Patents Examined by Daniel Yabut
  • Patent number: 9296371
    Abstract: A position adjustable pedal may include a pedal member configured to be fixedly mounted on a vehicle body and have a front end with a hinge shaft and a plurality of insertion holes formed around the hinge shaft, a switch bracket configured to be rotatably mounted on the hinge shaft of the pedal member, provided with at least one fixing hole corresponding to the plurality of insertion holes, and fixed to the pedal member by a fixing pin inserted into any one of the plurality of insertion holes and any one of the at least one fixing hole, and a pedal arm configured to be rotatably mounted on the same hinge shaft as the switch bracket, provided with a plurality of clevis holes corresponding to a clevis extending from a booster, and connected to the booster by a clevis pin inserted into any one of the plurality of clevis holes and the clevis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Jeong Seon Min
  • Patent number: 9298209
    Abstract: A pedal apparatus for a vehicle includes a pedal bracket fixed to a dashboard, a cowl bracket fixed to a cowl panel, and a pedal arm hinge-coupled to the pedal bracket and having a reverse-swivel protrusion and a pedal on both sides of the pedal arm. Also, a reverse-swivel lever is hinge-coupled to the pedal bracket, and on an upper side of the reverse-swivel lever has an extension extending upwards and being positioned in front of the cowl bracket, and, on a lower side of the reverse-swivel lever has a reverse-swivel pin positioned below the reverse-swivel protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Dong Hee Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eun Sik Kim, Jeong Seon Min, Yang Rae Cho, Sung Il Lee, Wi Sang Park
  • Patent number: 9291247
    Abstract: A roller tappet intended for use a) in a high pressure fuel pump; b) in a valve train of an internal combustion engine; c) in an engine such as an axial piston engine or a radial piston engine; or d) generally for a pump/compressor of an axial piston type or of a radial piston type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Stefan Dorn, Norbert Geyer
  • Patent number: 9278671
    Abstract: A parking brake apparatus includes: a braking member; a ratchet having a plurality of serrations and disposed on one of the braking member and a vehicle body-side member; a pawl rotatably disposed via a pawl pin on the other; and a pawl-urging spring. At start of braking, every time the pawl relatively climbs over the serration, the pawl is brought into contact with a non-locking surface side of the serration in accordance with an urging force of the pawl-urging spring. The pawl has a triangular engagement tooth that is inserted into a tooth groove of the ratchet, and a second side end surface facing the non-locking surface is covered with a synthetic resin except a tip portion of the engagement tooth. The non-locking surface is a concave surface concaved so as to be recessed from a straight line connecting a tooth tip and a tooth bottom of the serration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Toyoda Iron Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Nagata
  • Patent number: 9272725
    Abstract: A steering wheel for a motor vehicle, with a steering wheel base body and a jacket that comprises at least one strip surrounding the steering wheel base body on the outer circumference. A first free end of the at least one strip is held in position securely in a groove formed in the steering wheel base body. A second free end of the at least one strip is also held in position securely in a groove formed in the base body of the steering wheel. In addition, the invention concerns a process for the production of such a steering wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Schipek GmbH
    Inventor: Christoph Pekari
  • Patent number: 9272748
    Abstract: A single motor system for automatically changing the height and tilt angle of handlebars on a vehicle. The inventive system includes a first shaft; a solenoid for translating the first shaft along a first axis from a first position to a second position; a first motor for rotating the shaft about the axis in the first and the second positions; an arrangement for rotating the payload about a second axis, in response of the rotational motion of the shaft, when the shaft is in the first position; and a gear set for converting the rotational motion of the shaft in the second position to translational motion of a payload coupled thereto along a third axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Inventor: Paul Oravecz
  • Patent number: 9267538
    Abstract: The finishing process is applied to a surface of a roller 8 constituting a cam follower unit by the barrel finishing. When a position of a highest portion out of fine roughnesses existing on the surface is assumed as an outermost surface position, an occupation ratio of a sectional area of a virtual plane in a plane direction at a portion that is positioned at a depth of 2.0 ?m from the outermost surface position to an area of an overall surface of a portion that contacts the other member is set to 90% or more. With this configuration, a tough oil film can be formed between the surface of the roller 8 and the other member, and also the improvement of durability of a member such as the roller 8, or the like, which contacts the other member via a rolling contact or a sliding contact, can be achieved at a low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kadokawa, Noriyuki Takeo
  • Patent number: 9220398
    Abstract: The present invention relates, generally, to the reduction or elimination of permanent and catastrophic herniations in Bowden cables or coil pipes in articulating devices or snake-like robots. More particularly, the present invention relates managing the coil pipes in a spiral pattern along the articulating device or snake-like robot to reduce or eliminate the necessity of the Bowden cables or coil pipes to slide along the length of the articulating device or snake-like robot. Reduction or elimination of the necessity for the Bowden cables or coil pipes to slide reduces or eliminates catastrophic herniations in articulating devices or snake-like robots undergoing one or more articulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Robert Woodley, Joshua Oen, Aaron Brown, Chris Julian, Keith P. Laby, Wade Keller, Lawrence Kerver, Marc Kreidler, Scott Reiner, Katherine Whitin
  • Patent number: 9199688
    Abstract: A bicycle control device is provided with a main support shaft, a first control unit and a second control unit. Each of the control units includes a wire takeup element, a positioning structure and an operating member. The wire takeup elements are both rotatably mounted on the main support shaft. The positioning structures are operatively coupled to their respective wire takeup elements to selectively maintain their respective wire takeup elements in one of at least two positions. The operating members are operatively coupled to their respective positioning structure to change a current position of their respective wire takeup element. The first wire takeup element is stationary when the second operating member is operated to change the current position of the second wire takeup element such that the current position of the first wire takeup element always remains the same in response to operation of the second operating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Satoshi Shahana
  • Patent number: 9187147
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device for synchronously actuating at least two independent controlled apparatuses at two sides of the bottom bracket of the bicycle through a driving process. The independent controlled apparatuses can be foldable pedals or quick-disassembling pedals or foldable cranks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Inventor: Dongjun Wang
  • Patent number: 9181976
    Abstract: The invention provides a bearing sleeve and method of forming a sleeve having at least one window whose edge boundary has a first apex region and a second apex region situated opposite one another in the sleeve longitudinal direction. In order to prevent chip formation when pressing the bearing sleeve into a bearing housing, it is provided that, in at least one apex region, the edge boundary forms an angle ??90° with the sleeve longitudinal direction of the bearing sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Wiesbaden GmbH
    Inventor: Guido Schoneich
  • Patent number: 9174701
    Abstract: A bicycle pedal with automatic attachment and detachment, the pedal having a body (2) rotating on a spindle (3) with a front stop (4) suitable for engaging with a mating stop surface (5) located on a cleat (6) fixed to the sole of the shoe of the user, and a retaining member (9) rotating about a hinge axis parallel to the pedal axis and able to be applied by an elastic return to the cleat to lock the cleat to the pedal. The elastic return means comprises a flexing element (B, 18), one end of which is housed in the pedal body, and the other end of which bears against the retaining member (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: TIME SPORT INTERNATIONAL
    Inventors: Hervé Servignat, Jean-François De Bast
  • Patent number: 9174700
    Abstract: A control device for a derailleur of a bicycle is described, comprising a support body, a cable-winding bush supported for rotation with respect to the support body, an indexer mechanism housed in the support body and suitable for controlling the angular position of the cable-winding bush, and a single manual actuation lever, the indexer mechanism comprising a toothed wheel integral in rotation with the cable-winding bush and having a first and a second plurality of slanting teeth, a first pawl integral with a driven arm of the lever and brought into thrusting engagement upon the first teeth while the lever is manually moved in a first direction beyond a predetermined rotation threshold, and a second pawl driven out of retention engagement with the second teeth by the driven arm of the lever while the lever is manually moved in the first direction up to the predetermined rotation threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Campagnolo S.r.l.
    Inventors: Giuseppe Dal Pra', Marco Caiazzo
  • Patent number: 9168943
    Abstract: The invention discloses a steering device comprising a support structure having a central hole and at least two handgrips, at least one of these being mobile, placed in distal positions compared to the central hole and tied to the support structure by means of pivots. The mobile handgrip is rotatable around an axis substantially orthogonal to the plane of the support structure, so as to manually apply thereto a rotating motion around the axis of the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Nardi-Personal Spa
    Inventor: Bruno Greppi
  • Patent number: 9156518
    Abstract: A cable operating mechanism is basically provided with a fixed member, a wire takeup member, a wire pulling member and a movement transmission member. The wire takeup member is movably mounted with respect to the fixed member about a first pivot axis to move between a plurality of predetermined wire positions. The wire takeup member includes a wire attachment part. The wire pulling member is movably mounted with respect to the fixed member. The movement transmission member is pivotally mounted with respect to the fixed member about a second pivot axis that is offset from the first pivot axis. The movement transmission member is operatively coupled to the wire pulling member and the wire takeup member such that a movement of the wire pulling member is transmitted to the wire takeup member via the movement transmission member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Patent number: 9145932
    Abstract: A ratchet wheel for a tightener in the field of mechanics, which addresses the problems existing in conventional tighteners where the ratchet wheel tends to be shifted to offset or dislocate the reel. The ratchet wheel for the tightener includes a wheel body which is of a round-disk shape and has several ratchets along the edge thereof. Axial holes are set at the wheel body to pass the reel. Connecting parts are disposed at the ends of the axial holes to protrude vertically from the end face of the ratchet wheel. The connecting parts could be embedded onto the handle or support of the tightener. The ratchet wheel for the tightener is equipped with the advantages such as firm connection and high reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Zhejiang Topsun Logistic Control Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhaoyin Xiao
  • Patent number: 9140353
    Abstract: An actuating device is provided that includes an actuating element (1) with at least three switching positions. The actuating device (1) can be deflected starting from its basic positions at least in one direction into an intermediate switching position for selecting an operating state of the technical system. For selecting at least one other operating state of the technical system, the actuating element (1) can be deflected, starting from an intermediate switching position, into at least one other switching position that is located farther away from the basic position. The undesired jumping of the actuating element over intermediate switching positions, during switching, is effectively prevented from occurring. An intuitively detectable tactile feedback of the switching state of the actuating element or of the state of the system is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Joerg Meyer, Andreas Giefer
  • Patent number: 9090307
    Abstract: Disclosed are grips and methods of making grips for use with the handle of an article, and in particular for use with bicycle handles. The grip preferably includes a multi-layered gripping member. The outer layer of the gripping member preferably includes a thin layer saturated by polyurethane. The outer layer of the gripping member can be attached to an inner base layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Inventor: Ben Huang
  • Patent number: 9085336
    Abstract: A bicycle operating device basically has a fixed member, a movable member, a positioning mechanism, a first pivoting member and a second pivoting member. The positioning mechanism is operatively arranged to selectively maintain the movable member in any one of a plurality of holding positions. The first pivoting member is pivotally mounted with respect to the fixed member to pivot about a first axis to operatively engage the positioning mechanism. The second pivoting member is pivotally mounted with respect to the fixed member to pivot about a second axis that is offset from the first axis. The second pivoting member includes first and second contacting parts for selectively contacting the first pivoting member at different radial positions causing the first pivoting member to pivot in response to pivotally movement of the second pivoting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Kawakami
  • Patent number: 9079492
    Abstract: An accelerator pedal device having a pedal arm working in conjunction with an accelerating pedal, a housing to rotatably support the pedal arm around a prescribed pivot axis line between a rest position and a maximum applied position, a hysteresis generation mechanism that comes in contact with the vicinity of an upper end of the pedal arm to generate hysteresis in a pedal force of the accelerator pedal, and an active control mechanism to push back the pedal arm toward the rest position under prescribed conditions between the pivot axis line and the hysteresis generation mechanism. The active control mechanism includes a drive source provided in the housing, and a return lever that is rotated in the same direction as the direction of the swinging of the pedal arm in conjunction with the drive source and is detachably engaged with the vicinity of the upper end of the pedal arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignees: MIKUNI CORPORATION, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Osawa, Masato Kumamoto, Kouji Kikuchi, Tsuyoshi Shimizu, Hisashi Kawade, Hiromutsu Touhachi