: SF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Josef Bader, Stefan Renner
  • Patent number: 8166842
    Abstract: A dual-clutch transmission comprising clutches with input sides coupled to an input shaft and output sides respectively coupled to two transmission input shafts. Toothed idler gearwheels are mounted to rotate on countershafts while toothed fixed gearwheels are connected to the first and the second transmission input shafts and engage with the idler gearwheels. Coupling devices are provided for connecting the idler gearwheels to the countershaft, and drive output gearwheels are fixed to the countershafts and couple an output shaft, while a shifting element couples the input shafts such that eight forward gears and at least one reverse gear can be engaged. Four wheel planes are arranged in the transmission such that at least one winding gear can be engaged by the shifting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Rieger
  • Patent number: 8161836
    Abstract: A multi-step transmission having at least a reverse drive gear, several forward drive gears, a main shaft (1) and two counter shafts. The power flow in forward drive can be split up and be distributed to both counter shafts and further transferred to the main shaft (1). The forward drive gears each include two counter shaft gears and one idle gear which is supported on the main shaft (1). In contrast, only one of the two counter shafts (2) is assigned and associated with a reverse gear (3) such that the flow of power, in a reverse drive gear (3), is transferred through a single counter shaft (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Jürgen Rauter, Martin Lamke
  • Patent number: D659841
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Board of Governors of Lethbridge College
    Inventors: Karen Kennedy, Colleen Ward
  • Patent number: D659938
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: LSI-Lift Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Gordon McTavish, Gerald L. Baker