Patents Examined by Chiedu Chibogu
  • Patent number: 7992882
    Abstract: An apparatus for releasably mounting an infant carrier to a wagon includes a first member having a lower portion with a substantially U-shaped cross-section and configured to detachably engage a top portion of an end wall of said wagon, and at least one crossbar fixedly attached to an upper portion of the first member. A second member is detachably affixed in a transverse fashion between two side walls of said wagon. A distance between the first member and the second member is adjustable to suit the locking assembly arranged on the infant carrier and/or on the first and second members in order to releasably mount the infant carrier on the wagon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Inventor: Brenda D. Engelman
  • Patent number: 7975791
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle drive control system has a first clutch interposed between an engine and a motor/generator, a transmission including several gear position clutches arranged between the motor/generator and a drive wheel, and a controller. The controller selectively starts the engine using torque from the first clutch during a drive mode change from an electric drive mode to a hybrid drive mode. When an engine start command and a gear shifting operation occur during a drive mode change, the controller selects the gear position clutch that is a common engaged clutch from among the engaged gear position clutches constituting the vehicle running gears occurring from immediately before starting the engine until immediately after starting the engine as a second clutch to be controlled. Then, the controller executes a slip control of the second clutch when the first clutch is being connected to start the engine during the drive mode change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Nozaki, Kiminori Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7975979
    Abstract: An airplane seat track includes an elongated, rectilinear track body having a hollow, longitudinal slide track for receiving fittings on legs of airplane seats. The hollow slide track includes a series of equidistant circular receptacle sections with circular upper openings. The receptacle sections alternate with intermediate lip sections of smaller transverse dimensions than the circular receptacle sections for retaining tabs of the fittings of the seat legs. The longitudinal distance of the centre points of adjacent circular receptacle sections is smaller than or equal to the diameter of the circular receptacle sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Bishop GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Bishop
  • Patent number: 7967091
    Abstract: A control method and control system for a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain with a multiple-ratio transmission is disclosed in which engine start events are separated in time from transmission ratio shift events to effect a smooth transition from an electric drive state with the engine off to a drive state in which the engine delivers driving power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Yamazaki, Marvin Kraska, Kathleen Bailey, Natarajan Sureshbabu
  • Patent number: 7950490
    Abstract: To enhance the balance in weight of the right and the left of the body of a four-wheel vehicle. In a four-wheel vehicle, an engine is supported by a body frame. A swing arm is swingably attached to the body frame. Rear wheels are supported by the swing arm. A rear cushion unit is attached between the rear of the body frame and the side of the rear end of the swing arm. Power from the engine is transmitted to the rear wheels via a rear propeller shaft. The center of the engine (that is, an axis of a crankshaft) and the rear cushion unit are set on one side and the rear propeller shaft is set on the other side respectively with respect to a center line of the body extending in a longitudinal direction of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yasuda, Hideaki Suzuki, Shinji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7931292
    Abstract: A flexible sole for a cross-country ski boot and a cross-country ski boot having such sole. The sole includes at least two members for connecting the boot to a binding device, the connecting members including portions anchored in the sole, the connecting members being fixed to a common anchoring element, the anchoring element being affixed to a predetermined section of the sole, the anchoring element including two anchoring zones, each connecting member being fixed to one of the anchoring zones, and the anchoring element including a central zone extending between the two anchoring zones, such central zone of the anchoring element being sufficiently flexible to enable, during the use of the boot, the bending of the predetermined section of the sole to which the anchoring element is affixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Salomon S.A.S.
    Inventor: Thierry Miralles
  • Patent number: 7913786
    Abstract: A battery mounting system includes a generally planar mounting base having at least one slot. The system further includes a generally planar battery tray containing a battery and having at least one guide extending away from a bottom surface of the battery tray. The battery tray slidably engages the mounting base such that the guide engages the slot, the guide and slot cooperating to control the travel of the battery tray with respect to the mounting base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Derik T. Voigt, Eric J. Boettcher
  • Patent number: 7909353
    Abstract: A stroller frame has a front, a back, and a ready for use configuration. The stroller frame includes a spine having a forward end, a rear end, an underside, and a top side. The spine is positioned generally along a center lengthwise axis of the stroller frame with the forward end coinciding with the front of the stroller frame and the rear end elevated above the forward end and coinciding with the back of the stroller frame. A pair of rear legs each has a proximal end coupled to the spine and a distal end located below, laterally outward, and rearward of the respective proximal end. The proximal ends are laterally spaced apart from one another. A pair of support arms each has a proximal end coupled to the spine. Each support arm has a distal end portion located above, laterally outward, and forward of the respective proximal end. A seat is frame coupled to the stroller frame and positioned on the top side of the spine. The stroller can be collapsible in three dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Nolan, Michael A. Dotsey
  • Patent number: 7896362
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a kit for converting a bicycle to a snow bike. The kit comprises an upper member, a lower member and a ski. The upper member is configured for attachment to the wheel dropouts of the bike. The upper and lower members are joined together by a first resilient pivot. The lower member and the ski are joined together by a second resilient pivot. Both the first and second resilient pivots rotate about axes parallel to the axis of the wheel dropouts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Inventor: Brooke Oliver Scatchard
  • Patent number: 7874532
    Abstract: A support foot of an electric grill for the cooking of food products is provided. The support foot includes a height regulator, including a first fixed foot portion suitable for rigid connection to the grill's body, and a second orientable foot portion suitable for supporting the grill on a support plane, the first and respectively second foot portions being hinged one to the other along a hinging axis tilted in relation to the support plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: De'Longhi S.p.A.
    Inventor: Renzo Mazzon
  • Patent number: 7871099
    Abstract: A collapsible pushchair can be expanded into a deployed state for carrying a child and collapsed into a portable state for being carried as a piece of luggage. Transformation of the pushchair between its deployed and portable states is enabled by the use of rotationally mounted chair legs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: 100 Watt Limited
    Inventors: Michael Quinton Gilbertson, Steven James Moore
  • Patent number: 7849945
    Abstract: A powertrain module for a vehicle. The powertrain module comprises a support member. An energy source is disposed within the support member. A motor-driven wheel is rotatably attached to the support member and coupled to the energy source, and a tire is mounted to the motor-driven wheel. The powertrain module is configured to be attached as a unit to a corner portion of a vehicle to provide the vehicle with motive power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Edwin Stuart Ross, VII, Damon Schell
  • Patent number: 7823668
    Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle is arranged such that a driving force of an electric motor can be transmitted to driving wheels and that a rotary shaft of the electric motor can be coupled with an output shaft of an engine. The vehicle comprises a starter motor provided separately from the electric motor, an electric power source provided separately from a battery that supplies power to the electric motor, to supply power to the starter motor, and a braking force maintaining device configured to be activated by power from the power source to maintain a braking force on the vehicle. When a request for starting the engine is made, if a specified abnormal condition which makes the starting of the engine by the electric motor impracticable is detected, an ECU causes the engine to be started by the starter motor when the braking force maintaining device is not active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Ogata, Tatsuo Kiuchi, Kunio Sakata
  • Patent number: 7810597
    Abstract: A concave portion is provided on a front surface side of a counterweight provided in a rear end portion of an upper rotating body in a vertically penetrating state, a battery is housed in the concave portion in a state where a weight of the battery is supported by a body frame, thereby maintenance devices including the battery can be simultaneously given maintenance in a state where a hood is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirokazu Imashige
  • Patent number: 7798500
    Abstract: A foldable stroller having a frame for supporting a child carrier, wherein the frame includes front and rear wheels, a push/pull handle with a right and left push/pull bar, right and left front and rear wheel bars, having discs, which support the front and rear wheels, respectively, a right and left carrier supporting pin, a right coupling member associated with the right front wheel bar and a left coupling member associated with the left front wheel bar. The right push/pull bar and the right supporting pin are fixed so that the right front and rear wheel bar discs can pivot about an axis that runs transverse to the front and rear wheel bars, the push/pull bars and the support pins. The left push/pull bar and the left supporting pin are fixed so that the left front and rear wheel bar discs pivot relative one another about the pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Royalty Bugaboo GmbH
    Inventor: Jacob Geert Arie Den Boer
  • Patent number: 7762363
    Abstract: A motorized beach wagon is disclosed which is convertible from a beach-wagon to a table. The wagon is used for transporting goods and contains a large cargo container with an open top. The undercarriage has a pair of front wheels positioned by a manually controlled yoke to steer the beach wagon. A d-c battery-driven motor drives the rear wheels, and the rechargeable battery thereof is optionally aided by a solar panel. Forward gearing includes low-speed for pavement and hard sand and high-speed for soft sand. A rectangular deck has a pair of table leaves hingedly attached thereto and operable between an open and closed position. The leaves form opposite sides of a cargo container and in the closed position form a table. A pair of container panels attach to the table leaves and deck to form the cargo container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Inventor: Steven L. Hirschfeld
  • Patent number: 7744114
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a push chair for elderly or disabled adults, of the type formed of two tubular sides, with a seat and a backrest with collapsible structure fixed between them, capable of being brought closer and farther by means of two pantograph-shaped crosspieces interposed between them, characterized in that the two sides are simultaneously moved close and folded, in such a way that the front wheel of each side is placed in vertically aligned position above the back wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Ormesa S.R.L.
    Inventor: Luigi Menichini
  • Patent number: 7717467
    Abstract: The drilling of new holes into a vehicle fender fold is avoided by providing a mud flap with a sliding clamping member. When an attachment bolt is slid in a slot formed in the polymeric mud flap body, the sliding clamping member slides with it from a disengaged position to a second position behind the fender fold. A wall integrally formed in the mud flap body prevents rotation of the clamping member as the attachment bolt is rotated, drawing the clamping member forwardly on the threads of the attachment bolt to clamp the fender fold between the sliding clamping member and a stationary clamping member insert-molded into the mud flap body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Inventor: David Iverson
  • Patent number: 7708093
    Abstract: A motorized wheelchair machine with stand-up support capability having independent front drive motors and wheels, drive wheels with axle centerline in vicinity of arches of user's feet, allowing more instinctive and natural maneuvering, simplified lift system using a linear actuator and collapsing parallelogram lifting frame design, for reduced cost and greater comfort. A preferred embodiment includes an onboard electrical cell charger, extendable and retractable charger cord compatible with standard household electrical outlets and an interlock switch that prevents use of the drive motors while charger is plugged into an electrical power receptacle and a novel leg-brace device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Inventor: Russell Marvin Baker
  • Patent number: 7708315
    Abstract: A suspension is provided for mud flaps to be deployed behind wheels of a vehicle. The suspension allows for resilient translation of the mud flaps, such as should they get pinched against a curb and the wheels. A housing is adapted to be coupled to a bumper or other frame portion of the vehicle. The housing supports a spring therein. Cables are coupled to opposite ends of the spring and also to one of the mud flaps. When downward forces are exerted on one of the mud flaps, the cable associated allows the mud flap to translate downward slightly and cause the spring to be extended. When the loads subside, the spring causes the mud flap to return. In one embodiment a single suspension suspends two mud flaps over separate wheels. In a second embodiment, the suspension supports a single mud flap over a single wheel or wheel set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Inventor: Ionel S. Dumitrascu