Patents Examined by Emily Morgan
  • Patent number: 9091105
    Abstract: An opening/closing device includes an opening/closing mechanism which moves a movable plate between an opened position and a closed position including a hinge arm including a first axial portion rotatably connected to the fixed plate, a third axial portion rotatably connected to the movable plate, and a slide groove provided between the first axial portion and the third axial portion, and capable of moving the movable plate between the closed position and the opened position with respect to the fixed plate by being rotated around the first axial portion as a center, a link arm including a second axial portion rotatably connected to the fixed plate and a fifth axial portion slidably connected to the slide groove, and a slide arm including a fourth axial portion rotatably connected to the movable plate at an end portion and connected to the fifth axial portion at the other end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI STEEL MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hironobu Sayama
  • Patent number: 9089192
    Abstract: The present invention relates to fashion accessories, particularly wherein the exterior surface appearance may be optionally modified to create an unlimited possibility of looks to be used with a variety of outfits. The purpose of the invention is to provide individuals with an inexpensive piece of jewelry that is adjustable in size and offers a diverse range of appearance options in various colors, fabrics, materials, and ornamental designs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Inventor: Brittany Holst
  • Patent number: 9084455
    Abstract: A new and useful system, method and system components are provided, for helping a person to survive in certain situations at different scenarios when find him/herself trapped on it, while performing outdoor activities, in a manner that is efficient and effective, and in a manner that is designed in a compact and a low profile design, in a manner that is lightweight, comfortable and easy to wear it, in a manner that is handy and helpful. It has been designed to help a person to improve his/her skills and/or increase his/her opportunity of survive while trapped in a difficult situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Inventor: Luis A Millan
  • Patent number: 9080364
    Abstract: A door or wing for electrical household appliances comprises a pivoting element (30) and two hinges (40, 50) mounted along one perimetric side of the pivoting element (30) to join the pivoting element (30) to a frame (2) and make it movable relative to the latter between a closed position and an open position, each of the two hinges (40, 50) comprising a first member and a second, box-shaped member and a lever for connecting the first and second members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: NUOVA STAR S.p.A.
    Inventor: Angelo Vanini
  • Patent number: 9074399
    Abstract: A hydraulic hinge for a glass door has a fixing plate, a rotating seat, a pivot and a buffer module. The rotating seat is combined with the fixing plate and has a first oil passage and a second oil passage. The pivot is combined with the fixing plate and the rotating seat. The buffer module is mounted in the rotating seat and has a valve having a circular groove selectively communicating with the second oil passage. A glass door can be pivoted relative to the rotating seat. The valve is structurally simple, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process. With the valve and the second oil passage, the velocity of closing the glass door gradually increases from low speed to high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: GANG GWO INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ko-Ming Cheng
  • Patent number: 9066562
    Abstract: A jewelry article with two member arms are connected at one end by a pivotable joint at the opposite end the arms are provided with posts that carry an insert between the two arms by extending into the recess of a bore-through of the insert where they are securely connected by magnets. A corresponding thread at the post and in the insert provides additional security for the placement of the insert. A leaf spring further provided in the hinge connection of the two member jewelry item to further ensure the secure closing of the jewelry item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: HB Concepts, LLC
    Inventors: Petra Azar, Camile Hannoush
  • Patent number: 9060051
    Abstract: A single-shaft semi-automatic hinge, wherein a first cam and a second cam fitted on the single shaft of the hinge passing therethrough are abutted on each other with pressure application by an elastic member, thereby generating a rotational friction torque; a region of the first cam and the second cam in which a liquid crystal portion can rotate from a state in which a main body portion and the liquid crystal portion are folded to a fully open state is set narrower than a region in which the hinge can rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI STEEL MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiichiro Kitamura, Hitoshi Sato
  • Patent number: 9045926
    Abstract: A door closer, in particular a hinge door closer, including a locking function or free-swing function, having a door closer housing, an output shaft to be connected to a door, a piston assembly connected to the output shaft and guided in the door closer housing, a closer spring, a piston rod adapted to connect the piston assembly to the closer spring, a hydraulic lock compartment adapted to lock the closer spring, and solenoid control valve, in particular a 3/2-solenoid control valve. A closure damping compartment is formed between the door closer housing and the piston assembly on a side of the piston assembly facing away from the piston rod, and wherein the solenoid control valve controls at least the pressures in the closure damping compartment and in the lock compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Dorme GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Salutzki, Volker Bienek
  • Patent number: 9021660
    Abstract: A handle has at least one fastening plate or holding part which can be fastened in a through-hole in a thin wall such as a sheet-metal wall by means of snap devices. According to the invention, the fastening plate forms or carries a pivot bearing for the at least one end of a handle, or the like, which is bent, for example, from a round material such as thick wire, this end having a round cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Inventor: Dieter Ramsauer
  • Patent number: 9010147
    Abstract: Jewelry items are provided having a plurality of modular elements which are capable of changing from a contracted configuration to an extended configuration, varying the dimensions thereof. Methods for making jewelry items which are capable of changing from contracted to extended configurations are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Barbazza Fratelli SAS—di Barbazza Roberto e C.
    Inventor: Piero Barbazza
  • Patent number: 9003605
    Abstract: A furniture hinge including a toggle-type hinge and a line shock absorber arranged transversely to a major axis of the toggle-type hinge. The line shock absorber is inserted into a holder and the holder is attached to the toggle-type hinge. The holder includes a bearing part and a position part, which are fixed to each other by at least one coupling element in the form of an unreleasable connection or a releasable one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Lama D.D. Dekani
    Inventors: David Pecar, Valter Svara
  • Patent number: 9003830
    Abstract: A plug earring having a main body. The main body having a front surface, an ear contact peripheral surface, and a friction element. The ear contact peripheral surface is adjacent the front surface. An opening in the front surface providing communication to the friction element for receiving the post of another earring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Inventor: Jamie Lynne Colella
  • Patent number: 9003831
    Abstract: An item of jewelry is formed by solely using magnetic attraction to connect the elements together in which the elements or components comprise substantially planar surfaces, generally matching in which the elements are held together by magnetic attraction and further include finger projections integrally formed therewith permitting separation of the components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: HB Concepts, LLC
    Inventors: Petra Azar, Camile Hannoush
  • Patent number: 8978204
    Abstract: An elastic hinge element for a glasses frame includes a box (100) that includes a guiding cavity (101), a slide (200) that includes a body (201) moving in the guiding cavity (101), and at least one elastic piece (204) that works with the box to produce an elastic reaction that opposes the extraction of the slide from the guiding cavity (101), in which the slide body (201) includes an inside cavity that accommodates the elastic piece. The hinge element includes a holding clip for locking a proximal end of the elastic piece relative to the box (100), with the holding clip including flexible arms that extend in a distal direction and holding element (207a) that work with the box (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Mazzucchelli International B.V.
    Inventors: Christophe Hotellier, Pierre Bussod, Jean-Marc Donjon, Francois Mathieu
  • Patent number: 8973217
    Abstract: A brake for a steering caster which is actuatable with small shifting forces and small shifting travel and creates less noise during shifting. The steering caster includes a head portion; a support portion including at least one arm; and a foot lever for actuating a directional fixation device and for actuating a brake device for at least one wheel including a rim, wherein the rim is covered with a thread protector. The brake device includes at least one rim brake locking element that is actuatable through a foot lever and arranged laterally between the at least one arm and the thread protector connected with the at least one arm, wherein at least one actuation contour is arranged at an inside of the at least one arm and/or at an outside of the thread protector within a movement range of the at least one rim brake locking element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: STEINCO Paul vom Stein GmbH
    Inventor: Tobias Weichbrodt
  • Patent number: 8943653
    Abstract: A hinge has at least one hinge part which can be mounted in an opening in a thin wall such as a sheet-metal cabinet door, a head part, such as a flange or hinge leaf, which overlaps the rim of the opening of the thin wall on its (outer) side, and a body part which proceeds from the head part and can be pushed through the opening in the thin wall, and a holding part which is carried by the body part, supported on the other (rear) side of the thin wall, and is separate from the body part. The holding part is formed by holding elements which project in a flexible manner from the body part in the direction of its outer surface and whose free end has an inclined surface for supporting the body part on the rim or edge of the opening without play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Inventor: Dieter Ramsauer
  • Patent number: 8935940
    Abstract: The keychain bracelet is constructed of a flexible member that includes a plurality of charm members thereon, and which can stretch to enable a wrist to be inserted or removed as needed. The flexible member has distal ends that are permanently affixed to a padlock member, and which is configured to secure at least one keychain thereon as well as a self-defense repellent spray such as pepper spray. The self-defense repellent spray includes a small canister that when affixed to the padlock member ideally positions itself with respect to a palm of a hand of an end user. The padlock member features a light emitting diode and pill compartment to store at least one pill therein. The flexible member includes a key elsewhere with respect to the padlock member. The key is used to unlock the padlock member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Inventor: Holly Lough
  • Patent number: 8918959
    Abstract: The invention relates to a novel hinge connection (1) for a transport container made of plastic, which hinge connection comprises a hinge part (2) designed as a sleeve (4) having a longitudinal opening (5) and a hinge clip (3) that encompasses the sleeve. The sleeve has a wide outer circumferential groove (6) for receiving the hinge clip, which has a recess (7) at least at one of the ends thereof. The hinge clip (3) further comprises at one end a detent (9) that projects inward for engaging with the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Georg Utz Holding AG
    Inventor: André Keller
  • Patent number: 8910346
    Abstract: A kit for repairing a damaged hinge portion of a door. A U-shaped bracket is mounted to the door. A mounting plate is attached to the bracket. A hinge is mounted to the mounting plate and is flush with the bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Inventor: Bryan W. Schafer
  • Patent number: 8910344
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a caster assembly may include a wheel rotatably coupled to a caster housing and a deflector tab pivotably coupled to the caster housing and offset from an outer wheel circumference for use in moving or traversing obstacles encountered during wheel movement. In some embodiments, the deflector tab may include at least one retaining element configured to hold the deflector tab in a pusher position or allow movement of the deflector tab into a ramp position. In the pusher position, the deflector tab may push a mobile obstacle in front of the wheel motion. In the ramp position, the deflector tab may facilitate moving the wheels over a fixed obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Alcon Research, Ltd.
    Inventors: Long Q. Nguyen, Daniel Bauen, Cassilyn Bair, Lawrence E. Davis