Patents Examined by Charles A. Fox
  • Patent number: 11820440
    Abstract: An electromechanically assisted steering system is proposed, having a worm drive which comprises a worm shaft and a worm gear, an electric motor which has a drive shaft, and a spring element. At an end assigned to the electric motor, the worm shaft has a first bearing portion which is connected to the drive shaft in a torque-transmitting manner. The worm shaft has a second bearing portion which is arranged at an end of the worm shaft remote from the first bearing portion. The spring element is connected to the first bearing portion or to the second bearing portion so as to transmit axial force in the axial direction, such that the spring element axially pretensions the worm shaft relative to the worm gear. A tolerance compensation of the worm drive in the axial direction of the worm shaft is carried out exclusively via the spring element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventor: Guido Liesenfeld
  • Patent number: 11813738
    Abstract: A robot waist skeleton includes: a swing waist effector; a first bracket, one end of which is connected to an output end of the swing waist effector; a bend waist effector, a case of which is connected to the other end of the first bracket; a second bracket, one end of which is connected to the case of the swing waist effector; a rotate waist effector, an output end of which is connected to the other end of the second bracket; and a third bracket, one end of which is connected to a case of the swing waist effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignees: CLOUDMINDS (BEIJING) TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD., CLOUDMINDS ROBOTICS CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng Luo, Haotian Cui, Xunge Yan, William Xiao-Qing Huang, Yuanping Cai
  • Patent number: 11794358
    Abstract: A snag point cover for an industrial manufacturing robot, the snag point cover including: a body adapted to be disposed about a protrusion extending from an external surface of an industrial manufacturing robot, wherein the body is adapted to form an external transition surface between the protrusion and the external surface of the industrial manufacturing robot thereby preventing a dresspack from becoming snagged on the protrusion when the industrial manufacturing robot is articulated. The snag point cover body is adapted to surround and cover one or more protrusions. The snag point cover body may be elongated or arcuate in shape and defines an internal cavity that conforms to the one or more protrusions. This allows external structures such as wiring harnesses and conduits to slide over these protrusions without becoming snagged or pinched during complex motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: David Allen Joiner, Carl Joseph Polivka, Sr., Dennis Legrand Martin, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11780421
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electric drive unit (EDU) having a motor-driven torque converter includes receiving a request signal indicative of a requested output torque of the EDU, and operating the motor at a target motor speed using the requested output torque. The target motor speed minimizes system losses while achieving the requested output torque. When the requested output torque remains below a calibrated threshold and a turbine speed is less than a corner speed of the motor, a torque converter clutch (TCC) transitions to or remains in a locked state. The controller commands the TCC to transition to an unlocked state to reach the target motor speed, thereby selectively enabling torque multiplication. A powertrain system includes a driven load and the EDU. A computer readable storage medium may include executable instructions for performing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Norman K. Bucknor, Chunhao J. Lee, Dongxu Li, Lei Hao, Chengwu Duan
  • Patent number: 11780529
    Abstract: An operating device for a human-powered vehicle comprises a base structure, a first switch unit, and a second switch unit. The base structure defines a mounting axis. The first switch unit comprises a first switch base member, a first switch, and a first point. The first point is closest to the mounting axis along a first direction parallel to a first pivot axis. The second switch unit comprises a second switch base member, a second switch, and a second point. The second point is closest to the mounting axis along a second direction parallel to a second pivot axis. A second minimum distance is longer than a first minimum distance. A third minimum distance is longer than a fourth minimum distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: SHIMANO INC.
    Inventor: Kentaro Kosaka
  • Patent number: 11773948
    Abstract: A transmission is presented, including a spool having a bore. An outer member disposed on the spool, and a cord is configured to at least partially wrap around the outer member. The outer member is configured to constrict and unconstrict to a force applied to the outer member. In this way, rotation of the spool causes a tension force to be applied to the cord, and a greater tension force in the cord will cause the outer member to constrict more than a lower tension force in the cord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Cornell University
    Inventors: Kevin W. O'Brien, Robert F. Shepherd
  • Patent number: 11767903
    Abstract: An actuator module for a driveline assembly includes, among other things, a cover housing and a fork driving unit supported by the cover housing. The fork driving unit includes a fork driver and a pusher assembly coupled to the fork driver by spaced apart pusher ends. The fork driving unit also includes a drive assembly carried by the pusher assembly to translate the fork driver relative to the cover housing. The fork driving unit further includes a spring that biases the pusher assembly and fork driver to a neutral position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: STONERIDGE CONTROL DEVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Xiao Jun Wei
  • Patent number: 11747161
    Abstract: Example implementations relate to replenishing an energy reserve of a vehicle of interest located in a zone of interest. Such examples comprise emitting, from a computer system and towards a vehicle controller of the vehicle of interest, instructions to direct the vehicle of interest towards a specific replenishing station located in the zone of interest. The specific replenishing station is assigned for replenishing the vehicle of interest based on a set of statistical data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE
    Inventors: Thierry Lucidarme, Paul Breslow, Baptiste Bel
  • Patent number: 11745790
    Abstract: The disclosure specifies a gear assembly for an electric-motor assisted steering system, comprising an electric motor, a worm shaft which can be driven by the electric motor and which meshes with a worm wheel. The worm shaft has a recess on an end face which faces the electric motor, in which recess there is arranged an elastic element which applies an axial force to the worm shaft in the direction away from the electric motor. In the axial direction, the elastic element is supported by one end on an adjustment element, which is formed in such a way that it permits expansion of the elastic element in the axial direction when the axial force on the worm shaft exceeds a defined threshold value, and limits expansion of the elastic element when the axial force on the worm shaft lies below the defined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Jordan
  • Patent number: 11746889
    Abstract: In a shift device, a shift position of a knob is altered as a result of a knob being rotated. Furthermore, a Hall IC on a wiring substrate detects a rotation position of a magnet in the knob, thereby enabling the shift position of the knob to be detected. Here, the Hall IC is placed on an outer side in a rotation radial direction of the magnet. Because of this, it is possible to enlarge the change in the relative position between the magnet and the Hall IC that is generated by the rotation of the magnet, thereby enabling the detection accuracy when detecting the shift position of the knob to be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Hayato Mori, Hiroki Ono, Masatsugu Shimizu, Masaaki Shiozaki, Yoya Ogawa, Takuya Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11708891
    Abstract: A shift control system for an automatic transmission is provided. The system includes a shift switch through which a manual transmission command for arbitrarily changing a gear stage of the automatic transmission can be inputted in a manual transmission mode. The manual transmission mode includes a first manual mode in which the gear stage is changed and maintained by inputting the manual transmission command using the shift switch, and a second manual mode in which an automatic transmission mode is resumed by satisfying a resuming condition after the gear stage is changed. The system includes a mode input device configured to select in advance one of the first manual mode and the second manual mode to be set, the mode input device setting to the automatic transmission mode by the selected mode being changed from the first manual mode to the second manual mode, or vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Shirasago, Tomohiro Okubo, Shoji Abe, Hideyuki Nishi, Hajime Oyama, Kiminori Higo
  • Patent number: 11708154
    Abstract: A landing gear system includes wheel rotatably coupled to an axle. A driveshaft extends through a cavity formed in the axle and is rotatable about an axis. A planetary gear includes a sun gear operably coupled to the drive shaft and a planet gear operably engaging the sun gear. The planetary gear further includes a ring gear that surrounds and is operably coupled to the planet gear so that rotation of the drive shaft rotates the ring gear. A clutch assembly is selectively moveable between an engaged state and a disengaged state. The clutch assembly transfers rotation of the ring gear to the wheel when the clutch assembly is in the engaged state, and the clutch assembly does not transfer rotation of the wheel to the ring gear when the clutch assembly is in the disengaged state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignees: Safran Landing Systems, Safran Landing Svstems Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Kyle Schmidt, Steve Amberg, Didier Brun
  • Patent number: 11697337
    Abstract: To provide a drive system for a hybrid vehicle capable of suppressing energy loss by slip control at a start of an internal combustion engine during electric vehicle (EV) travel, a power transmission system for the hybrid vehicle is configured to couple an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission by planetary gear mechanisms, has a brake that engages and disengages the internal combustion engine with and from a case, engages the brake during EV travel in which only the electric motor is used as a drive source, and is configured to start the internal combustion engine by disengaging the brake at the time of switching from the EV travel to hybrid vehicle (HEV) travel in which the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are used as drive sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Ogauchi, Shinya Kamada, Akihiro Uchida
  • Patent number: 11697342
    Abstract: A portal axle drive for a vehicle axle of an electric vehicle with driving wheels includes a drive shaft (AN) with an input axis (a) and an output shaft (AB) with an output and wheel axis (b). The input axis (a) and the output axis (b) have an axial or portal offset (c). A first gear stage (Ü1) is arranged between the drive shaft (AN) and the output shaft (AB). In an axial direction, a second gear stage (Ü2) is arranged next to the first gear stage (Ü1) and an engagement device (SE) is arranged next to the second gear stage (Ü2). The first gear stage (Ü1) and the second gear stage (Ü2) are engageable via the engagement device (SE).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Johannes Luka, Paul Lenz
  • Patent number: 11691613
    Abstract: A method for controlling heating of a hybrid vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a duct flowing air into the indoor of the hybrid vehicle from the outside, a heater core for circulating the coolant heated from an engine inside the duct, a PTC heater heated by the power supplied from a high-voltage battery of the hybrid vehicle inside the duct, and a controller. The controller operates the engine and the PTC heater and heats the air flowing into the indoor of the hybrid vehicle through the duct. The voltage supplied to the PTC heater from a low voltage DC-DC converter (LDC) is changed based on the state of the engine and an auxiliary battery for supplying power to an electric component of the vehicle to apply power to the PTC heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Dong-Jun Shin, Hyung-Souk Kang, Jun-Yeon Park, Chun-Hyuk Lee
  • Patent number: 11685265
    Abstract: A trailer can be configured to selectively provide powered wheels, energy recovery, and/or parasitic power source charging. A trailer-related trigger (drive activation trigger, an energy recovery trigger, or a parasitic charging trigger) can be detected. When a drive activation trigger is detected, one or more motors can be activated to power one or more wheels of the trailer, thereby providing extra pushing power. When an energy recovery trigger is detected, one or more power sources of the trailer can be charged by recovering energy from the trailer. When a parasitic charging trigger is detected, one or more power sources of the trailer can be charged using a portion of the power generated by a main vehicle operatively connected to the trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Inventors: Paul Deaton, Larry Deaton
  • Patent number: 11679671
    Abstract: An axle assembly having a gear reduction unit that is configured to operatively connect an electric motor to a drive pinion. The gear reduction unit includes at least two gear sets. A shift collar is rotatable with the drive pinion and moveable along the drive pinion to couple a gear set to the drive pinion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy Cradit, Nick Bofferding, David Zueski, Robert Martin, Eric LaMothe, Christopher Keeney, Brian Hayes
  • Patent number: 11673218
    Abstract: A safety brake device for a power tool includes a decoupling device, configured to decouple an output unit from a drive unit during a braking operation thereby reducing at least one of a rotational mass and rotational energy of the output unit, and a brake device with a first brake device part and a second brake device part. The first brake device part is arranged on the output unit so as to allow essentially no relative rotation, and the second brake device part is configured to allow essentially no relative rotation with respect to the power tool. The first brake device part and the second brake device part are configured to interact mechanically with one another during a braking operation to stop rotation of the output unit. The first brake device part of the brake device is embodied in one piece with the decoupling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Dennis, Florian Esenwein
  • Patent number: 11673462
    Abstract: Methods and systems for an electric drive axle of a vehicle are provided. An electric drive axle system includes, in one example a gear train configured to rotationally attach to an electric motor-generator, the gear train includes an output shaft having a clutch arranged thereon and configured to selectively rotationally couple a gear to the output shaft. The gear train further includes a lubrication channel extending between an output shaft and an axle shaft and including an outlet extending through the output shaft and opening into the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Dana Automotive Systems Group, LLC
    Inventor: Eric M. Engerman
  • Patent number: 11667199
    Abstract: An interruption device is provided in a motor vehicle to interrupt a signal line in an emergency operating state. The interruption device includes a fuse and a resistor in the signal line and first and second switches. The fuse is arranged upstream of the resistor in a signal line direction extending from a low-voltage on-board electrical system to a high-voltage on-board electrical system. The first switch is provided in a first electric line connecting the signal line to ground at a connection point downstream of the resistor, and the second switch is provided in a second electric line which connects the signal line to ground at a connection point between the fuse and the resistor. The first and second switches are open during the normal operation of the motor vehicle and are closed in response to the control signal to interrupt the signal line by separating the fuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Klaus Achatz