Patents Examined by Michael Quandt
  • Patent number: 11959500
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to an air cylinder (10) in which flow rate controllers (24, 24A) are built into a head cover (14) and a rod cover (16), said flow rate controllers (24, 24A) being provided with a first flow rate adjustment part (28) connected between a port (14a, 16a) and a cylinder chamber (12c), a second flow rate adjustment part (32) provided adjacent to the first flow rate adjustment part (28), and a pilot check valve (38) connected in series to the second flow rate adjustment part (32). In response to the pressure of pilot air, the pilot check valve (38) switches between a state in which the passage of exhaust air from the cylinder chamber (12c) is permitted and a state in which the passage of exhaust air is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youji Takakuwa, Akihiro Kazama, Hiroyuki Asahara, Kengo Monden
  • Patent number: 11951954
    Abstract: A hydraulic braking device comprising a master cylinder and a brake booster. The braking device comprises a control piston driven by actuating a brake pedal and mounted so as to be tightly slidable in a plunger of a piston of the brake booster. The control piston comprises a first end portion having a certain cross-sectional area and being arranged to cooperate with a gasket so as to establish, during braking, a modulated communication between the first chamber of the brake booster and a discharge chamber of the master cylinder. The braking device has an effective cross-sectional area counter-acting a pressure existing in a region comprised between a master cylinder piston and the control piston. Such area is different from the cross-sectional area of the first end portion of the control piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: VHIT S.P.A. SOCIETÀ UNIPERSONALE
    Inventor: Leonardo Cadeddu
  • Patent number: 11953029
    Abstract: An automatic oil return structure has a main body assembly mounted between an oil storage container and a housing, and having a pressure regulating blocking unit, a pressure regulating elastic unit, an engaging unit, and an engaging elastic unit. The pressure regulating elastic unit pushes the pressure regulating blocking unit to block a first pressure regulating channel. An engaging groove is formed radially inward on the pressure regulating blocking unit. The engaging elastic unit pushes the engaging unit toward the pressure regulating blocking unit. When a pressure in the first pressure regulating channel is higher than a set value and the pressure regulating blocking unit is pushed away to a set distance, the engaging unit is pushed to engage with the engaging groove of the pressure regulating blocking unit such that the pressure regulating blocking unit is unmovable to avoid blocking the first pressure regulating channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Kudos Mechanical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: James Chuan
  • Patent number: 11946493
    Abstract: A flow rate controller and a drive device are provided with a first flow passage connected between an operation switching valve and an air cylinder, and that supplies air to and discharges air from a cylinder chamber of the air cylinder; a first flow rate adjustment part provided in the first flow passage; a second flow passage adjacent to the first flow passage; a pilot check valve provided at a point along the second flow passage; a second flow rate adjustment part connected in series to the pilot check valve at a point along the second flow passage; a pilot air flow passage, one end of which communicates with the operation switching valve and the other end of which is connected to a pilot port of the pilot check valve; and a third flow rate adjustment part provided in the pilot air flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youji Takakuwa, Akihiro Kazama, Hiroyuki Asahara, Kengo Monden
  • Patent number: 11903343
    Abstract: Hydraulic power savings for a rear module handler cylinder of a round module cotton harvester is possible by using a regenerative hydraulic arrangement for raising an empty handler and using gravity to lower the handler. A bale handler system for a cotton picker baler includes a handler for receiving a round module that is movable between upright and lowered positions and a handler cylinder operably connected to the handler. The handler cylinder system includes a regenerative valve. The regenerative valve is engaged when the handler moves to the upright position during regenerative handler raise mode of operation, the regenerative valve is not engaged when the handler moves to the lowered position during float handler lower mode of operation. While in the float handler lower mode of operation, the handler cylinder retracts and diverts an oil flow pressure from a base end to a rod end of the handler cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Steven D. Wallestad, Mark A. Cracraft, James T. Noonan
  • Patent number: 11898581
    Abstract: A pneumatic stepper motor includes a housing, said housing accommodating at least part of: a rack or geared axle comprising a plurality of gear elements; and two pistons, each comprising at least two teeth, said pistons being arranged to cooperate with said rack or geared axle. The racks may either be straight or curved. The pistons are preferably double-acting pistons. A device includes at least one, and preferably a plurality of, such pneumatic stepper motor(s). The device may in particular be an MRI-compatible robotic system, more in particular for example an MRI-guided breast biopsy device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Machnet Medical Robotics B.V.
    Inventors: Vincent Groenhuis, Francoise Jeanette Siepel, Stefano Stramigioli
  • Patent number: 11873847
    Abstract: Provided is a cylinder device capable of preventing rotation unevenness while reducing power consumption and achieving compactification in particular. The present invention is to provide a cylinder device including a cylinder body and a shaft member supported in the cylinder body, the cylinder body is provided with a rotation mechanism portion including a rotation chamber and configured to rotate the shaft member based on an action of a fluid, and rotation ports communicating with the rotation chamber are provided at a front end and a rear end of the rotation mechanism portion. Thus, it is possible to prevent rotation unevenness while reducing power consumption and achieving compactification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIKURA COMPOSITES INC.
    Inventors: Osamu Kanazawa, Kenzo Miyamori
  • Patent number: 11852017
    Abstract: The invention relates to a modular construction system for a piston machine (100), comprising at least two separate housing parts capable of being joined together into a housing (1) of the piston machine (100), a piston (15) which is configured as a swivel element, is pivotable and is able to be arranged in the housing (1), and a housing cover (7) for covering the housing (1). The piston machine (100) is in particular configured as a modular construction system, the components of which are formed by multiple segments and joined together in a horizontal and a vertical direction in each case. The invention further relates to a piston machine (100) produced using the modular construction system and to a method for producing a piston machine (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: RAPSON GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Max Rapp
  • Patent number: 11795660
    Abstract: A hydraulic system of a construction machine includes: control valves interposed between a main pump and hydraulic actuators; and first solenoid proportional valves connected to pilot ports of the control valves. The hydraulic system further includes: a brake for a slewing motor; and a second solenoid proportional valve connected to a brake release port of the brake by a secondary pressure line and connected to an auxiliary pump by a primary pressure line. A switching valve including a pilot port connected to the secondary pressure line by a pilot line is interposed between the auxiliary pump and the first solenoid proportional valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro Kondo, Hideyasu Muraoka, Yoshiyuki Tode
  • Patent number: 11686305
    Abstract: A hydraulic fracturing pump includes a power end with a plurality of torsion tubes extending between sides of a crankcase housing in which a crankshaft is rotatably mounted. The crankshaft is coupled by piston arms to crossheads disposed to reciprocate along crosshead axes that are perpendicular to the crankshaft. Disposed within the crankcase housing are a plurality of ribs generally perpendicular to the crankshaft and extending from the base of the crankshaft housing to an upper surface of the crankshaft housing. The torsion tubes are generally adjacent the upper surface of the crankcase housing and pass perpendicularly through each of the plurality of ribs and are attached to the ribs to provide rigidity to the power end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: ST9 Gas and Oil, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Paul Buckley
  • Patent number: 11680386
    Abstract: A hydraulic system includes a hydraulic pump, a first hydraulic actuator, a second hydraulic actuator, a first control valve to control the first hydraulic actuator, a second control valve to control the second hydraulic actuator, a pressure increasing portion to increasing a pressure of the operation fluid, a first discharge fluid tube connected to any one of the first control valve and the second control valve and connected to the pressure increasing portion, a second discharge fluid tube connected to the first discharge fluid tube and configured to discharge the operation fluid, a float switching valve having an allowance position, a prevention position, and a float position, the allowance position blocking the second discharge fluid tube and allowing the operation fluid to flow to the pressure increasing portion, the prevention position unblocking the second discharge fluid tube and preventing the operation fluid from flowing to the pressure increasing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Fukuda, Keigo Honda
  • Patent number: 11668149
    Abstract: Some of the present systems include a hydraulic power storage system having an accumulator configured to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically actuated device to actuate the hydraulically actuated device and a drain in fluid communication with the accumulator and including a valve that is actuatable to drain hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic power storage system such that an internal pressure of the accumulator is reduced and a flow restrictor configured to reduce a flow rate of hydraulic fluid through the valve, a hydraulic pump configured to pressurize the accumulator, a pressure sensor configured to capture data indicative of the internal pressure of the accumulator, and a processor configured to actuate the hydraulic pump to increase the internal pressure of the accumulator if the internal pressure of the accumulator, as indicated in data captured by the pressure sensor, falls below a threshold pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TRANSOCEAN INNOVATION LABS LTD.
    Inventors: Andrew Leach, Matthew Boike, Stephen Fairfax
  • Patent number: 11644098
    Abstract: A hydraulic system of a work machine includes a first hydraulic device to operate in a first operation mode while pressure of hydraulic oil supplied from a hydraulic pump via a first oil passage is equal to or higher than a first pressure threshold. The hydraulic oil in the first oil passage is to be discharged via a second oil passage. A pilot check valve is provided in the second oil passage and has a pilot port to receive a pilot pressure of the hydraulic oil. The pilot check valve is closed to stop discharging the hydraulic oil in the first oil passage through the second oil passage while the pilot pressure is lower than the fourth pressure threshold. The pilot check valve is opened while the pilot pressure is higher than or equal to the fourth pressure threshold. The first hydraulic device is a ride control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Fukuda, Kazuyoshi Arii, Ryohei Sumiyoshi
  • Patent number: 11603645
    Abstract: When a first control valve and a second control valve are in non-neutral positions, respectively, a fifth fluid passage and a second fluid passage are closed, thereby generating a first pressure within a fifth portion of the fifth fluid passage and a second pressure within a second portion of the second fluid passage, so that the first pressure is applied to a first valve through a fourth fluid passage to move the first valve to close the third fluid passage and a second pressure is applied to the confluence valve through a first fluid passage to move the confluence valve to a confluence position. When the confluence valve is in the confluence position, the confluence valve directs working fluid from a first working fluid supply to the second control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB
    Inventors: Dongwook Kim, Manseuk Jeon, Seonggeun Yun, Youngjin Son
  • Patent number: 11585067
    Abstract: A hydraulic system includes a first supply line connecting a boom control valve and a bottom side of a boom cylinder, a second supply line connecting the boom control valve and a rod side of the boom cylinder, a leveling switch valve having: a first operating position allowing a leveling operation of a working tool; and a first stopping position allowing the leveling operation to stop, a ride controller including: a ride-control switch valve connected to a branched fluid line branched from the first supply line; and an accumulator configured to perform an anti-vibrating operation for suppressing a pressure fluctuation of the boom cylinder, and a drain fluid line to discharge operation fluid in a downstream section extending from the leveling switch valve to the rod side of the boom cylinder in the second supply line when the leveling switch valve is switched to the first stopping position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji Fukuda
  • Patent number: 11566399
    Abstract: A system and method for the controlled lowering and lifting of a load are disclosed. The system and method may include operating a work machine having a hydraulic system including a hydraulic actuator for supporting a load, a first control valve in fluid communication with the actuator, and a controller for operating the first control valve. In one embodiment, the controller includes a first algorithm for operating the first control valve in a load lowering operation. When an operational fault within the hydraulic system is detected, the controller can be configured to enter into a safe lowering mode. In the safe lowering mode, the first algorithm is disabled and a pulse width modulation (PWM) current is sent from the controller to the first control valve. A user interface is provided to allow an operator to control the PWM current duty ratio to allow the load supported by the actuator to be lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: DANFOSS POWER SOLUTIONS II TECHNOLOGY A/S
    Inventors: Michael Berne Rannow, Vishal Vijay Mahulkar
  • Patent number: 11542683
    Abstract: A construction machine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: an engine; a boom cylinder which is divided into a head side and a rod side; a regeneration line through which hydraulic fluid discharged from the head side of the boom cylinder moves when the boom descends; a regeneration motor which is connected with the regeneration line and is operated, and assists the engine; a pilot pump which generates a pilot pressure; a pilot line through which pilot hydraulic fluid discharged from the pilot pump moves; a regeneration connection line which connects the pilot line and the regeneration line; an on/off valve installed in the regeneration connection line; and a control device which closes the on/off valve when a pressure of the pilot line drops below a predetermined pressure or the hydraulic fluid discharged from the boom cylinder is supplied to the regeneration motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: DOOSAN INFRACORE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Byung Il Kang
  • Patent number: 11535220
    Abstract: A fluid container for releasable connection to a vehicle component, wherein the fluid container has at least one fastening lug with an opening which is aligned with a plug-through opening in the vehicle component and the connection is secured by a locking pin which can be extended into the plug-through opening and the opening and/or opening and can be locked in an end position by a rectilinear plug-in movement in a plug-in direction; in order to increase the load-bearing capacity of the connection and to simplify the installation, it is proposed that the fastening lug has a locking device which is arranged in alignment with the respective opening and the locking device includes at least two elastically resilient tabs which act in a latching manner on a thickened locking portion of the locking pin and thereby secure the locking pin in its axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Inventors: Manfred Rüffer, Horst Krämer, Kerima Mertz, Milan Jagos, Paul Wiebe
  • Patent number: 11519430
    Abstract: A main flow path that introduces high-pressure air to an air cylinder, or discharges exhaust air therefrom, includes a sub flow path provided alongside the main flow path; an exhaust flow rate adjustment unit that suppresses the operation speed of the air cylinder by adjusting the flow rate of the exhaust air flowing through the sub flow path; and a switching valve that is connected between the air cylinder, the main flow path and the sub flow path, and that connects the main flow path and the sub flow path to the air cylinder in a switching manner. The switching valve is constituted by a spool valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youji Takakuwa, Akihiro Kazama, Hiroyuki Asahara, Kengo Monden
  • Patent number: 11506230
    Abstract: An actuator including a housing, an actuator rod and a snubber assembly. The actuator has an axis, the housing has a first end and an aperture positioned at the first end of the housing, and the actuator rod extends through the aperture along the axis of the actuator. The snubber assembly is mounted at the first end of the housing, and includes one or more energy absorbing devices. The snubber assembly is positioned on the housing such that an axis of each of the one or more energy absorbing devices is offset relative to the axis of the actuator. The snubber assembly is configured such that the one or more energy absorbing devices provide bidirectional end-of-stroke damping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Moog BV
    Inventors: Herman Van Ommen, Jean Paul Warmerdam, Remco Van Der Holst