Patents Examined by Jun Yoo
  • Patent number: 10087983
    Abstract: This invention relates to a joint housing (10) of a ball joint (12), comprising a sheet-metal part (14) for accommodating a ball head (16), which is substantially rotationally symmetrical with respect to a joint axis (A) and includes a circumferential wall portion (18), wherein the circumferential wall portion (18) includes a housing opening (26) at an axial end (24), through which a joint pin (28) can extend, wherein the sheet-metal part (14) is formed with two layers at this axial end (24) of the circumferential wall portion (18). Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method for mounting such joint housing (10) on a carrier element (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: THK RHYTIIM AUTOMOTIVE GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Forthaus, Lothar Schaumann, Harald Walter
  • Patent number: 10088136
    Abstract: A modular lighting system for providing light in various areas includes one or more canopies, a set of buses, a set of hangers for supporting the bars from canopies and, optionally other supports, a set of pendants with light emitting elements and a set of hangers for supporting the pendants from the bars. The bars include two segments with conductive rails disposed or imbedded in their inner surfaces. The hangers have one or two rods and bases shaped and sized for mounting on the bars with the rods contacting the conductive rails. The hangers and bars cooperate to allow the hangers to be placed anywhere along the bars. The pendants and hangers may be sized and shaped so that the pendants trapped the ends of the hangers forming a supporting mechanical interlock therebetween. Pendants can be hanged on the bars singly, or in clusters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: CONTEMPORARY VISIONS, LLC
    Inventor: Robert A. Sonneman
  • Patent number: 10081050
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a nose assembly with integrated anvil and puller to assist in swaging a collar to a lockbolt type fastener. The nose assembly has a sidewall defining a hollow axially extending interior and an open terminal end, hollow axially extending interior having a first interior diameter, and an annular recess of a second interior diameter greater than the first interior diameter. A puller is slidably displaceable relative to the holder sidewall. The puller is configured with opposing sets of teeth for gripping a lockbolt pintail and to close grippingly on the lockbolt pintail when the puller is axially displaced relative to the holder sidewall sufficiently to draw a head portion of the puller at least partially out of the recess and into the first interior diameter length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Gage Bilt, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce T. Godfrey
  • Patent number: 10072711
    Abstract: A method for producing a composite rolling bearing (1) having a bearing flange (3) and at least one rolling bearing (4, 5) held on the bearing flange (3) by an inner ring (6, 7). In order to be able to fix the inner ring (7) on the bearing flange (3) with axial preloading without expansion, the inner ring (7) is acted upon by a holding-down device (23) that radially holds down the inner ring (7) and is preloaded against the inner ring (7) by a regulated axial force (F), and, by way of an advancing cone (21) introduced radially on the inside axially into the bearing flange (3), material (11) present on the bearing flange (3) is displaced radially towards the outside into a recessed formation (15, 16) in the inner ring (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Kaiser, Peter Niebling, Roland Langer, Frank Eichelmann
  • Patent number: 10071450
    Abstract: A turbine part replacing apparatus for moving a combustor of an industrial gas turbine from and to a mounting port of the gas turbine is disclosed, the apparatus including a mobile frame with a moving mechanism for substantially horizontal translation motion on the ground, a vertically extendable arm attached to and extending from said mobile frame, and a carriage attached to the extendable arm such that the carriage may be moved vertically with respect to the mobile frame. Moreover, the turbine part replacing apparatus is adapted for receiving the combustor in the carriage and for vertically moving the received combustor by the extendable arm from and to the mounting port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Heinz Gerber, Davide Aratori, Daniel Seng, Valentin Stenz
  • Patent number: 10064704
    Abstract: A method of making customized orthodontic brackets. The method has steps of providing a plurality of customized orthodontic bracket precursors, providing one or more support structures, positioning the bracket precursors by means of the support structure(s) in a machining device and using the machining device to provide an archwire slot in each bracket precursor by material removal with the archwire slots aligned along a common path with each other. The invention helps minimizing efforts in the manufacturing and provides the brackets with a precise archwire slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Ralf M. Paehl, Ralf Schlimper
  • Patent number: 10066601
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for manufacturing a wind turbine rotor blade that can be easily lifted and lowered to and from a rotor installed atop a tower. The method includes providing a plurality of root inserts for a blade root of the blade and securing at least one cylindrical member to one of the root inserts such that the cylindrical member is substantially perpendicular with the root insert. The method also includes arranging the root inserts in a blade mold of the blade and forming a blade shell with the plurality of root inserts laminated therein. The method may further include securing at least one attachment component within each of the cylindrical members so as to provide an attachment location for a pulley cable used to lift and lower the rotor blade to and from the rotor installed atop the tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ulrich Werner Neumann
  • Patent number: 10060354
    Abstract: A method for mounting a gas turbine engine having a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, a pylon and a rear mount bracket, includes positioning the mounting bracket between the gas turbine engine and the pylon. The mounting bracket is connected to the turbine case reacting a least a vertical load, a side load, a thrust load, and a torque load from the gas turbine engine through the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket is attached to the pylon reacting the same loads from the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Ioannis Alvanos, Brian Merry
  • Patent number: 10058960
    Abstract: A caulking method includes: determining a caulking depth which becomes equal to or larger than a necessary release torque that has been set in advance, determining a stroke amount of a push-in part which becomes equal to or larger than the caulking depth that has been determined; determining the stroke amount of a drive unit which becomes equal to or larger than the stroke amount of the push-in part that has been determined, and controlling the drive unit at a target control stroke amount that is equal to or larger than the stroke amount of the drive unit that has been determined but is smaller than the stroke amount of the drive unit at which the caulk part is damaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Urano, Koji Yamada, Masahiko Matsuda, Mitsuhiro Ide, Masayuki Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 10054299
    Abstract: A modular lighting system for providing light in various areas includes one or more canopies, a set of buses, a set of hangers for supporting the bars from canopies and, optionally other supports, a set of pendants with light emitting elements and a set of hangers for supporting the pendants from the bars. The bars include two segments with conductive rails disposed or imbedded in their inner surfaces. The hangers have one or two rods and bases shaped and sized for mounting on the bars with the rods contacting the conductive rails. The hangers and bars cooperate to allow the hangers to be placed anywhere along the bars. The pendants and hangers may be sized and shaped so that the pendants trapped the ends of the hangers forming a supporting mechanical interlock therebetween. Pendants can be hanged on the bars singly, or in clusters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: CONTEMPORARY VISIONS, LLC
    Inventor: Robert A. Sonneman
  • Patent number: 10047778
    Abstract: The invention relates to a connection comprising at least two components having the following features: a first component and a second component, of which at least the second component comprises reinforced plastic, a self-piercing connection element having a head and a shaft, the head thereof being supported on the first component and the shaft thereof running completely through the first and the second component, and a disc-shaped counter bearing to which the shaft is fastened such that the at least two components are fastened between the head and the counter bearing. The invention further relates to a method for the production of said connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignees: Böllhoff Verbindungstechnik GmbH, Audi AG
    Inventors: Jochen Rintelmann, Michael Stumpf, Carsten Bär, Torsten Draht, Marc Steinig
  • Patent number: 10041709
    Abstract: Adsorption heat exchanger devices (11, 25) are provided for use in solid sorption refrigeration systems (1) together with methods for making such devices and adsorbent structures therefor. The methods include applying a curable binder, in solution in a solvent, to granular adsorbent material, and then evaporating the solvent and curing the binder. The curable binder solution is sufficiently dilute that, during evaporation of the solvent, the binder becomes concentrated around contact points between granules (18) of the adsorbent material whereby localized bonds (19) are formed around the contact points on curing of the binder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas J. Brunschwiler, Javier V. Goicochea, Bruno Michel, Patrick Ruch
  • Patent number: 10036623
    Abstract: Provided are a method for measuring a bearing cup gap in a universal joint that enables bearing cups to be easily and accurately assembled to a yoke member, and a manufacturing method for a universal joint, to which the measuring method is applied. The measuring method is used for a universal joint including a yoke member, bearing cups, and a joint spider member to measure gaps between bottom surfaces of the bearing cups and the joint spider member. The method includes acquiring first relationship data, acquiring second relationship data, acquiring a displacement amount of the pair of bearing cups, and calculating a gap between bottom surfaces of the bearing cups and end surfaces of a pair of shaft portions based on the first relationship data, the second relationship data, and the displacement amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Yamaishi
  • Patent number: 10036461
    Abstract: A differential gear case is provided that includes a container housing of a differential gear, the container housing having on an outer surface thereof an annular flange that extends around an axis of rotation of the container housing, and one of two areas of the container housing that are separated by the annular flange being formed with an opening that is communicated with a containing space formed in the container housing. The area of the container housing that is formed with the opening is provided with a fixing portion used for fixing the differential gear case. The fixing portion includes two flat surfaces that are in parallel with a plane surface containing the axis of rotation of the container housing and arranged around the axis of rotation keeping a space therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshirou Shimosaka, Kiyohito Oyamada, Shoichi Tetsuka, Makoto Imaida
  • Patent number: 10029823
    Abstract: A plastic container used for holding fluid material with an attachable handle is provided. The container includes a body, a plurality of walls, a spout, an attachable handle and a sliding structure. The spout is a hollow, cylindrical portion that extends from an opening in one of the walls. The cylindrical portion is configured to insert or remove the fluid material from the container. The attachable handle includes a rail structure that further includes a pair of non-parallel offset rails and a latch. The latch has a latching surface that is located at the ends of the offset rails farthest from each other. The slide structure includes a generally rectangular projection. The projection further includes a pair of non-parallel offset grooves and a latching surface. The latching surface is located where the grooves are farthest from each other. The offset grooves are adapted to mate with the offset rails and are fully engaged by the offset rails when the latch is engaged with the latching surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Silgan Plastics LLC
    Inventors: Laura Flanagan-Kent, Stephen J. Kocis, David A. Hayward, Frederick P. Minkemeyer, Gary L. Mengeu, Edmund L. White
  • Patent number: 10029512
    Abstract: A preform for fabricating a wheel rim and a method of making a preform is provided. The preform includes a main section and at least one secondary section, each section being formed from composite materials, such as triaxially braided composite material that includes fibers oriented in at least three directions. The main section forms at least part of a lateral section of the preform and the secondary section forms at least part of a radial portion of the preform, the radial portion of the preform being generally perpendicular to the lateral section of the preform. The preform is fabricated from a plurality of composite layers, at least some being custom composite layers having a plurality of axial fibers interwoven intermittently with substantially consistent first and second sets of biased fibers. In some embodiments, the preform is initially fabricated in an intermediate configuration prior to being moved to a final configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Eve Wheels LLC
    Inventor: Colin S. Snyder
  • Patent number: 10024163
    Abstract: Methods for material build-up on a tip of a blade of a gas turbine engine are provided. The method can include inserting a material supply and an inflatable bladder between the tip and a shroud such that the material supply is exposed to the tip and the inflatable bladder is positioned between the material supply and a shroud, inflating the inflatable bladder to force contact between the material supply and the tip, and causing relative movement between the material supply and the tip. The relative movement, in combination with the radial biased contact between the material supply and the tip, creates heat through friction. As such, the relative movement can frictionally weld new material from the material supply onto the tip of the blade. For example, the heat created can be sufficient to melt the surface of the material supply to transfer material from the material supply to the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Scott Diwinsky, Herbert Chidsey Roberts
  • Patent number: 10018047
    Abstract: Powder metal alloy engine hardware components may be finished using a combination of roughing and grinding techniques. An engine component may be rough ground with a grinding wheel at a relatively high rate of material removal. The engine hardware component may be semi-finished using a turning process. The engine hardware component may be finished using a grinding wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: John P. Rizzo
  • Patent number: 10018054
    Abstract: Methods for fabricating a component of a gas turbine engine are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes molding a CMC material to form a first portion of the gas turbine engine component, processing the first portion to form a first assembly, preparing the first assembly and a second portion of the gas turbine engine component for processing, and processing the first assembly and second portion to form a second assembly. In another embodiment, the method includes processing a first plurality of CMC plies to form a first assembly; positioning the first assembly and a second plurality of CMC plies on a tool for processing, the first assembly defining a first plane, the second plurality of plies defining a second plane, wherein the second plane is perpendicular to the first plane; and processing the first assembly and the second plurality of plies to form a second assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Verrilli, Mark Eugene Noe, Mark Willard Marusko, Paul Izon, Robert Tyler, Christopher Hasse
  • Patent number: 10016958
    Abstract: Method for manufacturing sheet metal blanks, in particular hybrid sheet metal blanks, a first sheet metal part being manufactured from a first sheet metal part material, a second sheet metal part being manufactured from a second sheet metal part material, an elongate connecting sheet metal strip being provided, and the connecting sheet metal strip being connected along a first longitudinal edge to the first sheet metal part by a thermal joint, and the connecting sheet metal strip being connected along a second longitudinal edge to the second sheet metal part by means of a preferably thermal joint, characterized in that, in a first process step, the connecting sheet metal strip is connected to the first sheet metal part and, in a second process step, the connecting sheet metal strip is connected to the second sheet metal part, the first and the second process steps taking place within a production line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Wisco Lasertechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard Alber