Patents Examined by James McClellan
  • Patent number: 7011185
    Abstract: A low cost brake sensor incorporates a sensor portion extending through one of the rivet holes in the backing plate of the brake pad. A locking sleeve snaps onto the sensor portion and secures the sensor to the backing plate. Preferably, the locking sleeve has a lip which snaps into a groove in an outer periphery of a sensor portion. The present invention thus provides a relatively low cost and secure way for attaching the sensor to the brake pad. No modification of the lining or the backing plate is necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Meritor Heavy Vehicle Technology, LLC
    Inventor: Dennis A. Kramer
  • Patent number: 7007934
    Abstract: A fluid-filled vibration-damping device including an elastic body elastically connecting a first and a second mounting member, a pressure-receiving chamber disposed inward of and partially defined by the elastic body, and a flexible rubber layer disposed outwardly of and cooperating with the elastic body to form an equilibrium chamber held in fluid communication with the pressure-receiving chamber through a first orifice passage. The first mounting member includes an elastic-body central member and a rubber-layer central member, which are fixed together at their abutting surfaces by a fixing mechanism, to constitute the first mounting member, and positioned relative to each other by an engagement of a fitting recess and projection formed on their abutting surfaces. A peripheral portion of an interface between the abutting surfaces of the elastic-body central member and said rubber-layer central member entirely faces the equilibrium chamber and/or the pressure-receiving chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Goto, Katsuhisa Yano, Kazuhiko Kato, Akira Katagiri
  • Patent number: 7010502
    Abstract: A consumable item keeping system and method wherein a consumable item keeping apparatus stores a variety of consumable items at a user side, and a consumable item supplying section is connected to the consumable item keeping apparatus via a communication circuit and supplies a variety of consumable items to the user side upon request. A consumable item replenishment level setting device sets a consumable item replenishment level for consumable items stored in the consumable item keeping apparatus and a signal generating device generates a signal indicative of arrival of the consumable items at the consumable item replenishment level. Further, a consumable item data transmitting device transmits order data indicating request for consumable items to be replenished to the consumable item supplying section via the communication circuit when the signal is generated in the consumable item keeping apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi Hoshizawa, Shunichi Akabane, Tadashi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7008025
    Abstract: An electronic brake system for a tractor-trailer vehicle includes a front electronic brake system for braking a front axle assembly and a rear electronic brake system for braking a rear axle assembly. During normal vehicle operation, front and rear air reservoirs supply air to actuate front and rear brake actuators, respectively. In response to a failure of the front electronic brake system, an electronic control unit automatically activates a trailer control valve to supply air to actuate the front brake actuator in addition to actuating the rear brake actuator from the rear air reservoir. The trailer control valve receives air supply from an independent reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
    Inventor: Denis John McCann
  • Patent number: 6980967
    Abstract: The present invention provides techniques for effecting improved guidance to the user of a configuration system by detecting and eliminating bounceback behavior that unnecessarily eliminates otherwise valid domain members from the selection provided to the user. Generally, domain members that would have been eliminated (e.g., grayed out) solely because of bounceback behavior are identified and prevented from being displayed as grayed out or otherwise eliminated on the user display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventor: John M. Mela
  • Patent number: 6917922
    Abstract: An online store system, which may be implemented as a web site or another type of interactive system, presents context-sensitive information to customers about their prior orders during browsing of an electronic catalog of products. In one embodiment, when a customer accesses a detail page for a particular product, the detail page is supplemented with information, such as status information, about a related order placed by the customer. The related order may be an order for the product represented in the detail page or may be for a related product. Information about related orders may additionally or alternatively be added to other types of pages, such as product category pages and shopping cart pages. In one embodiment, a customer's related order information is maintained in a cache during the customer's browsing session, and the cache is updated in real time to reflect actions performed by the customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Bezos, Maryam S. Mohit, Walker L. Lockhart, Ericka N. Lock, William W. Allocca, Suguna Subramaniam
  • Patent number: 6856859
    Abstract: Control processes control cross direction alignment of elements being assembled as work pieces on a manufacturing line fabricating preferably absorbent article products on a continuous substrate web. The method defines a manufacturing line path traversed by the work pieces, defines a reference path along the manufacturing path, and establishes the elements on the work pieces. A camera is mounted along the manufacturing line. An image window of the camera is referenced to the reference path. The camera captures full digitized visual images of work pieces. The camera is part of a vision imaging inspection and control system which inspects and evaluates images of the work pieces, including the cross-direction positions of the elements on the work pieces, against established acceptable positions relative to the reference path. When an element is out of alignment, the control system can display visual cues identifying the elements that are inconsistent with acceptable ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Arthur Bett, Tanakon Ungpiyakul, Shawn Timothy Lemery, Russell Joseph Brumm