Patents Examined by James K. Hsiao
  • Patent number: 11998496
    Abstract: In a power transmission mechanism 20, a line connecting a center shaft 21 of a reference gear member 40 and a first shaft 44 of a first planetary gear member 42 and a line connecting the center shaft 21 of the reference gear member 40 and a second shaft 47 of a second planetary gear member 45 form a specific angle ?. Rotation in one direction is prevented when a first carrier member 22 and a second carrier member 32 are relatively rotated in a direction to decrease the specific angle ?. Further, a rotation prevention release unit is provided to release a prevention state of the rotation when the first carrier member 22 and the second carrier member 32 are relatively rotated in a direction to increase the specific angle ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: Hitoshi Maekawa
  • Patent number: 11993115
    Abstract: A spring element, in particular a jounce bumper, for a vehicle shock absorber contains a longitudinal axis, a base body extending along the longitudinal axis, and an end portion configured for contact against a damper cap of the vehicle shock absorber. The base body is elastically deformable between an uncompressed basic state and a compressed state in which the base body is at least partially compressed in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The end portion contains at least three projections that are spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction, and protrude from the base body in the direction of the longitudinal axis. Each of the projections has a distinct length in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and the projections are arranged along the circumference of the end portion such that the lengths of the projections increase monotonously in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: BASF Polyurethanes GmbH
    Inventor: Anthony Touzard
  • Patent number: 11988258
    Abstract: A brake assembly for an electric motor includes: a brake pad plate, a driver, and a shaft. The driver includes an inner driver part and an outer driver part, which are connected to one another by an intermediate layer, the brake pad plate having an inner tooth system, which meshes with an outer tooth system of the outer driver part so that the brake pad plate is connected to the driver in a torsionally fixed but axially displaceable manner, the inner driver part being connected to the shaft in a torsionally fixed manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: SEW-EURODRIVE GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Gerolf Fichtner-Pflaum, Florian Rieger
  • Patent number: 11988264
    Abstract: A baffle press-fit against an inner portion of an outer tube defining an interior of a hydraulic damper. The baffle comprising a first wall, a second wall, opposite the first wall, a circumferential third wall, and a channel formed between at least a portion of the circumferential third wall and the inner portion of the outer tube. The channel comprising an inlet formed along at least a portion of the first wall, an outlet formed along at least a portion of the second wall, and a groove formed along at least a portion of the circumferential third wall and fluidly coupling the inlet to the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: DRiV Automotive Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Alan Bender
  • Patent number: 11970033
    Abstract: A gas spring suspension system is configured to replace a factory-installed leaf spring-based suspension system of an automobile. The gas spring suspension system connects to the vehicle frame using the same first and second frame mounts to which the leaf spring was originally attached. The gas spring suspension system has a linkage assembly with a first link that pivotably attaches to the first frame mount and a second link that pivotably attaches to the second frame mount. The first and second links are pivotably attached to one another. A connector portion, which can be part of the first or second link, or supported therebetween, supports the vehicle axle. A gas spring is supported by the linkage assembly and is positioned operatively between the first and second links so that as the axle moves during vehicle operation, loads are communicated to the spring, and through the linkage to the first and second frame mounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL AIR, INC.
    Inventor: Yuzuru Oishi
  • Patent number: 11970041
    Abstract: A volume adjustable air chamber for a shock assembly is disclosed herein. The adjustable air chamber assembly includes a first air chamber and a second air chamber in fluid communication via a flow path. A check valve is coupled with the flow path, the check valve that allows the second air chamber to be fluidly coupled with or fluidly isolated from the first air chamber, such that the available volume of air for said first air chamber can be modified to provide different damping characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeff Halper
  • Patent number: 11965581
    Abstract: A spring for a check valve which can be used in particular in controllable vibration dampers, said spring comprising a flat main body with a first surface, a second surface and a centre point, and two or more spring arms, which cooperate resiliently with the main body and in the unloaded state protrude from the first surface or the second surface, the spring arms forming a free end and having a longitudinal axis that runs through the free end and tangentially to a circle about the centre point of the main body. The invention further relates to a check valve having a spring of this kind. In addition, the invention relates to a controllable vibration damper which comprises such a check valve, and to a motor vehicle having a controllable vibration damper of this kind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Kendrion (Villingen) GmbH
    Inventor: Björn Bergfeld
  • Patent number: 11959525
    Abstract: There is provided a vibration damping material capable of exhibiting excellent vibration damping performance and of reducing its own weight while having high rigidity. The vibration damping material of the present invention used so as to be installed on a panel of a vehicle includes a viscoelastic layer and a constraining layer provided on one surface of the viscoelastic layer, wherein a relationship between a strain ?a and a strain ?b is 0<?a/?b<1, the strain ?a being a strain on a surface of the constraining layer on the opposite side to the viscoelastic layer, and the strain ?b being a strain on a surface of the constraining layer on a side in contact with the viscoelastic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: KOTOBUKIYA FRONTE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuki Fukui
  • Patent number: 11959529
    Abstract: The present embodiment generally relates to a mechanical assembly which modifies and enhances the performance of a critical portion of the parts which comprise an air spring assembly. A key element common with an air spring assembly is the precharge chamber. This chamber is filled at the factory with compressed gas and along with a floating piston and a piston rod, creates the basic air spring assembly. Although this is a sealed chamber, the potential for air leakage is well documented. The inability to maintain the design gas pressure in the precharge chamber requires the chamber to initially be overcharged to remain functional even with the slow loss of air charge. The present invention demonstrates how the precharge assembly found in all such air springs can be modified and, with the addition of a few parts, be capable of maintaining the precharge pressure at an optimum level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Inventor: Alfred Franklin Nibecker
  • Patent number: 11959527
    Abstract: In a vibration isolator of the present invention, an orifice passage (24) configured to allow a main liquid chamber (14) and an auxiliary liquid chamber (15) to communicate with each other, a plurality of first communication holes (42a) configured to allow the main liquid chamber and an accommodation chamber (42) to communicate with each other, and a second communication hole (42b) configured to allow the auxiliary liquid chamber and the accommodation chamber to communicate with each other are formed in a partition member (16), a tubular member (21) that protrudes in an axial direction toward an elastic body is formed on a first wall surface (16b) of the partition member in which the first communication holes are opened and which constitutes part of an inner surface of the main liquid chamber, and the plurality of first communication holes are opened in both of an inner portion (16f) of the first wall surface positioned inside the tubular member and an outer portion (16g) of the first wall surface positioned
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Prospira Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki Satake, Rei Mikoshiba, Akira Ueki, Yasuyuki Nagashima
  • Patent number: 11951793
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a vehicle suspension system gas spring. In one embodiment, a vehicle suspension system gas spring includes a compressible main gas chamber and an additional volume combinable with the main chamber to change a gas spring rate of the system. In one embodiment, a low friction piston seal is created by a flexible seal member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: Mario Galasso, Joshua Benjamin Yablon, Andrew Laird, William M. Becker, Joseph Franklin, Dennis K. Wootten
  • Patent number: 11953075
    Abstract: A damper device that suppresses arc discharge between electrodes generated by bubbles in an electro-rheological fluid, includes an inner tube housed in an outer tube forming an outer shell of a damper device. An electrode tube is arranged between the outer tube and the inner tube. An electro-rheological fluid is sealed in the outer tube. The inner tube and the electrode tube constitute a cathode and an anode, respectively, and apply a voltage to the electro-rheological fluid located between the inner tube and the electrode tube. An insulating layer is provided on a surface of the electrode tube on a side facing the inner tube or on a surface of the inner tube on a side facing the electrode tube. When a maximum voltage applied to the electro-rheological fluid is Vmax (V), a thickness t (m) of the insulating layer is set to satisfy Formula (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Junpei Kusukawa, Michihiro Asanuma, Motohiro Hirao, Hiroshi Ooka, Tatsuro Nambu
  • Patent number: 11953069
    Abstract: A system and method of accurately evaluating the performance of a vehicle device having a friction component, including a brake disc, a clutch disc, or the like, may be achieved by predicting the accurate friction coefficient of the friction component in consideration of changes in the temperature, rotation speed, and hydraulic pressure of the friction component, and determining the operating torque of the vehicle device or system having the friction component through reflecting the predicted friction coefficient, during the performance evaluation simulation process of the vehicle device including the friction component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Sung Hyun Cho
  • Patent number: 11946527
    Abstract: A vibration damper comprising a working cylinder, which is subdivided by an axially movable piston on a piston rod into a first and a second working chamber filled with a damping medium is disclosed. The vibration damper has at least one compensating reservoir for receiving the damping medium displaced by the piston rod. There is a flow connection between the two working chambers, in which connection there is incorporated a pump assembly. The pump assembly has a fluctuation in the delivery volume with a constant power supply. At least one pulsation accumulator is arranged within the flow connection, wherein the volume and spring rate of the pulsation accumulator are matched to a frequency of a fluctuation of the delivery volume of the pump assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Andreas Förster
  • Patent number: 11945421
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic brake system that includes a master cylinder unit including a master cylinder to which a master cylinder reservoir coupled to generate a hydraulic pressure, a hydraulic block provided with a hydraulic pressure supply device to generate the hydraulic pressure by an electrical signal outputted in response to a displacement of a brake pedal and a hydraulic control unit to transmit the hydraulic pressure discharged from the hydraulic pressure supply device to wheel cylinders provided in each wheel, and disposed to be separated from the master cylinder unit, a hydraulic block reservoir coupled to the hydraulic block, and a connection hose to connect the master cylinder reservoir and the hydraulic block reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: HL MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jin Seok Lee
  • Patent number: 11940024
    Abstract: An electromagnetically switchable brake, preferably spring-loaded brake, comprising at least one coil carrier (3) and at least one armature plate (1), wherein the axial distance of the coil carrier and armature plate relative to out another is variable, comprising at least one rotor (7) or at least one hub of a shaft to be braked, and comprising damping members arranged between the armature plate (1) and coil carrier (3), between the end faces of the coil carrier (3) and armature plate (1) which face one another. It is considered to be novel and inventive that the solid body of coil carrier (3) and/or armature plate (1) has an integral damper structure (D), which is composed of an least one elastic tab (12) and a foot (13), the elastic tab (12) being an integral part of the solid body of the armature plate (1) or of the coil carrier (3) (FIG. 1.1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Chr. Mayr GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Michael Fichtl
  • Patent number: 11932075
    Abstract: A suspension device includes a damper. The damper includes: an outer cylinder; a ball screw housed in the outer cylinder; a fastening member that supports the ball screw inserted therethrough and is attached to an end part of the outer cylinder; and a fixing member that is attached to an end part of the ball screw and fixes the ball screw to the fastening member. An insertion portion, where the ball screw is inserted into the fastening member, is provided with a fitting portion where the ball screw fits the fastening member, and the fitting portion has a spline fitting structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kohei Kubota, Takehito Masubuchi
  • Patent number: 11926216
    Abstract: A vibration damping device including a vibration-damping device main unit inserted into a mounting space of a bracket from a lateral side and securely supported by the bracket. The bracket includes engaging pieces on respective opposed inside faces of the mounting space, and engaging action of the engaging pieces with respect to respective detent engaging faces formed on a fixture member of the vibration-damping device main unit prevents the vibration-damping device main unit from becoming dislodged from the mounting space of the bracket. Opposed walls of the mounting space are each penetrated by an aperture window, and inspection flat surfaces are separately provided to an outside surface of each engaging piece visible from an outside through the aperture window and a corresponding external side surface of the bracket that is off the aperture window. The inspection flat surfaces are parallel to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignees: SUMITOMO RIKO COMPANY LIMITED, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Oki, Shingo Tanaka, Hiroki Kondo, Yusuke Arai, Kozo Kubota
  • Patent number: 11920655
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus of a system for vehicles comprising a vehicle suspension, a sensor operable to measure an operational characteristic of the vehicle suspension, and a processor in communication with the sensor that is operable to suggest an operational setting of the vehicle suspension in response to an input from the sensor corresponding to the operational characteristic. A method for adjusting a suspension of a vehicle may comprise receiving suspension data with a processor, calculating a suspension setting suggestion with the processor, communicating the suspension setting suggestion to a user interface device, and adjusting the suspension based on the suspension setting suggestion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: Mario Galasso, Joseph Franklin, Andrew Laird, Robert C. Fox
  • Patent number: 11913509
    Abstract: An electric parking brake actuator mounting assembly includes a brake backplate of a drum brake, having a rear surface opposite to a front surface configured to be facing a brake drum when the brake backplate is mounted on a motor vehicle, wherein the rear surface of the brake backplate includes a support base configured to receive a pull spindle of an electromechanical actuator, a supporting bracket including at least one coupling plate, configured to be attached to the rear surface of the brake backplate, and an actuator mounting surface configured to be coupled to and support the electromechanical actuator, wherein the actuator mounting surface includes a spindle seat, configured to receive the pull spindle of the electromechanical actuator, and a pin lock seat, configured to receive and lock an engagement pin of the electromechanical actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG
    Inventors: Ivan Cecchelli, Libero Magini