Patents Examined by Bradley T King
  • Smart braking devices, systems, and methods with resin features
    Patent number: 10955017
    Abstract: Various braking devices, systems, and methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, the braking device includes a support element, a block of friction material supported by the support element, at least one piezoceramic sensor supported by the support element and interposed between the block of friction material (and the support element, and a protective element located at the piezoceramic sensor and embedding the latter. The protective element can have one or more layers of resin-based material applied to protect the piezoceramic sensor and direct a predetermined part of the external compression force onto an area of the support element surrounding the piezoceramic sensor. In some embodiments, a signal transduction device is provided and includes at least one piezoceramic sensor supported on a support element and has an integral protective coating having properties of mechanical and temperature resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: ITT ITALIA S.R.L.
    Inventors: Stefano Serra, Luca Martinotto, Augusti Sin Xicola, Fabrizio Merlo, Paolo Galimberti
  • Method for operating a brake system
    Patent number: 10953858
    Abstract: A method for operating a brake system, wherein two switching valves arranged on the suction side of pumps are opened and closed in an alternating manner in order to reduce current consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Inventors: Michael Hitzel, Ulfilas Hoffmann, Tobias Scheller, Daniel Kosshof, Ansgar Hoffmann
  • Bush device for eye section of leaf spring
    Patent number: 10946708
    Abstract: A bush device for an eye section of a leaf spring applied to a suspension of a vehicle is disclosed. The bush device includes a first hollow bush that is configured to be inserted into the eye section, and a plurality of second bushes that are disposed adjacent to both side surfaces of the eye section, respectively. Each of the second bushes have an aperture that is formed at a central portion thereof, and a leaf spring fixing bracket into which the second bushes are inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Sung-Han Cho, Yong-Soo Lee
  • Segmented rivetless wear liner with structural carbon or ceramic core
    Patent number: 10948037
    Abstract: A friction disk includes a friction disk core having an inner diameter edge, an outer diameter edge, and a first surface with multiple mortises extending radially across the first surface. The friction disk further includes a first wear liner having two wear liner segments each including a wear surface and a non-wear surface having a tenon with a complimentary shape to each of the multiple mortises, the tenon of each wear liner segment being configured to be received by a corresponding mortise of the multiple mortises to couple the wear liner segments to the friction disk core to form an annular liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew R. O'Neil, Ramesh Kurup
  • Damping device for structure
    Patent number: 10948043
    Abstract: A damping device for structure includes a base frame installed on a target place, an air floating mass disposed on the base frame to blow off air, a TMD mass disposed above the base frame to float with an air pressure, one pair of guiderail units disposed on X-direction both sides of the base frame along the X direction respectively, slider units disposed to be slidable in the X direction relative to the guiderail units, coupled to each X-direction side face of the TMD mass and each including a slider moving up/down mechanism part which moves down a slider when the TMD mass floats, an oil damper attached to the base frame to exert an attenuation action on the TMD mass and a coil spring attached to the base frame to exert a restoration action on the TMD mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignees: SANSEI AIR DANSHIN SYSTEM, LTD., OHMOTO GUMI CO., LTD., KONKUK UNIVERSITY INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION CORP, GRADIENT WIND ENGINEERING INC.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kurabayashi, Shoichi Sakamoto
  • Fluid circuit device
    Patent number: 10948044
    Abstract: Described herein is a fluid circuit device. The device incorporates at least one pressure balancing valve located between at least two fluid volumes that can be in a pressure differential arrangement wherein the at least one pressure balancing valve acts to address a pressure differential by opening a fluid volume or volumes to a third pressure equalising volume. In use, the fluid circuit device may in one embodiment be used in an energy absorption apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Holmes Solutions Limited Partnership
    Inventors: John McCallister, Mark Thomson, Murray Aitken, Stuart Clark
  • Electromechanical brake booster
    Patent number: 10946845
    Abstract: The disclosed electromechanical brake booster for a vehicle brake system comprises a driving arrangement for driving at least one actuation device designed to actuate a brake cylinder. The driving arrangement includes at least one electric motor and a gear mechanism for coupling the electric motor to the at least one actuation device. The gear mechanism comprises at least one first spur gear and at least one second spur gear, the electric motor driving the first spur gear directly and the second gear via at least one intermediate gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventors: Kurt Wingender, Martin Hofmann, Boris Koeth, Jose Manuel Calvo Martinez, Jens Sparfeld
  • Brake half-caliper and method of making brake half-caliper
    Patent number: 10948035
    Abstract: A disc brake half-caliper includes at least one cylindrical recess formed in a central portion of the half-caliper, the at least one cylindrical recess configured to support a piston for movement in an axial direction, and a pair of bridge portions formed on opposite sides of the central portion. At least one of the bridge portions extends further in the axial direction toward a first side of the disc brake half caliper than the central portion, defines at least one through hole extending therethrough in the axial direction, and terminates on the first side at a flat surface perpendicular to the axial direction, and has at least one cavity formed in the flat surface with a bottom at which the at least one through hole opens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masakazu Takeuchi
  • Brake cylinder maintaining valve
    Patent number: 10946850
    Abstract: A brake cylinder maintaining system includes a main valve comprising a first diaphragm, a second diaphragm, and a valve member, with the first diaphragm having a reference pressure on one side of the first diaphragm and a brake cylinder pressure on an opposite side of the first diaphragm. The second diaphragm having a brake cylinder pressure on one side of the second diaphragm with the first diaphragm configured to move between a first position and a second position based on a differential between the reference pressure and the brake cylinder pressure. The valve member is configured to place a brake cylinder in fluid communication with a brake pipe when the first and second diaphragm are each in the second position and configured to isolate a brake cylinder from a brake pipe when the first diaphragm or the second diaphragm are in the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Edward W. Gaughan, William John Potter
  • Vehicle brake system having plunger power source
    Patent number: 10940843
    Abstract: A brake system includes first and second wheel brakes, a reservoir, and a brake pedal unit having a housing and a pair of output pistons slidably disposed in the housing. The output pistons generate brake actuating pressure during a manual push-through mode for actuating the first and second wheel brakes. The system further includes a plunger assembly having a housing having first and second ports, a motor driving an actuator, and a piston connected to the actuator. The piston pressurizes a first chamber when the piston is moving in a first direction to provide fluid flow out of the first port. The piston pressurizes a second chamber when the piston is moving in a second direction opposite the first direction to provide fluid flow out of the second port. The first and second ports are selectively in fluid communication with the wheel brakes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety US Inc.
    Inventor: Blaise J. Ganzel
  • Gas spring with travel control
    Patent number: 10941828
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a gas spring having a travel control includes positive and negative chambers and a valve mechanism that controls the fluid communication between the chambers. The valve mechanism includes a valve bore that while only moving a small amount, allows for large changes in gas spring travel length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Franklin, Robert C. Fox
  • Brake assembly and servo having the same
    Patent number: 10935090
    Abstract: A brake assembly for a servo including a motor includes: a brake disk fixed to and rotatable together with the output shaft of the motor of the servo, the brake disk having a lateral wall defining at least one opening; and a linear motion actuator including a plunger and an elastic member. The plunger sides from a first position where a first end of the plunger is received in the at least one opening to a second position where the first end of the plunger is disengaged from the brake disk when the linear motion actuator is energized. The elastic member applies an elastic force to cause the plunger to slide from the second position to the first position when the linear motion actuator is deenergized so as to stop rotation of the output shaft of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: UBTECH ROBOTICS CORP
    Inventors: Youjun Xiong, Youpeng Li, Hongyu Ding, Meichun Liu, Jianxin Pang
  • Brake control apparatus
    Patent number: 10933851
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, for example, when it is determined that a certain condition has been satisfied while first antilock control is being executed, a controller of a brake control apparatus executes second antilock control by opening and closing a solenoid valve with a motor stopped so that brake fluid of the wheel cylinder is caused to flow into a reservoir, the second antilock control including a second pressure reduction mode, the second pressure reduction mode reducing a pressure of a wheel cylinder while substantially equilibrating the pressure of the wheel cylinder and a pressure of the reservoir at a certain pressure or larger, the certain pressure being larger than zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignees: ADVICS CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Shinozaki, Koichi Kokubo, Masayuki Naito, Yuji Yoshii, Masahiro Hara
  • Bicycle disc brake caliper
    Patent number: 10926831
    Abstract: A bicycle disc brake caliper comprises a caliper body. The caliper body includes a first body portion, a second body portion, a mounting surface, a first receiving hole, a first cylinder bore, and a second cylinder bore. The mounting surface includes a first surface and a second surface spaced apart from the first surface. The first receiving hole is provided on the first surface. The first receiving hole is configured to be threadedly engaged with a first fastener to mount the bicycle disc brake caliper to a bicycle body. The first receiving hole includes a first threaded hole having a first center axis. The first cylinder bore is provided on the first body portion. The first cylinder bore has a first cylinder center axis non-parallel to the first center axis. The second cylinder bore is provided on the first body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: SHIMANO INC.
    Inventors: Akira Kondou, Takuma Sakai, Hideki Ikemoto
  • Damping valve, in particular for shock absorbers of vehicles, with adjustable damping force
    Patent number: 10927918
    Abstract: The invention relates to a damping valve, in particular for shock absorbers of vehicles, with an adjustable damping force, in which differently sized outlet openings arranged between an inflow and an outflow can more or less be closed in order to obtain a desired damping effect. To this end, the differently sized outlet openings are more or less sealed off radially by means of a valve slide. In another embodiment, sudden pressure increases in the damping valve are automatically reduced by means of a differential area function. Due to said invention, said damping valve can be produced easily, has low leakage loss, a low tolerance chain and requires little effort for setting the desired damping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Kendrion (Villingen) GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Zelano, Berndt Niethammer, Klaus Arndt
  • Brake cylinder maintaining with improved pressure regulation
    Patent number: 10926751
    Abstract: A brake cylinder maintaining system that combines a brake cylinder maintaining check valve and a quick service limiting valve into a single unit to have lower hysteresis, and thus more precise BCM regulation pressure and a smaller pressure offset. The check valve and quick service valve are coupled to provide a single system having multiple valve seats for selective communication between quick service pressure and brake cylinder pressure on one hand, and between a brake cylinder maintaining pressure and brake cylinder pressure on the other hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: New York Air Brake LLC
    Inventors: Derick Call, Howard E. Huber, Jr., Brian Graves
  • Systems and methods for reducing energy consumption within a braking system of a vehicle
    Patent number: 10913436
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing energy consumption within a braking system are provided. In one example, a method includes detecting an energy reduction condition associated with the braking system of the vehicle; energizing a primary circuit apply valve and a secondary circuit apply valve of the braking system in response to detecting the energy reduction condition; de-energizing a motor of a slave cylinder of the braking system in response to energizing the primary circuit apply valve and the secondary circuit apply valve; and de-energizing the primary circuit apply valve and the secondary circuit apply valve of the braking system in response to de-energizing the motor of the slave cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Veoneer Nissin Brake Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Arnie Spieker, Daniel Rasmussen
  • Disc brake
    Patent number: 10913433
    Abstract: A disc brake includes: an inner pad and an outer pad; a pressing device configured to press the inner pad and the outer pad against a rotor, the pressing device including a first presser member and a second presser member that are movable parallel to a rotational axis of the rotor, and a frame that is a frame-shaped rigid body and is movable in the direction parallel to the rotational axis; and a housing mounted on a non-rotating body, the housing holding the pressing device, the housing including a pad pin that hold the inner pad and the outer pad so as to be movable in the direction parallel to the rotational axis, the pad pin being held by the housing at both ends of the pad pin in the direction parallel to the rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yokoyama
  • Parking brake control
    Patent number: 10906570
    Abstract: A parking brake control module using pneumatic logic to control a parking brake on a vehicle. The control module includes a brake pipe passageway, a reservoir passageway, a reservoir release valve; and an actuation cylinder vent valve. The control module applies or releases the parking brake based on pressures of the brake pipe and reservoir. A method uses pneumatic logic to control a parking brake on a vehicle. The parking brake is applied when the brake pipe pressure falls below a lower brake pipe pressure threshold and is released when the brake pipe pressure exceeds an upper brake pipe pressure threshold and the reservoir pressure exceeds a reservoir pressure threshold. A hold valve can allow an operator to manually prevent the release of the parking brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Edward W. Gaughan, William John Potter
  • Pipe inspection systems with asymmetric drag force bearings
    Patent number: 10907690
    Abstract: An asymmetric bearing device automatically decreases, without the need for manual adjustment, an amount of friction exerted against rotation of a drum or other mechanism upon reversal of the direction of rotation of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: SEESCAN, INC.
    Inventors: James F. Kleyn, Eric M. Chapman, Mark S. Olsson, Michael E. Turgeon