Patents Examined by Christopher P. Schwartz
  • Patent number: 12379009
    Abstract: A triboelectric generation apparatus based on a friction brake and a friction brake provide a simple structure with high reliability, a stable circuit, and high energy recovery efficiency. The triboelectric generation apparatus includes two sensing electrodes arranged in a first friction component of the friction brake. When the first friction component is in frictional contact with a second friction component, induced electric charges are generated on the two sensing electrodes. The induced electric charges are different. An electric charge collection circuit is connected to the sensing electrodes and is configured to store the induced electric charges. Storing the induced electric charges allows for the recovery of energy using a simple structure with high reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2025
    Assignee: Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Company Limited
    Inventors: Yuan Dai, Jiahua Wang, Jie Lai, Zhengyou Zhang
  • Patent number: 12372130
    Abstract: A brake disc for a friction brake of a transportation vehicle includes a friction portion having at least one friction surface and a fastening portion for fastening to the transportation vehicle, wherein the friction portion and the fastening portion are formed on a base body of gray cast iron or steel, and an anti-wear layer is applied to the friction portion as the friction surface by laser deposition welding. The anti-wear layer on the base body is continued beyond the friction surface into a region that is angled relative to the friction surface, and ends in that region, and is applied in the angled region of the base body with full coverage and without any gaps to the base body. Surface portions outside of the friction surface are provided with an anti-corrosion layer which overlaps the anti-wear layer in the angled region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Daniel Mohwinkel, Markus Harke
  • Patent number: 12372133
    Abstract: This shock absorber includes a first valve assembly connected to one end of a tube in an axial direction, a piston assembly dividing an inner chamber of the tube into a first chamber and a second chamber, a piston rod extending from the tube through the first chamber with the piston assembly connected to an intermediate position in the axial direction, a cup provided in the second chamber, and a second valve assembly disposed in the second chamber to be connected to the piston rod and configured to enter and exit from the cup. The cup includes a sleeve disposed in the second chamber with a gap between itself and the tube in a radial direction, and a base adapter fixed to the sleeve by press fitting and provided between the sleeve and the first valve assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shivanand Sankaran, Sean Lundberg, Jordan Truitt
  • Patent number: 12372132
    Abstract: Various examples of a variable stiffness magnetic spring with a linear stroke length are provided. The stiffness of the magnetic springs is varied through rotation of one or more magnets, and both positive and negative spring constants are achievable. In one example, a variable stiffness magnetic spring includes a first magnetic component and a second magnetic component, wherein the first magnetic component is coaxial with the second magnetic component, the first magnetic component is rotatable about an axis and relative to the second magnetic component to adjust a stiffness of the variable stiffness magnetic spring, and the second magnetic component is translatable along the axis and relative to the first magnetic component. While such variable stiffness magnetic springs exhibit highly linear stroke lengths, such variable stiffness magnetic springs can be positioned in series to achieve an even longer linear stroke length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: Portland State University
    Inventor: Jonathan Bird
  • Patent number: 12372131
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a force transmission apparatus for a disc brake, The apparatus comprises an actuation element, a brake liner arrangement having a brake liner and a carrier plate, and a pressure element. The pressure element has a thickness which extends toward the actuation direction, a length extending in a tangential direction of an associated brake disc in an installed state and a width which extends in a radial direction of an associated brake disc in the installed state. The pressure element has a force input side operationally connected to the actuation element and a force output side. The force output side has contact regions spaced apart from each other and operationally connected to the carrier plate. The force output side has a region which is recessed into the pressure element. The recessed region has a first reinforcement web which connects the contact regions to each other such that the first reinforcement web is not recessed or is recessed less than the recessed region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: ZF ACTIVE SAFETY GMBH
    Inventors: Jason Sauerberg, Felix Hiester
  • Patent number: 12352326
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a brake pad, a brake caliper equipped with the brake pad, and a vehicle equipped with the brake caliper. The brake pad may include two brake pad connectors symmetrically positioned with respect to a center of a brake pad surface and connected to the caliper body by springs. Reliability of a return operation of the brake pad is secured, thereby reducing drag and braking noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bo Ram Yoon, Mun Hwan Byoun
  • Patent number: 12351143
    Abstract: A method for operating a brake system, which comprises hydraulically actuatable wheel brakes with brake linings; a brake fluid reservoir; a master brake cylinder; a pressure supply device with a pressure piston that can be moved into a pressure chamber; an integrated parking brake, wherein, in a normal operating mode, brake pressure is actively built up in the wheel brakes by means of the pressure supply device, and wherein, in a parking operating mode, the integrated applies the brake linings of at least two wheel brakes, and wherein, when the integrated parking brake is released, the application of the linings is withdrawn again, wherein after the integrated parking brake has been released, the brake fluid volume displaced by the integrated parking brake is taken into consideration for the subsequent operation in the normal operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Aleksandar Stanojkovski, Serge Biegler, Michael Wintzer
  • Patent number: 12343570
    Abstract: The invention relates to a descent control device comprising a housing, wherein the housing comprises a rope entrance and a rope exit located at opposite sides of the housing, a channel having at least one curvature of at least 180 degrees, for accommodating the rope internally in the housing, and an element arranged in the center of the curvature, limiting the inner radius of the channel. The element is non-concentrically rotatable between a free position and a stop position, and provided with an arm protruding out through the housing for controlling the rotating between free and stop position. The channel in the curvature is narrower along substantially its whole length when the element is in stop position than in free position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: RAPID RAPPEL TECHNOLOGY AS
    Inventor: Morten Mondahl
  • Patent number: 12339198
    Abstract: A braking device system for a test pendulum arrangement to perform crash test dummy certifications, the braking device system including a braking device configured to brake a moving pendulum, on which a head and neck assembly of a crash test dummy is capable of being arranged, in a lower braking region, wherein the braking device includes a plunger configured to be actuated axially by a motor arrangement which is designed to come into contact with the pendulum in a defined braking region and to brake the pendulum by a braking force exerted by the plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: ATD-LabTech GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Pfeifer, Christoph Szingsnis
  • Patent number: 12330615
    Abstract: A method and a system for decelerating a single-track motor vehicle, includes using a control unit to determine a total torque of a wheel of the motor vehicle required for a desired riding maneuver, in particular a controlled slip of a rear wheel, determine, a braking partial torque and a motor partial torque as a function of the total torque required, and generate the braking partial torque on the wheel by controlling a brake system of the motor vehicle and generating the motor partial torque on the wheel by controlling a motor of the motor vehicle The invention further includes a single-track motor vehicle configured to execute the decelerating method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Florian Huelsmann, Andreas Lorch
  • Patent number: 12330740
    Abstract: Example bicycle suspension components are described herein. An example suspension component includes a first tube and a second tube configured in a telescopic arrangement and defining an interior space, and a damper in the interior space. The damper includes a damper body defining a chamber, a damper member in the chamber, and a shaft coupled to the damper member. The example suspension component also includes an isolator coupling the shaft to a bottom end of the second tube, the isolator including an elastomeric member to absorb vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: SRAM, LLC
    Inventors: Tim Lynch, Skyler Teachout
  • Patent number: 12330459
    Abstract: A three-port adjuster for a vehicle suspension damper is described. The three-port adjuster includes a first port to provide a fluid flow path to a compression region of a damping cylinder, a second port to provide a fluid flow path to a rebound region of a damping cylinder, a third port to provide a fluid flow path to a reservoir chamber, and at least one valve to control a fluid flow therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventor: Ivan Tong
  • Patent number: 12331801
    Abstract: A stator disk assembly for a brake assembly is disclosed. The stator disk assembly includes at least a pair lugs with a recess disposed therebetween, along with a separate stator clip that is separately mounted on each of the lugs. The stator clips are configured such that a spline of a torque plate barrel that is disposed in the recess will contact only the stator disk and not either of the stator clips in at least certain conditions (e.g., during a braking operation). For instance, each of the two ends of each stator clip may be recessed back from the adjacent-most sidewall of the lug on which the stator clip is mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alan M. Bonifas, Matthew Ryan O'Neil, Christopher E. Wright
  • Patent number: 12326178
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vibration damper for connecting two devices to one another, in particular an engine to an environment (100) of the engine, for example a car body, wherein the vibration damper includes a damping section (20) and a fastening section (10), wherein the mounting portion (10) is formed with first and second pipe socket portions (14) having a flange (12), and wherein the damping portion (20) at least partially surrounds the fastening portion (10) at the outer surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: Sumitomo Riko Company Limited
    Inventors: Sabine Protzmann, Martin Gromes
  • Patent number: 12326176
    Abstract: A ball screw assembly having a ball screw nut including an outer surface, an inner surface defining a central bore, and a ball track defined by the inner surface, a ball screw shaft including an outer surface defining a ball track, the ball screw shaft being disposed in the central bore so that the two ball tracks form a ball raceway, a first stopper disposed at a first end of the ball screw nut within the ball raceway, a plurality of main balls forming a ball train disposed in the ball raceway, a main spring assembly disposed in the ball raceway between a first end of the ball train and the first stopper, and a strain sensing element affixed to a flat surface portion defined by the outer surface of the ball screw nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: JTEKT Bearings North America LLC
    Inventors: Justin Brubaker, Robert Lukasiewicz
  • Patent number: 12319253
    Abstract: A parking brake apparatus is provided for a vehicle including a vehicle drive train that extends between a vehicle propulsion engine and a vehicle wheel. The parking brake apparatus comprises a wheel drum located away from the vehicle wheel and fixedly attached to a drivetrain shaft that extends along a portion of the vehicle drive train between the vehicle propulsion engine and the vehicle wheel. The parking brake apparatus also comprises activatable drum brake components disposed in an interior chamber of the wheel drum. When activated, the drum brake components apply a clamping force to the wheel drum to prevent the wheel drum and the drivetrain shaft fixedly attached thereto from rotating and thereby preventing the vehicle wheel from rotating to provide the vehicle with a parking brake functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignees: KNORR BREMSE SYSTEME FÜR NUTZFAHRZEUGE GMBH, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
    Inventors: William Plow, Hans Baumgartner, Zsombor Gyorke, János Tóth, Sven Krueger, Levente Hos, Michael Blessing, Andreas Buch
  • Patent number: 12319262
    Abstract: A brake system includes a reservoir and a master cylinder operable to provide a brake signal responsive to actuation of a brake pedal connected thereto. A power transmission unit is configured for selectively providing pressurized hydraulic fluid for actuating at least one of the pair of front wheel brakes and the pair of rear wheel brakes in a normal non-failure braking mode. A plurality of iso/dump valve arrangements are each hydraulically interposed between the power transmission unit and a corresponding one of the wheel brakes. A plurality of two-position three-way valves are each hydraulically connected with the master cylinder, the power transmission unit, and at least a selected wheel brake of the pair of front wheel brakes. The three-way valves selectively control hydraulic fluid flow from a chosen one of the master cylinder and the power transmission unit to the corresponding one of the front wheel brakes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: ZF ACTIVE SAFETY US INC.
    Inventor: Blaise J. Ganzel
  • Patent number: 12320398
    Abstract: A brake system comprising a torque limiter assembly that sets a torque limit and associated with an electromechanical actuation system. The torque limiter assembly comprises a ring gear meshed with two or more planetary gears, the ring gear comprising a first race extending circumferentially therearound. The torque limiter assembly comprises a pre-loaded member comprising a second race extending circumferentially therearound. Balls are engaged between the first and second races. The first and/or second races comprise a series of peaks and valleys, and slopes extending therebetween. Below the torque limit, the balls are engaged within the valleys causing the ring gear to remain rotationally captive and the planetary gears to orbit. At and above the torque limit, the balls slip over the peaks, causing the ring gear to rotate and the planetary gears to remain orbitally captive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Aurelian Bahmata
  • Patent number: 12313135
    Abstract: The invention relates to a brake disk (3), which has at least one thermal conduction layer (4, 6) with a thermal conductivity and specific thermal resistivity that can be graduated, the thermal conduction layer consisting of at least two different materials or of a varying layer thickness, thereby graduating the thermal conductivity or the thermal resistivity within the thermal conduction layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: C4 Laser Technology GmbH
    Inventor: Tilo Steinmeier
  • Patent number: 12313133
    Abstract: Disk brake including a brake caliper and an application device arranged therein for applying force to the brake pads of the disk brake, wherein a component of the application device is a brake lever which can be actuated by a force element and preferably by a pressure cylinder and is composed of a lever arm against which the force element is supported and an application shaft. The application shaft is supported, on one side, against a pressure piece operating in the direction of the brake pads and, on the other side, with the interposition of a shell, against a channel arranged on the inside of the brake caliper, wherein the curvature of the shell is complementary to the curvature of the channel. In order to develop the disk brake and the shell assembly by constructive measures so as to prevent the shell assembly from moving out of the original position even in the case of long-term use and under frequent load caused by braking, an opening of a bore is located in the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: BPW Bergische Achesen Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Pehle, Thomas Klaas, Andreas Steffen