Patents Examined by Jake Cook
  • Vehicle drive device
    Patent number: 11293524
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device includes: an input shaft that receives a driving force of a driving source and that is provided with a first gear; an intermediate shaft that is provided with a second gear meshing with the first gear and a third gear located next to the second gear in a direction of a rotation axis and that is disposed in such a manner that the intermediate shaft is allowed to move in the direction of the rotation axis; an output shaft that is provided with a fourth gear meshing with the third gear; a first gear pair including the first and second gears; and a second gear pair including the third and fourth gears. One of the first gear pair and the second gear pair includes a helical gear, and the other of the first gear pair and the second gear pair includes a double helical gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshinori Suzuki
  • Shift device
    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
  • Complex ramp in vehicle shift drum
    Patent number: 11287036
    Abstract: A shift drum has a recess which controls a fork to move one of two cooperating coaxially arranged gears for transmitting torque in a power train of a vehicle. The recess includes a straight section, which upon rotation of the shift drum does not move the fork either to the left or the right, and at least one ramp which does move the fork in one direction (i.e., to the left or the right). The ramp is more complex than a single line, such as having a first portion at a first right-shift portion ramp angle ? and a second portion at a second right-shift portion ramp angle ?, perhaps with the intersection between the first right-shift portion ramp angle ? and the second right-shift portion ramp angle ? being at the mid-line defined by the straight section of the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Zhejiang CFMOTO Power Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xie Lebang
  • Ballscrew actuators
    Patent number: 11287020
    Abstract: A ballscrew actuator comprises a ballnut having at least one first helical groove formed on a radially inner surface and defining an axis (X), a ballscrew disposed along the axis (X) within the ballnut, the ballscrew having at least one second helical groove formed on a radially outer surface and opposed to the first helical groove so as to form at least one helical raceway and a plurality of balls or rolling elements disposed in the at least one helical raceway. The ballscrew is movable relative to the ballnut between a stowed position and a deployed position. The ballscrew comprises a ballscrew bore extending axially therein. A lubrication piston is mounted for sliding movement within the ballscrew bore and divides the ballscrew bore axially into a lubricant receiving portion and a pressurising portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: GOODRICH ACTUATION SYSTEMS SAS
    Inventor: Marlène Trézières
  • Transmission shifter with improved feel positioner
    Patent number: 11280400
    Abstract: A selector apparatus comprises a shift lever operably supported on a base for movement between gear positions, and a feel positioner mechanism with offset detent members, where a first detent engages first undulations for biasing the shift lever toward a center of a selected gear position from a first direction, and a second detent engages second undulations for biasing the selector lever toward the center of the selected gear position from a different second direction to the common center point. By the arrangement, the first and second undulations define opposing angled slopes toward the common center point. This allows the undulations to be designed to provide any desired level of biasing force toward the center point without the limitations of a single undulation defining the center point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: GHSP, Inc.
    Inventor: John Thomas Bagley
  • Vehicle device with a spindle/nut arrangement and with an anti-rotation device and method for mounting an anti-rotation device for the manufacture of such a vehicle device
    Patent number: 11280390
    Abstract: A vehicle mechanism with a housing may have a spindle/nut assembly and a rotation lock, where in order to displace a spindle rod of the spindle/nut assembly in the longitudinal direction of the spindle rod, a rotational movement of a spindle nut of the spindle/nut assembly is blocked by the rotation lock. In order to support the spindle nut such that it cannot rotate, and/or to facilitate an assembly of the vehicle mechanism, and/or the rotation lock, the rotation lock may have at least one elastomer element for retaining the rotation lock on the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Mallmann
  • Ball screw with retaining device
    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
  • Articulation for surgical robot
    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
  • Gearbox
    Patent number: 11261953
    Abstract: A gearbox includes: the first helical gear; the second helical gear to engage with the first helical gear; a casing including a first member disposed in proximity to the first helical gear and a second member disposed in proximity to the second helical gear; a screw for fastening the first member with the second member, and disposed closer to the first helical gear than an engagement position between the first helical gear and the second helical gear and penetrating at least the second member; and a clip disposed closer to the second helical gear than the engagement position, and formed of a closed curve in such a manner that the first member end and the second member end are enclosed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Kuroda, Toshiharu Kiriyama, Kenji Tatewaki
  • Axle assembly having an internal lubricant passage
    Patent number: 11255424
    Abstract: An axle assembly having at least one lubricant passage. A differential carrier, a motor housing, and a cover may cooperate to at least partially define a first lubricant passage that routes lubricant from an axle housing to the cover. The differential carrier, motor housing, and cover may cooperate to at least partially define a second lubricant passage that routes lubricant from the cover to the axle housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
    Inventor: Robert Martin
  • Joint mechanism, method for controlling the same, multi-arm device, and robot
    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
  • Actuator with a spindle drive and rear-axle steering system
    Patent number: 11248689
    Abstract: Actuator having a spindle drive (1) for a rear wheel steering system, including a spindle (2) with a spindle thread (2a) and a spindle nut (3) with a nut thread (3a). The spindle thread (2a) and the nut thread (3a) are designed as displacement threads and the spindle nut (3) threadedly engages with the axially displaceable spindle (2) by way of the displacement thread. The spindle thread (2a) and the nut thread (3a) are braced against one another, in the longitudinal direction of the spindle (2), by a bracing element (4). The bracing element (4) is in the form of a threaded ring having an internal thread (4a) which engages with the spindle thread (2a). The threaded ring (4) is supported relative to the spindle nut (3) by at least one spring element (5, 6), and the at least one spring element (5, 6) is made of an elastomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Gerrit Seevers, Miguel De Carvalho, Lars-Theodor Thole
  • Apparatus for converting motion
    Patent number: 11248685
    Abstract: An assembly for converting motion comprises a first arm rotatable at a first position about a first fixed pivot; a second arm rotatable at a first position about a second fixed pivot; a third arm linked at a first position to the second arm at a second position on the second arm, the third arm being linked at a second position to the first arm at a second position on the first arm; wherein one of the first and second positions on the third arm is movable and the other of the first and second positions is fixed relative to the third arm; and a connecting arm extending between the first arm and the second arm, the connecting arm pivotably connected at a first position to a third position on the first arm and pivotably connected at a second position to the second position on the second arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Inventor: David Martyn
  • Vehicle gear
    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
  • Deceleration device
    Patent number: 11251680
    Abstract: A deceleration device according to an embodiment includes a driven gear configured to rotate about a rotational axis by driving power of a drive mechanism; a deceleration unit including a plurality of gears including a first gear and a second gear, the first gear that rotates by the driven gear, the second gear that rotates about the rotational axis, the deceleration unit configured to rotate the second gear at a reduced speed with respect to the driven gear; a first contact included in the second gear; and a second contact provided separately from the driven gear and the plurality of gears and configured to come into contact with the first contact to stop the rotation of the second gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SHIROKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Izuchi, Masao Noguchi, Toshiaki Nagata
  • Electric actuator
    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
  • Shift device
    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
  • Sealing sleeve for geared shaft of gearmotor assembly
    Patent number: 11236614
    Abstract: A motor includes a shaft rotatable about an axis, an engaged component engaged by the shaft, a sleeve fixed to the shaft to rotate therewith, and a seal at least partly circumscribing the shaft. The shaft includes an engagement region presenting a substantially variable outer shaft surface that at least in part engages the engaged component. The sleeve includes a first section that at least partly circumscribes and engages the engagement region of the shaft. The first section of the sleeve presents an outer seal-engaging surface and an outer bearing-engaging surface. The seal and the bearing each at least partly circumscribe the engagement region of the shaft and the first section of the sleeve to engage the seal-engaging surface and the bearing-engaging surfaces, respectively, of the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua M. Biro, William D. Moore, Philip S. Johnson, Jeffrey M. Hutsler, Paul G. Michaels, Daniel E. Hilton
  • Shift device
    Patent number: 11226036
    Abstract: A shift lever device is provided with retention frames at a front side and rear side of a lever, and a plate is provided with blocks at the front side and rear side of the lever. Even if the plate and the lever are installed to a vehicle with the front side and rear side of the plate and the lever reversed, changing the retention frame that retains a detent rod enables the block on the side of the detent rod to restrict swinging of the detent rod, enabling swinging of the lever to be restricted. This thereby enables the plate and the lever to be commonly employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Nakanishi, Naoyuki Tanaka
  • Variable-speed gear arrangement for a vehicle, vehicle comprising the variable-speed gear arrangement, and method for assembling the variable-speed gear arrangement
    Patent number: 11226028
    Abstract: A variable-speed gear arrangement for a vehicle includes a harmonic drive device, a driven wheel and an optional stop disk. The stop disk can be arranged between the driven wheel and a shaft, with a fastener for connecting the shaft to the stop disk and the driven wheel. The fastener presses the shaft, the stop disk and the driven wheel together in an axial direction. The driven wheel and/or the shaft and/or the stop disk includes a deformation section, and the deformation section includes a contact surface and a deformation surface. In a first state of assembly, the deformation section brings a member of the clamping connection into contact with the contact surface, simultaneously forming a free deformation region. In a second state of assembly, the contact surface and the deformation surface are applied to the member of the clamping connection in a flat manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Resat Aras