Patents Examined by Justin Krause
  • Oblique-driven platform structure
    Patent number: 8683889
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an oblique-driven platform structure, comprising: a base, a first rail, a screw, a first sliding block, a second sliding block, an oblique slide rod, at least one second rail, at least one third sliding block, a work platform, and a motor. There is a trigonometric relation between the oblique slide rod, the screw and the second rail, and an oblique drive angle is formed between the oblique slide rod and the screw; Therefore, with the change of the stroke position of the screw, the displacement resolution of the work platform can still kept the same value when the work platform is driven. Moreover, the displacement of the screw stroke can be proportionally transformed to the feed rate of the work platform through the trigonometric relation, such that the driven work platform can get an extremely high displacement resolution without using any high-level servo motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Chung Yuan Christian University
    Inventors: Shih-Ming Wang, Yan-Hong Chen
  • Robot arm with temperature compensation
    Patent number: 8677853
    Abstract: In a robot arm is provided with a closed link mechanism between a base and a hand, and a temperature of a first link member from among a plurality of link members constituting the closed link mechanism is to reach a first temperature T1, and a temperature of a second link member is to reach a second temperature T2, the first link member and the second link member formed from differing materials. An elongation ratio of the first link member, in which a length of the first link member at the first temperature T1 is divided by length of the first link member at a pre-operation temperature T0 is approximately equal to an elongation ratio of the second link member, in which a length of the second link member at the second temperature T2 is divided by a length of the second link member at the pre-operation temperature T0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Nabtesco Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru Shimamoto, Takahiro Maekawa
  • Speed reduction device for power seat
    Patent number: 8677848
    Abstract: A speed reduction device for a power seat adapted to be fixed to a seat frame, the speed reduction device includes a worm gear rotating with a motor output shaft, a helical gear meshed with the worm gear and rotating with a drive shaft driving a movable portion of the power seat, and a casing accommodating the worm gear and the helical gear. The casing includes a casing body rotatably supporting the worm gear, a casing cover tightened to the casing body, annular fitting portions fitted to each other, a first engagement portion formed at an outer circumferential side of the annular fitting portion of one of the casing body and the casing cover, a second engagement portion formed at the other of the casing body and the casing cover and engaging with the first engagement portion, and a tightening means tightening the casing cover to the casing body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Koga, Eiichiro Tsuji
  • Steering device
    Patent number: 8677856
    Abstract: A steering device facilitates assembly of a tilt lock mechanism, which elastically supports movement of a movable tilt lock gear to a stationary cam in a tilt direction via a spring. When a cylindrical part of a tilt stopper is inserted into a through hole, the cylindrical part enlarges in diameter, and surfaces of engagement projections engage with an end surface of an inclined cam surface side of the stationary cam. A right end surface of a tilt stopper flange part abuts against an end surface of the movable tilt lock gear. The movable tilt lock gear, a wire spring, and the stationary cam are integrated by the tilt stopper, and are prevented from being dispersed during transport. As a result, the assembly time can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Okada, Yuuichi Tomaru
  • Manual device for controlling brake and accelerator of a vehicle
    Patent number: 8671794
    Abstract: A manual device for controlling brake and accelerator of a vehicle, a device having a body coupled with the vehicle and remaining substantially standstill while the device is used. The device includes a first lever provided with an upper handgrip projecting from inside the body and movable independently with respect to the same, a second lever and a third lever and a frame the first lever being pivoted on the frame in a substantially central position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Guidosimplex S.R.L.
    Inventor: Fabrizio Venturini
  • Grease composition and direct-acting devices with the grease composition
    Patent number: 8673830
    Abstract: A grease composition includes: a poly-?-olefin having a kinematic viscosity at 40 degrees C. of 60 to 320 mm2/s, the poly-?-olefin being contained in an amount of 50 mass % or more relative to a whole composition; a thickener that is a lithium salt of a hydroxyl-free fatty acid having 10 to 22 carbon atoms; and an ashless dithiocarbamate and/or zinc dithiocarbamate that are contained in an amount of 0.1 to 1.5 mass % in terms of sulfur relative to a whole composition. In the grease composition, a phosphorous content is 0.05 mass % or less relative to the whole composition, and a worked penetration is in a range from 265 to 310.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukitoshi Fujinami, Shigeo Hara, Hiroyuki Kitano, Kensaku Fujinaka, Hironori Yoshimura, Yasushi Ohara
  • Steering device
    Patent number: 8671796
    Abstract: A steering device reduces a sliding sound and an impact sound between a movable tilt lock gear and an outer surface of a side plate of a vehicle body attachment bracket. When a movable tilt lock gear is rotated, and a thread of an inclined cam surface of a stationary cam runs on a thread of an inclined cam surface of a movable cam, a fastening rod is pulled toward a left side, and the movable tilt lock gear is pushed toward an outer surface of a left side plate. Because a first buffer member and a second buffer member are attached to the movable tilt lock gear, sliding surfaces of the first buffer member and a sliding surface of the second buffer member contact the outer surface of the left side plate, and slide, to suppress the sliding sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Okada, Yuuichi Tomaru
  • Locking mechanism for an adjustable steering column having impact teeth
    Patent number: 8671795
    Abstract: A steering column assembly includes a mounting bracket and a column jacket moveable relative to the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket defines a rake slot having rake slot teeth and a telescope slot having telescope slot teeth. A shaft extends through the rake slot and the telescope slot transverse to a longitudinal axis of the column jacket. A rake lock having rake lock teeth is disposed within the rake slot and a telescope lock having telescope lock teeth is disposed within the telescope slot. The shaft extends through and rotatably supports the rake lock and the telescope lock. The rake lock and the telescope lock rotate as the rake lock and the telescope lock move into interlocking toothed engagement with the slot teeth to avoid peak-to-peak contact between the lock teeth and the slot teeth, thereby permitting full meshing engagement between the lock teeth and the slot teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Suat A. Ozsoylu, Karen A. Boswell, Michael P. Anspaugh, Robert W. Dubay
  • Steering gear having a fixed bearing and a floating bearing for a screw pinion
    Patent number: 8667858
    Abstract: A steering gear comprises a shaft bearing configuration which comprises a mounting which is installed in a housing section of the steering gear and has openings that enable a pivoting movement by an annular section of the mounting which is assembled with a first rolling bearing, and the mounting comprises a disk-shaped section, which is provided with the openings and relative to which the annular section can be pivoted, wherein the annular section is either assembled with the outer ring of the first rolling bearing and the disk-shaped section is attached to the housing section, or the annular section is assembled with the inner ring of the first rolling bearing and the disk-shaped section is attached to the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Lenksysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Dennis Fuechsel, Jens Hafermalz
  • Shifting device
    Patent number: 8667859
    Abstract: In a parking position lock shifting device of a motor vehicle including an internal combustion engine, particularly a parking lock shifting device with at least one hydraulic shifting unit, the shifting unit is designed so as to be operable by a drive unit that is operable separately from the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Boris Engel, Joachim Gansloser
  • Method and system for articulating the upper limbs of a humanoid
    Patent number: 8661928
    Abstract: A mechanism for articulating a right arm, a left arm, a right forearm, and a left forearm of a humanoid, the arms are coupled with a torso of the humanoid by humeroscapular joints. Each of the forearms is coupled with a humerus of the respective arm, by a respective proximal radioulnar joint. The mechanism includes a first transmission, a second transmission, a first actuator, a second actuator, and a controller. The first actuator is coupled with the right humeroscapular joint and with the left proximal radioulnar joint via the first transmission. The second actuator is coupled with the left humeroscapular joint and with the right proximal radioulnar joint via the second transmission, the controller controlling the movements of each of the first actuator and of the second actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Wowwee Group Limited
    Inventor: Mark Woodruff Tilden
  • Steering device
    Patent number: 8661930
    Abstract: A steering device smoothly moves a variable tilt lock gear in a tilt direction, smoothly engages the movable tilt lock gear with a stationary tilt lock gear, and facilitates the assembling. When a movable tilt lock gear is not well engaged with a stationary tilt lock gear, and the respective threads of a gear of the movable tilt lock gear and a gear of the stationary tilt lock gear are abutted against each other, arm parts of a wire spring are elastically deformed by its reaction force. As a result, the movable tilt lock gear is slightly moved in the vertical direction of the vehicle body while the stationary cam is fixed, and the gear of the movable tilt lock gear and the gear of the stationary tilt lock gear are normally engaged with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Okada, Yuuichi Tomaru
  • Operating element movable back and forth by traction elements wound in opposite directions on winding bodies
    Patent number: 8656796
    Abstract: An operating element with a drive motor equipped with a drive shaft, which can be driven in two opposite rotational directions to move an actuating element between two end positions by a motion transmission device. Each of two motion transmission devices includes a winding body, onto which a traction element is wound in the direction opposite to that in which the traction element of the other transmission device is wound. The free end of the traction element is attached to the actuating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Witte Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Janssen, Bernd Gellhaus, Jai-Kwon Yu
  • Steering apparatus for vehicle
    Patent number: 8650983
    Abstract: A steering apparatus for a vehicle, adjusting a position of a steering wheel in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body, includes a main tube supported by the vehicle body and having a tubular shape, the main tube including an opening portion being closed in an axial direction of the main tube and extending in the axial direction, a telescopic tube supported by the main tube to be slidable within the main tube, a connecting member firmly attached to the telescopic tube to be movable within the opening portion along the axial direction of the main tube, a drive member connected to the connecting member, and a drive source driving the drive member to move the connecting member in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taichi Mizuno, Hidetoshi Inayoshi, Kazuhiro Maki, Morito Oshita
  • Worm wheel
    Patent number: 8646352
    Abstract: Provided is a worm wheel that allows the residual stress in the plastic gear forming member thereof to be reduced, and suited for compact design. The worm wheel comprises a metallic core member (30) and a plastic gear forming member (20) formed on an outer periphery of the core member. In particular, the core member includes a boss portion (31) defining a pivot portion, an intermediate portion (32) extending radially from the outer periphery of the boss portion, and a cylindrical portion (33) connected to a radially outer end of the intermediate portion and having the gear forming member molded thereon coaxially with the boss, the cylindrical portion being formed with through holes (34) or cutouts (36) passed radially therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yosuke Tanaka, Yasuo Shimizu, Atsuhiko Yoneda
  • Helical gearing for a steering system of a motor vehicle
    Patent number: 8646351
    Abstract: An electric power-assisted steering system of a motor vehicle comprises a helical pinion which engages into a helical gear. A reloading device comprises a reloaded pressure piece which presses the helical pinion into the toothing of the helical gear. The requirements of assembly are reduced and the elastically urging of the helical pinion or the worm need not be adjusted during assembly since the necessary elastically urging is automatically adjusted such that friction in the gearing is minimized, improved efficiency is achieved and the spring force can be held as constant as possible throughout the service life and unwanted noise development in the gearing can be largely reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Lenksysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Dennis Fuechsel, Ekkehard Kneer, Jens Hafermalz, Arne Kuhlen, Marco Grau
  • Circulation element for ball screw
    Patent number: 8640564
    Abstract: This invention is revises the cap nut which the custom knows to suppose it to install trough's outline, will cause to install the dadoing to lead (lead angle to be small) lowly or on two above trundle ditch cap nut will not have the broken tooth's question, when will process should install the trough, only need use the face cutter then to process the forming, will reduce the production cost; And return circuit of this invention all establishes in the backflow part, therefore may promote and the cap nut supposes the backflow hole and the load way grade of fit, causes to roll the moving parts movement to be smoother, and reduces the noise production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Hiwin Technologies Corp.
    Inventor: Yu-Shan Lee
  • Robot with a deployment apparatus for an arm comprising a plurality of links
    Patent number: 8635928
    Abstract: A robotic arm deployment apparatus is provided for a tip following robotic arm, of the type comprising a plurality of controllable segments (34) each comprising articulated links. The apparatus includes a straight guide portion (16) having a length at least equal to the length of each arm segment so that the arm control system can be calibrated as each segment passes through the guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Oliver Crispin Robotics Limtied
    Inventors: Andrew Crispin Graham, Robert Oliver Buckingham
  • Thrust reverser actuation
    Patent number: 8632033
    Abstract: A thrust reverser drive arrangement for driving a thrust reverser cowl for movement relative to first and second guide tracks is described which comprises a first actuator located, in use, close to the first guide track, a second actuator located, in use, close to the second guide track, and a third actuator, the actuators being arranged to be driven in synchronism and at the same speed by a drive motor to drive the cowl for movement, the third actuator being of smaller size and/or weight than the first and second actuators, and wherein the third actuator is provided with a load limiter to limit the transmission of loads through the third actuator in the event that the third actuator is subject to a compressive loading greater than a predetermined level. The invention further relates to a load limiter device suitable for use in such an arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Goodrich Actuation Systems Limited
    Inventors: Michael Paul Somerfield, Benjamin Thomas Tucker
  • Steering yoke
    Patent number: 8621950
    Abstract: A steering yoke is disclosed and includes a hollow cylindrical body that can be formed from a laminated sheet of metal and polymer. The hollow cylindrical body includes a substantially uniform wall thickness. Further, the hollow cylindrical body can include a first half, a second half, a seam extending at least partially along the body between the first half and the second half, an upper end having a surface, and a lower open end. The steering yoke can also include a bearing surface coupled to the surface of the upper end of the hollow cylindrical body and a spring perch disposed in the lower end of the hollow cylindrical body. The spring perch can include a spring pocket configured to support and retain a spring for supplying a biasing force to the yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas Witting, Joseph Liquore, Timothy J. Hagan