Patents Represented by Attorney Gifford, Krass, Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.
  • Patent number: 8348725
    Abstract: A blade holding jig arrangement for either grinding or honing a blade including a mounting bracket assembly with an elongate guide bar and a device for rigidly supporting the guide bar. A support arm can be pivotally mounted on the guide bar by means of a tubular support mounted on one end of the arm and extending perpendicular thereto. The guide bar extends through a passageway in the tubular support. The support arm can be moved along the guide bar for grinding. A clamp unit for clamping a blade includes a U-bracket with two legs and two clamping jaws adjustably mounted on the U-bracket between the legs. The clamp unit is attached to an end section of the arm remote from the one end of the arm. The clamping jaws can be moved towards one another in order to clamp the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventor: Tymen Clay
  • Patent number: 8350561
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing a signal related to a position of a part comprises an exciter coil, and a receiver coil disposed proximate to the exciter coil. The exciter coil generates magnetic flux when the exciter coil is energized by a source of electrical energy, such as an alternating current source. The receiver coil generates a receiver signal when the exciter coil is energized, due to an inductive coupling between the receiver coil and the exciter coil. The receiver coil has a plurality of sections, the inductive coupling tending to induce opposed voltages in at least two of the sections. Embodiments of the present invention include linear sensors, rotational sensors, and novel configurations for improved ratiometric sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: KSR Technologies Co.
    Inventor: Joong K. Lee
  • Patent number: 8349761
    Abstract: A catalyst material for use at elevated temperatures is provided. The material can include a plurality of fibers and a plurality of particles supported on the fibers. In addition, a porous layer can cover the plurality of particles and allow for process fluid to come into contact with the particles, and yet retard sintering of the particles at elevated temperatures is present. The plurality of fibers can be a plurality of nanofibers which may or may not be oxide nanofibers. The particles can be metallic nanoparticles and the porous layer can be a porous oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., University of Washington Center for Commercialization, Washington University
    Inventors: Younan Xia, Charles Taylor Campbell, Yunqian Dai, Byungkwon Lim, Benjamin Alan Grayson, Paul T. Fanson
  • Patent number: 8350530
    Abstract: An aircraft battery charging system having an alternator with a rotatably driven field coil and a stator coil in which the stator coil is connected to a voltage output from the alternator. The system includes a power source, a first voltage regulator and a second voltage regulator. A switch mechanism selectively connects one of the first or second voltage regulators to one end of the field coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventor: Gregg Stockman
  • Patent number: 8348330
    Abstract: The present invention is a touch sensor assembly for a closing panel of a frame member that at least partially defines an opening and is oppositely disposed from the closing panel. The touch sensor assembly can have an elongated housing dimensioned to attach to a leading edge of the closing panel or a trailing edge of the frame member. The touch sensor assembly can also have a wire harness with a first portion encapsulated within the housing and a second portion that extends a predetermined length from the housing and passes through an aperture in the closing panel or an aperture in the frame member. A wire harness protector is also provided, the protector being attached to the wire harness proximate to the elongated housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Christopher Michael Higgins, Hideki Shimizu, Hironori Koeda, Yoshiteru Taniguichi
  • Patent number: 8342979
    Abstract: Attachable systems and methods allow a golfer to ‘zero in’ on the desired striking zone or “sweet spot” of a club, including putters and non-putters. One or more guides are positionable relative to the desired striking zone, such that if a golf ball interacts with a guide during a swing, the guide provides aural or tactile feedback that the club has hit the ball outside of the desired striking zone. The device may include at least two guides, one positionable on one side of the desired striking zone and the other positionable on the other side of the desired striking zone. The device may comprise guides in the form of a tab or leaf pivotable from an up position when not in use to a down position for use. If the club head has a back side, a portion of the device may contact with the back side. In particular, if the club is an iron with a rear cavity on the club head, a portion of the device may be received in the cavity to enhance stability, particularly during a swing. Training methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Jacob Kaufman
  • Patent number: 8343225
    Abstract: A patch for covering an aperture associated with a skull including a plastic composite body having either a planar or arcuate shape exhibits an extending edge profile which matches a profile associated with a reconditioned edge of the skull. A fastener extends through the edge profile for securing the body to the skull. The extending edge profile further includes a first portion and a second reduced portion separated by a shoulder, the skull exhibiting a corresponding outer skull edge portion, inner stepped skull portion and intermediate shoulder being configured to mate with the configuration of the extending edge profile and in order to achieve a generally flush appearance when seating the patch over the skull aperture. One or more screws fasten the edge profile of the body to the skull. This can further include a bone screw with undercut engaging portion extending through the extending edge profile and associated skull location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Linares Medical Devices, LLC
    Inventor: Miguel A. Linares
  • Patent number: 8337870
    Abstract: An active agent delivery composition is provided that allows topical delivery of active agents including vitamin A and its derivatives. A polyhalogenic vehicle such as methoxyonafluorobutane or ethoxyonafluorobutane serves as a coupler for an active agent and a silicone carrier so as to allow solubilization of active agents not normally miscible in silicones and providing a moisture maintaining composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Young Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Inventor: John E. Kulesza
  • Patent number: 8333272
    Abstract: A dual clutch transmission has a driving plate defining concentric engagement surfaces, concentric friction plates, concentric pressure plates, and first and second clutch springs for operation of the pressure plates in clamping the friction plates against their respective engagement surface on the driving plate. The driving plate has a top hat type configuration, whereby the engagement surfaces are axially off set from one another. Cooling passages may be provided in the driving plate. The dct is preferably nested, wherein the outer pressure plate is in axial alignment with the radially inner portion of the driving plate, the inner pressure plate is in axial alignment with the radially outer portion of the driving plate, and the friction plates are arranged in axial alignment with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ricardo UK Ltd
    Inventors: Jonathan Charles Wheals, Lee Sykes
  • Patent number: 8335699
    Abstract: A method is disclosed of financing the liabilities of sovereign governmental entities, their political subunits, and like entities (e.g., school boards, etc.), and private business entities through the use of insurance products. In one embodiment, the method may include: receiving a population data set, generating a plurality of mortality data sets, generating a financial target data set, transmitting the financial target data set to a plurality of life insurance vendors, receiving from each of at least two life insurance vendors a rate table, generating a proportional rating for each insurance vendor, generating a final rate table having a per member life insurance premium rate for each mortality data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Retirement Benefit Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick J. Elshaw, Timothy Heger
  • Patent number: 8335621
    Abstract: When downshift control is performed during fuel cut control (when coast-down gearshift control is performed), fuel cut reset revolutions are lowered and set to revolutions Ndwn that are lower than fuel cut reset revolutions Nnor for normal control. By such a setting, it becomes possible to maintain fuel cut control and deceleration lockup slippage control even when engine revolutions NE temporarily drop during execution of coast-down gearshift control, so an improvement in fuel consumption can be achieved. Moreover, it becomes unnecessary to set a downshift gearshift line to a higher vehicle speed side, so fuel cut can be maintained while suppressing the occurrence of a gearshift shock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Ayabe, Tomohiro Asami
  • Patent number: 8327607
    Abstract: An apparatus for introducing a selected beverage into a flexible pouch 8, sealingly closing the pouch 8 and dispensing the closed pouch 8. The apparatus comprises a housing 4 adapted to, in use, accept a plurality of reservoirs 10 of beverage concentrate. Each reservoir 10 has a concentrate pump 12 provided with a diluent inlet and a mixer for mixing pumped concentrate with diluent to produce a mixed beverage. Leading from each pump 12 is flexible conduit 14 terminating in a nozzle 68 for dispensing the mixed beverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Imi Cornelius Inc.
    Inventor: Richard John Nighy
  • Patent number: 8330809
    Abstract: A vision system incorporated into an item of egg handling equipment, the system incorporating software control for detecting at least one of color shades and defects on both brown and white eggs. An enclosure incorporates a plurality of high resolution producing cameras, these communicating via cable with a switch to a remote vision PC system. A non-linear shaped diffuser is mounted along an open facing bottom of the enclosure for facilitating uniform lighting throughout an open interior of the enclosure associated with the cameras. The cameras are operable to produce multiple, high resolution images of each of a plurality of eggs continuously transported along the associated egg handling equipment, for classifying types of defects that are allowable and those that must be rejected, as well as assisting in the segregating of the eggs into more consistent shaded groups for eventual packaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems, B.V.
    Inventors: Leslie Philip Thomas, Nathaniel Barret Brown
  • Patent number: 8328875
    Abstract: A hip implant assembly including body exhibiting a substantially spherical shaped ball and an elongated stem. An annular defining rim separates the ball from the stem and abuts, in a maximum inserting condition, an exterior surface of a reconditioned femur upon inserting the stem within an interior passageway associated with the femur. A three dimensional and interior volume defining support secures around the ball in a universally articulating permitting fashion, the support being fixed to a reconditioned acetabulum socket associated with an ilium bone by interconnecting posts and anchors established between the fixed support and the reconditioned surface of the acetabulum. A corresponding installation kit assists the preparation of the femur and ilium bones defining the hip joint, as well as the installation of the implant body into the upper conditioned femur end and the outer socket support to a reconditioned acetabulum defined in the ilium bone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Linares Medical Devices, LLC
    Inventor: Miguel A. Linares
  • Patent number: 8327790
    Abstract: A trim tab assembly for a watercraft includes a enclosure. A support structure is positioned in the enclosure. At least one trim tab is disposed in the enclosure. The trim tab includes a generally planar top, bottom, side and front surfaces linked by a curved surface defining a wedge shaped body. An actuator is linked to the trim tab pivotally moving the trim tab relative to the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Marine I, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Snow
  • Patent number: 8332138
    Abstract: A road information acquisition device includes: a surface elevation acquisition unit that obtains a surface elevation; a road information acquisition unit that calculates first road information relating to a travel route to be traveled by a host vehicle on the basis of the surface elevation; and a structure determination unit that determines whether or not a structure exists on the travel route, wherein, when the structure determination unit determines that the structure exists on the travel route, the road information acquisition unit obtains second road information, which is different from the first road information, relating to a point at which the structure exists on the travel route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Suganuma, Mamoru Kuraishi, Kazunao Yamada, Takashi Naitou, Toshiaki Niwa, Masatoshi Takahara, Fumiharu Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8332093
    Abstract: A virtual vehicle interface system for use in a motor vehicle. The system can include a screen having a screen region and an image module that is operable to display an image of a portion of the motor vehicle on the screen region. The image can display a feature of the motor vehicle and an information tag can also be displayed and be proximate to the feature. The screen and the image module are operable to rotate the image of the motor vehicle and display different views of the motor vehicle using a remote control device or by pressing an object such as an individual's finger onto and moving it across the screen. In addition, a change of a setting and/or state of the motor vehicle can be altered by activating the information tag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Else Yamasaki, Jeffrey Edward Pierfelice
  • Patent number: 8329934
    Abstract: A radioisotope labeled reagent includes a compound having the general formula (I), L-(aCbH2)naC5bH3??(I) where a in each occurrence independently is a carbon mass number between 11 and 14 inclusive, b in each occurrence independently is a hydrogen mass number between 1 and 3 inclusive, such that a in each occurrence is not 12 simultaneously with b in each occurrence being 1; L is a leaving group R1SO2—O—, R1—S—, 12C1H3(12C1H2)n—S—R1C(O)O—, NC—, (R1)3P—, XMg— and Li—, where n is an integer between 0 and 3 inclusive, where X is chloro, bromo or iodine, where R1 is H, aryl, a substituent containing aryl, C1-C20 alkyl, a substituent containing C1-C20 alkyl, C2-C20 alkenyl, a substituent containing C2-C20 alkenyl, C2-C20 alkynyl, and a substitute containing C2-C20 alkynyl with the proviso that when n is 0, a is 13 and b is 2 and R1 in R1—S is not aryl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: PerkinElmer Health Sciences, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerry Scot Pounds
  • Patent number: 8328250
    Abstract: A door handle for a door of an automotive vehicle having a first gasket attached at a distal end of the door handle and a second gasket attached at a proximate end of the door handle. The first gasket and second gasket have an inner surface facing the outer surface of the door and an outer surface facing the respective ends of the door handle. The first gasket and the second gasket also include a lip formed of a resilient material, which protrudes outwardly relative to the outer surface of gaskets and extends longitudinally along the edge of the gaskets to sealingly engage the ends of the door handle. The lip is embossed so that it is recessed relative to the inner surface of the gasket to accommodate compression of the lip as the handle is displaced towards the door. A flattened portion extends from an end of the lip on the first gasket to dampen noise due to impact between the distal end of the door handle and an outer surface of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd., Aisin World Corp. of America
    Inventors: Eric M. Botten, Emiko Okuma, Sadayuki Makino, Norio Konomoto, Todd M. Remtema, Brett A. Campbell
  • Patent number: D673803
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventor: Todd C. Paron