Patents Examined by Mahmoud Gimie
  • Patent number: 11581794
    Abstract: There is described a system comprising mechanical equipment and an apparatus for monitoring and/or controlling the mechanical equipment. The mechanical equipment vibrates at a frequency fvibration in use, and the apparatus is attached to the mechanical equipment such that the apparatus also vibrates when the mechanical equipment is in use. The apparatus comprises an electronics module and a resonant electric generator. The resonant electric generator has a resonant frequency f0 comparable to the vibrational frequency fvibration of the mechanical equipment. The resonant electric generator comprises a magnet having an associated a magnetic field, a coil electrically coupled to the electronics module, and a resilient member. The resilient member is configured, when the apparatus is vibrated at or around the resonant frequency f0, to cause relative oscillation of the coil and the magnet so as to induce an electric current in the coil to thereby power the electronics module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: IRDETO B.V.
    Inventors: Lawrence John King, Pat Ford, Bevan Watkiss
  • Patent number: 11577597
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle cooling apparatus that includes: a PCU cooling unit for cooling a power control unit controlling an electric motor; a T/A cooling unit for cooling a drive-force transmitting apparatus including the electric motor; and a heat exchanger for transferring heat between the PCU cooling unit and the T/A cooling unit. The T/A cooling unit includes a first pump for circulating a refrigerant of the T/A cooling unit, while the PCU cooling unit includes a second pump for circulating a refrigerant of the PCU cooling unit. The control apparatus includes a controlling portion configured to cause the first pump to be driven when a temperature of the power control unit is higher than a threshold temperature value and a temperature of the refrigerant of the PCU cooling unit is higher than a temperature of the refrigerant of the T/A cooling unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hashimoto, Yukinori Murakami
  • Patent number: 11576304
    Abstract: A lawn mower is provided with a housing that has a discharge opening for discharging cut material. A covering device is arranged at the housing and is provided with a cover and a locking device. The cover can pivot about a pivot axis. The cover covers the discharge opening in a closed state of the cover and opens the discharge opening in an open position of the cover. In the closed state of the cover, the cover can be locked by the locking device in a locked position of the cover. The cover is moveable relative to the housing in a direction of the pivot axis. The cover is unlocked from the locked position of the cover by a movement of the cover in the direction of the pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Georg Duregger, Marco Scheid
  • Patent number: 11572842
    Abstract: A coupling arrangement is disclosed for rotationally coupling a drive element of a pivoting drive of an exhaust-gas flap for the exhaust-gas flow to a pivot shaft that is rotatable about a pivot axis. A first coupling element has a coupling region coupled to the pivot shaft for conjoint rotation about the pivot axis and a second coupling element has a coupling region coupled to the drive element for conjoint rotation about the pivot axis. A preload element acts on the first coupling element and the second coupling element substantially in a peripheral direction with respect to one another. One of the coupling elements has two rotational coupling projections which extend radially outward with respect to the coupling region of the coupling element. The other coupling element includes, so as to be assigned to each rotational coupling projection, a rotational coupling cutout which receives the corresponding rotational coupling projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Purem GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Grün, Markus Birgler, Markus Lory, Andreas Wacker, Annika Zeumer, Ralph Schenk, Miljenko Novosel
  • Patent number: 11572857
    Abstract: A suction valve of a high-pressure fuel pump for a vehicle includes a housing having an inlet through which a fuel is introduced and a pump chamber configured to press the fuel, a valve installation space arranged between the inlet and the pump chamber, and a solenoid part provided with a rod for performing a linear reciprocal motion, and further includes a valve sleeve inserted into the valve installation space and formed with a flow hole, a valve spring seated on the valve sleeve, a valve plate elastically supported by the valve spring, and moving in conjunction with the rod, and a valve sheet formed with an introduction hole opened and closed by the valve plate, in which the valve sleeve is slid and inserted into the valve installation space, and the valve sheet is fitted into and fastened to the valve installation space to support the valve sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Hyundai Kefico Corporation
    Inventors: Kyung Chul Han, Hyeong Kyun Park, Jin Sung Kim, Chun Ky Hong
  • Patent number: 11565580
    Abstract: A controller for a hybrid vehicle performs charging control when a shift range of the hybrid vehicle is a first range, and does not perform the charging control when the shift range of the hybrid vehicle is a second range, the charging control being control of charging a power storage device with electric power generated by a generator driven by an engine. The controller records diagnosis information when an SOC of the power storage device is equal to or lower than a first threshold value and the shift range of the hybrid vehicle is the first range, and does not record the diagnosis information when the SOC of the power storage device is equal to or lower than the first threshold value and the shift range of the hybrid vehicle is the second range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaroh Tanaka, Junichi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11560050
    Abstract: In the lid opening and closing device, the rotating body at the initial position rotates to one side in the rotation direction, so that the lock member is disengaged from the first link. Further, the first link and the rotating body are provided with a differential connecting mechanism, and the differential connecting mechanism connects the rotating body and the first link to operate the link mechanism at the retracted position after the lock member is disengaged from the first link, when the rotating body is rotating. As a result, the differential connecting mechanism imparts a time difference between the two operations of the rotating body. Therefore, the lock member and the link mechanism can be operated by rotationally driving the rotating body by a single actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: U-SHIN LTD.
    Inventor: Yuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11553644
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for detecting suboptimal mowing due to impacted vegetation and/or orientation changes are discussed. In some examples, blade speeds, blade heights, torques, and/or a current required to spin the blades of a mower at a determined rate may be calibrated and associated with a lawn mower and/or map. Changes in any one or more of the blade speed, current required, torque, etc. (and/or additional data from one or more sensors on the mower) may be used as an indication for determining whether vegetation has impacted the underside of a mower, whether the blade has struck an object, whether the mower is undergoing an orientation change, whether the mower requires maintenance, and the like. Based on the indication, the mower can perform one or more functions to attempt to remediate the problem autonomously and/or send a signal to a user for additional help.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Scythe Robotics, Inc.
    Inventors: Davis Thorp Foster, Robert Johnstone McCutcheon, IV, John Gordon Morrison, Isaac Heath Roberts
  • Patent number: 11554677
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes an electric motor for transmitting torque to a wheel, a clutch pedal operated by driver, and a torque controller for controlling torque of the electric motor. The torque controller is configured to control torque of the electric motor in response to an operation amount of the clutch pedal. The electric vehicle may include a shift lever for selecting a mode of any one of a plurality of modes in which torque characteristics of the electric motor differ in stages with respect to a rotational speed of the electric motor. The clutch pedal is operated when the shift lever is operated. The torque controller is configured to control torque of the electric motor in response to the mode selected by the shift lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoichiro Isami
  • Patent number: 11547042
    Abstract: An adaptive engine speed control system for a grass mowing machine having an internal combustion engine, a hydrostatic traction drive circuit and a hydraulic mowing circuit for operating a plurality of cutting units. A controller provides a traction feedback output signal if the grass mowing machine is moving at an actual ground speed that is below a pedal based desired ground speed, and uses the traction feedback output signal to command the internal combustion engine to an increased speed above a pedal based engine speed control range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Zackary P. Sipper, Jacob C. Kallara, Brent G. Rinholm
  • Patent number: 11543302
    Abstract: A magnet temperature estimating device for a motor provided with a rotor having magnets and configured to output a rotational motive force, and a stator having a plurality of coils opposing the rotor with an aperture therebetween, is provided. The device includes a sensor configured to detect an induced voltage induced by rotation of the rotor, and a controller configured to control the motor by supplying power to the plurality of coils in response to an input of a detection signal from the sensor. The controller estimates a temperature of one of the magnets based on an amplitude of a frequency spectrum corresponding to a given frequency, among frequency components constituting the induced voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhide Seo, Genri Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11541748
    Abstract: A tank system for a construction machine includes a fuel tank having an outer tank wall that closes off a tank volume to the outside, a withdrawal tank volume, which is separated by a partition wall from a main tank volume of the tank volume and has a fuel-exchanging connection to the main tank volume, and a fuel withdrawal arrangement having a main fuel pump and a withdrawal line opening into the withdrawal tank volume for conveying fuel by the main fuel pump via the withdrawal line from the withdrawal tank volume to a fuel-consuming system region. The tank system also includes a fuel feed arrangement having an auxiliary fuel pump for conveying fuel from the main tank volume into the withdrawal tank volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Hamm AG
    Inventors: Gerd Köstler, Stefan Reber, Armin Landstorfer
  • Patent number: 11540440
    Abstract: A lift detection arrangement in a robotic lawnmower for detecting a lift of a body of the robotic lawnmower relative to a chassis of the robotic lawnmower. The lift detection arrangement includes a collision absorber; and a sensor arrangement including a spring, a movable part, a metal plate and a sensor. The collision absorber is screwed to two plastic parts and arranged to allow a displacement of the body relative to the chassis in a collision plane during a collision between an obstacle and the robotic lawnmower, but not in a vertical direction. The moveable part is arranged to provide a displacement of the body relative to the chassis in a lift direction during a lift of the body. The sensor is configured to sense the distance to the metal plate that is fixed to the moveable part and to trigger a cut off of power to a cutting blade of the robotic lawnmower if the distance becomes greater than a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Globe (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Johanna Olsson, Eric Lennings
  • Patent number: 11533842
    Abstract: A grounds maintenance vehicle having a vehicle frame is disclosed. An implement is coupled to the vehicle frame and has a first implement end and a second implement end. A height selection tool is configured to select one vertical position of a plurality of selectable vertical positions, where each vertical position limits a distance between the implement and the vehicle frame. An implement angle selection tool is configured to change the elevation of the first implement end relative to the second implement end and fix the elevation of the first implement end relative the second implement end. The implement angle selection tool has a manually engageable mechanism configured to change the elevation of the first implement end relative to the second implement end when the implement angle selection tool is disengaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: EXMARK MANUFACTURING COMPANY INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Michael Shane Fredenburg, Justin Leigh Pryor, Frederick Aubrey Fugett, Kenneth Lloyd McConnell
  • Patent number: 11533848
    Abstract: A lawn mower includes a blade, a motor connected to the blade, and a housing storing the blade in the housing and is configured to mow grass underneath the housing. The lawn mower includes a grass container to contain the mowed grass and a connecting member that connects the housing to the grass container. The housing is provided with a ceiling opening communicating with a flow path inside the connecting member. The ceiling opening overlaps with a region corresponding to a rotation range, of the blade, projected upward along a drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumio Minami, Takuya Matsumoto, Yoshitaka Oota, Shota Tanabe
  • Patent number: 11535320
    Abstract: A walking mechanism for driving a machine body includes a walking wheel group having a plurality of walking wheels attached to the machine body, with two front and two rear wheels relative to a traveling direction. The machine body has two sides with a pair of one of the front wheels and a one of the rear wheels being respectively located on each of the sides and driven to rotate synchronously. Each walking wheel includes an auto tire casing with a tread outer side having a tread pattern distributed along a circumferential direction of the auto tire casing. The tread pattern is configured as a plurality of tread ribs with a respective tread groove formed between each adjacent pair of the tread ribs, the tread pattern radiating outward from an axial center of the walking wheel. A related robot and self-walking mower are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Suzhou Cleva Precision Machinery and Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhao Kong, Ning Guo, Jiangwei Cui, Ronghua Xu
  • Patent number: 11536076
    Abstract: A door opening and closing apparatus includes: a body defining an opening and an interior space, the opening being open toward the outside of a vehicle body and the interior space defined inside the vehicle body so as to be connected to the opening; a door configured to open and close the opening; a guide part disposed in the interior space and guiding the door such that the door moves in a first direction and a direction opposite to the first direction, the first direction being a direction from the outside of the vehicle body to the inside of the vehicle body; and a transport part disposed in the interior space and that moves the door in a second direction and a direction opposite to the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION, LS AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung Jun Yang, Moon Gyu Choi
  • Patent number: 11536190
    Abstract: A split cycle internal combustion engine apparatus includes a combustion cylinder accommodating a combustion piston and a compression cylinder accommodating a compression piston. The apparatus is arranged to provide compressed fluid to the combustion cylinder. The compression cylinder is coupled to a first liquid coolant reservoir and a second liquid coolant reservoir. A controller is arranged to receive an indication of at least one parameter associated with the engine, and control delivery of at least one of the first liquid coolant from the first liquid coolant reservoir and the second liquid coolant from the second liquid coolant reservoir to the compression cylinder based on the indication of the at least one parameter such that the at least one liquid coolant vaporises into a gaseous phase during a compression stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Inventors: Andrew Atkins, Robert Morgan
  • Patent number: 11530664
    Abstract: Systems and methods for starting and operating a direct injection engine are described. In one example, the air and fuel are injected into a pre-chamber of a cylinder of an engine while the engine is not rotating. The air and fuel are combusted in the pre-chamber to improve ignition of an air and fuel mixture in the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Garlan J. Huberts, Joseph Thomas, David Andrew Ord, Michael Damian Czekala
  • Patent number: 11530659
    Abstract: A system for controlling operations of an engine comprises a plurality of cylinders and a controller operatively coupled to each of the plurality of cylinders. The controller is configured to determine an operating condition of the engine, and in response to determining that the operating condition is suitable for activating less then all cylinders of the plurality of cylinders during a cycle of the engine, determine a first firing pattern, and a second firing pattern different from the first firing pattern for activating the plurality of cylinders of the engine. The controller is configured to activate a first set of cylinders of the plurality of cylinders based on the first firing pattern, and subsequent to activating the first set of cylinders, activate a second set of cylinders of the plurality of cylinders different from the first set of cylinders based on the second firing pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignees: Cummins Inc., Tula Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Steven Kolhouse, Aaron William Beinborn, Lyle E. Kocher