Patents Examined by James Brittain
  • Patent number: 8024845
    Abstract: Buckle of a seat belt for a motor vehicle comprising a male part and a female part characterized in that it comprises electric contacts carried by two tongues (30, 35), a first tongue (30) comprising a V-shaped section with two branches (31, 32), one of which constitutes an electric contact and a cambered end (34), the convex sections of these two sections facing opposite the second tongue (35) which has a V-shaped section with branches (36, 37), one of which constitutes an electric contact and is designed to bear against the electric contact of the first tongue (30), the cambered section (34) being designed to cooperate with a bar (10) to control the opening of the electric contacts moved by the introduction of the male part of the buckle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Leoni Wiring Systems France
    Inventors: Jean-françois Maziere, Faouzi Saidani
  • Patent number: 8020260
    Abstract: A locking clip for a cable tensioning system, comprising (i) a base plate having a top surface having a gripping portion, tensioning arms extending from the top surface, a cable retaining arm and posts extending from the bottom surface, and, at least one slot in the base plate; and, (ii) a tapering top member including a cable tensioning hook with a channel and extending from the top surface, and at least one nub extending from the bottom surface to slidingly engage the slot. The clip can hold a portion of a sheet between the base plate and the top member when the top member and the base plate are in an engaged relationship. The cable tensioning arm holds the cable and allows tension to be placed on the sheet. When the clip is disengaged from the sheet it can be temporarily attached to the cable by the cable retaining arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Formetco, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Lee Franklin, Christopher Jonathan Adams, John Dove Gibb
  • Patent number: 8015675
    Abstract: A clamp adapted to clamp a bar, particularly supporting components such as guides of conveyors of articles. The clamp includes: a clamp body, adapted to accommodate the support bar for supporting the components, with the possibility of adjusting the relative position of the bar with respect to the clamp by longitudinally sliding the bar; positioning means arranged to have a first working position in which the positioning means are elastically urged in abutment against the bar to engage at least positioning notch, provided on the bar, upon reaching a predetermined position, so as to essentially prevent a further longitudinal sliding of the bar once said predetermined position is reached. The clamp further includes tightening means, distinct from said positioning means and adapted in use to hold the bar in position against displacements with respect to the clamp body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Rexnord Marbett S.r.l.
    Inventor: Andrea Andreoli
  • Patent number: 8015672
    Abstract: An upright portion of an inner band section is inserted into an elongated hole in an outer band section, and a tab stopper of the outer band section is inserted in a cutout hole on the base end side of the upright portion. As a result, a band member is temporarily held in a ring shape. When an inner and an outer pulling claw are pulled together, a fixing hole in the outer band section engages a fixing claw of the inner band section and the tab stopper engages a stopper receiving hole. This results in the band member being fixed with its diameter reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Mihama
    Inventors: Naoki Ito, Tomio Fushimi, Noriaki Yajima, Kazuhiro Fujimori
  • Patent number: 8011068
    Abstract: A structure for attaching to a support a protective member having a rib comprises a single-piece clip with a rib-fastening section and a support-fastening section. The rib-fastening section has a pair of walls defining a space into which the rib is inserted, and the walls have respective resilient pawls that engage opposite sides of the rib to resist withdrawal of the rib from the space. The walls have reinforcing braces outside the space. The support-fastening section has a tube with a tapered lead-in member for receiving a stud projecting from the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Newfrey LLC
    Inventors: Tatsuya Kaneko, Noriaki Kojima
  • Patent number: 8001662
    Abstract: A clip device for releasably securing objects together is provided. The clip device comprises a clip body with a first slot formed in the clip body and a second slot formed in the clip body substantially parallel to the first slot. A cross member divides the first slot from the second slot. A faceplate substantially parallel to the cross member is formed in the clip body with the faceplate having a substantially planar front face surface and a rear face surface. A finger extends from the front face surface with the finger curling back toward the front face surface. An opening is formed through the faceplate wherein upon positioning of the front face surfaces of two adjacent clip bodies together, the finger is releasably receivable within the opening formed in the front faceplate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Inventor: Gary Guber
  • Patent number: 7992268
    Abstract: A fastening clip device comprising arms of different length pivoted together about a transverse pin on one and the other side thereof, and elastic means which maintain two facing portions of said arms spaced apart, one end of one of said arms being bent substantially to U-shape to retain the end of the other arm against the action of said elastic means, characterized in that the arm of smaller length comprises two apertures positioned on one and the other side of the pin about which the two arms are pivoted, and by comprising a flexible puller which passes through said apertures, extends between the pin and the arm of greater length, and is fixed to the curved portion of said arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Evoluzione S.R.L.
    Inventor: Onorio Miotto
  • Patent number: 7363686
    Abstract: The present invention provides a nonmetallic twist tie in which the function inherent to the twist tie is of course available and the twist tie is easily made into a shape of being wound in a bundle with no slipping down of the tie into gap, no torsion of the tie itself, no curl, no twining and tangling of ties and no loosening or disjoining from a reel whereby its drawing-out from the wound shape is able to be carried out smoothly. The nonmetallic twist tie having a core part and a wing part constituted from a non-halogenous material is characterized in that (1) a shape having a total width is 1.5 to 20.0 mm, the average thickness of the wing part is 0.02 to 0.20 mm and the maximum thickness of the core part is 0.04- to 0.30-fold of the total width, (2) a binding property where a torsion strength is 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Kyowa Limited
    Inventors: Masaaki Fukuyasu, Yoshinori Kotera, Norio Kashihara, Tomoji Abe
  • Patent number: 7322768
    Abstract: A cover includes a cover body, a grommet, and a projection. The cover body includes a socket disposed on one of the front and rear opposite surfaces. The grommet is deformable, is held in the socket, and includes a fitting hole. The projection projects from an installation member to which the cover is installed, and is fitted into the fitting hole of the grommet, whereby holding the cover body detachably to the installation member. The grommet further includes convexities disposed on the outer peripheral surface at least, protruding in radial directions, and contacting with the inner peripheral surface of the socket at least. By the elastically deforming convexities, not only the cover is improved in terms of the attachment and detachment operability but also is enhanced in terms of the stability when being installed to the installation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ochiai, Shinji Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7278189
    Abstract: A spring fastener characterized by a structure having a top portion and a cavity in which the rib of a first article, such as a plastic panel for example having a lower side, may be engaged, and is also suitable to be engaged reversibly in a slot of a second article, such as a metal sheet for example, like the frame of a car for example. The spring fastener also comprises engagement springs having a peak, a front end, and an engagement region between the peak and the front end. The spring fastener further comprises side spacers disposed at the top portion and being adaptable to reach the vicinity or touch the lower side of the first article. It is highly preferable that the fastener comprises barbs with inwardly bent front ends, and that the engagement regions further have a single sided ripple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Inventor: Michael Walter Smith