Patents Examined by Gregory Robert Weber
  • Patent number: 11427292
    Abstract: A lifting spindle arrangement is disclosed for a retractable thruster unit of a marine vessel, the lifting spindle having a lower end and an upper end and being supported at its lower end to a lower support structure by a lower support assembly and at its upper end to an upper support structure by an upper support assembly. The lifting spindle is provided at its both ends with a locking member for such a connection to the support structures such that each end of the lifting spindle may freely move in an axial direction away from the opposite end of the lifting spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: WARTSILA NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventor: Jan Van De Sande
  • Patent number: 11421765
    Abstract: An actuating mechanism has a main rotational drive and a roller screw mechanism coupled to the main rotational drive. The roller screw mechanism has a screw, a nut, and a plurality of rollers. One of the screw and the nut is coupled to the main rotational drive, while the other is movable relative to the rollers both translationally and rotationally. The roller screw mechanism also has an annular guide for circumferential and axial retention of the rollers. The annular guide contains a cylindrical sleeve that extends axially outward from one of the annular heels beyond the nut. The screw extends into a bore of the sleeve, and the sleeve is coupled to a secondary rotational drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: SKF Motion Technologies AB
    Inventor: Arnaud Groll
  • Patent number: 11421761
    Abstract: A motor stop mechanism serves as a stop limit for a motor including an output shaft. The motor stop mechanism includes a motor mounting surface to which the motor is attachable, where the motor output shaft is positionable through the motor mounting surface. A coupler is fixable to and rotatable with the output shaft, and a threaded drive shaft is fixed to and rotatable with the coupler. A trunnion threaded on the threaded drive shaft is displaceable on the threaded drive shaft with rotation of the threaded drive shaft. The trunnion is displaceable between a retracted position and an extended position by forward and reverse rotation of the threaded drive shaft. A stop limit defines the extended position of the trunnion. In use, when the trunnion reaches the stop limit, the motor is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Lippert Components, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Carlson, Patrick Quigley
  • Patent number: 11402011
    Abstract: A transmission mechanism with monitoring function includes a shaft, a moving part, a circulating device, a plurality of rollers and a monitoring module. The shaft has a roller groove. The moving part is movably disposed on the shaft. The moving part has a roller slot corresponding to the roller groove. The roller slot has an effective thread section and an ineffective thread section. The effective thread section and the roller groove together form a load path. The circulating device is disposed on the moving part. The circulating device has a return channel communicated with the load path. The return channel and the load path together form a circulating path. The plurality of rollers are disposed in the circulating path. The monitoring module includes a gathering body and a sensor. The sensor is for detecting a metal content of the lubricant in the gathering channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: HIWIN TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
    Inventors: Zong-Sian Jiang, Ming-Che Kuo
  • Patent number: 11396932
    Abstract: A linear actuator is described comprising an actuator housing, a driven element moveable at a front end of the linear actuator and a mounting (4) at a rear end of the linear actuator, wherein the mounting (4) comprises two arms (9,10) and an accommodation space (11) between the two arms (9,10). The object underlying the invention is to provide a linear actuator which can easily be mounted with its rear mounting. To this end, at least one arm (9,10) is provided with a lever (12,13) which is rotatable about an axis between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the closed position, an end portion (14,16) of the lever (12,13) at least partly closes an opening (18) between the two arms (9,10) and in the open position makes the opening (18) accessible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Linak A/S
    Inventors: Martin Kahr Knudsen, Henrik Skovby, René Sørensen
  • Patent number: 11396933
    Abstract: This locking device for an electromechanical actuator comprises a rod that is movable relative to a cylinder under the action of a motor actuating the rod, an assembly of at least one hook that can be moved between a locked position in which said hooks engage in an indentation and an unlocked position in which said set of hooks is released from the indentation, one of said set of hooks and the indentation being provided on the cylinder and the other on the rod. It comprises a sliding lock that can slide relative to said hooks and to the indentation between a holding position in which said hooks are held in the locked position a released position in which said hooks are released under the action of the motor actuating the rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: ZODIAC ACTUATION SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Daniel Hors, Joffrey Delong
  • Patent number: 11376729
    Abstract: A robot including at least one joint shaft that includes: a first link member and a second link member that are coupled about a rotation axis; a reducer that has an input shaft part fixed to the first link member and an output shaft part fixed to the second link member; a motor that generates a driving force to be input to the reducer; and an input-side encoder that detects a rotation angle of a rotation shaft of the motor; and an output-side encoder that detects a rotation angle between the first link member and the second link member. The output-side encoder includes a scale member that has a pattern and a sensor that detects the pattern on the scale member. The scale member is fixed to an attachment surface, and the sensor is attached to a fixing member fixed to the first link member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Naitou, Yuuki Kondou
  • Patent number: 11370109
    Abstract: An industrial robot includes: a first-member and a second-member that are rotatable about a particular axis and that each have a hollow portion extending along the axis; a cylindrical member inserted into the hollow portions along the axis, and fixed to the first-member; and a wire disposed in a cylindrical gap between the cylindrical member, the first-member, and the second-member, the wire having a length that enables rotation between the first-member and the second-member and having one end fixed to the first-member and another end fixed to the second-member. The second-member includes a first-portion rotatably supported by the first-member, a second-portion that fixes the end of the wire, and a third portion serially connected between the second-portion and the first-portion, and the third portion has an inner circumferential surface that faces the gap and has been subjected to a friction reducing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morio Oowaki, Tomoyuki Motokado, Toshihiko Inoue, Takayuki Iida
  • Patent number: 11364798
    Abstract: In a shift device, contact projections of a rotation cylinder make contact with side faces of recesses of an detent plate due to an urging force so as to urge a lever toward a shift position side. The contact projections make line contact with the side faces of the recesses. This enables the contact amount between the contact projections and the side faces of the recesses to be increased, enabling the contact pressure between the contact projections and the side faces of the recesses to be lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Hironori Watanabe, Koji Imai, Yohei Nakano, Munetoshi Makimura
  • Patent number: 11365791
    Abstract: A ball screw assembly is disclosed herein. The assembly includes a nut having an outer raceway, and at least one notch. A spindle extends inside of the nut, and the spindle defines an inner raceway. A ball-spring assembly includes a plurality of balls supported between the outer raceway and the inner raceway, and at least one reset spring engaged against at least one ball of the plurality of balls. At least one end-stop component is engaged against a terminal end of the ball-spring assembly and positioned within the at least one notch. A radially inner side of the at least one end-stop component abuts the spindle. A method of forming the nut for a ball screw assembly is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Renato De Paula, Michael Zinnecker
  • Patent number: 11364642
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a waist joint of humanoid robot and a humanoid robot. The waist joint comprise: tile-shaped structural members, connection members, and substrates. The first end of the first connection member is slidably connected with the first end of the first tile-shaped structural member, and the first end of the second connection member is slidably connected with the second end of the first tile-shaped structural member; one side surface of the first substrate is slidably connected with the first end of the second tile-shaped structural member, and one side surface of the second substrate is slidably connected with the second end of the second tile-shaped structural member; the second end of the first connection member is connected with the third end of the second tile-shaped structural member, and the second end of the second connection member is connected with the fourth end of the second tile-shaped structural member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Inventors: Qiang Huang, Junyao Gao, Chunlei Zhang, Weimin Zhang, Xuechao Chen, Dingkui Tian
  • Patent number: 11339872
    Abstract: Provided is a lever type vehicular remote shift switching device. The switching device includes: a lever housing (100) disposed at a steering shaft of a vehicle; a lever substrate (200) disposed within the lever housing (100); a lever rotary switch unit (300) at least partially rotatably disposed at an end of the lever housing (100) and comprising a rotary switch part (360) disposed on the lever substrate (200); a lever button switch unit (400) at least partially disposed at an end of the lever rotary switch unit (300) in a movable pressing manner, and including a lever button switch 460 at least partially disposed on the lever substrate (200), wherein the lever button switch unit (400) is at least partially disposed in the longitudinal direction of the lever housing (100) so as to pass through an at least part of the lever rotary switch unit (300).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: LS Automotive Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong Hun Kim, Ki Nyeong Ko
  • Patent number: 11306816
    Abstract: In a shift device, when a lock lever is disposed at a restriction position or an intermediate position, a detent groove of a lever is abutted by the lock lever, and pivoting of the lever from a D position toward an S position, and pivoting of the lever from the S position toward the D position, is restricted. However, when the lever is disposed at the D position or the S position, by moving the lock lever to a permitted position, the detent groove does not abut the lock lever and so pivoting of the lever from the D position toward the S position and pivoting of the lever from the S position toward the D position is permitted. Thus, pivoting of the lever from the D position toward the S position and pivoting of the lever from the S position toward the D position can be restricted and permitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventor: Kunihiro Morimura
  • Patent number: 11287030
    Abstract: In a shift device, the placement of magnets relative to sensors can be changed by rotating a ball shaft of a lever. The sensors detect magnetic fields generated by the magnets in order to detect a shift position of the lever. Shields suppress a magnetic field outside the ball shaft from reaching the sensors. The magnets, the sensors, and the shields are disposed on the ball shaft. This enables a reduction in the size of the shift device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Takahiro Hirashita, Hiroki Ono, Masayoshi Iwata
  • Patent number: 11274734
    Abstract: A ball screw, including: a spindle supported for rotation around an axis of rotation; a ball nut radially disposed around the spindle, axially displaceable with respect to the spindle, and including a helical protrusion, the helical protrusion defining a helical groove; a plurality of balls disposed in the helical groove and in contact with the spindle; a reset spring including a portion located in the helical groove and an end portion extending past the helical groove in a circumferential direction around the axis of rotation; and a retaining device directly connected to the ball nut and arranged to limit displacement of the end portion of the reset spring in a first axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation. For a first circumferential position of the spindle around the axis of rotation, the reset spring urges the plurality of balls in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Zinnecker, Renato de Paula
  • Patent number: 11267141
    Abstract: A surgical robotic component comprising an articulated terminal portion, the terminal portion comprising: a distal segment having an attachment for a surgical tool; a basal segment for attaching the terminal portion to the remainder of the surgical robotic component; and an intermediate compound joint between the distal segment and the basal segment, the intermediate compound joint permitting relative rotation of the distal segment and the basal segment about first, second and third axes; the terminal portion being arranged such that, in at least one configuration of the intermediate compound joint: (i) the axial direction of the basal segment is parallel to the axial direction of the distal segment, and (ii) the first, second and third axes are transverse to the axial directions of the basal and distal segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: CMR Surgical Limited
    Inventor: Steven James Randle
  • Patent number: 11254016
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a joint mechanism (100), a method for controlling the joint mechanism (100), a multi-arm device (200) including the joint mechanism (100), and a robot. The joint mechanism (100) comprises: a base (4) having a pivot shaft (41); a swinging arm (1) having a first end (11) mounted on the pivot shall (41); a first driving member (2) and a second driving member (3) mounted on the pivot shall (41) for interacting with the swinging arm (1) through magnetorheological fluid; and a first electromagnetic component (22) and a second electromagnetic component (32), configured to change phase state of the magnetorheological fluid. The first driving member (2) and the second driving member (3) can selectively drive tire swinging arm (1) to rotate along a first direction or a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: GUANGDONG O-MATIC INTELLIGENT ROBOT LIMITED
    Inventors: Wai Man Lee, Tin Cheung Wong
  • Patent number: 11248693
    Abstract: A vehicle gear includes: a disk portion having a disk shape and a plurality of through holes formed in a circumference direction thereof; and an outer circumference portion having outer circumference teeth formed on an outer circumference side of the disk portion. Further, each of the through holes includes first and second holes (82A, 82B) formed on one and another ends, respectively, thereof in the circumference direction, and a width of the first hole is larger than a width of the second hole in a radial direction of the disk portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeshi Miyagawa
  • Patent number: 11242918
    Abstract: Provided is an electric actuator, including: a driving motor (2); a motion conversion mechanism (6) configured to convert a rotary motion of the driving motor (2) to a linear motion; a boot (27) configured to prevent entry of a foreign substance into the motion conversion mechanism (6); and a boot cover (31) arranged so as to cover an outer side of the boot (27), wherein the boot cover (31) is formed integrally with an exterior case (8) of the electric actuator, and wherein a boot mounting member (30) having the boot (27) mounted thereto is mounted to an inner side of the boot cover (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsunori Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11236822
    Abstract: In a shift device, a first mechanism of a restriction mechanism restricts rotation of a knob in one direction, and a second mechanism of the restriction mechanism restricts rotation of the knob in another direction. Drive devices of the restriction mechanism are configured solely by a solenoid of the first mechanism and a solenoid of the second mechanism. This thereby enables configuration of the restriction mechanism to be simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SAISAKUSHO
    Inventor: Kunihiro Morimura