Patents Examined by Anna Momper
  • Patent number: 9145937
    Abstract: The Vented Brake Drum has a pattern of through holes arranged around it circumferentially, the holes intersecting the inside cylindrical braking surface radially of the inner surface as well as intersecting the outside surface of the drum. The holes may be drilled into the finished drum or cast into the drum prior to machining the inner braking surface of the drum, to present a smooth albeit perforated internal circumferential surface (ID) to the arcuate brake lining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: KIC LLC
    Inventor: Omar J. Fakhoury
  • Patent number: 9145940
    Abstract: An electric brake system is proposed which includes an electric linear motion actuator and can generate the required braking force with high accuracy. A load sensor (30) is provided in a motion converting mechanism of the actuator which converts the rotary motion of a rotary shaft (4) to which the rotation of an electric motor (2) is transmitted to linear motion of an outer ring member (5) as an output member. The load sensor (30) detects the pushing force with which the outer ring member (5) linearly drives a driven member. With this arrangement, if the driven member is a braking member of an electric brake system, it is possible to directly detect the braking force applied by the driven member and thus to accurately generate the required braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Muramatsu, Tatsuya Yamasaki, Masaaki Eguchi, Tomomi Goto
  • Patent number: 9140326
    Abstract: A structure for bending transversal elastic waves around a zone to isolate of a plate, has an anisotropic Young's modulus and/or a heterogeneous mass density. The wavelengths of the elastic waves to bend are large with respect to the thickness of the plate and small with respect to the other dimensions of the plate. The structure is made by defining a meshing of a peripheral zone surrounding the zone to isolate; dividing the peripheral zone into several elementary rings and several elementary angular sectors; and forming, in each mesh delimited by an elementary angular sector and an elementary ring, a structural element in a material having a Young's modulus and/or a mass density different than those of the material forming the plate, the dimensions of the meshes and of the structural elements in the plane of the plate being less than half the wavelengths of the elastic waves to bend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignees: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paul Cézanne Aix-Marseille III, University of Liverpool
    Inventors: Stéphane Enoch, Mohamed Farhat, Sébastien Guenneau, Alexander Movchan
  • Patent number: 9139250
    Abstract: A brake assembly includes a base having two first connection parts and each first connection part has a first hole and a second hole. Two second connection parts extend from the underside of the base. Two arms are pivotably connected to the two second connection parts. A driving member has a driving part and a positioning portion. The driving part has two curved driving face formed on two ends thereof. The driving member is connected to the first hole by a rod, and a brake cable is connected to the positioning portion. The action members are respectively located in the two second holes. When the driving member is pivoted by the brake cable, the driving member pushes the action members to pivot the arms to brake the wheel. The driving member allows the force to be sent to the brake pads directly and quickly, and the brake assembly is light and compact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Inventor: John Cobb
  • Patent number: 9139178
    Abstract: A pressure control valve arrangement is described for controlling the fluid pressure in an ABS brake system of a vehicle in such a way that, while there is a tendency of individual wheels of the vehicle to lock, the brake pressure in at least one associated brake cylinder can be adaptively adjusted, wherein at least one diaphragm valve is accommodated in a housing of the pressure control valve arrangement, said diaphragm valve having a diaphragm as the valve body, which diaphragm can be acted upon by introducing a pressure medium into a control chamber that is covered on the outside of the housing by a respective cover produced by primary shaping, such as injection molding, in such a way that the control chamber is formed between the diaphragm and the cover, and wherein blind holes, which extend in the cover substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the cover, are formed in the cover, the blind hole opening of at least one of said blind holes leading into the control chamber, and the blind hole opening of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE SYSTEME FUER NUTZFAHRZEUGE GMBH
    Inventors: Jan Grebe, Dirk Brenner, Jochen Weippert, Wolfgang Rohn, Harald Jaehns
  • Patent number: 9139171
    Abstract: A method of stopping a motor vehicle without jolting is described, which is characterized in that a sum of the hydraulic fluid pressures generated by a foot-force-actuable brake system and acting upon the braking devices of the motor vehicle during the stopping operation is reduced in a driver-independent manner by 30% to 70% in dependence upon a variable that is related to the vehicle velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Josef Knechtges
  • Patent number: 9132761
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle seat that is capable of changing a property of S springs with a simple configuration and therefore improves a seating property by changing the property of the S spring in response to a physique of a passenger. In regard to a vehicle seat 1 in which S springs 6 are stretched in a seat cushion frame that supports a seat cushion on which the passenger sits, a restriction member 13 that is detachably attached to each of the S springs 6 and partially restricts an extensional deformation of the S springs 6 is provided. The restriction member 13 includes a pair of wire hook portions 15 and 16 that is hooked on a horizontal portion 8 and a back-end horizontal portion 12 of the S spring 6, and a long wire portion 14 that connects the pair of wire hook portions 15 and 16.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Eishi Takeuchi, Kohshi Katoh, Shunsuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9132809
    Abstract: A parking brake actuator for a disc brake caliper having at least one service piston. The parking brake actuator includes a tapered collet having an axial bore for receiving the service piston; a release piston, said release piston in axially alignment with the service piston and said tapered collet, said release piston having an internally disposed taper for co-acting with the taper of said tapered collet; and a biasing means, said biasing means structured and arranged to apply a force to said release piston sufficient to place the parking brake actuator in an actuated condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Performance Friction
    Inventors: Donald L. Burgoon, Mark Wagner, Darin Cate
  • Patent number: 9133898
    Abstract: A brake spider for a drum brake is provided. The brake spider includes a mounting portion configured for mounting the spider to a vehicle frame and an anchor pin support portion extending from the mounting portion. The mounting portion defines an aperture centered about a first axis and configured to receive a vehicle axle extending therethrough along the first axis. The anchor pin support portion includes a pin receiving section defining a bore centered about a second axis and configured to receive an anchor pin extending therethrough along the second axis. The pin support portion further includes bracket support sections extending axially from opposite sides of the pin receiving section. The bracket support sections face one another and diverge from one another approaching the mounting portion of the spider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC
    Inventors: Daniel E. Banks, Troy A. Flodin, Brian E. St. John
  • Patent number: 9133899
    Abstract: The invention essentially relates to an energy-absorbing element (1?) comprising: an absorbing portion (2), a first (3) and second anchoring point (4), a first (2?) and second (2?) distal ends of said absorbing portion (2) being respectively secured to the first and second anchoring points (3, 4), characterized in that it also comprises: a pretensioning flange (12) installed between the first (2?) and second (2?) distal ends, the length (L) of said flange (12) exceeding the gap (E) between the two distal ends (2?, 2?) in order to pretension said absorbing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
    Inventors: Vincent Delage, Catherine Sibottier, Julien Dhermand
  • Patent number: 9127743
    Abstract: A mold bonded chassis bushing has an outer housing and an inner member separated by a tubular gap. A body of elastomeric material is mold bonded into a first portion of the bushing such that it bridges and at least partially fills the gap. The elastomeric material does not fill or bridge the annular gap in a central area or a second portion of the bushing, such that a void is defined between the inner surface of the outer housing and the outer surface of the inner housing in the central area and second portion. A protrusion extends from the inner surface of the outer housing or the outer surface of the inner member, in the central area such that the void extends between the protrusion and the respective opposed surface. The protrusion functions as a travel limiter for the bushing without compressing the elastomeric material in the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Zhongli North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott Tarnawsky
  • Patent number: 9126062
    Abstract: A safety device on a rope, comprising a first flange-plate and a movable second flange-plate, a roller mounted on a first spindle integral to the first flange-plate, which presents clearance in the heightwise direction. The movable second flange-plate is equipped: with a securing notch operating in conjunction with the first spindle to block the device in the closed position when the roller is under load, and with a latch actuated by control means to perform unlatching of the latter enabling opening of the second flange-plate when the device is no longer under load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: ZEDEL
    Inventors: Pierre Olivier Chabod, Christophe Quillard, Alain Maurice
  • Patent number: 9120472
    Abstract: A braking device comprises: a master cylinder; an electrical pressure adjusting unit; a reaction force generating unit, which forms a reaction force chamber and which generate a reaction hydraulic pressure in the reaction force chamber; a reservoir for brake fluid; an inter-chamber brake fluid path; a reservoir path that connects the reservoir and the inter-chamber brake fluid path; and a normally-closed control valve, wherein the electrical pressure adjusting unit includes an electrical pump which is directly connected with the driving hydraulic pressure chamber to supply the brake fluid to the driving hydraulic pressure chamber, and wherein at least one of electromagnetic valves provided in the electrical pressure adjusting unit and the reaction force generating unit is a normally-opened electromagnetic valve, which is provided in the inter-chamber brake fluid path and is configured to communicate the inter-chamber brake fluid path in a non-conduction state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Satoshi Ishida
  • Patent number: 9121524
    Abstract: Provided is a shock absorber that includes a disk support section protruding between an intermediate seat and an inner seat, having a tip height position in a protruding direction higher than that of the inner seat and lower than that of the intermediate seat, and continuously or discontinuously disposed in an annular shape. In a state in which a first disk is pressed against the inner seat and placed on an outer seat, the intermediate seat and the disk support section, in the first disk, a first bending section bent in a convex shape toward a valve main body side is formed between the inner seat and the disk support section, and a second bending section bent in a convex shape toward a side spaced apart from the valve main body is formed between the disk support section and the outer seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiro Ashiba
  • Patent number: 9121464
    Abstract: Inventive embodiments are directed to components, subassemblies, systems, and/or methods for continuously variable transmissions (CVT). In one embodiment, a main axle is adapted to receive a shift rod that cooperates with a shift rod nut to actuate a ratio change in a CVT. In another embodiment, an axial force generating mechanism can include a torsion spring, a traction ring adapted to receive the torsion spring, and a roller cage retainer configured to cooperate with the traction ring to house the torsion spring. Various inventive idler-and-shift-cam assemblies can be used to facilitate shifting the ratio of a CVT. Embodiments of a hub shell and a hub cover are adapted to house components of a CVT and, in some embodiments, to cooperate with other components of the CVT to support operation and/or functionality of the CVT. Among other things, shift control interfaces and braking features for a CVT are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Fallbrook Intellectual Property Company LLC
    Inventors: Jon M Nichols, Brad P Pohl, Daniel J Dawe, Oronde J Armstrong, Charles B Lohr, Loren T McDaniel, Matthew P Simister, Fernand A Thomassy, Ghayyurul I Usmani, Paul M Elhardt, Terry L Stewart, Peter D Poxton, Elton L Eidson
  • Patent number: 9114789
    Abstract: A foot brake valve apparatus is provided for a heavy vehicle braking system. The foot brake valve apparatus comprises a valve body having a first side face and a second side face opposite the first side face. The apparatus further comprises a primary supply pressure port associated with a primary braking circuit and adjoining the first side face, and a primary delivery pressure port associated with the primary braking circuit and adjoining the first side face. The apparatus also comprises a secondary supply pressure port associated with a secondary braking circuit and adjoining the first side face, and a secondary delivery pressure port associated with the secondary braking circuit and adjoining the first side face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
    Inventors: Daniel J. Cellura, Christopher L. Brubaker
  • Patent number: 9109653
    Abstract: Damper including a housing enclosing a working chamber and a compensating chamber, a damping fluid located at least partially in the working chamber, a guide and sealing unit, which terminates the housing at a first housing end, a piston rod sealed by the guide and sealing unit, and guided out of the housing, and a piston fastened to the piston rod and guided in the housing along the center longitudinal axis of the damper. The piston divides the working chamber into first and second part working chambers. Arranged at the end of the first and second working chambers, respectively, is a first and second closing element, with respective compensating channels, which form a through-flow connection between the respective working chamber and the compensating chamber. The piston device has at least one through-flow channel connecting the two part working chambers and having an adjustable effective flow cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: SUSPA GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Krog, Roland Löscher, Andreas Strobel, Andreas Böhrer
  • Patent number: 9109654
    Abstract: A compact and failsafe magnetorheological energy absorber design including both a light weight piston (LWP) embodiment in which linear motion is subjected to a linear damping force, and a light weight rotary vane (LWRV) embodiment in which linear motion is converted into rotary motion and is subjected to a rotary damping force. Both embodiments allow increased damper stroke within a compact mechanical profile. A new lightweight Magnetorheological energy attenuation system (LMEAS) for a vehicle seat is also disclosed using the new LMRW MREA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignees: Inno Vital Systems, Inc., University of Maryland, College Park
    Inventors: Gregory J. Hiemenz, Norman M. Wereley
  • Patent number: 9108485
    Abstract: Altering the damping rate of a vehicle suspension damper. A pressure of a damping fluid is exerted against a second valve mechanism connected to the vehicle suspension damper. The pressure of the damping fluid is increased beyond a threshold of the second valve mechanism that is adjustable by an adjustment member. The adjustment member is exposed through a high pressure side of the vehicle suspension damper. The second valve mechanism is then opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Laird, Robert C. Fox
  • Patent number: 9109387
    Abstract: A cover opening-and-closing support mechanism is provided that reliably locks a gas spring, and in which a rod section of a gas spring is not damaged by a stopper portion. The cover opening-and-closing support mechanism includes: a gas spring equipped with pivot points at both end portions and including a cylinder section and a rod section; a stopper portion rotatably provided at the pivot point at a first of the end portions, the stopper portion making contact with the cylinder section when the gas spring has been extended so as to lock the gas spring; a gas spring stopper including a limiter portion that makes contact with the cylinder section before the stopper portion makes contact with the rod section; and a release handle portion for releasing the locking, provided at the gas spring stopper on substantially an opposite side to the stopper portion, such that the gas spring stopper swings towards substantially the opposite side to the stopper portion due to a weight of the release handle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshimichi Oosawa