Patents Examined by Karen Jane A Beck
  • Patent number: 9527365
    Abstract: A vehicle height adjusting apparatus includes: an annular movable spring receiver in sliding contact with a guide surface formed on an outer periphery of an outer tube of a damper, the movable spring receiver being configured to support one side end of a suspension spring, the suspension spring biasing the damper in an expansion direction; a driving mechanism configured to drive the movable spring receiver in an axial direction of the damper; an auxiliary spring configured to bias the movable spring receiver to the suspension spring side; and a dust cover configured to cover a portion on the guide surface, the movable spring receiver being in sliding contact with the guide surface in the portion. The dust cover is held on the outer tube by means of a spring force of the auxiliary spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: KYB Corporation
    Inventor: Takahisa Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 8419049
    Abstract: To provide an airbag and an airbag device that is excellent in an impact absorbing force and can efficiently inflate and deploy the airbag. An airbag 1 according to the present invention includes a left inflation chamber 11L that is inflated and deployed on the front left side of a passenger P and a right inflation chamber 11R that is inflated and deployed on the front right side of the passenger P. The left inflation chamber 11L and the right inflation chamber 11R include a first communication path 12 formed at an end portion on the car body side, a connection portion 13 connected at an intermediate portion in the inflating and deploying direction, and a second communication path 14 formed within the connection portion 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhito Miyata
  • Patent number: 8006798
    Abstract: A vehicle (10) has a frame (12), at least two wheels (14, 16), a straddle seat (28), a handlebar (18) having first (20) and second (22) handles, an engine (30), a semi-automatic transmission (32), and a housing (24) disposed adjacent the first handle. A shift lever (108) is pivotally connected to the housing. At least a portion of the shift lever extends away from the handle side of the housing towards an end of the first handle and is disposed at least in part vertically below the first handle. The shift lever has rear (140) and front surfaces (142). The shift lever is movable to an up-shift position by pressing one of the front and rear surfaces, is movable to a down-shift position by pressing a remaining one of the front and rear surfaces, and is biased towards a rest position intermediate the up-shift and down-shift positions. The shift lever is operatively connected to the semi-automatic transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Portelance