Patents Examined by J. Allen Shriver, II
  • Spider web clearing device
    Patent number: 9132796
    Abstract: A spider web clearing device is mountable on the front of an off road vehicle, such as an all terrain vehicle. The device includes an upright flexible rod that when positioned at the front will engage and sever or snap any spider webs and will prevent the spider webs from engaging the driver. The rod will deflect equally in any direction when it strikes and obstruction. The rod is attachable to a mounting bracket which includes a top and a bottom mount. Curved recesses in each mount allow the bracket to be secured to a tubular member on the vehicle and the bottom mount can serve as a spacer when the top mount is attached directly to a horizontal surface on the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Inventor: Mark Matthews
  • Handcart
    Patent number: 9126611
    Abstract: The present invention involves a casual handcart, it is comprising two parts, an upper part has a support board and a handle, the handle can be divided into an upper portion and a lower portion, a lower part is a bottom frame, there are at least three wheels at the bottom frame, a pivot and a support frame makes an organic combination between a hand-pull-cart a and a hand-push-cart b, the pivot and the support frame is the main part which achieves the unique function of the handcart, this two cooperate with each other and neither is dispensable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Inventor: Chi Keung Liu
  • Ductless cooling system for a vehicle power storage unit
    Patent number: 9126477
    Abstract: A battery of a vehicle is cooled by air from a cabin of the vehicle. The air from the cabin flows underneath a rear seat of the vehicle and to the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Zhu, Sarav Paramasivam, David Patel, Patrick Maguire, Kanghua Chen
  • Mounting structure for in-vehicle power battery and vehicle comprising the same
    Patent number: 9120371
    Abstract: A mounting structure for an in-vehicle power battery may be provided. The mounting structure may comprise an upper cover (3), a suspension tray (1) and a bracket (2) for supporting at least a peripheral bottom portion of the suspension tray (1). The suspension tray (1) may be hermetically connected with the upper cover, forming a sealed space for receiving the power battery. The bracket (2) may be detachably fixed to a bottom surface of a body floor in a vehicle. Further, a vehicle (100) comprising the mounting structure described above is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignees: SHENZHEN BYD AUTO R&D COMPANY LIMITED, BYD COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Fei Han, Bengang Yi, Hengshan Zhang
  • Motorised wheelbarrow
    Patent number: 9108690
    Abstract: A pedestrian motorised wheelbarrow having a front axle member mounting two front road-wheels, a back axle member mounting two back road-wheels, an electric motor mounted towards the rear to drive directly the rear two wheels which in turn drive the front two wheels, a carrier for a battery-pack to power the motor arranged for substantially the whole battery-pack weight to be at the front axle member, the empty wheelbarrow having more than half its weight on the front axle member, a hopper such that its load will be mainly on the front axle member, handles for tilting the wheelbarrow to lift the rear wheels off the ground, and a brake operating automatically upon interruption of the motor's power supply; the hopper being pivotally mounted so that, upon sudden braking, it will tend to pivot to eject its load forwards subject to a releasable catch worked from the handle area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Inventor: Terry Charles Rowlands
  • Radiator configuration
    Patent number: 9109594
    Abstract: A modular mobile fract pump unit having for a radiator with a heat exchanger vertically for generally horizontal flow of air through the radiator and a duct provided on an air exit side of the heat exchanger to direct air exiting the heat exchanger upwardly. Preferably, the duct comprises a retractable duct for movement between an operative position for use in parked cooling operation and a storage position for transport of the unit as a road worthy vehicle, within the storage position the duct not increasing the overall width of the unit and in the operative position the duct extending laterally to the side of the unit beyond the storage position and increasing the overall width of the unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Inventor: Daniel R. Pawlick
  • Structural enclosure for packaging power electronics for vehicle battery modules and methods of servicing and manufacturing vehicles using same
    Patent number: 9108497
    Abstract: An apparatus for a vehicle is provided that includes a structural enclosure configured to attach to both first and second spaced battery module housings while spanning the gap between the spaced battery module housings. The structural enclosure is configured to support power electronics and is configured to allow connection of the power electronics to the battery modules through the structural enclosure. A method of servicing vehicles and a method of manufacturing vehicles is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Inventors: Albert W. Harrison, III, Dave Mleczko, Scott Sabin
  • Board for snowboarding
    Patent number: 9108100
    Abstract: A board for snowboarding, having forward and rear contact lines; lines of greater width located beyond the forward and rear contact lines respectively; binding-mounting areas, each including a set of mounting points by which the binding is secured to the board; a non-zero camber (C), measured substantially midway between the forward and rear contact lines; forward and rear shovels; wherein seen from above, the forward and rear contact lines pass through forward and rear areas respectively, each delimited on the one hand, board center side, by an inner transverse line located at a maximum distance (D1,D3) of 50 mm relative to the central position of the binding-mounting area, and on the other hand, shovel side, by an outer transverse line located at a maximum distance (D2,D4) of 150 mm relative to the central position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Skis Rossignol
    Inventors: Adrien Reguis, Arnaud Repa
  • Method and apparatus for beach sled
    Patent number: 9108663
    Abstract: An apparatus including a top plate, a right spacing member, a left spacing member, left and right sides plate having a length and a width, wherein the length of each of the left side plate and the right side plate is substantially greater than the width of each of the left side plate and the right side plate. The apparatus may further include first, and second wheels connected to the left side plate so that the first and second wheels can rotate about first and second axes which are substantially parallel to the width of the left side plate; and third and fourth wheels connected to the right side plate so that the third and fourth wheels can rotate about third and fourth axes which are substantially parallel to the width of the right side plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Inventor: Joseph N. Laurita
  • Hybrid construction machine
    Patent number: 9103092
    Abstract: A electric storage device and a controller are disposed efficiently without obstructing ventilation, with a vehicle size equivalent to that of a normal shovel. A hybrid construction machine includes a device case which internally accommodates an electric storage device and a controller, and the device case is provided in a space above an upper frame, in a front portion of the upper frame and on the opposite side of two vertical plates from the cabin, and constitutes up-and-down steps which are formed in a rearward-ascending step shape so as to be able to be ascended and descended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Ueda
  • Bulldozer
    Patent number: 9102291
    Abstract: A front grille including a rotation plate is attached to the front end of a body. A grille open-state dimension of the rotation plate relative to a shaft is set to be smaller than a minimum distance among distances between the front end of the body and the backside surface of a blade in the front/back direction of the body when the lower end of the blade is in contact with a level surface. In this way, there can be obtained a bulldozer having a front grille that facilitates cleaning, that has excellent durability, and that provides excellent workability in an opening/closing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuki Kure
  • Roller skate
    Patent number: 9101816
    Abstract: An inline frame is disclosed for an inline skate, designed to mimic the properties of an ice hockey skate blade on ice. In at least one example embodiment, the inline frame includes at least one first connection part intended to be connected to a boot and at least two wheels positioned essentially in the inline frame's longitudinal direction. An unique thing about the inline frame of at least one embodiment is that it includes an upper chassis section and a lower chassis section which via a coupling element are arranged to be rotatable in the inline frame's longitudinal direction, and that the upper chassis section includes at least one first contact surface and that the lower chassis section includes at least one second contact surface, where at least one of the first contact surface and the second contact surface is curvilinear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: MARSBLADE AB
    Inventor: Per Mårs
  • Tail trim assembly of exhaust pipe for vehicle and method of manufacturing the same
    Patent number: 9101971
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tail trim assembly of an exhaust pipe for a vehicle of which shape is simplified to reduce the number of portions and process is changed to simplify processes so that manufacturing cost is reduced and productivity and quality are improved, and a method of manufacturing the tail trim. According to the present invention, a tail trim of an exhaust pipe for a vehicle includes a first tail trim portion of which one end is attached to an exhaust pipe at the rear portion of a vehicle, and a second tail trim portion that has an inner diameter increased in a streamlined shape toward the outside and is integrally formed with the other end of the first tail trim portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignees: KIA MOTORS CORPORATION, HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Wonsuk Lee, Jaewoo Park
  • Thermal management system using a phase-change material for vehicle with electric traction motor
    Patent number: 9105951
    Abstract: A phase-change material is used as part of the thermal management system to assist in maintaining a thermal load, such as a battery pack, within a selected temperature range, thereby reducing the consumption of battery power. The phase-change material may be conditioned to an initial state when the vehicle is on-plug and may be used to heat or cool the battery pack directly or indirectly, thereby reducing the use of an electric battery heater. The phase-change material may be used to heat coolant that flows to the thermal load. In another embodiment the phase-change material may be directly within the battery pack in contact with the cells. The phase-change material may be conditioned via the battery circuit heater when the vehicle is on-plug. The phase-change material may also be recharged during vehicle use off-plug using waste heat from the motor circuit thermal load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Magna E-Car Systems of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Melinda Anderson-Straley, Neil Carpenter, Greg Fritz, Rick Rajaie
  • Rigid urethane self-skinning foam dolly
    Patent number: 9102437
    Abstract: The present invention provides a top frame made from a thermoset foam material. The top frame includes a pair of substantially parallel sides and a pair of substantially parallel ends connected to the sides to form a generally rectangular frame structure. The frame structure has an inner layer and outer surface defining a thickness. The thermoset foam material varies in density along the frame structure thickness such that the density of the thermoset foam material is greatest near the frame structure outer surface to form a hard outer shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: ORBIS Corporation
    Inventor: Jason Frankenberg
  • Multifunction ski pole
    Patent number: 9101818
    Abstract: A ski pole comprises an elongate pole having a distal end and a proximal end. A grip is attached to the proximal end of the pole and is configured for grasping by a user. The grip has a proximal end and a distal end and defines a longitudinally extending bore therein between configured for receiving the proximal end of the pole in a distal end of the grip. A tool assembly is releasably coupled to the proximal end of the grip and is housed within the grip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Inventor: Alexander William Carr
  • Vehicle with electric propulsion
    Patent number: 9102222
    Abstract: A vehicle with electric propulsion, having: a floor which makes up a bottom wall of the compartment and is provided with a bottom panel beneath which there is the external environment; a motor propulsion system provided with at least one electric machine; and a system for the storage of electric energy which lies on the bottom panel and is provided with a pack of chemical batteries, which are connected to each other in series and in parallel and have respective electrochemical cells; the support panel has, for each chemical battery, a corresponding through hole which makes up a corresponding evacuation opening; and each chemical battery is provided with an outlet duct, which connects a safety valve of the chemical battery to the corresponding evacuation opening obtained through the support panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Ferrari S.p.A.
    Inventor: Fabrizio Favaretto
  • Hystat drive system having coasting functionality
    Patent number: 9096230
    Abstract: A drive system for a machine is disclosed. The drive system may have an engine, a pump driven by the engine to pressurize fluid, a motor connected to the pump via an inlet passage and an outlet passage, and a traction device driven by the motor. The drive system may also have an operator input device movable from a neutral position through a range to a maximum displaced position to affect a speed of the engine, and a controller in communication with the input device and at least one of the pump and motor. The controller may be configured to gradually adjust a displacement of the at least one of the pump and motor to slow the traction device over a period of time after the operator input device is returned to the neutral position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. Ries, Paul A. Dvorak, Mark L. Norton, Jon M. Scharf, Christopher J. Demick, Christopher M. Elliott
  • Brake system having a brake capacity test mode for a machine having a hydrostatic drivetrain
    Patent number: 9097341
    Abstract: A brake system and method includes a test mode for determining a capacity of the brake system provided on a machine having a hydrostatic drive. A hydrostatic drive target differential pressure range is determined to simulate a test torque. A machine ground speed limit, hydrostatic drive actual differential pressure, and actual ground speed of the machine are determined. An output pressure of the hydrostatic pump is modulated to drive the hydrostatic drive actual differential pressure toward the hydrostatic drive target differential pressure range. A first test fault condition is determined when the actual ground speed exceeds the machine ground speed limit. A second test fault condition is determined when the hydrostatic drive actual differential pressure is outside the hydrostatic drive target differential pressure range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Lucas Micah Newlon, Bradley John Will, Sudarshan Aravamuthan Maiyur
  • Air cleaner structure of motorcycle
    Patent number: 9097223
    Abstract: A part of an air cleaner main body overlapped with vehicle body frames in a side view has a shape in which an upper surface portion of the part is narrower than a bottom surface portion of the part. The air cleaner main body is formed to have approximately uniform gaps along inner surfaces of the vehicle body frames, and the air cleaner main body is inserted from a position below the vehicle body frames and is fixed to the vehicle body frames before mounting an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koichiro Kawata