Patents Examined by Charles Fox
  • Patent number: 11952074
    Abstract: A bicycle electronic controller has a body with a push-operated switch, a manual actuation member for issuing a command, and a motion transmission device interposed between the manual actuation member and the switch. The motion transmission device includes a guide element which is provided with a filiform through cavity and has a first end fixed in proximity to the manual actuation member and a second end fixed in proximity to the switch. A longitudinally, substantially incompressible filiform body is slidingly guided within the guide element and has a first end pushed by actuation of the manual actuation member and a second end that pushes on the switch. The switch is housed within the electronic controller body where a tight insulation can be achieved in addition to arranging the actuation member where it is more ergonomic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: CAMPAGNOLO S.R.L.
    Inventors: Gaetano Dalla Guarda, Marco Porro, Michele Fassina
  • Patent number: 11927979
    Abstract: A multi-directional input device includes an operating member that protrudes from a case and can be tilted, a compression coil spring that returns the operating member to an initial state before a tilting operation, a magnet holding member that is relatively movable with respect to the operating member only in a direction along a protruding direction and is interlocked only in a tilting direction, a magnet arranged in the magnet holding portion, and magnetic sensors that are each disposed at a position facing the magnet and detect a movement of the magnet. The magnetic sensors are each disposed on a side of the magnet and can detect magnetic components in three axial directions orthogonal to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: HOSIDEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Asano, Masato Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11921536
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a control apparatus includes a first mounting member, a pivot member defining an axis, an elongate member configured to pivot about the axis and having a first elongate portion configured as a first lever arm extending away from the pivot member in a first direction, a second elongate portion extending away from the pivot member in a second direction opposite the first direction, a retainer bracket affixed to the second elongate portion, a gimbal moveably affixed to the first mounting member between the pivot member and the retainer bracket, a force bracket moveably affixed to the second elongate portion by the retainer bracket, and a bias member configured to urge movement of the force bracket in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Voiles, David Thunga
  • Patent number: 11914414
    Abstract: Control device for operating at least one actuator of a vehicle, the control device comprising a deflectable control lever and a housing module, wherein a first guide element rotatable about a first rotation axis and a second guide element rotatable about a second rotation axis are provided, wherein the first guide element is arranged at a first end of the control lever and the second guide element is arranged between the first end and a second end of the control lever, wherein the housing module has through holes, which are designed as bearing for supporting the guide elements, so that the guide elements can be contacted from outside the housing module, wherein the housing module has a first coupling area on an outer side, wherein the first coupling area comprises a bearing of the bearings and the first coupling area is designed and provided to receive an additional module, which comprises an area formed at least partially complementary to the first coupling area, in such a way that the additional module can
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: GRAMMER AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Bert Brouwers, Peter De Boeck, Mikhail Ponomarev, Kruthik Kumar Sujith Kumar
  • Patent number: 11913525
    Abstract: In the present invention, dislodging of a belt is prevented even when there is slack in a fastening member that secures a movement-side pulley for adjusting an inter-axial distance. An adjustment mechanism that adjusts an inter-axial distance between a first pulley and a second pulley is provided with a support member to which the first pulley is provided, first and second long holes provided in an arm part body, first bolts that are inserted into the first long holes and that fasten the support member to the arm part body, and second bolts that are inserted into the second long holes and that fasten the support member to the arm part body. The first long holes have a first length that enables the support member to move toward the second pulley until the inter-axial distance reaches a distance at which the belt can be wound between the first and second pulleys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hirokazu Kume
  • Patent number: 11906039
    Abstract: A selector device for a user input for shifting a vehicle transmission may be connected to the vehicle transmission for signal transfer. The selector device may include a slider unit coupled to a selector knob for the user input, and a housing unit for receiving the slider unit. The slider unit may be moveable in relation to the housing unit in a translatory manner. The selector device may have a ball bearing unit, where the ball bearing unit is designed to guide the slider unit linearly in the housing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Inventors: Dirk Bormann, Ludger Rake
  • Patent number: 11904339
    Abstract: A water ejecting apparatus includes a case and a water ejection unit coupled to one side of the case. The water ejection unit includes a fixed cover connected to the case and including a lifting gear provided on one side thereof and extending in an up-down direction and a guide bar provided on the other side thereof and extending in the up-down direction, a lifting cover movably accommodated inside the fixed cover, a lifting motor coupled to the lifting cover and configured to interwork with the lifting motor, and a water ejection nozzle installed at a lower end of the lifting cover and configured to eject water. One side of the gear module is in contact with and supported by the lifting gear and the other side thereof is in contact with and supported by the guide bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Heesang Yoon, Minho Kim, Hoon Jang, Dongkoo Han, Hyeonggeun Kim, Keunho Roh, Jongho Park, Younggwan Song
  • Patent number: 11901793
    Abstract: An electric actuator for use with a variable drive apparatus is disclosed herein. The actuator has a rotary design incorporating a magnetic field sensor chip disposed on a circuit board to sense the rotational orientation of the magnetic field of a magnet positioned on the end of a control shaft of the drive apparatus. The actuator further includes an electric motor driving a gear train, and a fastener connecting a drive adapter to the control shaft, and the magnet is engaged to the fastener. A jack shaft may be used to connect the actuator housing to the drive apparatus, with a first end of the jack shaft configured to rotatably mount a gear of the gear train, and a second end including threads to connect the actuator housing to the drive apparatus housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Nathan W. Bonny, Jesse L. Probst, Gregory E. Arends, Damon J. Hoyda
  • Patent number: 11901797
    Abstract: A cleaner capable of adjusting tension of a belt to connect or disconnect power between a motor and a wheel in the cleaner including the belt transmitting a driving force of the motor to the wheel is provided. A cleaner according to the present disclosure includes a cleaner body, a wheel which movably supports the cleaner body with respect to a floor, a traveling drive motor which is disposed in the cleaner body, a first pulley which is rotated by a driving force of the traveling drive motor, a second pulley which is rotated when the first pulley rotates and rotates the wheel, a belt which connects the first pulley and the second pulley, and a clutch which adjusts tension of the belt to connect or disconnect power between the first pulley and the second pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Seungjin Lee, Sangjo Kim, Sangik Lee
  • Patent number: 11872693
    Abstract: A robot mechanism is provided with a parallel link including a first output base, a first parallel link mechanism disposed on a first side of the first output base, and a second parallel link mechanism and an end effector disposed on a second side of the first output base. The first parallel link mechanism includes a first driver that generates a linear motion output and a second driver that generates a linear motion output. A tilting link mechanism including a mass body that generates a second moment load in a direction to reduce a first moment load exerted on the first parallel link mechanism by the weight of the second parallel link mechanism and the end effector is connected to the first driver and the second driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Kohei Shirahama, Sumio Sugita, Satoshi Inagaki
  • Patent number: 11873038
    Abstract: An electromechanical power steering system may include an electric servomotor that has a motor shaft and drives a shaft that meshes with a helical gear. The shaft is disposed in a gearbox housing and rotatably mounted in a bearing assembly. A pretensioning installation, for adjusting engagement between the helical gear and the shaft, resiliently pretensions a movable bearing element of the bearing assembly relative to the gearbox housing. The gearbox housing has a housing portion having first and second contact faces, the normals of which do not intersect. The bearing assembly has a bearing support that forms the movable bearing element and has a lever arm having a free end that extends from a main body of the bearing support and on the gearbox housing lies against the second contact face. The main body has an eccentric cam that on the housing lies against the first contact face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignees: thyssenkrupp Presta AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventor: Dirk Möller
  • Patent number: 11865713
    Abstract: A suspension cable robot is provided, its stability can be improved by using at least three groups of three cables arranged in a parallelogram manner. The ability to remain stable when subjected to forces acting on the robot platform or end effector is thereby significantly increased. The cable robot can be moved by cables to different working locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Inventor: Frédéric Vachon
  • Patent number: 11860664
    Abstract: A control apparatus for actuating hydraulic valve systems includes an actuation section including an oscillating control element and a plurality of control rods provided with a pusher capable of interacting with the control element so as to translate the control rods in a longitudinal direction, a sensor section including a plurality of sensor elements for detecting a movement in a longitudinal direction of said control rods, and an auxiliary section capable of generating a force opposing the motion of the control rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: WALVOIL S.P.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Beneventi, Alessandro Cervi, Matteo Gibellini
  • Patent number: 11852235
    Abstract: A selector assembly includes a housing having a spherical cavity and a detent cavity. A positioning sensor is positioned within a sensor cavity and is in communication with the spherical cavity. A selector operates about a center point of the spherical cavity and includes a spheroid member that slidably engages a guide surface of the housing. The spheroid member includes a magnet in electromagnetic communication with the positioning sensor. A first pivot and a second pivot include respective first and second rotational axes that each extend through the center point. A detent pin is biased toward and slidably engages a detent surface of the detent cavity to define a plurality of selector positions of the selector. Operation of the selector within the spherical cavity and along the detent surface defines the plurality of selector positions that are communicated to a controller via the magnet and the positioning sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: GHSP, Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk Ypma, Dapeng Xu, Shavin Zhang, Rorbin Luo
  • Patent number: 11851856
    Abstract: A pump comprises a frame and a docking platform connected to the frame. A motor is mounted to the docking platform and has a rotatable drive shaft extending therefrom. Roller bearings are mounted to cross beams attached to the frame. A vertically reciprocable slide bar driven is reciprocable through the at least one pair of roller bearings. A pump rod connector is attached to the slide bar and connectable to a pump rod extending into a well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Allied H2O, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Paul Stewart, Karl Edward Storm
  • Patent number: 11846349
    Abstract: A brake transmission shift interlock (BTSI) assembly is provided. The BTSI assembly may include an armature assembly and a flux collector. The armature assembly may include an armature component, a shaft, and a pin. The armature component may include a central through-hole defining a central axis and include a first end defining a first angle surface. The shaft may be disposed within the central through-hole and the pin mounted to the shaft. The flux collector may be mounted to the shaft and includes a second end defining a second angle surface. The armature component and the flux collector may be arranged with one another such that a first plane defined by the first angle surface is substantially parallel to a second plane defined by the second angle surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Michael C. Vermeersch, Christopher F. Watz
  • Patent number: 11846347
    Abstract: A wear monitoring device for rolling elements in a machine element has at least one magnet generating a measuring magnetic field, and a magnetic field sensor arrangement for measuring a flux density of the measuring magnetic field. The sensor arrangement has at least one first magnetic field sensor for measuring the flux density at a first measuring position and a second magnetic field sensor for measuring the flux density at a second measuring position at a distance from the first measuring position. The measuring positions are selected such that rolling elements passing the measuring positions are in close contact with one another and a resulting change in the measuring magnetic field is detectable at a measuring position by the respective magnetic field sensor. An evaluation unit records and evaluates the flux densities measured by the magnetic field sensors, to determine diameters and/or changes in the diameters of the rolling elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Sensitec GmbH
    Inventors: Claudia Glenske, Sebastian Weber
  • Patent number: 11840200
    Abstract: A windshield wiper system has an articulating pivot for wiping a curved glass surface of a vehicle. The articulating pivot has a pivot shaft assembly (64) having a first pivot ball (160) separated by a distance from a second pivot ball (166). The pivot shaft assembly is encased in an outer housing (158) and each pivot ball is supported by a bearing. A pinion gear is integrated with one of the first pivot ball, the second pivot ball, and/or the pivot shaft. A rack gear is integrated into one of the bearings and/or the housing. Rotational movement of the pinion gear along the rack gear articulates the pivot shaft as the pivot shaft is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: TRICO PRODUCTS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael Wilson
  • Patent number: 11835411
    Abstract: A series elastic actuator includes a gear configured to rotate, an output body configured to rotate by the gear, and an elastic body connecting the gear and the output body. The elastic body may include an outer ring fastened to the gear, an inner ring positioned inside the outer ring and fastened to the output body, and a deformation portion connecting the outer ring and the inner ring and deforming elastically. The elastic body may include a plurality of elastic bodies connected in parallel or in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Huichang Park
  • 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