Patents Represented by Attorney Gerald E. Hespos

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  • Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus including a controlled elevator mechanism
    Patent number: 8152159
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device has: a sheet accommodating portion that accommodates a sheet stack of a plurality of sheets; a sheet carrying plate that is provided within the sheet accommodating portion and stacks the sheet stack thereon; a pickup roller that contacts an upper face of the sheet stack and dispatches a sheet on an uppermost layer of the sheet stack, an elevator mechanism that displaces the sheet carrying plate between a sheet feeding position in which the upper face of the sheet stack contacts the pickup roller, and a separating position in which the upper face of the sheet stack separates from the pickup roller by a predetermined distance; and a controller that controls an operation of the elevator mechanism such that the sheet carrying plate is lowered to the separating position after a sheet feeding operation for feeding a sheet at the sheet feeding position is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Keiji Okumura
  • Vehicle sash door and protector and center channel for the same
    Patent number: 8151520
    Abstract: A center-channel protector for a vehicle sash door is arranged between a main sash and a center channel. A body of the protector has an H-shaped upper-end surface which is compatible to cover the upper end of the center channel. The body integrally includes a pair of branch covering portions corresponding to a pair of branch portions constituting the center channel and a middle covering portion disposed between the branch covering portions so as to connect the both branch covering portions therewith. An engaging portion is provided with the body and is mechanically engaged, in a direction intersecting a vertical direction, with an engaged portion which is provided with a center channel side. In collaboration with the engaged portion, the engaging portion constitutes a fastening mechanism by which the protector is fastened on the center channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Katayama Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chikara Yamashita, Akihiro Terai, Hiromichi Torihata, Tsuyoshi Fujiwara
  • Case assembly for motorcycle including a coupling system
    Patent number: 8152036
    Abstract: A case assembly for motorcycles comprises a frame (11) for coupling to the motorcycle and a case (12) including means that allow its removable coupling to the frame. The means which allow the removable coupling include U-shaped elements (17) which move between a non-active position to accommodate therein a complementary element (13) of the frame and an active rotated position to secure therein said element (13) of the frame. Conveniently, between the case and the frame there are other passive coupling means (14, 15) at a distance of the U-shaped elements for positioning the case before the coupling movement of the U-shaped elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: GI. VI. S.R.L.
    Inventor: Giuseppe Visenzi
  • Vehicle charging connector
    Patent number: 8152550
    Abstract: A vehicle charging connector is configured to be coupled to a vehicle-side connector to charge a vehicle battery via the vehicle-side connector. The vehicle charging connector includes a housing, a coupling portion provided on a housing, and a lever. The lever has a lever bar accommodated in the housing, a lock portion provided on one end of the lever bar and configured to engage with a lock receiving portion of the vehicle-side connector to maintain the coupling portion and the vehicle-side connector in a coupled condition, and an unlock operation portion provided on the other end of the lever bar and operable to release an engagement between the lock portion and the lock receiving portion. An upper surface of the lever bar includes a water guide adjacent to the lock portion. The water guide includes a slope surface having a downward inclination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignees: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Toyoto Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshifumi Ichio, Akinori Takada, Shuichi Nagata
  • Female terminal fitting
    Patent number: 8152576
    Abstract: A tab (51) of a male terminal (50) is inserted into a main portion (11) of a female terminal (10). The tab (51) contacts a contact portion (16) of a resilient contact piece (15) to connect the female and male terminals (10, 50) electrically. A guiding portion (18) is formed on an inner surface of the main portion (11) for guiding the tab (51) inserted into the main portion (11) to a position where the tab (51) contacts the contact portion (16). The guiding portion (18) extends from a position before a contact position of the tab (51) with the contact portion (16) to the contact position while being inclined with respect to an inserting direction of the tab (51).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichi Nakamura, Ryotaro Ishikawa, Song Zheng
  • Connector for use with apparatus
    Patent number: 8152574
    Abstract: Upon fitting of the first housing 10 and the second housing 50, joints 21, 63 of the two terminals 20, 60 are superposed in the fitting portion 11, the two joints 21, 63 having respective bolt-insertion holes 21A, 63A that allow for insertion of a bolt V thereinto so that the two joints 21, 63 are fixed together. The fitting portion 11 of the two housings 10 has an operation hole 23 that allows for bolting of the two terminals 20, 60. A first shield shell 40 is attached to the first housing 10. The first shield shell 40 is fixable to the case. A second shield shell 70 is attached to the second housing 50. The second shield shell 70 in a fitted state of the two housings 10, 50 is slidable between: a position to expose the operation hole 23 to the outside; and a position to cover the operation hole 23 and to cooperate with the first shield shell 40 to cover the fitting portion 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignees: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Matsuoka, Katsuhide Kitagawa
  • Wave field microscope with sub-wavelength resolution and methods for processing microscopic images to detect objects with sub-wavelength dimensions
    Patent number: 8155409
    Abstract: The invention relates to a computer implemented method for processing of microscopic images to detect objects of interest. The method includes subjecting the microscopic image to a bandpass filtering to obtain a filtered image, wherein the bandpass filtering is such as to suppress the noise and any objects which are larger than a predetermined size; and processing the filtered image at a plurality of progressively decreasing threshold levels. The processing at each threshold level includes detecting the objects of interest using an object labelling algorithm and removing the detected objects detected at a given threshold level from the working image before proceeding to the next threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat
    Inventors: Christoph Cremer, David Baddeley, Jurgen Reymann, Udo Birk
  • Connector
    Patent number: 8147261
    Abstract: A connector assembly has a male connector (10) with a receptacle (14), a female connector (60) to be fit into the receptacle (14) and a moving plate (40) for positioning male terminal fittings (20). The moving plate (40) includes a plate-like plate main body (42) with positioning holes 47 and is movable toward a back side of the receptacle (14) together with the female connector (60) from an initial position where leading ends of the male terminal fittings (20) project through the positioning holes (47). Protection walls (41) project forward to protect the leading ends of the male terminal fittings (20) projecting at the initial position. The female connector (60) is formed with recesses (66) for permitting the protection walls (41) to escape. Each protection wall (41) is arranged between adjacent male terminal fitting groups (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidefumi Horiuchi
  • Airbag bracket
    Patent number: 8146942
    Abstract: An airbag bracket has at least one airbag fastening section (31, 32, 41, 42) for fastening an airbag device to the airbag bracket (1) and has at least one instrument panel fastening section (11, 12, 13, 23, 24) for fastening an instrument panel to the airbag bracket. Thus, forces occurring during the triggering of the airbag device can be reliably absorbed. The airbag bracket (1) has at least one supporting fastening section (35, 45) for fastening the airbag bracket (1) to a supporting structure of a motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Bruning, Bernt Wallrabe, Rainer Mertens, Andre Kurschner
  • Folding roof arrangement
    Patent number: 8146983
    Abstract: A folding roof arrangement has a folding top covering (12) and a folding top structure (14). The folding top structure (14) has at least one roof frame (20) with a front area and at least one elastically deformable tensioning element (31-34). The folding top structure (14) can be folded or collapsed with or without the folding top covering (12), so that the tensioning element (31-34) is elastically deformed when folded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mathias Froschle, Hanno Weber
  • System and method of embedding symbology in alphabetic letters and then linking the letters to a site or sites on the global computer network
    Patent number: 8151180
    Abstract: A system and method of embedding symbology in alphabetic letters and then linking the letter to a site or sites on the global computer network, i.e., the Internet, are provided. The system and method provide for capturing an image of at least one character fixed in a medium; determining at least one letter of an alphabet corresponding to the at least one character; determining a numerical value for the determined at least one letter; looking up in a database a hyperlink corresponding to the numerical value; and presenting the hyperlink on a display device. The system and method further provide determining at least one marking within the at least one letter; and determining a location for the at least one marking within the at least one letter, wherein the combination of the at least one marking and the location for the at least one marking corresponds to the numerical value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Reagan Inventions, LLC
    Inventor: Leigh M. Rothschild
  • Traction-drive type driving-force transmission mechanism and image forming apparatus equipped therewith
    Patent number: 8147369
    Abstract: A traction-drive type driving-force transmission mechanism includes an output shaft and a sun roller that is rotatable about a first central axis. Shafts having respective second central axes are disposed respectively on corresponding secondary axes, of which is inclined relative to the first central axis in such a manner that each second central axis is aligned with the corresponding secondary axis. A pressing member is coupled to the output shaft. A plurality of speed-reduction rollers are disposed along an outer peripheral surface of the sun roller and are supported by the respective shafts. The pressing member presses each of the speed-reduction rollers against the outer peripheral surface of the sun roller to allow a driving force to be transmitted by a traction force between the sun roller and the speed-reduction roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Marumoto, Kiyohide Okamoto
  • Developing unit and image forming apparatus comprising same
    Patent number: 8150292
    Abstract: A developing unit includes a unit main body having an internal space defined by a predetermined frame and capable of supplying a developer to the outside while agitating the developer within the internal space, a unit-side cooling duct attached to the unit main body, and a duct connecting member connecting the unit-side cooling duct and an external duct which supplies a cooling gas to the unit-side cooling duct from outside the unit main body. The unit-side cooling duct is structured by a duct piece and a part of the predetermined frame. The duct piece is detachably attached to the unit main body in opposed relation to the part of the predetermined frame, and has an end that is fitted to the duct connecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ohashi
  • Mount for an armrest in the interior of a motor vehicle
    Patent number: 8141934
    Abstract: A mount (22) for an armrest (14, 14a, 14b) in the interior of a motor vehicle is distinguished by the fact that the mount (22) is designed to react differently to forces that act on the mount (22) from different directions (18, 20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Olaf Benkler, Benno Gayer, Wilfried Radon
  • Connector
    Patent number: 8142213
    Abstract: A connector which can avoid lowering of a waterproof performance between a frame and a sub-housing. First and second housings are engaged by rotating a lever mounted on the first housing. The second housing has a second frame and second sub-housings are accommodated in accommodating spaces formed in the second frame. A cam follower is formed on an outer surface of a dual-purpose outer wall that faces the accommodating space out of the second frame. A seal is provided between an outer periphery of the second sub-housing and an inner periphery of the accommodating space. A frame-shaped restricting member is assembled to the second frame and surrounds the second frame to restrict outward displacement of the dual-purpose wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Song Zheng, Takatoshi Katsuma
  • Terminal block and method of assembling it
    Patent number: 8142234
    Abstract: A terminal block (10) has a housing (20), a busbar mounting portion (23) formed in the housing (20), nut accommodating recesses (27) formed in the busbar mounting portion (23) for holding nuts (N) mounted in a first direction (D1), a busbar (30) mounted into the busbar mounting portion (23) in a second direction (D2) intersecting the first direction (D1) and holding the nuts (N) in the nut accommodating recesses (27), busbar pressers (23B) provided in the busbar mounting portion (23) for restricting a movement of the busbar (30) in the busbar mounting portion (23) in a direction opposite to the first direction (D1), and locks (28) provided in the busbar mounting portion (23) for restricting movement of the busbar (30) in the busbar mounting portion (23) in a direction opposite to the second direction (D2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Daiki Kaneshiro
  • Lever-type connector
    Patent number: 8133065
    Abstract: A lever-type connector has a device-side housing (11) and a wire-side housing (41) to be connected with the device-side housing (11). Cam pins (15) project from the wire-side housing (11). Levers (60) are supported rotatably on the wire-side housing (41) and include cam grooves (62) engageable with the cam pins (15). A holder (70) is held on the wire-side housing (41) slidably in a connecting direction and an opposite direction thereof and includes coupling grooves (74) engageable with coupling pins (63) on the lever (60). The holder (70) can be moved in the connecting direction to move the lever ((60) and pull the housings (11, 41) together. The holder (70) has resilient pieces (75) with engaging surfaces (75B) and the levers (60) have engaging claws (66) for engaging the engaging surfaces (75B) to prevent rotation of the levers (60).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidefumi Horiuchi, Kimiyasu Okumura
  • Grommet
    Patent number: 8134076
    Abstract: A grommet includes a small tubular section, an enlarging tubular section continued from an end of the smaller tubular section, and an annular recess on an outer surface at a large diameter end of the enlarging tubular section. The small tubular section is inserted into a through-hole from one side of a vehicle body panel so that the annular recess engages the vehicle body panel. Stepped projections extend axially from the small tubular section to the annular recess . Each stepped projection has an angle rib that protrudes from a connecting end of the small tubular section to a position where the angle rib contacts a peripheral edge around the through-hole. Slopes of the angle ribs at upper positions contact a peripheral edge around the through-hole at a position where the slopes at the upper positions do not pass the annular recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd
    Inventor: Daiki Nagayasu
  • Two tier revolving cabinet organizer
    Patent number: D656758
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: MSA Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Snider
  • Cabinet organizer with drawer having longitudinal dividers
    Patent number: D657588
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: MSA Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Snider