Patents Examined by Jacob B Meyer
  • Patent number: 11524743
    Abstract: The application relates to a pedal mechanism and a housing of a balancing vehicle. The pedal mechanism comprises a pedal body, and an internal framework is arranged inside the pedal body. A lower side of the pedal body is also formed with an induction probe for inducting a control system inside a balancing vehicle. A housing of the balancing vehicle comprises a pair of symmetrically arranged and relatively rotatable inner housings, the inner housings are connected with the upper housing, and the pedal mechanism installed at upper housing. The pedal body and the induction probe are integrally molded, which has the advantages of less multiple assembly processes, shorter processing time, higher precision, and not easy to fall off which strengthens the stability of the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG TAOTAO VEHICLES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qin Ke, Jianbing Wu, Haibo Zhu, Matao Cao
  • Patent number: 11524740
    Abstract: Various embodiments of transportation devices that have at least two axes of rotation and employ ride balance based drive control are disclosed. One embodiment is a scooter type device with a platform structure movable in fore-aft. The drive motor may be provided at the platform section or drive wheel or be otherwise located. Other embodiments include inline wheeled board embodiments. Yet other embodiments include those utilizing a continuous track. The continuous track embodiments may have two drive motors, among other features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Inventor: Shane Chen
  • Patent number: 11524720
    Abstract: A crane for lifting and transporting loads includes a base frame for transferring the loads of the crane onto a support surface by a plurality of wheels. The wheels are capable of rotating relative to the base frame so as to change the camber angle of the wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Inventor: Jacques Tranchero
  • Patent number: 11524742
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a stem and a base with wheels. The base is at a first end of the stem, with symmetrical elements of the base opposed across a stem axis. Elements on each side include a wheel, a drive motor, a platform and pivot joints. The wheel has an axis of rotation. The drive motor is connected to the wheel. The platform is between the wheel and the stem. A first pivot joint connects the stem and the platform. A second pivot joint connects the platform and the wheel. In a first orientation, the platforms are substantially perpendicular to the stem and in a second orientation the platforms are substantially parallel to the stem. The wheel axes are substantially parallel to each other and are substantially perpendicular to the stem axis in the first orientation and the second orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIE, LLC
    Inventor: German Homero Heredia Martinez
  • Patent number: 11518424
    Abstract: The stair-climbing wheeled carrier has a U-shaped frame defined by a pair of elongated parallel handles and a crossbeam extending between the ends of the handles. Each handle has an axle mount depending therefrom having a star wheel or spider wheel mounted thereon. A dual shaft worm drive motor is mounted on the frame, the shafts driving chain drives connected to the wheels. A throttle extends from one of the handles, and controls leaf springs that operate switches for actuating the reversible motor and returning the throttle to neutral when released. A payload is attached to brackets mounted on the handles. The payload may be a seat for a person needing assistance attending/descending stairs, or a basket for carrying packages or other items upstairs. In use, an assistant uses the handles to support the frame while operating the motor to activate the wheels for climbing stairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Inventor: Gary M. Kemp
  • Patent number: 11511791
    Abstract: A steering assembly including an electric motor, and a motor shaft coupled to and extending from the electric motor to an end. The motor shaft is rotatable about a motor shaft axis by the motor. The steering assembly further includes a friction pad at the end of the motor shaft, where the friction pad has a coefficient of friction configured to resist rotation of the motor shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: George E. Arlt, Joel A. Bickel, Stanley J. Iseler
  • Patent number: 11510831
    Abstract: A seat arrangement (10) for a wheelchair, as well as a wheelchair (40) incorporating such a seat arrangement (10), are disclosed. The arrangement includes a base, a connecting member and a supporting member. The base forms part of or is mounted to a seat of the wheelchair (40). The connecting member is slidably mounted to the base and displaceable relative to the base between a retracted position and an extended position. The supporting member is pivotably connected to the connecting member and shaped substantially so as to mate with the seat opening (22). The supporting being member is pivotable between an open position and a closed position. When the connecting member is in the retracted position and the supporting member is in the closed position, the supporting member mates with the seat opening (22) to define a sitting surface, and when the supporting member is in the open position, a seat opening (22) is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Inventor: Portia Refilwe Mavhungu
  • Patent number: 11512614
    Abstract: A transfer for a four-wheel drive vehicle, the four-wheel drive vehicle configured to disconnect a propeller shaft from a power transmission path between an auxiliary drive wheels and a driving power source when the four-wheel drive vehicle travels by two-wheel drive, includes a second output rotating member and an oil pump. The second output rotating member is configured to output a driving power to the propeller shaft. The oil pump is configured to rotationally drive in conjunction with rotation of the second output rotating member via a first one-way clutch. The first one-way clutch is configured such that the oil pump supplies a lubrication oil to a wet clutch when the four-wheel drive vehicle travels forward by the four-wheel drive. The oil pump is configured to stop supplying the lubrication oil to the wet clutch when the four-wheel drive vehicle travels forward by the two-wheel drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mizuki Imafuku
  • Patent number: 11505228
    Abstract: According to an example aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a novel caster assembly for a roll container (1000). The caster assembly has a caster (410) with a fork (411) as well as a pin (414). The pin (414) may be repeatedly attached to and removed from the fork (411) so as to attach the chassis (100) of the roll container (1000) to the fork (411). The pin (414) also acts as the hinge pin of a pivotable side wall (200) of said roll container (1000).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: K. Hartwall Oy Ab
    Inventors: Jussi Raninen, Mikko Järvi, Juha Kosonen
  • Patent number: 11504286
    Abstract: A personal mobility device includes a frame, a plurality of wheels attached to the frame and one or more pneumatic motors. Each of the one or more pneumatic motors has a drive shaft in operative connection with at least one of the plurality of wheels. The personal mobility device further includes at least one tank (that is, a storage container) for storage of a pressurized gas in operative connection with the one or more pneumatic motors to supply pressurized gas to the one or more pneumatic motors and a control system in operative connection with the at least one tank and with the one or more pneumatic motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignees: University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education, The United States Government as represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs, FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Rory Alan Cooper, Hongwu Wang, Brandon Joseph Daveler, Benjamin Todd Gebrosky, Garrett G. Grindle, Jonathan L. Pearlman, Urs Schneider, David Minzenmay
  • Patent number: 11505248
    Abstract: A subframe structure includes a pair of left and right front-rear frames each mounted with a lower arm; and a transverse member connecting front portions of the front-rear frames. The front-rear frames each includes a rear horizontal portion formed substantially horizontally, an inclined portion extending frontward and upward from a front end of the rear horizontal portion, and a front horizontal portion extending horizontally frontward from a front end of the inclined portion. The transverse member is jointed at left and right ends thereof to the front horizontal portions respectively corresponding to the left and right ends, a rear end of the front horizontal portion is disposed to be positioned frontward of a front end of an engine, and the front-rear frames are deformed into a Z shape in vehicle side view in an event of a front-end collision and thereby energy of the front-end collision is absorbed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Okamoto, Fumihiro Kurohara, Ippei Kuroda, Hiromasa Honji, Yosuke Sawada
  • Patent number: 11498615
    Abstract: A steering torque feedback assembly for a vehicle steering column includes a housing, a first gear rotatably mounted within the housing about a first rotatable axis and being configured to rotate with, or being connected to, a vehicle steering column, first and second electric motors mounted within the housing, each having a rotatable output shaft, second and third gears rotatably mounted within the housing and engaged with the first gear, and first and second reduction gearing connecting the output of the first and second motors and a respective one of the second and third gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Inventors: Russell Wilson-Jones, Mark Anthony Wilkes
  • Patent number: 11490559
    Abstract: Steering and roll control systems to counteract yaw and/or roll forces during operation of a vehicle having first and second wheeled members coupled together by an articulating joint mechanism that is configured to pivot in a yaw direction and/or a roll direction. The steering assistance systems include a biasing unit configured to apply a counteracting force to bias the first and second wheeled members toward a straight-line arrangement thereof. The roll control systems include an additional biasing unit configured to apply a counteracting force to bias the first and second wheeled members toward a level alignment arrangement of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Perma-Green Supreme, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas F. Jessen
  • Patent number: 11485404
    Abstract: In a controller for a steering device, the steering device includes a structure where motive power transmission between a steering unit and a turning unit is separated. The controller includes a control circuit configured to control operation of a steering-side motor that is provided in the steering unit to give steering reaction force that is force against the steering input into the steering unit. In a case where turning of the turning wheels to one direction is restricted, the control circuit is configured to calculate restriction reaction force for restricting steering that is to turn the turning wheels to the one direction. The control circuit is configured to calculate the restriction reaction force based on information on the steering unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignees: JTEKT CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Anraku, Isao Namikawa, Yusuke Kakimoto, Yoshio Kudo, Tetsuya Morino
  • Patent number: 11485615
    Abstract: A rubber-tired gantry crane (RTG) includes an energy storage device disposed on and configured to provide power to the RTG, a primary charging device disposed on the RTG and configured to charge the energy storage device, and a secondary charging device disposed on the RTG and configured to charge the energy storage device when the RTG is idle or not in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Paceco Corp.
    Inventors: Sun Huang, Sai Cheung, Leong Wun
  • Patent number: 11479309
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for leveling and/or supporting a plant chassis. In some embodiments, a first set of actuators carry out a leveling routine and a controller monitors a pressure in a second set of actuators as the second set of actuators is extended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: SUPERIOR INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Voigt, Brett Nelson, Scott Oberg
  • Patent number: 11479102
    Abstract: A two wheeled robot with a pair of motorized wheels mounted on each end of a body and a rearwardly extending tail. The body comprising a chassis with sides and exterior side surfaces and providing an accessory mounting interface. The interface having a matrixical arrangement of threaded holes and one or more landings, the landings having an outwardly facing planar landing surface with hole openings at the landing surface. An accessory with a robot mounting interface cooperates with the chassis at the accessory mounting interface such that prior to fastening the accessory has a single degree of freedom of movement. Screws extend through portions of the accessory into select ones of the threaded holes of the matrixical arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: ReconRobotics, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex J. Kossett, Andrew Drenner, Luke William Bromback
  • Patent number: 11479115
    Abstract: An attachment structure of a generator and a working machine including a transmission case; and a PTO shaft protruding from the transmission case, includes a structure body attached to a side of the transmission case from which the PTO shaft protrudes, and includes the generator attached to the structure body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sumio Yagyu, Takao Nakagawa, Masaru Kawane
  • Patent number: 11479108
    Abstract: A vehicle drive unit (11) includes a spindle (12) on which a female spline portion (12G) is formed, a wheel (15) disposed on an outer peripheral side of the spindle (12), wheel bearings 17, 18 that rotatably support the wheel (15) in relation to the spindle (12), an electric motor (21) located on an axial one side of the spindle (12), a shaft (22) connected to an output shaft (21B) of the electric motor (21), a planetary gear reduction device (25) disposed between the shaft (22) and the wheel (15), and a shaft bearing (46) that rotatably supports the shaft (22) in relation to the spindle (12). A retainer (42) retaining the shaft bearing (46) is disposed on an inner peripheral surface side of the spindle (12), and a male spline portion (42E), which is spline-coupled to a female spline portion (12G) of the spindle (12), is disposed on the retainer (42).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuutarou Iwabuchi, Shinichirou Hagihara
  • Patent number: 11471361
    Abstract: The invention concerns a wheelchair for assisting walking. The wheelchair comprises a chassis, a movable base that can move relative to the chassis between a low seating position and a high walking position, and a device for changing the position of the base. The device for changing the position comprises at least a first arm and a linear actuator. The arm forms a third-class lever. The linear actuator is configured to bias the movable base towards the high position by means of the arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: LIFEBLOOM
    Inventors: Marc Bardgett, Damien Roche