Patents Examined by Jacob D. Knutson
  • Patent number: 12145663
    Abstract: A rack-driven electric power assisted steering device includes a rack bar which axially slides in a rack housing and has an outer circumferential screw groove formed at the outer circumferential surface thereof; a ball nut which has an inner circumferential screw groove formed at the inner circumferential surface thereof and corresponding to the outer circumferential screw groove of the rack bar, and has a ball circulation passage formed between the inner and outer circumferential surfaces thereof, the ball circulation passage passing through the ball nut in the axial direction; end caps coupled to ends of the ball circulation passage, each of the end caps having a ball return hole provided to circulate balls through the ball circulation passage, the outer circumferential screw groove, and the inner circumferential screw groove; and a support member coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the ball nut while axially supporting the end caps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: HL MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jong Baek Lee
  • Patent number: 12145670
    Abstract: A track assembly for assisting in moving a farm implement along a ground surface in a line of travel is provided. The track assembly includes a tilt arm comprising front and rear ends. The track assembly includes a camber arm coupled to the tilt arm such that the camber arm permits the tilt arm to pivot about a first axis perpendicular to the line of travel and a second axis parallel to the line of travel. The camber arm is located between the front and rear ends of the tilt arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Van Mill, Christopher M. Self, John Walvatne
  • Patent number: 12145587
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle including a vehicle body, a steerable front wheel set swivelable around an axis extending in an up-down direction, a rear wheel set, a turn operation input device that receives a turn operation and transmits the turn operation non-mechanically, a leaning device including a lean actuator that leans the vehicle body, the steerable front wheel set and the rear wheel set to a leftward or rightward direction, and a centripetal force generator including a centripetal force generation actuator, which outputs a controllable torque to thereby generate an additional centripetal force that acts on the steerable front wheel set and the rear wheel set during a turn of the leaning vehicle. The controller controls the torque while controlling the lean actuator in accordance with the received turn operation, to thereby control a leaning condition of the vehicle body during the turn and to control generation of the additional centripetal force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignees: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keisuke Terada, Toshifumi Uchiyama, Keizo Araki, Shota Kubo
  • Patent number: 12144769
    Abstract: Stable transfer of a person from a wheelchair to another support facility, such as a bed or commode, utilizes a support bar having first and second legs depending vertically from respective ends of a transversely extending grip section. In a normal or exercise mode the lower ends of the bar legs can be selectively secured in respective sockets on opposite sides of the wheelchair with the grip section disposed horizontally in front of the wheelchair. In a transfer mode the bar is positioned with the lower end of the first leg removably engaging a bed or other support facility and the lower end of the second leg engaging to one of the wheelchair sockets such that the bar stably secures the wheelchair to the facility and the grip section can be grasped by a person transferring between the wheelchair and the support facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Proactive Comfort, LLC
    Inventors: Carole Purdue, Elvis Campana
  • Patent number: 12145668
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to redundant steering system, including a first steering knuckle rotatable with respect to a first steering axis, a first steering cylinder, a first steering rod coupled to the first steering cylinder, a second steering cylinder, and a second steering rod coupled to the second steering cylinder. The first steering rod and the second steering rod are each rotatably coupled to the first steering knuckle at a distance from the first steering axis and at different positions along the first steering axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: DANA ITALIA S.R.L.
    Inventors: Nicola Tessaro, Davide Deimichei, Efrem Rusconi, Gianluca Terrasi
  • Patent number: 12144767
    Abstract: An adjustable wheelchair and components thereof are provided. The wheelchair may include a first chassis connected to a first wheel on a first side of the wheelchair. The first chasses may include a first strut configured to laterally translate while supporting a seat. The wheelchair may further include a second chassis connected to a second wheel on a second side of the wheelchair. The second chasses may include a second strut configured to laterally translate while supporting the seat. A jack may be connected to the first chasses and second chasses. The jack may operatively cause the first and second chassis expand away from each other and contract toward each other to vary a width between the first side and second side of the wheelchair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Quinn Alexander Joyce, Eric Eagon
  • Patent number: 12139225
    Abstract: A seat rail installed on a vehicle body of a motorcycle. The seat rail includes a lateral member located on a lateral side in a width direction of the vehicle body, the lateral member has a laminated structure in which a sheet material including one layer made of a fiber reinforced resin or a plurality of layers made of a fiber reinforced resin and laminated to each other is folded back and doubly overlapped, and a folded edge part formed by folding back the sheet material is located at a lower edge part of the lateral member. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a seat rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenta Suzuki, Daisuke Hatano
  • Patent number: 12138205
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a wheelchair device includes a frame adapted to be removably mounted to a wheelchair, a slide member supported by the frame that is configured to be pushed in a forward direction away from a user of the device with the user's arm, a transmission mechanism including a rotatable reel and a spring associated with the reel that resists rotation of the reel in a first direction and assists rotation of the reel in a second direction, and a cable having first and second ends, the first end of the cable being attached to the slide member and the second end being attached to the rotatable reel. With such a configuration, movement of the slide member in the forward direction causes the rotatable reel to rotate in the first direction and movement of the slide member in a backward direction opposite to the forward direction causes the rotatable reel to rotate in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: David Reinkensmeyer, Daniel Zondervan, Marti Comellas Andres
  • Patent number: 12128981
    Abstract: A bicycle mountable storage device for stowing articles and broadcasting audio includes a container, which comprises a top piece that is hingedly engaged to a bottom piece. The bottom piece is mountable to a frame of a bicycle. A battery and a receiver are positioned in an interior space defined by the container. A speaker is engaged to the container and is operationally engaged to the battery. The receiver is operationally engaged to the battery and communicatively engaged to the speaker. The receiver receives an audio signal from an electronic device of a user and the speaker broadcasts the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Inventor: Lorinc Szasz
  • Patent number: 12128969
    Abstract: An electric power source device includes an auxiliary electric power source for a main electric power source that supplies electric power to electric power supply targets, including an electric circuit of a control system for controlling a specific control target and an electric circuit of a power system that requires larger electric power than the electric circuit of the control system; and a selection circuit configured to supply the electric power from one electric power source having a higher voltage, out of the main electric power source and the auxiliary electric power source, to at least the electric circuit of the control system among the electric power supply targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignees: JTEKT CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuuta Kajisawa, Fumihiko Sato, Masaharu Yamashita, Atsushi Satou, Masataka Okuda, Toshiyuki Mikida, Hiroaki Hanzawa
  • Patent number: 12121482
    Abstract: Apparatus using two telescoping armrest connecting a wheelchair to a walker for safely assisting a patient regaining their ability to walk. Physical therapists use the walker to train patients on walking to build strength, endurance, and balance. The telescoping armrest provide a fixed gap between the wheelchair and walker and keeps the wheelchair close to the patient. The patient can easily sit in the wheelchair, and the presence of the wheelchair minimizes the risk of falling, allows the patient to rest when fatigued, provides a sense of security, and eliminates a need for an assistance to push the wheelchair behind the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2024
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Inventor: Naun Galvan
  • Patent number: 12122465
    Abstract: Decoupled fifth wheel and gooseneck subframes are disclosed. An example apparatus includes brackets couplable to a vehicle frame, the brackets including puck mounts to receive a fifth wheel hitch, a subframe couplable between the brackets, the subframe including an aperture, and a gooseneck mount to receive a gooseneck ball, the gooseneck mount to be disposed in the aperture and couplable to the subframe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Lucas Demott, Cliff Standifer
  • Patent number: 12116050
    Abstract: A steering device according to one aspect of the disclosure includes: a speed reducer configured to decelerate a rotational power input from one surface side while increasing a torque and output rotation from an output section disposed on the other surface side; a motor provided on the one surface side and configured to input the rotational power to the speed reducer; and a control device for controlling the motor. The motor includes a rotor for generating the rotational power. The rotor includes a rotor output shaft disposed coaxially with an output axis of the output section. The motor inputs the rotational power from one end side of the rotor output shaft to the speed reducer. The control device is disposed on the other end side of the rotor output shaft coaxially with the rotor output shaft and includes a sensing unit for sensing rotation of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Tanaka, Stefan Kubina
  • Patent number: 12110074
    Abstract: A bicycle training aid device comprising a cantilevered handle member for grasping by a user and guiding and/or supporting a bicycle, the cantilevered handle member disposed laterally adjacent to and extending in a direction outwardly away from a rear wheel of the bike and is retained on the frame of the bicycle using a plurality of attachment plates, wherein the plurality of attachment plates are configured to be coupled together with fasteners and each having a plurality clips configured to receive frame members on the frame of the bicycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Inventor: Shaun Greene
  • Patent number: 12110078
    Abstract: A power switching structure includes an input shaft, a detection shaft sleeve fit over the input shaft, an assisting power assembly, and an output assembly selectively drivable by the input shaft and the assisting power assembly. The output assembly includes first and transmission sleeves rotatably mounted to the input shaft. The assisting power assembly includes a power member rotatably mounted to the second transmission sleeve. A one-way bearing is arranged between the first and second transmission sleeves and the power member. An output member is mounted on the second transmission sleeve. A micro-motion static frictional force is induced between the first and second transmission sleeves and the input shaft to allow the detection shaft sleeve to directly and accurately measure a torque value of the input shaft. The one-way bearing arranged between the first and second transmission sleeves and the power member allows for selection among sources of power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Inventor: Li-Ho Yao
  • Patent number: 12108701
    Abstract: A walk power mower having a cutting deck supported upon the ground by a front and rear wheel(s). The mower includes a traction drive system incorporating a bidirectional transmission adapted to propel the mower alternatively in both forward and reverse directions. In some embodiments, the mower may include a single bidirectional transmission (e.g., powering only rear wheel(s) or only front wheel(s) of the mower), while in other embodiments, two bidirectional transmissions may be provided to power both the front and the rear wheel(s). In other embodiments, the mower may include a bidirectional transmission powering the rear wheel(s), while the front wheel(s) may be attached to the deck via a caster assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: THE TORO COMPANY
    Inventors: Chadwick A. Shaffer, Todd A. Porter, Steven J. Svoboda
  • Patent number: 12103613
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a trailer drive unit in the form of a caravan mover comprising a motor 16 (drive means/drive device), a head 14 housing a roller 20 which are linked together by a gear mechanism 22. Specifically, the present invention provides a support and drive transmission system 22 located centrally on the roller 20 with the roller 20 being provided by a first lateral portion/roller 19 and a second lateral portion/roller 21. In this arrangement, the length of the lateral roller 10 portions 19, 21 are individually shorter than a single roller such that the torque created in the central drive transmission portion is significantly less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: PURPLE LINE LIMITED
    Inventors: Jonathan Harrison, Ben Hawkins
  • Patent number: 12097926
    Abstract: A knuckle assembly for use with a wheel suspension system of a vehicle having a vehicle longitudinal axis, a frame extending therealong, the suspension system comprising upper and lower suspension arms, each having a frame engaging end at which the arm is configured to be pivotally connected to the frame about a proximal suspension axis, and a knuckle engaging end at which the arm is configured to be pivotally connected to the knuckle assembly about a distal suspension axis parallel to the proximal suspension axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: MIA DYNAMICS LTD
    Inventor: Yizhaq Calderon
  • Patent number: 12097732
    Abstract: A stowable stacked receiver has a fixed drawbar portion that allows affixation to a towing vehicle. Attached to the fixed drawbar portion is a movable stacked receiver that can pivot between a use and a stowed position. In the use position, the stacked receivers can receive a removable drawbar in a plurality of positions, and the stacked receivers are adjacent a flat surface on the fixed drawbar portion. In the stowed position, the stacked receivers are located underneath the fixed drawbar portion. A locking pin can be used to secure the movable stacked receiver in either the use or stowed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: Gen-Y Creations, LLC
    Inventor: Carl J. Borkholder
  • Patent number: 12097731
    Abstract: A system for automated trailer weight distribution, including: A system for automated trailer weight distribution, having a tow vehicle with a hitch mount having a spring bar. The system may also include a trailer and a spring bar mount disposed on the trailer and having an initial position relative to the trailer, where the spring bar mount is configured to receive and engage the spring bar. Furthermore, a weight distribution measurement device disposed in association with the tow vehicle and being configured and arranged to determine a weight distribution of the tow vehicle when the spring bar is engaged with the spring bar mount and a weight distribution actuator can be configured and arranged to adjust the height of the spring bar mount while engaged with the spring bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: Dexter Axle Company LLC
    Inventors: Jed K. Anderson, David F. Lundgreen, Jason R. Harper