Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm MacMillan, Sobanski & Todd, LLC
  • Real time sampling, monitoring and exposure control of test animals
    Patent number: 8116985
    Abstract: An automated blood or bodily fluid sampling machine for collecting, measuring and monitoring real time samples from test animals during dosing of the animals, automatically provides real-time adjustment of dosing during testing. Such automated blood or bodily fluid sampling is performed in tandem with implanted physiological monitoring devices to monitor biological and physiological parameters in restrained or freely-moving test animals. The real-time feedback provides for dosing adjustment within testing protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Jerry D. Johnson, Steven W. Graves, Seongwon Hong, Herbert S. Bresler, Michael J. Brooker, R. Mark Gritz
  • Microprocessor memory management
    Patent number: 8117490
    Abstract: A memory for an electronic brake control system is divided into portions that are classified as critical and non-critical. Each portion is periodically tested for faults. Upon detection of a fault, the memory is reconfigured with any operations of the brake system associated with a critical memory portion permanently disabled and any operations of the brake system associated with a non-critical memory portion temporarily disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Kelsey-Hayes Company
    Inventor: Mark Haller
  • Control of a locking differential
    Patent number: 8109853
    Abstract: A method for controlling a locking differential for a vehicle includes using a coil to unlock the differential, if the vehicle stops for a period whose length is equal to or greater than a reference length, and using the coil to lock the differential, if the vehicle is moving or stopped for less than the reference length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jacob M. Povirk, Joseph J. Torres, Brian J. Andonian, Jihong Guo, Patrick Meloche, Kenneth G. Walega
  • Method and system for controlling states of travel of a land craft
    Patent number: 8112210
    Abstract: Method and system for controlling driving conditions of a land vehicle, with which, if understeering and oversteering driving conditions exist at the same time, measures for generating braking forces and/or driving forces which counteract the understeering driving condition, and measures for controlling braking forces and/or driving forces which counteract the oversteering driving condition are carried out at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Josef Knechtges
  • Resins, low temperature formulations, and coatings derived therefrom
    Patent number: 8106148
    Abstract: A series of resins were synthesized using a range of bio-based materials to control the molecular architecture, and therefore the properties, of the inventive resins. The utility of these resins was demonstrated in the formulation of powder coatings, such as ?-hydroxy amide crosslinked and hybrid types. Generally, the bio-based resins flowed out on heating faster than conventional petrochemically-based resins, allowing the use of lower temperatures in the curing oven than is typically possible and a more active catalyst system, especially in the carboxylic acid-epoxy crosslinked hybrid coatings formulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Bhima R. Vijayendran, Jerry L. King, II, Katherine P. Mitchell, Michael C. Clingerman, Jeffrey T. Cafmeyer
  • Electro-mechanical pump for an automatic transmission
    Patent number: 8104555
    Abstract: A drive system for a motor vehicle transmission includes a hydraulic pump including a shaft, an engine, a starter/alternator connected to the shaft, and a drive mechanism for transmitting torque from the engine to the shaft, and for amplifying torque produced by the starter/alternator and transmitting the amplified torque to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Lev Pekarsky, Mark R. Dobson
  • Seat
    Patent number: 8104789
    Abstract: A seat assembly having a seat structure, a cover, a back panel, and a package plate. The back panel has a lateral wall that covers a receiving space in which a side airbag module is arranged. The package plate is arranged between the lateral wall and the side airbag module. The package plate has a back end that engages the seat structure and a front end disposed opposite the back end that is located within the receiving space. An airbag of the side airbag module is configured to deploy between the front end and the cover and between the cover and a free end of the lateral wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Tracht, Rainer Penzel, Thomas Klisch, Sebastian Geithner, Wolfgang Hermann
  • Brushless motor drive
    Patent number: 8106613
    Abstract: A drive circuit for a motor having a plurality of phases, comprising an input for a DC signal and a plurality of phase outputs, the circuit being arranged to provide at each of the phase outputs, in use, current to one phase of the motor, in which there is provided a converter for each phase output, each converter being arranged to take as an input a DC signal and output an signal having an AC component with a higher voltage magnitude than that of the DC signal input to the converter. Typically, the converters comprise ?uk converters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: TRW Limited
    Inventors: Andrew McLean, John Anthony Bolton
  • Wiring standard selector switch
    Patent number: 8106318
    Abstract: A wiring standard selector switch is used in a wired computer network and has the ability to easily switch between various network wiring standards, such as, for example, Rolled, ATM loopback, T1, Cross-over, and Straight-through. Rotating the switching collar causes the printed circuit board containing a wiring standard printed circuit to change the input/output relationship of the individual wires in the input and output network cables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Inventor: Geoffrey Bilder
  • Electromotive brake actuator
    Patent number: 8105200
    Abstract: An actuator for the electromotive actuation of a parking or stop brake, especially of a private car comprises, downstream on the electric motor, a planetary wheel transmission which is axially cascaded in a multi-stage manner and comprises a centering pin which is radially mounted on the two front ends thereof and extends coaxially to the output shaft, on the radial overdefined bearing arrangement thereof. Respectively one planet carrier comprising a pinion is embodied, along the centering pin, as a sun wheel for the planet wheels on the planet carrier of the following transmission step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignees: Oechsler Artiengesellschaft, Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Dettenberger, Wilhelm Wolf
  • Environmental control system
    Patent number: 8099973
    Abstract: An environmental control system for conditioning air in a vehicle compartment, such as an aircraft cabin. Cool expanded higher-pressure air from a turbine is mixed with recirculated warmer, lower pressure air from the compartment. The air is mixed and recirculated by a jet pump which includes an inlet section, an outlet section, a diffuser section and a mixing section. The mixing section includes a plurality of separate mixing chambers. The diffuser section includes diffusers for receiving mixed gases from each of the mixing chambers. The outlet section receives the mixed gases which are then conveyed to the compartment. The inlet section includes for each of the mixing chambers, a primary nozzle for introducing the higher-pressure air into a respective mixing chamber, and a secondary nozzle for introducing the lower pressure air to a respective mixing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell Normalair-Garrett (Holdings) Limited
    Inventors: Bernard Francis Sampson, Robert John Harvey
  • Vehicle with hand control system
    Patent number: 8100217
    Abstract: The subject of the present invention is a vehicle that includes a hand control system that allows for vehicle acceleration and braking by using hand controls. The hand controls are electronically connected to vehicle controllers, which electronically control the propulsion system and brake system. The hand controls do not mechanically manipulate the accelerator and brake pedals and so can be easily removed from the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Dale S. Crombez
  • Light grid having photoreceivers and programmable logic unit
    Patent number: 8101902
    Abstract: A light grid includes pairs of transmitters and receiver units, and a programmable logic unit for signal evaluation. The analog part of the light grid includes only the reception elements and the storage capacitors for performing analog-to-digital conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: ifm electronic GmbH
    Inventor: Robert Baumann
  • Seat having tiltable seat cushion
    Patent number: 8096617
    Abstract: A seat is disclosed herein. The seat includes a seat cushion frame assembly. The seat also includes a seat cushion mounted on the seat cushion frame assembly for pivoting movement about a cushion pivoting axis. The seat also includes a cushion lock operably disposed to selectively lock the seat cushion frame assembly and the seat cushion relative to one another and thereby prevent the pivoting movement. The cushion lock defines a plurality of locked positions such that the seat cushion is positionable in a plurality of different orientations relative to the seat cushion frame assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Robert McCulloch, Mark A. Farquhar
  • Wiring standard selector switch and universal network cable
    Patent number: 8097823
    Abstract: A wiring standard selector switch for use in a universal network cable system includes a baseboard made of an insulating material and a cover shaped and dimensioned to be connected to the baseboard. A switch actuator is mounted beneath the cover and has a portion which extends through a slot formed in the cover and is movable slidably along the slot of the cover. A plurality of circuit conductors carried by the switch actuator are disposed on the switch actuator so as to achieve paired electrical contact between a first and a second set of contact members on the baseboard. By moving the switch actuator slidably along the slot of the cover, at predetermined space intervals, the first and second sets of contact members engage the plurality of circuit conductors so as to establish a different complete circuit. Each of the different complete circuits corresponds to a different network wiring standard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Inventor: Geoffrey Bilder
  • Vacuum brake booster housing and non-rotatable connecting element
    Patent number: 8096587
    Abstract: A vacuum brake booster includes a housing and a bent connecting element for connecting the vacuum brake booster to a vacuum source, wherein the connecting element includes a first connecting piece which extends through an opening in the brake booster housing into a vacuum chamber of the vacuum brake booster, a second connecting piece for connecting the connecting element to the vacuum source, and a multi-part housing with a first housing part which carries the first connecting piece and a second housing part which carries the second connecting piece arranged at a first angle to the first connecting piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Peio Ibarra Romero, Inaki Cia Vicuna, Ernesto Bravo Villamayor
  • Locking cable actuator
    Patent number: 8096570
    Abstract: A cable actuator comprises a housing, a handle, and a locking pin. The handle is pivotally connected to the housing and is moveable between a released position and a locked position. The handle has a slot that terminates in a locking detent. The locking pin has a first end configured to pass through the slot and a second end configured to engage the locking detent. The locking pin is biased toward engagement with the locking detent such that when the lever is pivoted to the locked position, the locking detent aligns with the locking pin permitting the second end to engage the locking detent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Sunrise Medical (US) LLC
    Inventors: Richard E Schneider, Harlan H Hart, Samuel D Traxinger
  • Hybrid electric vehicle powertrain control after a requested change in vehicle direction
    Patent number: 8092340
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain includes operating an engine driveably connected to first vehicle wheels, providing an electric motor driveably connected to second vehicle wheels, shifting a gear selector between a forward drive position and a reverse drive position, reducing vehicle speed to or lower than a reference speed, and using a transmission located between the engine and the first wheels and the electric motor to produce reverse or forward drive corresponding to the position to which the gear selector is shifted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jing Song, Deepa Ramaswamy, Anthony D. Tsakiris, Ihab S. Soliman
  • Grinder for salt or pepper
    Patent number: D652694
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Welch Designs Ltd.
    Inventor: Iain Paul de Bretton Gordon
  • Wristband
    Patent number: D653150
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: BCP Imports, LLC
    Inventor: Robert J. Croak