Patents Examined by Brian Swenson
  • Patent number: 9673432
    Abstract: A battery case includes a bottom plate part and two side plate parts extending oppositely from the bottom plate part, wherein each of the side plate parts has at least one opening, in which an elastic element is arranged. An electric skateboard includes a bearing deck, wheels mounted on both ends of the bearing deck, an electric motor mounted under the bearing deck, and said battery case which is mounted under the bearing deck. The side plate parts of the battery case have openings in which elastic elements are arranged. Therefore, when pressure is exerted by the bearing deck to the battery case, the opening of the battery case is able to squeeze the elastic element so that the battery case can undergo an elastic deformation easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: YUNEEC TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED
    Inventor: Yu Tian
  • Patent number: 9669859
    Abstract: A juvenile stroller includes a seat, wheels, and a push handle. The push handle is mounted for pivoting movement about an axis relative to the seat. The push handle pivots between a stroller position and a trailer position. Movement of the push handle to the trailer position corresponds to a front wheel or wheels movement to a stowed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Claire Hansen, Vincent Chiffoleau, Baptiste Durand, Bruno Zweideck
  • Patent number: 9669897
    Abstract: The wheel (1) for pedal-assisted bikes comprises: a fixed structure (2) having attachment means for the attachment to the frame (T) of a bike (B) with a driving pedal crank (P); a circle element (10, 11, 12) mounted on the fixed structure (2) in a revolving way around a main rotation axis (A); a propulsion disk (13) mounted on the fixed structure (2) in a revolving way and drivable in rotation by the driving pedal crank (P); motion transmission means (15, 16) for the transmission of the rotational motion from the propulsion disk (13) to the circle element (10, 11, 12), which comprise at least a first detection device (16) suitable for detecting the driving torque transmitted to the circle element (10, 11, 12) from the propulsion disk (13); an electric motor (54, 55) associated with the fixed structure (2) and suitable for cooperating with the propulsion disk (13) to motorize the circle element (10, 11, 12); and a processing and control unit (57, 58) operatively connected to the first detection device (16)
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: C.R.D. Centro Ricerche Ducati Trento S.r.l.
    Inventor: Adriano Zanfei
  • Patent number: 9669285
    Abstract: A piece of snow sports equipment comprises a sliding board with a sheetlike central part (110) which extends in a longitudinal direction, and two sheetlike side parts (120, 130) which are fastened to the central part (110) on both sides. The central part (110) has a sliding coating (115) on a lower side. The side parts (120, 130) can be folded over from a first position, in which a first main surface of the side parts (120, 130) is substantially co-planar with the lower side of the central part (110), into a second position, in which the side parts (120, 130) are folded under the central part (110) such that the first main surfaces of the side parts (120, 130) are supported on the lower side of the central part (110). Second main surfaces of the side parts (120, 130), which second main surfaces lie opposite the first main surfaces, have a climbing skin (125, 135).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Inventor: Andreas Eiselin
  • Patent number: 9669694
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a body frame, an engine, a transmission, a transmission case, and a shift actuator. The engine includes an engine case attached to the body frame, and a crankshaft supported by the engine case. The transmission case is spaced apart from the engine case, and houses the transmission. The shift actuator is connected to a shift drum of the transmission. At least a portion of the transmission case overlaps with the engine case as viewed along the axis of the crankshaft. The shift actuator is fixed to the transmission case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daisuke Tanaka, Masahiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9669769
    Abstract: A bicycle carrier system for vehicles may include guide rails provided on a bumper back beam, a carrier device connected to the guide rails and configured to slide along the guide rails to be withdrawn from and received in the bumper back beam, a first driving device disposed on the carrier device and connected to the guide rails to move the carrier device along the guide rails, tilting devices configured to selectively connect the guide rails and the carrier device to each other and to release connection between the guide rails and the carrier device so as to tilt the carrier device from the guide rails when the carrier device is moved to a designated level or higher during withdrawal of the carrier device according to operation of the first driving device, and a communication control module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Dong Eun Cha, Jin Young Yoon, Seung Mok Lee, Hyun Gyung Kim
  • Patent number: 9661802
    Abstract: The article of manufacture is a sulky with a unique fender. The fender has an opening with a door place over the tire. On one end of the opening is a hinge that is attached to one end of door. At the other end of the door and opening is a latching assembly. This enable the door to be closed and latched during mowing and to be easily opened when the operator wishes to clean the debris that has collected between the tire and the fender. The latching assembly is an over center draw latch consists of a hook attached to a pivotally mounted lever. The pivotally mounted lever is attached to the fender. On the door is an opening into which the hook is designed to fit. When debris builds between the fender and the tire the operator stops the sulky and opens the door for cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Inventor: James Seliga
  • Patent number: 9630501
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a motor accommodated in a housing and a power control unit. The power control unit is supported by a front bracket and a rear bracket and fixed above the housing. The rear bracket has a base section, a support section and ribs. The ribs are arranged on both sides of the support section in a vehicle width direction, and each of the ribs has a fragile section. The fragile section is configured to yield first in each of the ribs at a time when the power control unit receives a collision load from a vehicle front direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenjiro Shiba
  • Patent number: 9623909
    Abstract: A subframe structure includes an attachment bracket that is disposed between the second vibration-isolation device and rear cross member and that attach the second vibration-isolation device to the rear cross member, and four elastic bushings that floatably support the attachment bracket as to the rear cross member at four support points. A load input point where a load is input from an engine to the second vibration-isolation device is positioned within a region surrounded by the four support points in planar view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masataka Hirano, Tetsuya Miyahara
  • Patent number: 9616909
    Abstract: The multi-functional wagon includes a bin for storing and transporting products such as hay, vegetables, and/or dirt. The bin includes opposing side walls, opposing end walls extending between the opposing sidewalls, and a base, which provides a lower support surface for contents in the bin. The walls are foldable from an upright position to a lowered folded position. One or more containment units and a support assembly are removably connected to support pipes at corners of the bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Inventor: Ahmad A M A A Abul
  • Patent number: 9610962
    Abstract: A jack and dolly assembly and system including a shaft defining a longitudinal axis extending along the shaft and an interior hollow; a reversible drive mechanism at least partially positioned in the interior hollow of the shaft; a proximal arm removably secured to the shaft and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; a distal arm removably secured to the drive mechanism, the distal arm being spaced from and substantially parallel to the proximal arm; wherein the reversible drive mechanism is operable to move the distal arm along the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Inventor: Richard N. Heinz
  • Patent number: 9604627
    Abstract: A controller of a thermal management system for a vehicle controls a first switching valve and a second switching valve to set a battery warming-up state in which a heat medium circulates between a battery-temperature adjustment heat exchanger and a heat-medium heating heat exchanger, and the heat medium does not circulate between a coolant-coolant heat exchanger and a heat-medium heating heat exchanger when both a battery and an engine need to be warmed up. In contrast, the controller controls the first switching valve and the second switching valve to set an engine warming-up state in which the heat medium circulates through between the coolant-coolant heat exchanger and the heat-medium heating heat exchanger while the heat medium does not circulate between a battery-temperature adjustment heat exchanger and the heat-medium heating heat exchanger when a temperature of the battery exceeds a target battery warming-up temperature in the battery warming-up state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Yamanaka, Yasumitsu Omi, Koji Miura, Norihiko Enomoto
  • Patent number: 9566876
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a fuel cell having a cell stack and an end plate provided to receive pressing force, the end plate having such a strength as to resist the pressing force; and a vehicle-side stack frame on which the fuel cell is mounted in a vehicle underfloor region in such a mounting posture that fuel-cell unit cells are stacked horizontally. The vehicle-side stack frame is built over a range from an end plate side to the other end side of the cell stack in the stacking direction of the fuel-cell unit cells in an occupation area occupied by the fuel cell in the mounting posture in the vehicle underfloor region. In a region where it is assumed that external force can reach the occupation area in the vicinity of the end plate, the vehicle-side stack frame has a shortest distance to the end plate that is smaller than a shortest distance to any other members in the vicinity of the end plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Takeyama
  • Patent number: 9562464
    Abstract: A modular assembly for a heat exchanger is provided. The modular assembly includes a support assembly configured to couple to a base section of a hood structure of the heat exchanger. The support assembly includes a first slant surface and a second slant surface configured to provide support to at least a portion of the heat exchanger. The support assembly also includes a fluid reservoir integrated with and extending from the support assembly, the fluid reservoir is configured to store a fluid circulated through the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean D. Keene, Stephen E. Boucher, Matthew B. Adams, Scott Swenson
  • Patent number: 9555746
    Abstract: A vehicle accessory hitch assembly for attaching an accessory to a vehicle. The vehicle may include a frame and a bed mounted to the frame. First and second base rails may be disposed on the bed and coupled to the frame of the vehicle, and the vehicle may include a vehicle trailer hitch with a receiver for accepting a shank. In one embodiment, the vehicle accessory hitch assembly may be mechanically connected to each of the first and second base rails and the vehicle trailer hitch such that the vehicle accessory hitch assembly is immovable or stationary relative to the first and second base rails and the vehicle trailer hitch. In another embodiment, the vehicle accessory hitch assembly may be adaptable to connect to differently-configured base rails and vehicle trailer hitch constructions, including different horizontal and vertical spacing between the base rails and the vehicle trailer hitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Hurricane, Inc.
    Inventor: Ricky A. Weihl
  • Patent number: 9528244
    Abstract: A wheel loader is provided with an engine, an engine compartment, a top plate, an injection device, and a duct member. The engine compartment houses the engine. The top plate has a first opening section. The top plate defines the upper surface of the engine compartment. The injection device is disposed inside the engine compartment. The duct member is disposed above the injection device. The duct member is disposed below the first opening section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Yabe, Akihiro Ohsawa, Toshiya Shintani, Teruyuki Matsuki, Yoshiaki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9527507
    Abstract: An electronic control unit included in a hybrid vehicle is configured to switch between first limp home travel control and second limp home travel control based on a first temperature difference, a second temperature difference, and a state of charge when abnormality occurs to a cooler. The first temperature difference is a value that is obtained by subtracting an element temperature of a first inverter from a first load rate limit temperature at which load rate limitation is applied to a first motor. The second temperature difference is a value that is obtained by subtracting an element temperature of a second inverter from a second load rate limit temperature at which the load rate limitation is applied to a second motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoko Oba, Masaya Kaji
  • Patent number: 9517787
    Abstract: Strollers are described that may be used as single strollers or may be reversibly connected together to form a double stroller. Strollers may comprise complementary connectors to be reversibly connected two single strollers in a side-by-side configuration with the rear wheels of the single strollers are interlocked to reduce the overall width of the double stroller. Further, single strollers may comprise complementary connectors to be reversibly connoted two single strollers in a train configuration with the front wheels of the single strollers interlocked to reduce the overall length of the double stroller. Additionally, single strollers may be produced with sets of connectors such that they may connected in either the side-by-side configuration or the train configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Baby Jogger LLC
    Inventors: Mark Zehfuss, Jordi Dorca
  • Patent number: 9506393
    Abstract: A muffler unit configured to be attached to a vehicle includes a first exhaust pipe. The muffler unit includes a muffler and a second exhaust pipe. The muffler includes a first main body preferably having a tubular shape and including a first support with a first opening and a second support with a second opening, and a first lid. The first and second openings are oriented in a radial direction of the first main body. The second exhaust pipe includes a second main body, a second lid covering a right end of the second main body, and an exhaust inlet disposed in a left end of the second main body. The second exhaust pipe extends into the first and second openings and is supported by the first and second supports. The second main body includes a communication port in communication with an inner space of the first main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masato Fujita
  • Patent number: 9499042
    Abstract: A drivetrain for a hybrid vehicle has at least one ground engaging element, a torque transmission shaft operatively connected thereto, an electric motor, a transmission having an input shaft and an output shaft, and an internal combustion engine operatively connected to the input shaft of the transmission. The electric motor and the output shaft are operatively connected to the torque transmission shaft. The transmission has a neutral shift position, a first shift position, and at least one higher shift position including a highest shift position. The transmission is capable of shifting directly from the neutral shift position to the first shift position and directly from the neutral shift position to the highest shift position. A vehicle having the drivetrain is also disclosed. A method of starting an internal combustion engine in a hybrid vehicle is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: BRP-POWERTRAIN GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Andreas Barth