Patents Examined by Justin Krause
  • Patent number: 8789438
    Abstract: A space curve mesh driving pair and a polyhedral space curve mesh transmission are disclosed. Said space curve mesh driving pair consists of a driving wheel and a driven wheel. Axes of the driving wheel and the driven wheel are intersected at an angle of 0°˜180°, and power transmission is realized by continuous mesh between the driving tines and the driven tines; a number of driving tines are provided on said driving wheel, and a number of driven tines are provided on the driven wheel; the driving tines are uniformly arranged on an end face of a cylinder of the driving wheel, and the driven tines are uniformly arranged on the circumference of a cylindrical surface of the driven wheel. Said polyhedral space curve mesh transmission consists of an above-mentioned space curve mesh driving pair. Motion is input from an input end, and is passed through a number of pace curve mesh driving pairs to realize the speed change, then is output from one or more output ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: South China University of Technology
    Inventors: Yangzhi Chen, Zhen Chen, Jiang Ding
  • Patent number: 8771308
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a transmission mechanism of an eyebrow tattoo machine, which includes an eccentric rotation shaft connected to a driving axle of a motor and having a bottom end configured to rotate eccentrically with respect to the driving axle, an upper bearing coupled with the bottom end of the eccentric rotation shaft, a position-limiting cover longitudinally provided with a position-limiting groove, and a swinging rod element mounted to the upper bearing and provided with a swinging rod and a position-limiting rod on two sides respectively. Since the position-limiting rod is only allowed to swing up and down in the position-limiting groove when the eccentric rotation shaft drives the upper bearing and the swinging rod element, the end of the swinging rod away from the upper bearing can swing up and down and then drive a tattoo needle to move vertically up and down through a lateral bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Mei-Cha-Na Hsinyen Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Su-Lin Lin
  • Patent number: 8763487
    Abstract: An engagement mechanism amplifies an applied force to a lever by torque conversion about a rotation point to a higher reaction force that is applied to a master cylinder assembly for operation of a hydraulic clutch or brake system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Inventors: Stephen L. Pohl, Jerry D. Lund
  • Patent number: 8757025
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a shift module 1 for a shift lever of an automatic gear drive, comprising a linearly displaceably supported slider 10, 200, which is engageable with a shift lever and which can be displaced out of its rest position to two opposite switching directions by means of the shift lever, a measuring device 20, 92, 94 connected to the slider 10, 200 for determining of the position of the slider 10, 200, wherein the measuring device 20, 92, 94 is formed such that it can measure the actual position of the slider 10, 200 continuously over its total way of displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Fico Cables, S.A.
    Inventor: Jaume Terradas Prat
  • Patent number: 8752446
    Abstract: A ball screw apparatus is provided which is less likely to increase dynamic friction torque even when a nut is contracted by cooling, and in which cooling effect is made as high as possible and which does not invite excessive machining efficiency droop and increase in pressure loss. The ball screw apparatus includes a screw shaft, a nut screwed with the screw shaft via a plurality of balls, and a cooling section cooling the nut. The plurality of balls to which preload is applied in a two-point contact state, with a preload direction as a tensile direction, are disposed between a screw groove of the screw shaft and a screw groove of the nut. Or, a ratio of the axial length L of the through hole axially formed in the nut and the diameter D of the through hole axially formed in the nut is given by an equation “10?L/D?60”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhito Yamamoto, Junji Minakuchi, Yutaka Nagai, Masahiro Nobutomo
  • Patent number: 8752445
    Abstract: A device for pressing a rack onto a pinion engaged with the rack, for a steering system of a motor vehicle, is equipped with a pressure piece, which can be loaded in the direction of the rack by way of a compression spring and is displaceably guided in a housing, and with an adjusting device for compensating play that occurs in the steering system. A spring washer is disposed between the adjusting device and the pressure piece, wherein the adjusting device has shoulder and the pressure piece has a recess or the pressure piece has a shoulder and the adjusting device has a recess in the region of the spring washer. The adjusting device further comprises two adjusting disks which are rotatable relative to one another and beat against one another at contact surfaces, and the contact surfaces have at least two beveled edges. The complete adjusting device is preinstalled as an assembly unit comprising the pressure piece, the spring washer, and the compression spring with the use of a spring pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Lenksysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Bareis, Joachim Rosenthal
  • Patent number: 8746094
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for converting a rotational movement into a translational movement, said device comprising: a first element (303) that is rotated around a stationary center of rotation (401) by a rotation means (301); a second element (307) that is translated along a translation axis (311) by rotating the first element (303); a cam (305) that is rigidly connected to the first element (303), said cam (305) having a cam channel (306) in which a roller (308) moves, wherein said roller is rigidly connected to the second element (307). Said device is characterized in that the cam channel (306) has an inner surface (402) for contact with the roller (308), said roller (308) being in contact (500) with the inner contact surface (402) when the first element (303) is rotated in a first rotational direction (404), said inner contact surface (402) defining a curve of the type developing from a circle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Valeo Systemes de Controle Moteur
    Inventors: Stéphane Lestienne, Gabriel Ridolfi
  • Patent number: 8746102
    Abstract: A ball screw device for reducing damage to a circulating part even during a high speed operation is provided. To this end, the circulating part includes a pair of legs having a tang to scoop up a ball in a direction substantially match with a tangential direction of a spiral path, and a body to connect the pair of legs, wherein a center path diameter Rb of the ball, an internal diameter Rn of the nut, and an internal diameter Rt opposite to the tang satisfy a relationship of Rb ?Rt?Rn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazunari Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8746095
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a compact motion conversion transmission apparatus which can set the transmission characteristic for motion or force as desired over a wide range. The apparatus includes input, intermediate, and output members which are fitted to one another while being aligned with an axis and move in relation to one another while being aligned with the axis. Further, the apparatus includes first transmission means which converts a first motion of the input member to a second motion and transmits the second motion to the intermediate member, the first motion being one of a rectilinear motion along the axis and a rotary motion about the axis, and the second motion being the other of the rectilinear motion along the axis and the rotary motion about the axis; and second transmission means which converts the second motion of the intermediate member to the first motion and transmits the first motion to the output member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Isono
  • Patent number: 8740460
    Abstract: Provided is a seal plate (40) for a movement guide device that can be produced easily from optimal materials according to a usage environment of the movement guide device and can be produced simply at low cost. The seal plate (40) is mounted on a mobile block (2) that moves along a track rail (1) and closes a gap between the mobile block (2) and the track rail (1). The seal plate (40) includes a base material of a woven and knitted fabric or nonwoven fabric, and a binder component (40b) which is dispersed in the base material and partially binds together fibers (40a) which form the woven and knitted fabric or nonwoven fabric, and has a plurality of voids formed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomozumi Murata
  • Patent number: 8733198
    Abstract: As to a distance in a radial direction of a rotation shaft from a rim at the hub side to an outer peripheral side face, the outer peripheral side face includes a first side region having a distance located at the most leading end side spot in the direction of rotation of a helical gear longer than a distance at a tail end side spot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Teramoto, Kazuhiko Murakoshi
  • Patent number: 8726757
    Abstract: A device is provided for adjusting, in a vehicle cabin, the position of a steering wheel secured at the free end of a steering shaft. The device includes an adjusting arrangement for adjusting, in a preferred driving position, the position of the steering wheel in at least one direction, the adjusting arrangement being supported by a retracting arrangement capable of moving the steering wheel into a retracted position wherein the steering wheel does not protrude into the vehicle cabin while maintaining unaltered, with respect to the adjusting arrangement, the preferred driving position. The device makes it possible to maintain the individual adjustment carried by a driver when the steering wheel is moved into retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Renault Trucks
    Inventor: Michel Barroso
  • Patent number: 8714047
    Abstract: A steering device is provided that prevents an inner column from coming out from an outer column even when the inner column is released from being telescopically clamped by the outer column in a state before mounting a vehicle body attaching bracket. Front ends of the telescopic position adjusting long grooves and are brought into contact with an outer peripheral face of a fastening rod at a rear end of a telescopically adjusting position. The fastening rod is moved to a rear side of the vehicle body and an engaging member outwardly fitted to the fastening rod is brought into contact with the collar. The fastening rod cannot be moved to a rear side of the vehicle body further, and the outer column and the vehicle body attaching bracket are prevented from coming out of the inner column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: NSK, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kou Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8707818
    Abstract: A steering device is provided in which fastening of a column is carried out smoothly, meshing of a movable tilt lock gear and a fixed tilt lock gear is carried out smoothly when tilting is clamped, and a rigidity can be increased when the tilting is clamped. A side plate on a left side to which a fixed tilt lock gear is attached is restrained from being elastically deformed by a rib. Therefore, in tilting and clamping and telescopically clamping, positions of the fixed tilt lock gear and a movable tilt lock gear in a vehicle width direction relative to each other is not varied, and therefore, the movable tilt lock gear and the fixed tilt lock gear are brought in mesh with each other smoothly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Okada, Kou Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8707817
    Abstract: An operating device (40) for a state-changing element that is an embodiment of the present invention includes a detent mechanism (50) for displacing and positioning displacement members (22, 33) included in a state-changing element (10), an actuator (60) for driving the detent mechanism (50), and a control unit (5) that controls the actuator (60).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Itazu, Yoshinobu Nozaki
  • Patent number: 8695449
    Abstract: A component pairing comprises a first component with a first component toothing and comprises a second component with a second component toothing which is in engagement with the first component toothing in order to be able to transmit a drive force in a drive direction via the component toothings. The first component is also assigned a first anti-rattle toothing. An anti-rattle component is fastened to the second component, which anti-rattle component has a second anti-rattle toothing which is in engagement with the first anti-rattle toothing. The anti-rattle component is mounted so as to be displaceable relative to the second component in the drive direction. The second component and the anti-rattle component are assigned in each case one friction section. The friction sections are in frictional engagement with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: GETRAG Getriebe- und Zhanradfabrik Hermann Hagenmeyer GmbH & Cie KG
    Inventor: Claus-Hermann Lang
  • Patent number: 8700213
    Abstract: A compact, lightweight manipulation system that excels in operability and has a force feedback capability is provided. When automatic operation of a slave manipulator 105 that follows manual operation of a master manipulator 101 is bilaterally controlled by means of communication, the force acting on the slave manipulator is fed back to the master manipulator by operating the master manipulator primarily under electrically-driven speed control and the slave manipulator primarily under pneumatically-driven force control. Therefore, in the master manipulator, it is not necessary to compensate for the dynamics and the self-weight of the master manipulator in the motion range of a user, allowing highly accurate, broadband positional control, which is specific to an electrically-driven system, and in the slave manipulator, nonlinearity characteristics specific to a pneumatically-driven system presents passive softness, provides a high mass-to-output ratio, and produces a large force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Kenji Kawashima, Kotaro Tadano
  • Patent number: 8690436
    Abstract: A rotating hub and fixed spindle assembly with first and second fluid dynamic journal bearings and first and second fluid dynamic thrust bearings for a disc drive memory system has a pump seal and a radial ring seal at a first axial terminus for lubricant containment, and a capillary seal and a labyrinth seal at a second axial terminus for lubricant containment and storage. Lubricant fluid pressure differences between first and second seals are minimized through one or more lubricant fluid communicating channels in the hub assembly, in order to minimize lubricant fluid loss through a seal. Lubricant fluid can also be purged of any air bubbles by lubricant fluid circulation through the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Jeffry Arnold LeBlanc, Troy Michael Herndon, Robert Alan Nottingham, Alan Lyndon Grantz
  • Patent number: 8689660
    Abstract: A steering device provides a driver operation feeling that lets the driver definitely feel that a movable tilt lock gear and a fixed tilt lock gear are securely engaged. Gear noise in tilt adjustment when the movable tilt lock gear and the fixed tilt lock gear are engaged halfway is prevented. As the control force of an operating lever is rapidly decreased when a fitting protrusion is fitted to a stepped part, a click and click stop feeling occur and a definite operation feeling that the clamping is securely performed is acquired. As the fitting protrusion is integrated with the operating lever and a sliding surface configured by a groove, an inclined face and the stepped part are also formed as an outside face of the fixed tilt lock gear, the number of parts and man-hours for assembly can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinji Okada
  • Patent number: 8683888
    Abstract: A shift device for an automated or automatic transmission, in particular of a motor vehicle, has a manual selector lever which can be moved into the following stable selector lever positions: P, R, N and E and into four non-stable selector lever positions. Here, the stable selector lever positions are all arranged in alignment in a shift gate. Here, a stable selector lever position E is provided which is arranged in alignment with the stable selector lever positions in the shift gate and, here, is situated between two non-stable tilt positions +/?, which are arranged in alignment with the selector lever positions P, R and N, for step-by-step or multiple shifting, and in a transverse gate, which runs transversely with respect to the shift gate, between the two non-stable selector lever positions D and M arranged in the transverse gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Sickart, Michael Funk