Patents Examined by C William
  • Patent number: 11973362
    Abstract: A charging cable is configured to rotate freely while attached to a cable plug on a chargeable device. The plug has contact pads separated by an insulator, and the matching cable head has pins for contacting the pads of the plug. There may be a ‘deadzone’ position where one or more pins of the cable head rest of the separator and do not make contact with the charge pads on the cable plug. The examples include pins in the cable head for redundant charging paths that are complimentary such that only one of the power paths will be on at any given time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventor: Shaheen Moubedi
  • Patent number: 11970846
    Abstract: A fitting (1), at least comprising a housing (2) having a housing wall (3), a mixing cartridge (4), arranged in the housing (2), having a first feed connection (5), a second feed connection (6), a mixing region (7) for mixing a fluid flowing into the mixing region (7) via the feed connections (5, 6), and an outlet connection (8) via which the fluid can flow out of the mixing region (7) and out of the mixing cartridge (4); an actuation unit (9) for actuating the mixing cartridge (4) and a hose (10); the hose (10) being connected to the outlet connection (8) by means of a first end (11) and being arranged in a moveable manner on the housing (2) by means of a second end (12); the hose (10) extending through a channel (13) of the mixing cartridge (4), the mixing region (7) being arranged at least partially between the channel (13) and the housing wall (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: GROHE AG
    Inventors: Harry Hopfauf, Stefan Steinhoff
  • Patent number: 11967450
    Abstract: An electronic device can include a housing component at least partially defining an internal volume and including a wall. A component can be disposed within the wall and at least partially surrounded by a material forming the housing. A battery can be disposed in the internal volume and electrically connected to the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Jiahui Liang, Eric X. Zhou
  • Patent number: 11964554
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for an evaporative emission fuel (EVAP) system. In one example, a method for the EVAP system includes loading canisters in parallel sequentially during a refueling event. The method further includes switching loading from one canister to another in response to a fuel level during the refueling event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aed Dudar, Scott Bohr, Matthew Werner
  • Patent number: 11964587
    Abstract: The present invention provides a power control device for a hybrid vehicle that can allow power generation by a generator connected to a low-voltage battery regardless of a charging rate of the low-voltage battery. The hybrid vehicle includes: a motor (21) that can be coupled to a drive wheel (18) of the vehicle; a generator (22) that can be coupled to an internal combustion engine (11); a first secondary battery (21) connected to the motor (21); a second secondary battery (32) that is connected to the generator (22), and a voltage of which is lower than that of the first secondary battery (31); and a converter (33) that steps up a DC voltage received from the second secondary battery (32) and can output the stepped-up DC voltage to the first secondary battery (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Bosch Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Yukawa
  • Patent number: 11965532
    Abstract: A valve arrangement includes a housing arrangement (12), (18), a first spool valve (1a, 1b) having a first spool (3a, 3b) and a second spool valve (2a, 2b) having a second spool (4a, 4b), wherein the first spool valve (1a, 1b) and the second spool valve (2a, 2b) each includes a supply channel arrangement having a pump channel (5) and a tank channel (6), and a working port arrangement having two working ports (8, 9), wherein the spools (3a, 3b; 4a, 4b) control a flow path between the supply channel arrangement (5, 6) and the working port arrangements (7, 8). In such a valve arrangement, it should be possible to simply adapt the control behaviour to different purposes. To this end, the working port arrangement (7, 8) is arranged in a flange (16a, 16b) connected to the housing arrangement (13, 14; 19, 20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: DANFOSS POWER SOLUTIONS APS
    Inventors: Helge Søe Plougsgaard, Dirk Wroblewski, Martin Jørgensen
  • Patent number: 11958376
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method using temperature data to protect battery health during bidirectional charging in conjunction with monetization activities. The method includes receiving temperature data and determining anticipated energy needs of a building. The temperature data includes at least the temperature of one or more electric vehicle batteries or information required to determine the temperature of the one or more electric vehicle batteries while the anticipated energy needs are relative to ambient air temperature. The method includes determining an amount of discharge of the one or more electric vehicle batteries required to offset the anticipated needs of the building by a predetermined amount and determining based on the temperature data whether discharging the one or more electric vehicle batteries would be harmful to the health of the one or more electric vehicle batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: FERMATA ENERGY LLC
    Inventors: David Lee Slutzky, John Parsons Wheeler
  • Patent number: 11945298
    Abstract: A fuel tank isolation valve is provided having a main valve body including a fuel tank port and a canister port, a main bore, and an actuator selectively operable to allow or inhibit vented fuel vapors to move from the first port to the second port along a first path. The body can define an airflow bypass orifice that allows vapors to move from the first port, through the main bore, to the second port along a second path, while the actuator is in the closed mode inhibiting vapors from moving along the first path. This flow through the orifice can equalize pressure in a fuel tank and the canister during a purging operation on the canister. The valve can include a fitting that directly couples the valve to the canister without any intermediate hoses, in a cantilevered manner. A related method of use is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES IP LIMITED
    Inventors: Thomas Rodrigues Martin, Carla Patricia Lara Ramirez
  • Patent number: 11946563
    Abstract: A valve actuator includes a housing, a motor disposed on the housing, a driving gear coupled to a motor shaft of the motor, a transmission gear which is in external contact with the driving gear and rotates according to a predetermined gear ratio when the driving gear rotates, an output shaft including a main body and a plurality of protrusions radially protruding from the main body and spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction, an output gear coupled to the output shaft and in external contact with the transmission gear, a stopper disposed in the housing and limiting a rotation radius of the output gear, and an elastic member disposed between a lower portion of the plurality of protrusions and a lower plate of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Joohang Kang, Youngchan Ahn
  • Patent number: 11947367
    Abstract: Gas flow control valve 3, wherein the gas flow control valve 3 comprises a housing 11 with a gas inlet 10, a valve seat 6 arranged in the housing 11, a valve body 5 assigned to the valve seat 6, wherein the valve body 5 is held by an upper spring and a lower spring and is centered by means of a diaphragm 26, and a gas outlet 12 which is positioned downstream of the valve body 5 and which is provided in the housing 11, wherein the valve body 5 is arranged in the valve seat 6 so as to be movable in a first movement direction 17 in order to form a controllable cross section of a passage opening 25 for the passage of gas, wherein the gas flow control valve 3 comprises an adjustable diffuser 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: EBM PAPST LANDSHUT GmbH
    Inventors: Plamen Georgi, Sebastian Stolz
  • Patent number: 11938835
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell generator, a rechargeable energy storage circuit, an auxiliary load, a converter circuit, and a switch circuit. The fuel cell generator is operable to generate electrical power in a stack output signal. The auxiliary load is powered by the rechargeable energy storage circuit while in a first mode, and powered by a local signal while in a second mode. The converter circuit is operable to convert the stack output signal into a plurality of recharge signals while in the first mode and in the second mode, and convert the stack output signal into the local signal while in the second mode. The switch circuit is operable switch the plurality of recharge signals to one or more electric vehicles, and switch the local signal to the auxiliary load while in the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan B. Martin, Matthew C. Kirklin, Margarita M. Mann, William H. Pettit, Charles E. Freese, V
  • Patent number: 11942871
    Abstract: A system includes a transformer, a first controller, a discharge circuit to discharge an external capacitor based on an undervoltage threshold, and a second controller. The second controller is coupled to the discharge circuit, and is also coupled to receive a rectified Ac voltage and to receive control signals from the first controller. The second controller includes a gate driver to turn on a primary field effect transistor (FET). The second controller also includes a startup controller coupled to the gate driver. The startup controller is configured to increase a duty cycle of the primary FET based on whether a control signal is received from the first controller. The startup controller is also configured to determine a current duty cycle of the primary FET and to turn off the primary FET based on whether the voltage of the AC-DC converter is above an undervoltage threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Rashed Ahmed, Pavan Kumar Kuchipudi, Myeongseok Lee, Murtuza Lilamwala
  • Patent number: 11938830
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to wireless charging and wireless power alignment of wireless power antennas associated with a vehicle. A wireless power charging apparatus includes an antenna including first and second orthogonal magnetic elements for detecting a horizontal component of a magnetic field generated from a second charging base antenna. A processor determines a directional vector between the antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
    Inventors: Hans Peter Widmer, Nigel P. Cook, Lukas Sieber
  • Patent number: 11927271
    Abstract: A spool-sleeve assembly includes a sleeve having a first inner radius. Flanges are integrally formed with the sleeve. The flanges extend outwardly. The flanges have flange segments via slits, disposed in the flanges. Press fittings extend inwardly from an inner wall of the sleeve proximate the ends and the slits. The sleeve has a second inner radius, smaller than the first inner radius, at the press fittings. A hole is provided through the sleeve between the flanges. The spool-sleeve assembly also includes a spool, slidably disposed inside the sleeve. Ridges outwardly extend from the spool at the ends of the spool. The ridges have outer diameters that are greater than the second inner radius. Grooves are provided in the ridges. The press fittings fit in the grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Vasudevan Harigovindan, Thulasi Krishna Rao B.
  • Patent number: 11929468
    Abstract: A battery charging method includes: charging a battery with a charging current; and changing the charging current in response to a current change event occurring during the charging of the battery, wherein the current change event occurs when the battery reaches a threshold voltage at which an anode potential of the battery reaches a reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ju Wan Lim, Duk Jin Oh, Myunghoon Kim
  • Patent number: 11916427
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a battery module and a power arrangement method. The battery module includes a battery unit, an energy storage element, a switch, a functional circuit and a control unit. The energy storage element is coupled to the battery unit. The switch is coupled to the energy storage element. The functional circuit is respectively coupled to the battery unit and the energy storage element. The control unit is respectively coupled to the functional circuit and the switch, configured to control the functional circuit to cause the energy storage element to be coupled to the battery unit so that the battery unit charges the energy storage unit, or configured to control the functional circuit to cause the energy storage element to be decoupled with the battery unit so that a discharge path is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignees: LITE-ON ELECTRONICS (GUANGZHOU) LIMITED, LITE-ON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yung-Ping Tong, Yu-Kang Lo
  • Patent number: 11912143
    Abstract: The invention enables efficient wireless power transfer, and charging of devices and batteries, in a manner that allows freedom of placement of devices or batteries in one or multiple dimensions. Provided is a base unit for wireless power transfer or charging through a time varying magnetic field. The unit typically includes a magnetic material or layer that guides magnetic flux generated by a charger coil as to create a preferential path for returning magnetic flux from a receiver coil in one or multiple dimensions. The receiver may include a magnetic core having a magnetic permeability exceeding 1 with copper Litz wire around a ferrite core. With power receivers proximate to the base unit, the base unit coil may inductively generate a current in receiver coils or receivers associated with the power receivers. Uni-directionally or bi-directionally wireless communication protocols include NFC, Bluetooth, WiFi, and etc. control and optimize power transfer therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Mojo Mobility Inc.
    Inventor: Afshin Partovi
  • Patent number: 11905982
    Abstract: A coolant equalizing reservoir for arrangement in a coolant circuit, having: a reservoir housing, a vortex chamber in the reservoir housing, a feed line for introducing coolant into the reservoir housing, and an outflow aperture for discharging coolant from the reservoir housing, where the feed line discharges into the vortex chamber, and wherein the vortex chamber is defined by a wall protruding from a base-wall section of the reservoir housing along a vortex chamber's axis, encircling the vortex chamber's axis in a closed manner, which in every direction orthogonal to the vortex chamber's axis is arranged at a distance from the reservoir housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Röchling Automotive SE
    Inventors: Marco Barbolini, Zaoli He
  • Patent number: 11909225
    Abstract: A wireless charging transmitter includes at least two transmit coils and at least two transmit circuit units; wherein the at least two transmit coils are configured to simultaneously transmit electric energy to an external receive coil, the at least two transmit coils are coupled such that orientations of magnetic fields generated by currents on the at least two transmit coils are not parallel and form a first angle, a coupling coefficient between the at least two transmit coils is less than a predetermined threshold and each of the transmit circuit units is electrically connected to each of the transmit coils and configured to supply a current to the transmit coil. Therefore, the current on each of the transmit coils in the wireless charging transmitter generates a corresponding magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Halo Microelectronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yueguo Hao, Songnan Yang
  • Patent number: 11906072
    Abstract: A valve assembly including a valve housing and a handle that is movable about an actuation axis to actuate a valve actuator within the valve housing between an open position and a closed position. The handle has a first opening and the valve housing has a second opening. When the valve actuator is in the closed position the first opening aligns with the second opening to enable receipt of a lockout member that prevents movement of the valve actuator from the closed position to the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventor: Zachary Spencer Smith