Patents Examined by Melody Burch
  • Patent number: 8668188
    Abstract: A vibration damping device adapted to receive an electronic component and reduce vibration is provided. The vibration damping device includes a spring body extending along an axis, one or more slots formed in the spring body, and a shaft extending substantially coaxially within the spring body. The shaft may include an internal bore configured to extend substantially coaxially through the spring body and shaft. The vibration damping device further includes a damping mechanism configured to be positioned between the spring body and the shaft, wherein the one or more slots provides flexible movement of the spring body and the damping mechanism provides the damping of motion within the internal bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Viatcheslav Gnateski
  • Patent number: 8657269
    Abstract: A vibration damping device including a main rubber elastic body elastically connecting a second mounting member and a first mounting member being arranged on axially one side of the second mounting member and a cylindrical outer bracket fit onto the second mounting member. A stopper portion integrally formed with the outer bracket extends radially inwardly to provide a first pressure receiving portion. A bound stopper member that restricts mutually approaching displacement of the two mounting members in the axial direction is constituted by including the first pressure receiving portion. A cylindrical second pressure receiving portion in a dual structure is formed by having the first pressure receiving portion extend axially inwardly and then folded axially outwardly. An axis perpendicular stopper member that restricts relative displacement of the two mounting members in the axis perpendicular direction is constituted by including the second pressure receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Nishi, Yasunori Isogai
  • Patent number: 8657080
    Abstract: The annular disk brake comprises a rotor disk and at least one brake pad provided on each side of the rotor disk. The brake pad or pads on one side are connected to a substantially axially-guided brake pad carrier. The brake has a force transmitting arrangement creating a force increasing amplification between an axially-actuated member and the carrier. This arrangement can increase the brake compactness and provide an even distribution of the braking force around the circumference of the rotor disk. A method of increasing a brake pad clamping force is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Asteria Performance Inc.
    Inventor: Alain Constans
  • Patent number: 8657084
    Abstract: The present invention provides a rotary damper in which both yields and braking characteristics can be enhanced. The rotary damper of the invention includes a valve mechanism which comprises an operating chamber 7 through which fluid can pass, a valve body 8 which forwardly moves from a natural state position when the valve body 8 receives fluid pressure and which can forwardly moves in the operating chamber 7, and a first spring 9 capable of giving a resistance to the forward movement of the valve body 8. The valve mechanism can reduce a flow rate of fluid which passes through the operating chamber 7 by a flow path 14 formed between the valve body 8 and a peripheral wall 7a of the operating chamber 7. A reducing amount of fluid can be increased as a moving distance of the valve body 8 which forwardly moves in the operating chamber 7 is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Somic Ishikawa
    Inventors: Hidenori Kanno, Ryota Shimura, Masanori Itagaki
  • Patent number: 8631916
    Abstract: An apparatus for the parking lock of a vehicle, in particular, of an agricultural tractor. The apparatus comprises a parking lever mechanically linked to a braking lever by a cinematic chain. The braking lever comprises a tooth apt to engage at least a braking element vehicle. The braking lever is provided with a yielding device placed in correspondence to its own hinge. The yielding device is able to ease the engagement of the tooth with a gap comprised between two teeth of a driveline gear in order to guarantee a reliable parking lock of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: CNH America LLC
    Inventors: Franco Mazzucchi, Eugenio Sereni, Francesco Roli
  • Patent number: 8608255
    Abstract: When vehicle speed V decreases to or below a preset reference vehicle speed Vref during output of regenerative braking force from a motor in response to the driver's depression of a brake pedal, the vehicle of the invention performs a replacement pre-operation (steps S190 to S220 and S160) and a replacement operation (steps S240 to S280 and S160) and controls the motor and an electronically controlled hydraulic braking system to satisfy a braking force demand BF*. The replacement pre-operation actuates and controls pumps included in a brake actuator of the electronically controlled hydraulic braking system to exert their proper pressurization performance. The replacement operation decreases the regenerative braking force output from the motor and enhances a pressure increase by the pumps to replace the regenerative braking force with a pressure increase-based braking force BFpp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michihito Shimada, Kazuya Maki
  • Patent number: 8608256
    Abstract: A hydraulic control method of a regenerative braking system for vehicles in which a point of time when regenerative braking torque starts to be reduced is predicted and hydraulic control is performed in advance prior to this point of time so as to improve braking performance. A hydraulic braking control unit predicts the point of time when regenerative braking torque starts to be reduced based on vehicle velocity and starts hydraulic control in advance prior to this point of time, thereby improving responsiveness of hydraulic braking force compared to the regenerative braking torque to satisfy braking force required by a driver, and minimizing a deceleration change at the end of regenerative braking to improve braking performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Mando Corporation
    Inventor: Man Bok Park
  • Patent number: 8602178
    Abstract: A constant strain spring compensation device, mainly comprising the grooved pulley, compensation cable, left end plate, spindle, oil seal, bearing, right end plate, contact flat spiral spring, housing, fastening angle steel, mounting base, pin, and wire-breaking arresting device. Said grooved pulley is fixed on the spindle, said compensation cable is wound and one of its ends is fixed on the grooved pulley, and the other end is connected to exterior overhead contact lines. Said spindle is supported on left end plate and right end plate by using the oil seal and bearing. Said left end plate, right end plate, housing, fastening angle steel, and mounting base form a closed box base. Said pin is connected to the side of the mounting base remote from said box base. Said contact flat spiral spring is arranged within said box base with the inner end hook being connected to the spindle and the outer end hook being connected to the fastening angle steel of the box base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Inventors: Rongjun Tie, Liqun Wu, Rongkang Tie, Guanghong Tie, Chengchen Wu
  • Patent number: 8584821
    Abstract: A friction damper includes: a base body; a support secured to an elongated member of the base body and having a through hole; a rod which extends in such a manner as to pass through the through hole of the support and is movable in an axial direction with respect to the support; a friction member which has a hollow cylindrical portion interposed between the support and a main body portion of the rod in the through hole of the support, and which is fixed immovably with respect to the relative movement of the rod in the axial direction with respect to the base body; and a tightening device provided for the support so as to tighten the hollow cylindrical portion of the friction member onto the main body portion of the rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Oiles Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiko Okimura, Kazuhiro Nagashima, Go Tanaka, Youko Arai
  • Patent number: 8584814
    Abstract: The invention relates to a self-arresting rope belay device comprising a cam arranged to clamp the rope when the rope is under tension, and a lever arranged to act on the cam to progressively release the rope by manual action on the lever. The lever acts on the cam respectively with a geared-down effect in an initial part of its release travel, and with a direct effect in a final part of its travel. This results in the relative movement of the cam with respect to the lever being smaller in the initial part of the travel than in the final part, which enables accurate adjustment of the braking effort and of the running speed of the rope in the initial part of travel of the lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Zedel
    Inventors: Michael Chaumontet, Christophe Quillard, Alain Maurice, Paul Petzl
  • Patent number: 8579268
    Abstract: A damping device for a hatch in a military vehicle used during its closing and opening, said hatch being integral with hinges hinged with respect to an interface, wherein said device comprises a tubular body integral with the hinges and hinged between two bearings integral with the interface, said body enclosing two fixed damping means between which a rod is positioned, said rod being mobile in translation to activate one of the damping means during the opening of the hatch and the other damping means during the closing of the hatch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Nexter Systems
    Inventors: Christian Duc, André Monchalin
  • Patent number: 8573370
    Abstract: A cam housing assembly oscillates in association with rotation of an eccentric cam which is attached to a camshaft and is allowed to press a clutch by cam pins of the cam housing assembly. A pair of piston assemblies are provided of which each includes a piston which can slide within a sleeve, a spindle and a nut which screws on to the spindle and are supported in hole portions in a caliper body so as to oscillate therein, whereby a brake pad is pressed against by a plug after the spindle, the nut and the piston are sequentially pressed by pressing a clutch by the cam pins. Since the spindle and the nut are screwed on to each other through a reversible screw, a gap is adjusted automatically as the pad wears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshifumi Maehara
  • Patent number: 8544613
    Abstract: A disc braking system (10) for a vehicle comprises a service caliper (12) suitable to be arranged astride a disc (14) rotating about an axis (16), said service caliper comprising at least one couple of service pads (18, 20). The system further comprises a floating parking caliper (30) suitable to be arranged astride the disc (14) and comprising a least one couple of parking pads (32, 34) housed in a floating structure (36) of the parking caliper. The floating structure comprises a side portion (38) and a bracket portion (40) extending from the side portion (38) in the axial direction to the disc (14). An individual mount structure (22) is provided which is suitable to be mounted on a fixed portion of the vehicle, and suitable to receive the couple of service pads (18, 20) and the floating parking caliper (30), which is slidably mounted thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Freni Brembo S.p.A.
    Inventors: Carlo Cantoni, Enrico Battista Ongaretti, Tomasz Grabiec
  • Patent number: 8544620
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to improve utility in a suspension apparatus for a vehicle having an electromagnetic actuator and a hydraulic damper. In the suspension apparatus, a hydraulic damper is disposed between an electromagnetic actuator and a wheel-holding portion, and a cover tube is provided for accommodating a seal provided between a piston rod and a housing of the hydraulic damper. In the suspension apparatus according to the present invention wherein the hydraulic damper is disposed between the wheel-holding portion and the electromagnetic actuator, it is possible to effectively mitigate not only transmission of vibrations to the vehicle body from the wheel via the electromagnetic actuator but also transmission of vibrations to the electromagnetic actuator. Further, owing to the presence of the cover tube, entry of dust and the like into the hydraulic damper through the seal can be effectively prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Inoue, Takuhiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 8540059
    Abstract: A brake mechanism includes a first wheel base, a second wheel base, a linkage part, a passive brake device and an active brake device. The first wheel base and the second wheel base are installed on two feet of a stroller, respectively. A first wheel set and a second wheel set of the stroller are pivotally connected to the first wheel base and the second wheel base, respectively. The passive brake device and the active brake device are connected to a first end and a second end of the linkage part, respectively. The active brake device includes a first engaging part and a driving part. The driving part is rotatably disposed on the second wheel base. When the driving part rotates between a locking position and a releasing position, the driving part drives the first engaging part and drives the passive brake device to move via the linkage part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Company Limited
    Inventors: Fang-Ming Li, Hai-Bo Zeng
  • Patent number: 8534430
    Abstract: A commercial vehicle disc brake has a caliper that straddles a brake disc that can be functionally connected to brake pads having a brake lining supporting plate and a friction lining secured thereto. At least one closure cover encloses and hermetically seals a chamber for housing functional parts of the brake. The disc brake is designed such that the closure cover is form-fittingly connected to the brake caliper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Haertl, Josef Treipl
  • Patent number: 8534427
    Abstract: A movable desk includes a cam, an elevation member, a brake portion, and a guide portion. The cam rotates in accordance with a rotation of the top panel. The elevation member, including one end swingably connected to the cam, is moved downward when the top panel is rotated to the in-use position, while being moved upward when the top panel is rotated to the storage position. The brake portion is swingably connected to the elevation member and contacts a floor surface when the top panel is in the in-use position thereby fixing at least one leg portion with respect to the floor surface. The guide portion abuts the brake portion thereby to bring the brake portion into contact with a predetermined position of the floor surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Aichi Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Taku Kumazawa
  • Patent number: 8534648
    Abstract: An elastomeric load bearing surface with different load support characteristics in different directions. In one embodiment, the surface includes an elastomeric membrane that is oriented in only a single direction, for example, by compression or stretching. In another embodiment, the surface includes mechanical structures, such as connectors, variations in thickness and apertures, that vary the load support characteristics in different directions. In another aspect, the present invention provides a multilayer load bearing surface in which the layers cooperate to provide a controlled force/deflection profile that is variable in different regions of the surface. In one embodiment, the upper layer includes a plurality of loosely connected nodes and a lower layer having a plurality of resilient elements that separately support each node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy P. Coffield, Daniel S. Sommerfeld, Joseph D. Ward
  • Patent number: 8523154
    Abstract: In a vibration control equipment 1 constituted by inserting an outer tube 20 of pair of damping rubbers 2A, 2B into an opening 30 of a bracket member 3, clamping the pair of damping rubbers 2A, 2B by means of plate members 4A, 4B, tightening a fastening member 5 for coupling the plate members 4A, 4B, and then compressing the rubber elastic bodies 22 of the damping rubbers 2A, 2B in the axial direction, the outside diameter of the outer tube 20 before tightening the fastening member 5 is smaller than the inside diameter of the fixing hole 30, the rubber elastic bodies 22 are compression deformed by tightening the fastening member 5 and thus a bracket member 3 is clamped by means of upper and lower flange portions 23, at least one of the rubber elastic bodies 22 is provided with mold cavity portions 26A, 26B and at least one of the pair of outer tubes 20 is provided with a positioning portion 24 for determining the circumferential position of the pair of damping rubbers 2A, 2B relative to the bracket member 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 8517359
    Abstract: A hydraulic damping mount has a working chamber and a compensating chamber, which are filled with a hydraulic liquid and separated from each other by an intermediate plate. The working chamber and the compensating chamber are connected to each other via a transfer passage and a bypass channel. The bypass channel can be opened or closed by an actuator. The actuator is configured as a one-piece elastomer part, which has a fastening portion on the edge and an actuating element, which is connected to the fastening portion via a flexible connecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Trelleborg Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Arndt Graeve, Henry Winter, Ulrich Mews, Eric Eisel