Patents Examined by Daniel S Yeagley
  • Patent number: 10435064
    Abstract: A steering system for a vehicle includes a fluid pump, an actuator in selective fluid communication with the fluid pump, a hydrostatic steering system and an electro-hydraulic steering system. The hydrostatic steering system includes a fluid controller having a first proportional valve in fluid communication with the fluid pump and a fluid meter in fluid communication with the first proportional valve and the actuator. The electro-hydraulic steering system includes a second proportional valve in selective fluid communication with the fluid pump and the actuator. The second proportional valve is disposed in parallel to the first proportional valve. The electro-hydraulic steering circuit further includes a load-reaction switching valve assembly disposed in series with the first proportional valve of the hydrostatic steering system. The load-reaction switching valve allows fluid communication between the actuator and the fluid controller when the first proportional valve is in a neutral position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER, LTD.
    Inventor: Aaron Kelly Krahn
  • Patent number: 10427519
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a tank having an outer surface, and panels of insulative material. The panels positioned over substantially the entire outer surface of the tank and extend adjacent to one another to form seams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Scott N. Clark, Kenneth J. Carter, Steven T. Rieck
  • Patent number: 10421516
    Abstract: A vehicle in which traveling can be stabilized and the risk of overturning can be reduced, a vehicle with a pair of first suspension arms, a pair of second suspension arms connected to the pair of first suspension arms via a pair of joints, a pair of shock absorbers for connecting the pair of first suspension arms and pair of second suspension arms, a pair of forks as to allow turning about a steering axis with respect to the pair of second suspension arms, a pair of front wheels arranged on the pair of forks, a vehicle body to which the pair of front wheels are included, and a leaning part for leaning the vehicle body. The tread width increases as the vehicle body is leaned by the leaning part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keizo Araki
  • Patent number: 10406875
    Abstract: A protective sealing plug system for towing hitch receivers is provided having a main body for fittingly engaging within the cavity of a towing hitch receiver. The body is formed of a resilient or flexible material that retain oils or other corrosion inhibiting substances and hold them in place against the inside of the female receiver tube. A mechanism for urging the flexible material to compress slightly and, in the process, expand slightly allows the main body to be engaged within the hitch receiver in a manner that both prevents access by outside elements, but also prevents egress of the main body from the hitch receiver until desired by the user. When installed in the female hitch receiver, the expansion of the resilient body will seal the female receiver tube and prevent the ingress of water, dirt or other damaging elements. Retraction of the resilient body will cause the flexible body to retract, allowing removal from the receiver hitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Inventor: Steven Hugh Porath
  • Patent number: 10406876
    Abstract: A protective sealing plug system for towing hitch receivers is provided having a main body for fittingly engaging within the cavity of a towing hitch receiver. The body is formed of a series of aligned segments each formed of a resilient or flexible material that retain oils or other corrosion inhibiting substances and hold them in place against the inside of the female receiver tube. A mechanism for urging the flexible material to compress slightly and, in the process, each segment expands slightly to allow engagement within the hitch receiver in a manner that both prevents access by outside elements, but also prevents egress of the main body from the hitch receiver until desired by the user. When installed in the female hitch receiver, the expansion of the resilient body will seal the female receiver tube and prevent the ingress of water, dirt or other damaging elements. Retraction of the resilient body will cause the flexible body to retract, allowing removal from the receiver hitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Inventor: Steven Hugh Porath
  • Patent number: 10369919
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a multimodal transportation apparatus for passenger transportation. The multimodal transportation apparatus comprises a passenger car. According to the disclosure, the multimodal transportation apparatus contains a motorcycle that is equipped with, and can be driven by an electric motor, and a securing apparatus to releasably fixedly secure the motorcycle to the passenger car. The motorcycle is arranged between a driver seat and a passenger seat, as seen in a direction of travel, in a secured operating state. At least a portion of a center console serves to support at least one body part of a rider of the motorcycle in an operating state, wherein the motorcycle is detached from the passenger car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Van Bebber, Hans Guenter Quix, Andreas Schmitt
  • Patent number: 10369064
    Abstract: A step-climbing attachment for a wheeled chair, the attachment comprising a first wheel having at least a hub and a rim spaced from the hub, the hub and rim defining an inner region, a second wheel having a different diameter than the first wheel, and the second wheel being rotatably mounted to an extending arm, the extending arm being movable relative to the first wheel between a first position and at least one second position by a controllable mechanism, wherein the controllable mechanism is housed at least partially within the inner region of the first wheel, wherein the second wheel is driven by rotation of the first wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: MOBILITY 2000 (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED
    Inventor: Michael Behrens
  • Patent number: 10370028
    Abstract: Provided is a power steering device capable of causing control that uses a pump device and control that uses an electric motor on an input shaft to cooperate with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE STEERING SYSTEM JAPAN LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Matsumura, Masaki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10328989
    Abstract: Provided is a horse-riding bicycle in which a horse-riding effect is obtained by performing both normal driving and horse-riding driving (swinging driving), a user is allowed to simply switch a driving mode between a normal driving mode and a horse-riding driving mode, and a horse-riding driving structure is improved to have a simple structure so that a reduction in costs is achieved and, further, a switching operation between the normal driving mode and the horse-riding driving mode is smoothly performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Inventor: In Tae Kang
  • Patent number: 10322769
    Abstract: A straddled vehicle includes a straddled vehicle body, a front wheel that supports the vehicle body, a rear wheel that supports the vehicle body, a front wheel electric motor that imparts a driving force to the front wheel, a rear wheel electric motor that imparts a driving force to the rear wheel, a front wheel motor drive unit that drives the front wheel electric motor, a rear wheel motor drive unit that drives the rear wheel electric motor, and a control unit. The control unit is programmed to provide a front wheel drive command to the front wheel motor drive unit and to provide a rear wheel drive command, differing from the front wheel drive command, to the rear wheel motor drive unit so as to provide a time difference in changes of the driving forces of the front wheel electric motor and the rear wheel electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10315723
    Abstract: A rack-driven seated handcycle is a semi-recumbent style two, three, or four wheeled human powered cycle that uses a linearly designed toothed rack with teeth located on the topside and bottom side of the rack, and a gear that meshes with the top teeth and a gear that meshes with the bottom teeth, at least one ratchet mechanism, and a chain coupling the upper and lower gears with the drive wheel which may be located in front or back of the rider. The rider pushes and pulls the “handlebars” forward and rearward to pull the rack back and forth in relation to the pinions above and below the toothed rack to drive chain(s) to propel the cycle forward. Each forward and each rearward stroke may constitute a power stroke to propel the cycle. A plurality of gear speeds is able to independently select a lever ratio for each of the forward and the rearward strokes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Inventor: Jeremy David Bricker
  • Patent number: 10299973
    Abstract: A motorized wheelchair for disabled or elderly users has a frame, a seat for the disabled driver, a handlebar, a motor provided with an acceleration apparatus, a wheel assembly and a braking apparatus of the wheels. The wheelchair has a dual-action control device that is capable of being interfaced with the acceleration apparatus of the motor and with the braking apparatus of the wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Inventor: Giovanni Conte
  • Patent number: 10293676
    Abstract: A two-wheeled vehicle is provided. The two-wheeled vehicle includes a chassis having a height, a length and a width, a first wheel rotatably connected to the chassis, the first wheel having a perimeter, a diameter and a geometric center, and the diameter of the first wheel being at least 75% of the height of the chassis, a motor for providing a drive energy to the first wheel, an axle rotated by the motor, a drive gear connected with the axle such that the drive gear rotates with a rotation of the axle, and a plurality of teeth disposed about the first wheel and mechanically engaged with the drive gear at a location closer to the perimeter of the first wheel than to the geometric center of the first wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: PIAGGIO FAST FORWARD, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Schnapp, Gregory Stewart Lynn, Joshua Eldred Elvander, Sasha Priya Hoffman, Suhas Subhaschandra Malghan, Nazareth V. Ekmekjian, Rossitza Dimitrova Kotelova, Bethanne Altringer, Jamar A. Bromley
  • Patent number: 10279638
    Abstract: A dump truck safety light device for a transfer dump truck system. The dump truck safety light device is coupled to a trailer reach or tongue. The dump truck safety light device is configured to be in a raised configuration or in a lowered configuration. The dump truck safety light device announces the presence of a trailer reach to another vehicle that is following slightly behind a dump truck in the next lane to the left. Without the dump truck safety light device, the trailer reach would be hidden to the driver of the other vehicle in a blind spot created by the passenger door of the other vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Inventor: Eric Dale Erickson
  • Patent number: 10279836
    Abstract: A steering system includes: a steering shaft to which a steering member is coupled; a worm wheel attached to the steering shaft so as to be rotatable integrally with the steering shaft; a housing that houses the worm wheel; an output shaft that is coaxial with the steering shaft and rotatable relative to the steering shaft and coupled to a steering operation mechanism; and a clutch mechanism that enables and disables transmission of power between the steering shaft and the output shaft. The clutch mechanism is housed and disposed in an internal space in the housing. A solenoid in the clutch mechanism is disposed on the opposite side of the worm wheel in an axial direction from a mechanical portion of the clutch mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiko Shiina
  • Patent number: 10258521
    Abstract: An electric locomotion apparatus including a dynamically stabilized vehicle including two wheels, the vehicle including a pivot arranged along a longitudinal axis and rotatable about the longitudinal axis. The pivot is configured to transfer a steering control to the wheels. A seat is positioned on the vehicle, wherein the seat is configured to accommodate a user affected by motor disability of the lower limbs, the seat being tiltable sideways by a lateral shift of the user's weight. The locomotion apparatus further includes one or more transmission device arranged between the seat and the pivot, the transmission device configured to transfer a tilting movement of the seat to the pivot. A first rod and a second rod can be centrally pivoted together, the second rod pivotally fixed to the vehicle, and the seat being associated with a second end of the first rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Marioway S.R.L.
    Inventors: Mario Vigentini, Massimo Ghidelli, Stefano Martinelli
  • Patent number: 10252588
    Abstract: A trailer hitch system for improving the speed and safety of attaching the trailer to a tow vehicle. The hitch may include a shank that may be attached to the trailer through a ball hitch. A receiver may be provided on the tow vehicle such that attachment of the trailer to the tow vehicle may be accomplished by introducing the shank into the receiver when the tow vehicle is backed to the trailer. A funnel shaped guide member may be provided to facilitate aligning the shank with the receiver. Also, friction reducing rollers may be used with the shank or the receiver. Moreover, a height adjustment and visual guidance system may be included to facilitate connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Progress Mfg. Inc.
    Inventor: Gary M. Scott
  • Patent number: 10252589
    Abstract: A trailer coupling for a towing vehicle, having a coupling carrier, which includes, in particular, a coupling arm and at whose free end a coupling body, in particular, a coupling ball is arranged for connecting a trailer, and which coupling carrier is fixedly or movably arranged on a mount which is or can be attached to the towing vehicle, and having a sensor arrangement which has at least one sensor and has the purpose of sensing a traction force and/or thrust force which can be caused by a traction load acting on the coupling element during a traction operation of the trailer and of outputting a force signal representing the traction force and/or thrust force, and having an evaluation device for determining a trailer mass value of the trailer on the basis of the force signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: WESTFALIA-AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Bernhard Sielhorst
  • Patent number: 10252767
    Abstract: In one example, a structure for attaching a wheel to one of a frame of a motorcycle or a bicycle may include an axle having first and second opposing end portions and supporting a wheel, a left axle support collar structure configured to support the first opposing end portion of the axle, and a right axle support collar structure configured to support the second opposing end portion of the axle. A first bearing is positioned in the left axle support collar structure, and a second bearing is positioned in the left axle support collar structure. The axle rotates relative to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Yeti Cycling, LLC
    Inventor: Steven W. Hoogendoorn
  • Patent number: 10252768
    Abstract: A mountain bike comprises: —a frame (10); —a rear wheel (2) having its axle mounted in rear dropouts (16) of the frame; —a front wheel (3) having its axle mounted in front dropouts (18) of the frame; —a pedal set (20) comprising a spindle mounted for rotation in a bottom bracket shell (19) of the frame, two cranks (22) mounted at the opposite ends of the spindle, and two pedals (21) mounted for rotation at the free ends of the respective cranks; wherein each crank (22) has a crank length L of 164 mm or less; wherein the bottom bracket shell (19) has a Practical Bracket Height PBH of 294 mm or less, wherein PBH=BH??·(?·FST+(1??)·RST), wherein BH indicates bracket height, FST indicates Front Suspension Travel, and RST indicates Rear Suspension Travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Inventors: Johannes Marie Quirinus Goes, Pascal Tribotté