Patents Represented by Attorney Rankin, Hill and Clark LLP
  • Patent number: 8316510
    Abstract: A walk-behind work machine having a foldable operating handle is disclosed. The operating handle is swingable and foldable about a first linking pin relative to a handle-attachment part of a work-machine body from a usage position to a storage position and can be locked in a usage position by a second linking pin. The second linking pin is present on one of the operating handle and the handle-attachment part, and the distal end part of the second linking pin is formed in a tapered shape. The other of the operating handle and the handle-attachment part has a second pin-fitting hole allowing insertion and retraction of the distal end part. When the distal end part is fit into the second pin-fitting hole, no gap is present in the second pin-fitting hole due to the tapered surface of the distal end part, and the operating handle is locked in the usage position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Genki Anraku, Keisuke Hosokuni, Toshiro Uchida, Nobuyuki Hirose, Shoji Hasei
  • Patent number: 8321051
    Abstract: A workpiece pickup apparatus is provided. The workpiece pickup apparatus includes: a gripping unit which sucks a workpiece so as to lift up the workpiece; a lowering unit which lowers the gripping unit from a waiting position towards the workpiece; a detecting unit which detects a physical amount which corresponds to a force with which the gripping unit presses the workpiece; a comparison unit which compares the detected physical amount with a reference physical amount; and a controller which controls a movement of the gripping unit based on a comparison result of the detected physical amount and the reference physical amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Ago, Yoshiaki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8316553
    Abstract: A coordinate measuring machine has a coordinate measuring machine body and a controller. The coordinate measuring machine body has a probe having a measurement piece and a drive mechanism for driving the probe. The probe has a drive unit for driving the measurement piece. The controller includes a first measuring unit and a second measuring unit. The first measuring unit measures a displacement of the measurement piece driven by the drive unit. The second measuring unit measures a displacement of the probe. The measurement accuracy of the second measuring unit is lower than the measurement accuracy of the first measuring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventors: Sadayuki Matsumiya, Hidemitsu Asano
  • Patent number: 8316736
    Abstract: A cover assembly for covering a steering column of a telescoping steering assembly is provided. The cover assembly includes a roller portion, a blind portion, and a clip portion. The roller portion is attached within a meter panel, and includes a rod mounted between a pair of tensioners. The blind portion includes a film that is attached at a proximal end to the rod, such that the film is wound and unwound around the rod. The rod is biased by the tensioners to pull the film in a wound direction. At a distal end, the film is attached to the clip portion. The clip portion engages a hook in the film and attaches the film to a steering base. As the steering column moves in a linear, telescoping manner, the film covers the steering column while remaining taut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nathaniel Buchheit
  • Patent number: 8317059
    Abstract: An adjustable fuel tank for a vehicle includes a container body having a first container section and second container section. A container volume is defined by the container body. The first and second container sections are moveable relative to one another for adjusting at least one of an exterior shape of the container body and the container volume of the container body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mark Kisiler, David A. Thompson
  • Patent number: 8317183
    Abstract: Receiver units (10, 90) for taking over objects (100, 101, 102) are moved past a take-over location (S1, S2) and include an abutment (95) which limits the position of the object (100, 101, 102) which is fed in the feed direction (F). At least one holding element and/or braking element (45) acts in a direct or indirect manner on the objects to be taken over, for realising a defined product position, in particular so that the object (100, 101, 102) does not bend up or rebound from the abutment (95). In one variant, the holding element and/or braking element (45) brakes the object (100, 101, 102) by way of direct friction. In another variant, the object (100, 101, 102) to be taken over transmits its momentum onto an object (100, 101, 102) which is already held in the receiver unit (10, 90) by way of the holding element and/or braking element, and is braked by way of this.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: FERAG AG
    Inventor: Othmar Brunschwiler
  • Patent number: 8313137
    Abstract: A system and method for temporarily attaching an accessory component such as a fog light cover, to a vehicle body panel prior to a painting operation are described. The system and method eliminate the need for jigs or other support structures typically used to support the accessory during painting of the accessory and body panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nicholas Goldsberry
  • Patent number: 8312918
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting low levels of humidity (i.e. less than 10%) inside an automotive vehicle is provided whereby the total absolute humidity inside the vehicle is determined by multiplying the number of occupants in the vehicle by an absolute humidity factor to obtain a total absolute humidity expelled by the vehicle occupants. The absolute humidity outside the vehicle is added to the total absolute humidity expelled by the vehicle occupants to arrive at a total vehicle cabin absolute humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Trevor Burns, Junichi Kanemaru
  • Patent number: 8314895
    Abstract: An image display system attached to a ceiling of a vehicle includes a main body, attached to the ceiling, having a first housing recess and a second housing recess which is positioned further backward than the first housing recess in a length of the vehicle; a rotatable monitor portion having a display screen, wherein a contained state in which the display screen is contained in the first housing recess and an unfolded state in which the display screen protrudes from the first housing recess are switchable by rotating the display screen, and the display screen is oriented toward a back seat of the vehicle in the unfolded state; and a controller having an operation-face for controlling operation of the image display system, wherein the controller is detachably contained in the second housing recess in a manner such that the operation face is positioned facing downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Sakaguchi, Teruyuki Sekine
  • Patent number: 8312753
    Abstract: A method of forming a hollow curled portion on a hollow body, the curled portion being oriented from one end to the other end of the hollow body. The method includes a bending step of curving an end of the hollow body toward another end of the hollow body, thereby forming a curled portion, an ironing step of ironing the curled portion with a die, and a recurving step of stopping the die from ironing the curled portion and allowing the curled portion to recurve under its own resiliency in a direction opposite to the direction in which the end of the hollow body has been curved. The ironing step and the recurving step are repeated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsunenari Futagi, Nobuyuki Kakiya, Tadahisa Akiyama, Ikuo Kato, Akitoshi Uchiumi
  • Patent number: 8314347
    Abstract: A wiring board with lead pins includes: connection pads formed on a wiring board, and lead pins bonded through a conductive material to the connection pads, wherein each of the lead pins has a head portion that is formed in one end of a shaft portion to be larger in diameter than the shaft portion, the head portions are bonded to the connection pads by the conductive material, a face of the wiring board on which the connection pads are formed is resin-sealed by a first resin to be thicker than the head portions, except portions to which the head portions are bonded, and sides of faces of the head portions to which the shaft portions are connected are sealed to be in close contact with the first resin by a second resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Shinko Electric Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenta Uchiyama, Akihiko Tateiwa, Yuji Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 8315740
    Abstract: The present invention provides a motion control system to control a motion of a second motion body, by considering an environment which a human contacts and a motion mode appropriate to the environment, and an environment which a robot actually contacts. The motion mode is learned based on an idea that it is sufficient to learn only a feature part of the motion mode of the human without a necessity to learn the others. Moreover, based on an idea that it is sufficient to reproduce only the feature part of the motion mode of the human without a necessity to reproduce the others, the motion mode of the robot is controlled by using the model obtained from the learning result. Thereby, the motion mode of the robot is controlled by using the motion mode of the human as a prototype without restricting the motion mode thereof more than necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International
    Inventors: Tadaaki Hasegawa, Yugo Ueda, Soshi Iba, Darrin Bentivegna
  • Patent number: 8313147
    Abstract: A vehicle seat has a base and a seatback pivotably connected to the base. A latch mechanism holds the seatback in an upright position. A seat latch assembly includes a release mechanism operatively connected to the latch mechanism and including a latch handle. The latch handle is rotatable between a first extended position where the latch handle extends outwardly from an outboard lateral side of the seatback, and a second retracted position where the handle is generally flush with the outboard lateral side of the seatback. Movement of the latch handle from one of the first position and the second position to the other one of the first position and second position occurs upon movement of the seatback to one of the upright position and a stowed position to provide more clearance for interior trim of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeffrey H. Scheurer
  • Patent number: 8312611
    Abstract: A first holding frame of a component holding unit is allowed to hold a plurality of components composing a first assembly and a second holding frame of the component holding unit is allowed to hold a plurality of components composing a second assembly which is to be mounted on the first assembly. The first assembly held onto the first holding frame and the second assembly held onto the second holding frame are assembled by an assembly work unit. The second holding frame is allowed to reciprocate towards the first holding frame to pass the second assembly from the second holding, frame to the first holding frame. Thereafter, the first assembly and the second assembly which are held onto the first holding frame are assembled and coupled together by the assembly work unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Tobita, Shinji Yoshino, Kenjiro Tsutsumi, Masashi Sato
  • Patent number: 8314940
    Abstract: A probe microscope includes a cantilever having a probe for contact with an object, first and second displacement detection optical systems, and an object lens. The first displacement detection optical system includes a first light source and a first displacement detecting section that detects displacement of the cantilever. The second displacement detection optical system includes a second light source and a second displacement detecting section that detects displacement of the object. The object lens is provided between the cantilever and the first light source and between the cantilever and the second light source. The object lens has a focal position for the light that is emitted from the first light source and has a first wavelength at the position of the cantilever and has a focal position for the light that is emitted from the second light source and has a second wavelength at the position of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Suzuki, Kazuhiko Kawasaki, Satoshi Koga
  • Patent number: 8315758
    Abstract: A road surface frictional coefficient estimating apparatus has a device for determining a first estimated value of a yaw moment Mnsp_estm generated at an NSP of a vehicle due to the resultant force of road surface reaction forces acting on each wheel by using, for example, a frictional coefficient estimated value that has been determined, and a device for determining a second estimated value of a yaw moment Mnsp_sens generated at the NSP from the observed value of motional state amounts defining an inertial force moment at the NSP. The increasing/decreasing manipulated variable of the frictional coefficient estimated value is sequentially determined on an error (Mnsp_sens?Mnsp_estm) such that the error is converged to zero, and the road surface frictional coefficient is updated on the basis of the increasing/decreasing manipulated variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Hiroyuki Urabe, Osamu Yano, Yoshihiro Mori, Tomoya Ushimura
  • Patent number: 8311677
    Abstract: A control device for a legged mobile robot has a unit which generates the time series of a future predicted value of a model external force manipulated variable as a feedback manipulated variable for reducing the deviation of the posture of the robot. A desired motion determining unit sequentially determines the instantaneous value of a desired motion such that the motion of the robot will reach or converge to a reaching target in the future in the case where it is assumed that the time series of an additional external force defined by the time series of a future predicted value of the model external force manipulated variable is additionally applied to the robot on a dynamic model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahide Yoshiike, Hiroyuki Kaneko, Atsuo Orita
  • Patent number: 8307674
    Abstract: Hot-melt sealing glass compositions that include one or more glass frits dispersed in a polymeric binder system. The polymeric binder system is a solid at room temperature, but melts at a temperature of from about 35° C. to about 90° C., thereby forming a flowable liquid dispersion that can be applied to a substrate (e.g., a cap wafer and/or a device wafer of a MEMS device) by screen printing. Hot-melt sealing glass compositions according to the invention rapidly re-solidify and adhere to the substrate after being deposited by screen printing. Thus, they do not tend to spread out as much as conventional solvent-based glass frit bonding pastes after screen printing. And, because hot-melt sealing glass compositions according to the invention are not solvent-based systems, they do not need to be force dried after deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Ferro Corporation
    Inventors: Robert D. Gardner, Keith M. Mason, Srinivasan Sridharan, Aziz S. Shaikh
  • Patent number: 8308235
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly includes a seat back and a seat base extending forward from a lower end of the seat back. The seat base is formed of a first foam member extending laterally across the seat base to absorb loads and a second foam member formed over the first member to form a seating surface of the seat base. At least one wire frame section is secured to the first foam member and extends rearwardly therefrom toward a rear of the seat base for mounting the seat base to an associated vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co.
    Inventors: Terrie Ellison, Trenton Hobbs, Derek Shane Lindsay, William J. Gross
  • Patent number: D671294
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ferag AG
    Inventor: Konrad Auf der Maur