Patents Examined by Hau Phan
  • Patent number: 9711819
    Abstract: A mount structure includes a mount member, and a bracket member. An upper surface of the bracket member, which is connected to a lower portion of a fuel cell stack, includes an upper surface cut formed by cutting the bracket member in a depth direction, and the upper surface cut extends in a surface direction. A lower surface of the bracket member, which is opposite to the upper surface, includes a lower surface cut formed by cutting the bracket member in the depth direction, and the lower surface cut extends in the surface direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Nissin Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Choichi Ishikawa, Ryoichi Yoshitomi, Hideharu Naito, Susumu Yodono, Takashi Kuroiwa
  • Patent number: 9707800
    Abstract: A wheel assembly including a cover portion permanently attached to a wheel. The wheel includes a wheel central hub portion, a wheel outer peripheral rim portion, a plurality of wheel spoke portions extending between the wheel central hub portion and the wheel outer peripheral rim portion, and a plurality of wheel turbine openings disposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of wheel spoke portions. A cover portion is configured to overlie a portion of the wheel portion. The cover portion is configured to overlie one or more of the wheel central hub portion; the plurality of wheel spoke portions, and the plurality of turbine openings or the wheel outer periphery. An adhesive is disposed between an outboard surface of the wheel and the inboard surface of the cover portion to permanently secure the cover portion to the wheel portion. When the cover portion is secured to the wheel, substantial portions of the plurality of wheel spokes, the wheel central hub, or wheel outer periphery remain exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Lacks Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Jim Stratton, Brian Lutt, Brian Wrase, Kevin Chinavare, Mark Nowicki
  • Patent number: 9707938
    Abstract: A tire cleaning device is provided that helps remove obstructions from the longitudinal grooves of a tire tread. The device can be configured to operate with different types of obstructions and with tires having longitudinal grooves incorporated within differing tread patterns. In certain exemplary embodiments, the device can be equipped to operate with a tire on vehicle that has a suspension system which allows the tire to move along the vertical direction during vehicle operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignees: MICHELIN RECHERCHE et TECHNIQUE S.A., COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Evan Sanders, Derick Lonell Harris
  • Patent number: 9708792
    Abstract: Provided is a construction machine capable of suppressing overcooling of fluid by heat exchangers, while requiring only a small space. The construction machine includes: a lower travel body; an upper slewing body mounted on the lower travel body and having an engine compartment; an engine compartment cover covering the engine compartment; an air filter which collects dust in outside air taken into the engine compartment and has a filter surface; a heat exchanger disposed downstream of the air filter in an air flow direction and having a core surface; an air filter holding section holding the air filter removably in an attitude opposing the filter surface of the air filter to the core surface of the heat exchanger; and a shut member installed removably on the air filter to shut at least a part of the filter surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Michio Hirayama, Seiichi Onishi, Hidenori Matsunaga, Hideki Hayashi, Atsushi Hirahara, Ayumu Tokuda, Shigeyuki Oda, Shinichiro Amano
  • Patent number: 9701188
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive device of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, which has an internal combustion engine, at least one electric machine, and at least one heatable electric accumulator, in particular a lithium ion battery, power being drawn from the electric accumulator for starting the internal combustion engine with the aid of the electric machine. It is provided that, after the start of the internal combustion engine and until the heated electric accumulator reaches a predefined minimum temperature, the electric accumulator is operated without load. Furthermore, a drive device for a vehicle, in particular for carrying out the above-described method is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Jochen Fassnacht, Rainer Kern
  • Patent number: 9701333
    Abstract: A folding stroller having a frame that can be arranged in at least a first configuration and a second configuration, the frame including a handgrip fixedly connected to an upper joint, a lower joint pivotally connected to the upper joint, the lower joint being fixedly connected to a front tube, a rear joint pivotally connected to the lower joint, the rear joint being fixedly connected to a rear tube, and a joint connecting rod connected to the lower joint, the rear joint, and the upper joint, wherein a distance between the upper joint and the rear joint is larger than a predefined threshold while the frame is in the first configuration, while the frame is in the second configuration, and while the frame is transitioning between the first configuration and the second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: UNITRON ENTERPRISES ZHUHAI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiuping Liu
  • Patent number: 9694670
    Abstract: An under cover for a heat suction is provided and includes a stagnant-air inlet unit into which stagnant air formed in an engine room is drawn and a communication pipe that is configured to communicate with the stagnant-air inlet unit and transmit the stagnant air, drawn into the stagnant-air inlet unit, to an under cover body. A stagnant-air outlet unit is configured to communicate with the communication pipe to exhaust the stagnant air, transmitted to the under cover body, out of the under cover body through the stagnant-air outlet unit, and the stagnant-air outlet unit is mounted to the under cover body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Dang-Hee Park, Yong-Beom Park, Bong-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 9694709
    Abstract: A safe hovering skate board unit capable of being driven by a user is disclosed. The hovering skateboard includes a first board to receive the user, one or more first magnetic source, configured with the first board, to emit magnetic field, a second board magnetically coupled with the first board, one or more second magnetic source configured with the second board to repel the magnetic field and facilitate the first board to hover over the second board. Further, the unit includes the ground engaging wheels attached to the second board moves in the direction driven by the user. Furthermore, the unit may include a specialized safety system for ensuring safety of the user by controlling one or more components corresponding to the hovering skateboard unit based on one or more factors corresponding to the user. Further, a corresponding method of operating the hovering skate board unit is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Inventor: Ron Konchitsky
  • Patent number: 9689127
    Abstract: A snow melting assembly includes a cart that may contain snow thereby facilitating the snow to be melted. A lid is hingedly coupled to the cart such that the lid is positionable between an open position and a closed position. An agitation unit is coupled to the cart such that the agitation unit may stir the snow within the cart. A heating unit is coupled to the cart such that the heating unit may melt the snow within the cart. A plurality of wheels is coupled to the cart such that the cart may be rolled along a support surface. A handle is movably coupled to the cart such that the handle may be manipulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Inventor: Mohammad Amani
  • Patent number: 9682613
    Abstract: A first engine mount unit sharing no distributed load of a power unit includes: a power unit side bracket attached to the power unit; a vehicle body side bracket attached to a vehicle body; and a mount rubber provided between the power unit side bracket and the vehicle body side bracket. At attachment portions of the power unit side bracket and the vehicle body side bracket of the first engine mount unit, a bolt hole is provided in an inner cylinder part adhered to the mount rubber pressed into the power unit side bracket, to adjust variations in the height direction (H direction) of the vehicle, while bolt holes are provided in the vehicle body side bracket to adjust variations in the width direction (W direction) of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miya, Nobuya Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9682719
    Abstract: A method of making a shopping cart includes forming a frame capable of supporting a plurality of basket assembly types, selecting from the plurality of basket assembly types a first basket assembly defining a first basket assembly type; and connecting the first basket assembly to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Bemis Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Rick Stauff, Gary Vande Berg, Roy Watson
  • Patent number: 9680139
    Abstract: The invention provides for a high occupancy or heavy-duty vehicle with a battery propulsion power source, which may include lithium titanate batteries. The vehicle may be all-battery or may be a hybrid, and may have a composite body. The vehicle battery system may be housed within the floor of the vehicle and may have different groupings and arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Proterra Inc.
    Inventors: Dale Hill, Michael Walker, Shaun Onorato, Donald Morris, Stephen Misencik, John Winkel
  • Patent number: 9676231
    Abstract: Aircraft wheel rim in two parts, one of them a main part (1) comprising a hub (2), a disc (4) extending between the hub and an annular external portion (3) intended to accept a tire and shaped to have a flange (5) at one of its ends. The other end is shaped to accept the second part, a removable part (10) forming a flange (12) which removable part is attached to the annular external portion after the tire has been fitted. The rim has a structure for preventing the removable flange from rotating relative to the rim. The structure comprises at least one link (20) having ends, the centers of which define an axis which extends in a plane perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the rim while at the same time extending obliquely to make an angle (?) with respect to a radial direction, one of the ends being coupled to the main part and the other of its ends being coupled to the removable part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: MESSIER-BUGATTI-DOWTY
    Inventors: Patrick Baldassara, Xavier Delayre, Martial Galland
  • Patent number: 9676269
    Abstract: An external active air flap apparatus of a vehicle is provided The external active air flap apparatus removes the gap between the air flaps disposed vertically after sealing an air passage of a radiator grill by the air flaps and minimizes the gap between the air flaps and the radiator grill, thereby improving aerodynamic performance of the vehicle. The external active air flap apparatus includes an air flap positioned at a rear of a radiator grill that rotates to open and close an air passage of the radiator grill. Further, a flap fixing mechanism is mounted on the radiator grill and the air flap contracts the air flap with the radiator grill by applying a wind pressure to the air flap operated to seal the air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Ji Min Jeong
  • Patent number: 9669287
    Abstract: A braking system for a wheeled apparatus and an improved wheeled apparatus, such as a skateboard, are described where the braking system allows for easy, quick and universal mounting onto the deck of a typical board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Inventor: Nicanor A. Domingo
  • Patent number: 9669886
    Abstract: A wear sensing device is disclosed. The wear sensing device may be used in conjunction with a carrier roller assembly of a track assembly. The wear sensing device may have a wear sensor roller mounted to an axle of the carrier roller assembly. The sensor roller may be configured to contact a track pin assembly connected to one or more track links of the track assembly. The wear sensing device may further have a wear sensor mounted to the wear sensor roller and configured to generate a signal indicative of a wear parameter of the one or more track links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy Gibbs Sidles
  • Patent number: 9670865
    Abstract: In a hybrid electric vehicle in which an internal combustion engine and an electric motor/generator are connected via a clutch, the controller performs the following processing before the operation of the internal combustion engine stops in a stationary state of the vehicle while the clutch is engaged. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the clutch can be disengaged within a predetermined time period. If the clutch can be disengaged within a predetermined time period, the clutch is disengaged. If the clutch cannot be disengaged within the predetermined time period, a driving torque of the internal combustion engine is lowered to an engine stoppable torque set in advance while the clutch is engaged. Then, the operation of the internal combustion engine stops. Through this control, it is possible to prevent a vibration sound or an abnormal sound that may be generated when a driver turns off the ignition button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jun Amemiya
  • Patent number: 9669766
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a vehicle body; a door moveable between an opened position and a closed position, a step moveable between an extending position and a retracting position, a driving device for moving the step between the extending position and the retracting position, a magnetic member, an emitter, a receiver and a controller. The magnetic member is mounted on one of the vehicle body and the door, and the magnetic induction member is magnetically coupled with the magnetic member so as to generate a signals. The emitter is coupled with the magnetic induction member and configured to emit the signals and the receiver receives the signals from the emitter. The controller is coupled with the driving device and the receiver so as to drive the step to move between the extending position and the retracting position based on the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: T-MAX (HANGZHOU) INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD
    Inventors: Xinfa Du, Xing Fan, Qi Zhang
  • Patent number: 9669693
    Abstract: A truck body protector apparatus including at least one elongated rectangular mounting plate affixed to a top surface of one of a pair of sidewalls of a pickup truck. An interior surface of a rectangular flexible fabric sheet proximal a top end of the sheet is disposed on an entirety of an upper surface of the at least one mounting plate. A height of the sheet is configured to cover an external surface of one of the pair of sidewalls. A weighted rod is continuously attached to a bottom end of the sheet. A pair of hook and loop cinch straps is secured between the upper surface of the at least one mounting plate and the interior surface of the sheet. The sheet has a rolled position and an alternate unrolled position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Inventors: David Adams, Tammie Adams
  • Patent number: 9669930
    Abstract: A galley cart for moving along an aisle of a vehicle is presented, the galley cart comprising a body comprising a right longitudinal portion, a left lateral portion, a rear portion disposed between the right and the left lateral portions on a rear side of the body, a door opening disposed between the right and the left lateral portions on a front side of the body, an upper portion disposed between the right and the left lateral portions, a lower portion disposed between the right and the left lateral portions, wheels attached to the lower portion for supporting the body, a door pivotally attached to the body and adapted to mate with the door opening and a locking mechanism operatively associated with the door for selectively securing the door to the body in a closed position thereof the upper portion of the cart comprising a peripheral frame including a plurality of container-supporting portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Norduyn Inc.
    Inventors: Mathieu Boivin, Martin Belanger