Patents Examined by David Fenstermacher
  • Patent number: 7107872
    Abstract: An improved auxiliary actuator for the engine of a remote control car is installed at one side of the engine of the remote control car and comprises a driving gear set and a driven gear set. The driving gear set includes a housing, which includes a hollow shaft sheath with a shaft connecting by a 45° angle to a side of the periphery of the housing. A connector is provided on the top of the shaft, while a driving bevel gear is provided at the bottom of the shaft and positioned inside of the housing. The driven gear set includes a cover provided above the housing. The cover has a through hole for receiving a one-way bearing which has a pivot inside. A driven bevel gear being engaged with the driving bevel gear is provided at one end of the pivot, while the other end of the pivot is connected to the engine drive. Accordingly, the engine of the remote control car can be actuated easily and promptly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Inventor: Daimler Chu
  • Patent number: 7107871
    Abstract: A crown gear assembly including a crown gear which is rotatably supported around a first axis (A1) and which forms teeth (13) which are provided with flanks (14, 15) whose mantle lines extend substantially radially relative to the axis (A1), as well as a pinion (21) which is rotatably supported around a second axis (A2) extending perpendicularly relative to the first axis (A1), and which forms teeth (23) which are provided with flanks whose mantle lines extend substantially parallel relative to the axis (A2), wherein, on the radial outside of the teeth (13) of the crown gear, the pinion (21) is provided with a collar (25) which is adapted to contact a circumferential face of the crown gear (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: GKN Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Colin Zaers, Bernd Constantin
  • Patent number: 7108104
    Abstract: A lubricant applicator for disposing lubricant onto a metal surface. The lubricant applicator generally includes a combination holder and dispenser. Lubricant is disposed from the same portion of the combination holder and dispenser as the lubricant was inserted, in the rear portion of the combination holder and dispenser. A dispensing system applies constant force to the rear portion of the combination holder and dispenser so that lubricant is disposed from the rear portion and out of the front portion of the combination holder and dispenser. Lubricant, generally in the form of a stick, can therefore be easily replaced without removing the applicator from its location or without removing its mounting arrangement. Various applications and mounting arrangements for the lubricant applicator are disclosed, as is a method for providing a lubricant applicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Inventors: Michael J Mitrovich, Bernard L. Boyer
  • Patent number: 7104151
    Abstract: An actuator is provided with an output shaft connected to a driving gear, a pair of cam followers turned by the shaft and driving the cams held on driven shafts urging members held in housings of the driving gear, a rotation retaining plate mounted on the output shaft so that the rotation retaining plate cannot be rotated relatively to the output shaft, a plurality of pressing parts formed on the rotation retaining plate so as to project therefrom, and slits for preventing the driving gear and pressing parts from interfering with each other. The rotation of the driving gear is transmitted to the output shaft via the springs and rotation retaining plate. When the rotation of the driving gear is continued with the output shaft locked and stopped, one of both end portions of each spring is pressed by the corresponding pressing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Jidosha Denki Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Inoue, Kenji Taguchi
  • Patent number: 7104919
    Abstract: A toroidal-type continuously variable transmission, has: first and second disks; a plurality of trunnions; a plurality of displacement shafts respectively supported on associated trunnions; a plurality of power rollers respectively interposed between the first and second disks; and, a plurality of thrust bearings respectively interposed between the power rollers and trunnions, each of the thrust bearings including an outer ring, an inner raceway formed in the outer end face of the power roller, a plurality of rolling elements, and a circular-ring-shaped retainer, wherein, in case where the density of a retainer material constituting the retainer is ?d, the elastic modulus of the retainer material is Ed, the density of rolling element materials is ?c and the elastic modulus of the rolling element materials is Ec, { ( ? d · E d ) / ( ? c · E c ) } 1 2 ? 0.6 is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kato, Hirotoshi Aramaki, Shinichi Natsumeda
  • Patent number: 7104152
    Abstract: A haptic shift device for use in shift-by-wire systems in vehicles. The haptic shift device includes a shift lever manipulatable by a user. At least one sensor detects a position of the shift lever, and a transmission gear of the vehicle is caused to be changed based on the position of the shift lever. At least one electrically-controlled actuator outputs a force on the shift lever. In some embodiments, the shift lever is moveable within a pattern and is blocked from areas outside the boundaries of the pattern. The actuator(s) can be active or passive, and/or a variable mechanical gate can be used to implement the pattern. Provided shifting modes can include automatic, manual, and/or sequential modes. Other shifting modes can also be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Immersion Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Levin, Steven P. Vassallo
  • Patent number: 7104153
    Abstract: Pipes and/or wires extend in a bundle from a hollow portion of a second wrist element to a hollow portion of first wrist element of a robot. The first wrist element can rotate relatively to the second wrist element around an axis that passes through the two hollow portions. This bundle is divided into a plurality of split bundles in the hollow portion of the first wrist element. The split bundles are led out individually through a plurality of openings in the sidewall of the first wrist element and are connected to a working unit on a flange portion of the first wrist element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Fanuc LTD
    Inventors: Kuniyasu Matsumoto, Hiroshi Nakagawa, Masahiro Morioka, Masaaki Uematsu
  • Patent number: 7100468
    Abstract: A split torque gearbox having multiple input shafts. Each input shaft is connected to two face gears. Each face gear is connected to two quill shafts, one is coaxially mounted and the second is not coaxially mounted. Of the two quill shafts, one is positioned on a first side of an output stage and a second quill shaft is located on a second side of the output stage and the quill shafts are connected thereto. The output stage is connected to a main shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Yuriy Gmirya, Harsh Vinayak, David Andrew Binney, Lawrence Mark Zunski, Vincent F. Millea
  • Patent number: 7100466
    Abstract: An angular velocity profile generator [22,24] comprising an input shaft [46], an output shaft [56], a universal joint coupling the shafts by pivot pins [70,75] situated on two pivot axes which are normal to one another, means [49] in the joint for varying the path of rotation of the pin [70] relatively to that of the pin [75], a first control arrangement [32] for varying the angle between the shafts and a second control arrangement [84], external to the universal joint, connected to the pivot pin path varying member which is activated by the first control arrangement to suit a specific velocity profile produced by the generator. The invention extends to an infinitely variable transmission machine including transmission stages [16] which each include two of the profile generators connected in series and an angular velocity profile portion extraction device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Varibox (PTY) Limited
    Inventor: Johannes Jacobus Naude
  • Patent number: 7100743
    Abstract: A crankshaft in a dual capacity compressor is disclosed, which causes oil contained in a lower portion of the compressor to flow up to an upper portion thereof with respect to all the rotational directions of a motor. A crank shaft (100) includes a driving shaft (110) inserted into a reversible motor (21, 22) for rotating along with the motor (21, 22), a balance weight (120) formed in a top portion of the driving shaft (110) for preventing vibration during rotation from occurring, a crank pin (130) formed on an upper surface of the balance weight (120) to be eccentric from the center of the driving shaft (110), and a regular/reverse oil path (140) formed along the balance weight (120) and the crank pin (130) for moving oil for forward rotation and reverse rotation of the motor respectively. The crankshaft serves to stably lubricate each driving part of the dual capacity compressor regardless of rotation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Kyoung Jun Park, Kee Joo Kim, Hee Hyun Kim, Jong Bong Kim, Young Joo Bae, Cheol Ki No, Jai Seong Sim, Min Young Seo, Hyeon Kim, Dal Soo Kang
  • Patent number: 7096997
    Abstract: An apparatus for applying friction modifying materials to a railroad track includes an input for receiving a signal representative of the passage of railroad vehicle wheels, and means for applying friction modifying material to the railroad track for a user defined, field programmable time duration when the number of wheels reaches the user defined, field programmable, activation level. A method of applying friction modifying materials to a railroad track performed by the apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Portec, Rail Products Ltd.
    Inventors: Glen Appleby, Jacques Lamond, Kostas Papazoglou
  • Patent number: 7094175
    Abstract: A lubrication device for a toroidal type continuously variable transmission, which can set the speed change ratio continuously by transmitting a torque inputted from a power source by rolling members contacting each other through an oil film, and by varying the position of the contact portion of those rolling members steplessly, characterized by comprising: an auxiliary hydraulic power unit for generating an oil pressure without relying on said power source, a preliminary operation detector for detecting whether or not the preliminary operation relative to the start up of said power source is executed, and a preliminary lubricating mechanism for feeding the lubricating oil to the contact portion between said rolling members by means of said auxiliary hydraulic power unit before starting up said power source, when the preliminary operation is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuji Taketsuna, Shigenori Tamaki
  • Patent number: 7090054
    Abstract: A container for a manually operable oil dispenser for use with metal working machines comprises a bucket providing a reservoir for oil to be dispensed and a pan in the bucket for catching oil and chips dropping thereinto and for returning the oil to the bucket. The bucket has a bottom, a sidewall and an annular upper end, and the pan has an apertured bottom spaced above the bottom of the bucket, a sidewall inwardly of the sidewall of the bucket and an upper end overlying and slidable circumferentially relative to the upper end of the bucket. The bucket and pan have locking members interengaging during relative sliding displacement therebetween to releasably interengage the bucket and pan against separation. The bottom and sidewall of the bucket are contoured to minimize the volume of oil necessary in the reservoir area for continual operation of the dispenser, and the bucket is provided with a bulkhead fitting for attachment to a dispensing pump hose at an angle of 45° to horizontal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Jonathan M. Iwamasa, Steven K. Morris
  • Patent number: 7089819
    Abstract: A ball screw has a screw shaft including a screw groove formed in an outer peripheral surface thereof; a nut including a screw groove formed in an inner peripheral surface thereof and screwed together with the screw shaft through a large number of balls rollably disposed in a spiral-shaped ball rolling passage formed by the two screw grooves; and, two seals respectively disposed on the two end portions of the nut for sealing the opening of a clearance between the screw shaft and the nut, wherein two annular grooves are respectively formed in the inner peripheral surfaces of the two end portions of the nut, each of the seals is formed in a substantially annular-ring shape having an outside diameter larger than the inside diameter of the nut and the seals are mounted into the nut by fitting the outer edge portions of the seals into the annular grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabe, Masato Katou
  • Patent number: 7086307
    Abstract: The robot arm is composed of two parallel branches (2, 3) formed from a reduced number of segments (5, 6, 7) and connected to each other by a wrist (5) through a wrist holder (8), the directions of which are kept approximately constant by transmissions (12 to 16). The working space of this control arm is large and it is free of any kinetic singularities except at the end positions, and good decoupling of translation and rotation movements is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Enegie Atomique
    Inventors: Florian Gosselin, Alain Riwan
  • Patent number: 7086300
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a linear motion flexural apparatus to provide friction-free linear travel for large stroke motion. In one embodiment, a linear motion flexural apparatus comprises a first member having a first surface, and a second member having a second surface which is spaced from the first surface of the first member. One of the first member and the second member is movable relative to another one of the first member and the second member in a linear direction. At least one sheet is disposed between the first surface of the first member and the second surface of the second member. Each sheet has a first edge portion and a second edge portion generally opposite from the first edge portion. The first edge portion is attached to the first surface of the first member. The second edge portion is attached to the second surface of the second member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Donald F. Zacharie, Kenneth R. Lorell, Jean-Noel Auburn
  • Patent number: 7086304
    Abstract: A transmission comprises a pair of drive shafts, one an input shaft and the other an output shaft, wherein one of said shafts is attached to a toothed cam having a trochoidal profile and the other drive shaft is attached to a roller ring having a plurality of cylindrical roller shafts aligned to mesh with said toothed cam and thereby permitting the transfer of torque from one shaft to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Inventor: Richard N. Ballard
  • Patent number: 7077781
    Abstract: A power roller unit for a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission, has: a trunnion including a support plate portion, a pair of bent wall portions, two pivot shafts, and a connecting member; a displacement shaft; a power roller; a thrust ball bearing including an outer ring, a ball, and a retainer; a thrust bearing, wherein the thrust bearing is held by a hold portion disposed in the support plate portion, and wherein, where the distance between the small end face of the power roller and the connecting member is expressed as a, the distance between the outer ring and the opposed surface of the hold portion opposed to the outer ring is expressed as b, and the thickness of the thrust bearing is expressed as c, the sum of a and b is set smaller than c.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouji Ishikawa, Eiji Inoue
  • Patent number: 7077780
    Abstract: A toroidal type continuously variable transmission comprises input and output discs coaxially and rotatably arranged about a common axis. The input and output discs have respective toroidal concave surfaces which face each other. Power rollers are arranged each having a rounded outer surface and being interposed between the toroidal concave surfaces of the input and output discs. A loading cam is provided that presses the input disc against the power rollers by a force that is proposal to an input torque. Trunnions are provided each supporting the corresponding power roller in such a manner that the power roller is inclinable relative to a center of curvature of the input and output discs. Power roller bearings are arranged to rotatably support the power rollers relative to the respective trunnions. The following inequality is established: Ro/(2×R22)?0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7077023
    Abstract: In a toroidal continuously variable transmission, a roller-and-cage bearing assembly is interleaved between a power-roller outer ring and a trunnion power-roller accommodating portion to permit a parallel translation of a power roller in an axial direction of input and output disks. A cage of the roller-and-cage bearing assembly is formed with an oval slotted hole. A disk-shaped member is attached to the trunnion power-roller accommodating portion. The slotted hole and the disk-shaped member are fitted to each other to define a predetermined clearance that limits a displacement of the roller-and-cage bearing assembly in a direction perpendicular to both a rotation axis of the power roller and a trunnion axis to a set displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruhito Mori, Jun Sugihara