Patents Examined by Essama Omgba
  • Patent number: 8914963
    Abstract: A mounting station for automatically assembling a razor that includes a shaving cartridge and a razor handle. The mounting station includes providing a razor handle and a shaving cartridge, automatically connecting a first rearwardly protruding connector of the shaving cartridge to the free end of the first handle connector of the razor handle, and then automatically connecting the second rearwardly protruding connector of the shaving cartridge to the free end of the second handle connector of the razor handle to form a razor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: BIC-Violex S.A.
    Inventors: Vasileios Ntavos, Georgios Koulourias
  • Patent number: 8914960
    Abstract: A device (10) for removing the tooth brush head from the body of an electrical tooth brush is described. Device (10) includes a tooth brush head engaging member (12), a seat member (14) for seating against a body of an electrical-tooth brush and a screw-threaded member (16) positioned operatively between the tooth brush head engaging member (12) and the seat member (14), so as to cause the tooth brush head engaging member (12) to displace relative to the seat member (14) in response to angular displacement of the screw-threaded member (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Nina Nichols, LLC
    Inventor: Gregory Owen Renault
  • Patent number: 8910364
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for securing a heat sink/filter positioned between a pressure vessel and a diffuser in an air bag inflator. The pressure vessel is constructed so that upon activation of the inflator of the area of gas exiting the pressure vessel is smaller than the area of gas exiting the diffuser to create pressures in the pressure vessel that are higher than the pressures in the diffuser. This results in deformation of the pressure vessel that is equal to or greater than the deformation of the diffuser to maintain compression of the heat sink/filter between the pressure vessel and the diffuser during activation of the inflator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Arc Automotive Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Earl Overton, James Michael Rose
  • Patent number: 8904618
    Abstract: A method of tensioning park cables of a park brake system includes positioning a tension indicating device between an adjuster and an adjusting nut when the park brake system is disposed in a slack position. The tension indicating device includes an axial spacing length between the adjuster and the adjusting nut that is equal to a desired adjustment distance of the park cables when the park brake system is disposed in the slack position. The adjusting nut is then tightened until the tension indicating device indicates that the park cables include a tension equal to a target tension level of the park cables when the park brake system is disposed in an applied position. The tension indicating device is then removed from between the adjuster and the adjusting nut, thereby introducing slack into the park cables that is equal to the axial length of the tension indicating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Robbie D. Cannon, Karen F. Sieradski, Cheryl A. Garrison
  • Patent number: 8904616
    Abstract: A method of monitoring a crimping process is disclosed, which determines whether an actual force stroke progression (Fa)/force-time progression is, a) above, or, b) below an ideal force stroke progression (Fi)/force-time progression in at least one point. The method shifts an upper border (Bu) and/or the lower border (Bl) of a tolerance band upwards in case a) and downwards in case b), utilizing four zones (Z1-Z4) of determined force progression. Additionally, there are is an absolute upper limit (Lu), at which an upward shifting of the upper border (Bu) is inhibited, and an absolute lower limit (Ll), at which a downward shifting of the lower border (Bl) is inhibited. Moreover, a crimping press and a computer program product embodying the method are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Schleuniger Holding AG
    Inventors: Mustafa Ayabakan, Witali Janzen
  • Patent number: 8900108
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying roller which requires a smaller number of ingredients than a prior art sheet conveying roller, has an excellent weather resistance, is less liable to suffer from reduction in friction coefficient attributable to accumulation of paper dust and sheet conveying failure attributable to the reduction in friction coefficient, and ensures proper sheet conveyance for a longer period of time. The invention further provides a rubber composition for the sheet conveying roller. The rubber composition comprises an ethylene-propylene-diene rubber and an epoxylated natural rubber as a rubber component. In the rubber composition, the epoxylated natural rubber is present in a proportion of 10 mass % to 90 mass % based on the overall amount of the rubber component including the two rubbers. The sheet conveying roller includes a roller body formed from the rubber composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Mine, Yasuchika Ito
  • Patent number: 8898878
    Abstract: There is provided a method for attaching an exterior component. When attaching an exterior component to a bumper, an attachment member for a first attaching hole of the bumper fixed to the vehicular main body is detached, and then the attachment member is inserted into a first through-hole of the exterior component and the first attaching hole and fixed, thereby temporarily fixing the exterior component. A marking is put on a temporarily fixed portion where a second through-hole faces the bumper, and the exterior component is temporarily detached. A third attaching hole is formed by boring a hole in the marking of the bumper, and then a well nut is fitted into the exterior component, enabling the exterior component to be attached through the first and second through-holes. Accordingly, the marking and positioning of the exterior component can be easily performed without detaching the bumper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Access Corp.
    Inventor: Kazuyoshi Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 8893368
    Abstract: A pivot joint assembly has a first part with a hole. A pivot pin passes through the hole. A second part is carried by the pivot pin to be rotatable relative to the first part. A bush has an annular sleeve with an inner face engaging the pivot pin and an outer face engaging a bore wall of the first part. A sealing ring between the bush and the first part. The sealing ring has a body attached to the first part, and a sealing member extending away from the body in a radial direction to a sealing lip which engages the bush without being attached thereto. The sealing member is resiliently compressed to urge the sealing lip towards the bush to maintain engagement with the bush in the event that the bush moves away from the body in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations Limited
    Inventors: Jey Williams, Colin West
  • Patent number: 8893364
    Abstract: A method for setting a wheel hub assembly having a spacer therein, mounted on an axle, shaft or spindle or includes a cap a shaft is disclosed. The method is used on a wheel hub assembly having a spacer and bearings therein mounted on the axle, shaft or spindle. A retaining nut on the wheel hub assembly is tightened to the manufacture's specified torque for a particular wheel hub assembly for securing said assembly together. The wheel hub of the hub assembly is rotated when the nut is torqued to set the bearings. The retaining nut is loosened after rotating and the endplay within the wheel hub assembly is measured using an endplay measuring tool. The torque on the retaining nut is then adjusted to obtain a desired endplay measurement for the wheel hub assembly. The resultant torque on the nut at the desired endplay measurement is different from the manufacturer specified torque for the wheel hub assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Inventor: John E. Rode
  • Patent number: 8893360
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a high-strength motor vehicle door hinge from a steel plate blank includes a cold heading step of forming a cylindrical bulging portion at one end of the blank in the width direction, a shaft hole forming step of forming a shaft hole in the cylindrical bulging portion, and a shaft hole finishing step. In the shaft hole forming step, a shaft hole is formed using a first punch having a top end with a shape of a cone and a first die having an inner wall with a gap volume relative to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical bulging portion of the blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ogawa, Kazuya Ogawa, Michihiro Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 8887364
    Abstract: A rivet setter that can efficiently and smoothly perform, and reduce the takt time for a rivet setting operation. The rivet setter can be configured to set a rivet sequentially fed from a rivet supplying means by inserting the rivet into apertures formed at predetermined positions on workpieces. The rivet setter can have delivery paths for delivering the rivet one by one by sliding the rivet down to a settable position and can have a hanging support portion formed in the settable position in the tip end of the delivery path for supporting the head of rivet and for hanging the rivet shank downward. The rivet setter can be configured to enable the rivet to be set in the apertures of the workpieces by moving the hanging support portion substantially horizontally while keeping the rivet suspended in the hanging support portion and inserted into the apertures of the workpieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha F.C.C.
    Inventor: Tsunetaka Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8887369
    Abstract: A personal-care appliance having a handle defining a cavity. A fluid connector is positioned within the cavity. A fluid reservoir is positioned within the cavity. The fluid reservoir has a frangible seal that is spaced apart from the fluid connector. A cover is mounted to the handle over the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventors: Lee Burrowes, Paul Michael Jessemey, Kevin James Wain
  • Patent number: 8881360
    Abstract: An automated pallet inspection and repair apparatus comprises an inspection station and a repair station. The inspection station comprises a laser that illuminates a pallet, a camera that collects the reflected light and a computer system. The computer system analyses the output of the camera and acquires the pallet's geometry and topography. The design of the pallet is determined by the computer software. A decision to repair the pallet is made by comparing acquired pallet data against the design criteria. If the pallet needs repair, a recipe of repair steps is constructed by inspecting each of the pallet's elements. The recipe is transmitted to the automated repair station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Chep Technology Pty Limited
    Inventors: Steve Townsend, Michael David Lucas
  • Patent number: 8881402
    Abstract: A roller for producing optical films is disclosed. The roller includes a cylindrical main body and a micro-structured layer surrounding a circumferential surface of the main body. The microstructure layer includes a number of microstructures on its surface away from the main body. The microstructure layer is made from ethylene tetrafluoroethylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chia-Ling Hsu
  • Patent number: 8881352
    Abstract: A machining device for machining crankshafts has a rotationally driven disk-shaped base body with blade inserts arranged peripherally thereon. A first supply line for a cryogenic cooling medium is arranged concentrically with the axis of rotation and is thermally insulated in at least some sections. The tool has a plurality of second supply lines for the cryogenic cooling medium running across the axis of rotation and leading to the blade inserts, the second supply lines each being thermally insulated in at least some sections. A distributor unit connects the first supply line to at least one of the second supply lines for supplying the cryogenic cooling medium to at least one of the blade inserts. The cryogenic cooling medium can be conducted directly to the blade inserts which are engaged with the crankshaft that is to be machined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Inventors: Moshe Israel Meidar, Wolfgang Horn, Heiner Lang, Holger H. Kolb, Paul Dieter Scharpf
  • Patent number: 8881623
    Abstract: The invention relates to a corkscrew (T) including a handle (100) to which are connected a worm (200) and two separate levers (300, 400) pivotably connected in a case on a single pin (A) secured to the handle and preformed to provide the two notches or two fulcra (310, 410) that are required in order to extract a cork (B) inserted in the neck (G) of a bottle, in two steps. Said corkscrew is characterized in that the two levers include two portions, the second portion (330) of the first lever (300) being preformed such as to be inserted in the second portion (430) of the second lever (400) and create a fulcrum on the neck (G) of the bottle when the corkscrew (T) passes from the first notch (310) to the second notch (410) such that said first notch (310) does not project in relation to the second notch (410) and said first notch (310) does not prevent said passing. The invention also relates to the method for using the corkscrew described above. The invention is useful for manufacturing corkscrews.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Distri Coutale
    Inventor: Philippe Bernede
  • Patent number: 8881356
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a sitting orthosis, which is provided with a contact surface where the user of the sitting orthosis makes contact with the sitting orthosis, from a representation of the contact surface of the sitting orthosis. The method comprises of manufacturing a shell part on the basis of the representation of the contact surface by machining processable material under the control of the representation of the contact surface of the sitting orthosis; and arranging a covering layer on the thus obtained shell part. The invention also relates to a sitting orthosis. The sitting orthosis comprises a contact surface where the user of the sitting orthosis makes contact with the sitting orthosis, wherein the sitting orthosis is assembled from a shell part of a material processable by machining and wherein at least the contact surface is provided with a covering layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Perteon Seats B.V.
    Inventors: Kamiel Reinier Zale Geenen, Bernard Jan Kamp, Simon Alexander Verheul, Jeroen Gerard Theodor Jans
  • Patent number: 8882646
    Abstract: The semiconductive roller according to the present invention includes: a roller body having an outer peripheral surface made of a semiconductive rubber composition; and an oxide film covering the outer peripheral surface of the roller body, while the semiconductive rubber composition contains a base polymer and a crosslinking component for crosslinking the base polymer, the base polymer is a mixture of a bicopolymer E containing epichlorohydrin and nitrile-butadiene rubber N, the mass ratio E/N of the bicopolymer E and the nitrile-butadiene rubber N in the mixture is 50/50 to 80/20, and the crosslinking component includes a thiourea-based crosslinking component for crosslinking the bicopolymer E and a sulfur-based vulcanizing component for vulcanizing the nitrile-butadiene rubber N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kei Tajima, Kiyotaka Okuda, Takashi Marui
  • Patent number: 8875378
    Abstract: A tie bolt for joining two parts together has a shaft. The shaft in turn has a primary thread for engaging a first part and a secondary thread for engaging a second part, wherein the primary thread and the secondary thread have different pitches. The tie bolt may be used to join together any two parts which are to be locked together to transmit torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: James B. Coffin
  • Patent number: 8875371
    Abstract: An articulating conduit linkage system for maintaining a fluid connection between a fluid source and displaceable conduit that has been buried in a subsiding permeable body. A fluid source can supply a working fluid through a source outlet. A displaceable conduit can receive the working fluid through a conduit inlet, and be buried at a depth within a subsiding permeable body that is contained within a permeability control infrastructure. A plurality of articulating conduit segments can include, an outer conduit segment coupled to the source outlet, an inner conduit segment coupled to the conduit inlet, and at least one middle conduit segment coupled to the outer and inner segments. In the event of a subsidence, the plurality of articulating conduit segments are configured so the outer and inner conduit segments extend the conduit linkage system while maintaining a working fluid connection between the source outlet and the conduit inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Red Leaf Resources, Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Patten, Todd Dana