Patents Examined by Lisa Bannapradist
  • Patent number: 6760954
    Abstract: An improved laterally resilient and displaceable mechanical door bumper for moving an elongated retractable shaft. The body or mold of the door bumper includes a base portion in which mounting screws are firmly anchored into the wood of the adjacent door portion. The door bumper shaft includes a rubber end piece that is glued and snapped onto the end of the door bumper shaft for cushioning the impact of the door bumper against a wall. The side of the door bumper receives rollers which are attached to the side portion of the mold and can be compressed during impact. The rollers are adapted to contact a door frame, which forces the door bumper shaft to retract. The door bumper is devoid of separable parts or sharp edges that might injure persons, particularly children, who come in contact with the door bumper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Inventor: George Rucker
  • Patent number: 6672596
    Abstract: A seal adaptor assembly for use in a stroking universal joint of the type having an outer drive housing member having an exterior wall of non-uniform dimension including spaces between the parts of the housing enclosing the drive channels. The seal adaptor assembly includes an annular body and a plurality of insert having greater rigidity than the material of the annular body and wherein the inserts are located in the annular body at sections thereof that are located within outer housing spaces between the drive channels. The inserts are supported within the annular body at thin wall sections thereof and thereby provide for a more uniform compression of a resilient seal member between the housing and a clamp for holding the resilient seal member in place on the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Allen Devers
  • Patent number: 6662605
    Abstract: A handle and lock which generally includes a base having an index pin, a stop positioned in a circular channel, and an aperture traversing the base. A shaft is rotatably engaged to the base. The shaft includes a nut-shaped platform and an arcuate positioning limiter disposed in the circular working channel. The nut shaped platform preferably includes a threaded bore to receive a fastener used to releasably attach a handle to the shaft. The handle generally includes a head portion having a nut shaped receiving area and an arcuate protruding positioning member for placement within the circular working channel. The nut shaped receiving area preferably covers the platform during rotation of the handle relative to the base. The head portion may also include a lock having a locking barrier connected to a locking cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Austin Hardware, Inc.
    Inventor: Klaus Molzer
  • Patent number: 6655692
    Abstract: A brush seal device of the present invention has a holding portion and a brush having a plurality of bristles. The holding portion is held by one part and is in the shape of a sealing plate. One end portion of the brush is connected with the holding portion. A free end portion of the brush is disposed in parallel with the holding portion and protrudes therefrom so as to seal a gap between itself and the other part to which the brush is opposed. An elastic portion holds the side of the free end portion of the brush in light touch with a holding surface of the holding portion. The elastic portion also performs a sealing function so as to prevent sealed fluid from entering the side of the mounting portion of the brush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Eagle Engineering Aerospace Co., LTD
    Inventor: Toru Kono
  • Patent number: 6648535
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cushioning element adapted to be mounted on an article to provide cushioning therefor. The cushioning element of the present invention has an encasing member at least partially defining a filling chamber. The filling chamber is filled with a flowable particulate matter. The present invention further includes a mounting member adapted to mount the encasing member onto the article. According to the present invention, at least a portion of the encasing member is deformable and the particulate matter within the filling chamber is capable of flowing inside the filling chamber upon the application of a deforming force to the deformable portion of the encasing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Inventor: Daniel A. Ferrara, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6647592
    Abstract: A hinge mechanism for mounting a vehicle door structure to a vehicle body having first, second, third and fourth hinge members and a plurality of pin members. The first and fourth hinge members are coupled to the vehicle body and the vehicle door, respectively. The pin members pivotably couple the second and third hinge members to the first and fourth hinge members, permitting the vehicle door structure to pivot relative to the vehicle body between a closed position and an open position. The second and third hinge members are configured to resist a seal force that is exerted to the vehicle door by a weatherstrip seal to inhibit an outer surface of the vehicle door from skewing relative to an outer surface of the vehicle body in response to the seal force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventor: William T Presley
  • Patent number: 6637778
    Abstract: A vapor vent valve has an annular locking ring received thereover, with surfaces thereon engaging the valve for limited axial movement therebetween and preventing relative rotation therebetween. A fuel tank has an access opening with a slit formed therein. The valve is inserted in the access opening and the end of the locking ring engaged in the slit, rotation of the valve causes the locking ring to feed completely through the slit to the interior of the tank and engages the inner surface thereof while continuing to engage the valve to retain and seal the valve in the access opening. The valve, locking ring and a seal ring may be pre-assembled to form a subassembly capable of being installed and locked on the fuel tank as a unit without the need for tools or fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Robert P. Benjey
  • Patent number: 6634609
    Abstract: A universal accessory adapter, which is adapted for attaching to a collapsible outdoor furniture, includes a supporting device for rigidly supporting an accessory item, at least a connector for detachably attaching the supporting device to a frame leg of the collapsible outdoor furniture, and a foldable frame arranged for selectively folding the supporting device from a folded position to an unfolded position. In which, in the folded position, the supporting device is moved to a position close to the frame leg of the collapsible outdoor furniture, and in the unfolded position, the supporting device is moved away from the frame leg of the collapsible outdoor furniture, so as to spacedly mount the supporting device with respect to the frame leg of the collapsible outdoor furniture. Therefore, the universal accessory is substantially supported by the collapsible outdoor furniture, so as to rigidly support the accessory item on the universal accessory adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Inventor: Edward Zheng
  • Patent number: 6634058
    Abstract: A door closer comprises a cylinder and a piston rod mounted in the cylinder and having an exposed section outside the cylinder. A retainer plate, an elastic element, and an end cap are mounted around the exposed section of the piston rod. The retainer plate has a hole through which the exposed section of the piston rod extends. The retainer plate further has a push member extending beyond the end cap through a slot in the end cap. The elastic element is attached between the sleeve and the retainer plate. The push member is pushable toward the sleeve to cause an inner periphery defining the hole of the retainer plate engage with the piston rod such that a side of the retainer plate presses against the pressing rod to stop movement of the piston rod during closing of a door to which the door closer is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Inventor: Percy Lin
  • Patent number: 6631910
    Abstract: The open circular section gasket is not deformed under flattening while nevertheless ensuring the leaktightness of the two spaces to seal. Each contact surface (16) is slightly inclined and has a slightly offset projecting part (15) such that the summits of the two projecting parts define an axis that is offset with respect to the center line (A2) of the general circular shape of the gasket (10). When the gasket is flattened, the contact surfaces (16) tend to become parallel, the projecting parts (15) come closer to the center line (A2). Application to cases of static sealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Philippe Caplain, Laurent Mirabel, Christian Rouaud
  • Patent number: 6619665
    Abstract: A cylinder head gasket for an internal combustion engine is formed by a first metal plate extending substantially throughout an entire area to be sealed and having a first hole corresponding to a hole of the engine, and second and third metal plates disposed to sandwich the first plate and having second and third holes formed in the respective second and third plates corresponding to the first hole. First and second beads are formed in the respective second and third plates to extend toward the first metal plate. A first resin coating is deposited on at least one side of the first metal plate at an inner portion relative to the first bead, and a second resin coating is deposited on at least one side of the first metal plate at an outer portion relative to the first bead without extending over an entire surface thereof. The second resin coating has a thickness at most equal to that of the first resin coating. The surface pressure around the hole can be adjusted precisely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Ishikawa Gasket Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Miyaoh, Noriaki Akimoto
  • Patent number: 6620501
    Abstract: A system for sealing a plurality of panels including a multiplayer seal having a barrier portion and an adhesion portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: L&L Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Abraham Kassa, Renee Bradley
  • Patent number: 6616145
    Abstract: A face seal device for use with components rotating at a high rotational speed includes a non-rotating face seal ring (5) and a rotary face seal ring (11) mounted in a loose fit on and rotatable together with the rotary component. The rotary face seal ring includes a sealing face (6) which, in operation, is essentially radially aligned for cooperation with an opposite sealing face (16) of the non-rotating face seal ring. The rotary face seal ring is formed of at least a base portion (20) and an extension portion (21). The extension portion provides an additional mass and has an areal center of gravity axially spaced from the areal center of gravity of the base portion An axial spacing z between the areal centers of gravity and the mass m of the extension portion are in specific relationship with each other, whereby in operation a torque directed towards the non-rotating face seal ring is applied to the rotary face seal ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Burgmann Dichtungswerke GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Berthold Schulten, Werner Wolf, Peter Haselbacher, Thomas Keller
  • Patent number: 6615450
    Abstract: An apparatus for the damping of impacts, preferably the impacts of furniture doors or drawers, consists of a cylinder with a piston whose piston rod sealingly guided out of a cylinder side forms a ram absorbing the impacts which divides the cylinder space filled with a liquid into two chambers and has perforations and/or, together with the cylinder wall, bounds a passage gap. A guide bushing guiding the piston rod is arranged in the region of the discharge end of the cylinder. A compression spring is clamped between the piston and the cylinder bottom. To ensure a smooth and quiet running with a compact construction, the guide bushing has a central shaft part of reduced diameter. A widened end part of the guide bushing is supported on a step or annular flange constricting the inner diameter of the cylinder and the guide bushing is supported at the other end on a cover closing the cylinder. The shaft part of the guide bushing is encompassed by a tube-section-like part made of elastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Arturo Salice S.p.A.
    Inventor: Luciano Salice
  • Patent number: 6594857
    Abstract: A hinge clip apparatus for selectively engaging/disengaging a cover includes a base, a hinge defining a hinge axis, and a plate. The plate is pivotally moveable relative to the base along the hinge which connects the base to the plate. The plate includes a hole and a spring member extending through the hole. The spring member has an extension tab capable of engaging the cover and disengaging from the cover when the spring member is compressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
    Inventors: Ponharith Nhep, Douglas G. Elliot
  • Patent number: 6578827
    Abstract: Methods and devices for providing temporary handrail systems such as those used to surround the periphery of a building rooftop. A number of handrail sections are reversibly interconnected to one another to form a continuous protective rail. In practice, the rail is quite stable and resistant to tipping. In described embodiments, the handrail systems of the present invention feature load-distributing support bases and weight support platforms. Weights are selectively added to the weight support platforms to anchor the handrail in place. The weight support platforms are located above the surface of the roof and do not contact the roof surface. The weight load is transmitted via a support leg downwardly to a load-distributing support base that is placed in contact with the roof. As a result, the roof membrane is not damaged by a point load applied to it. In addition, a portion of the weight load from the weight support platform is transmitted directly to the vertical support rails of the rail sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Inventor: Ronald G. McCracken
  • Patent number: 6572113
    Abstract: A seal assembly for co-operation with a shaft comprising a seal member which, in use, in a first position, forms a seal against the shaft, a seal housing for retaining the seal member, means for applying a radially inward force to the seal member and means for applying a radially outward force to the seal member so that, when the means for applying a radially outwards force is operated, the seal member is dilated to a second position thereby enabling the seal assembly and the shaft to be fitted and disassembled in conventional manner, when the means for applying a radially outward force is removed the means for applying a radially inward force to the seal member returns the seal member to the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventor: Ian C D Care
  • Patent number: 6572117
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gland packing in which a phenomenon where reinforcing fibers protruding from ends of adjacent braiding yarns overlap with each other, and the over-lapping reinforcing fibers are interposed over the whole range between expanded graphite tapes of the adjacent braiding yarns to form a leakage path can be reduced. In the gland packing 4, ends 1a, 1b in the width direction of each of the braiding yarns 3A to 3H constituting the gland packing are directed to the inner side in the width direction, and the reinforcing fibers 2A to 2H protruding from the ends 1a, 1b are confined to the inner side of the braiding yarns 3A to 3H.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Nippon Pillar Packing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Fujiwara, Takashi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6568689
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gland packing in which impairment of the sealing performance due to cracks that unwillingly occur in an end portion in the width direction of an expanded graphite tape of a braiding yarn in the gland packing can be suppressed. In gland packings 1, 2, braiding yarns include braiding yarns 10A in each of which an expanded graphite tape 30 is bent so as to contract in the width direction, and both end portions 31 in the width direction of the bent expanded graphite tape 30 are folded back, or braiding yarns 20A in each of which at least an outer end portion 31′ in the width direction of a twisted expanded graphite tape 30 is folded back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Nippon Pillar Packaging Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Fujiwara, Takahisa Ueda
  • Patent number: 6564426
    Abstract: A retractable handle device includes a pair of conduits, a pair of tubes slidably engaged in the conduits, a housing secured on top of the tubes, and a hand grip rotatably secured to the housing with a shaft. One or more spring biased latches are disposed in the tubes, a bar is slidably received in the housing and coupled to the spring biased latches with links for selectively actuating the spring biased latches to lock the conduits and the tubes. A pin is slidably received in the shaft. A knob is slidably received in the hand grip for selectively actuating the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Inventor: Gin Chiao Wang