Patents Examined by Monica Carter
  • Patent number: 9504312
    Abstract: An oral hygiene implement includes a cleaning element carrier and a body. The body has a proximal end and a distal end. The cleaning element carrier has a first area and a second area wherein the second area is disposed inboard of the first area. The first area is attached to the body while the second area is unattached to the body. A bending element is disposed between the first area and the second area, thereby allowing the second area to bend/flex while the first area stays fixed to the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: The Gillette Company LLC
    Inventors: William Ralph Brown, Jr., Karen Lynn Claire-Zimmet, Soeren Jan Wasow, Steffi Grodnick, Tilmann Winkler
  • Patent number: 9499897
    Abstract: Provided is a thin film forming apparatus for reducing operation time and cost by forming a film only on a specific portion on substrates. A substrate holding mechanism provided in the apparatus includes: substrate holding members holding substrates in a manner that a part of a non-film forming portion of a substrate overlaps the other substrate and a film forming portion is exposed, a support member supporting the substrate holding members, and a rotation member which rotates the support member. The substrate holding members include: holding surfaces holding the substrates and disposed between a film forming source and the substrates, step portions formed between the holding surfaces in a manner that ends of the substrates respectively contact with the step portions, and opening portions formed on the holding surfaces of the portion corresponding to the film forming portion when the ends of the substrates contact with the step portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: SHINCRON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yousong Jiang, Ichiro Shiono, Mitsuhiro Miyauchi, Takaaki Aoyama, Tatsuya Hayashi, Ekishu Nagae
  • Patent number: 9492914
    Abstract: A tool for insertion and extraction of optical fibers includes an elongated handle, a generally C-shaped cradle element at a first end of the elongated handle, a generally L-shaped hook element at a second end of the elongated handle having a long section connected to the elongated handle parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongated handle and a short section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated handle, and a generally U-shaped notch formed in the second end of the elongated handle. The tool is configured to facilitate the remote insertion and removal of an optical cable into an optical port of a device, such as a networking or telecommunications device. Various embodiments allow for the remote disengagement and removal of an SFP module from a device, such as a networking or telecommunications device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Ciena Corporation
    Inventors: Yim Kwong Ng, Simon John Shearman
  • Patent number: 9493140
    Abstract: A coupler assembly for a wiper assembly includes a coupler adapted to be attached to at least one support member of the wiper assembly and a retention clip cooperating with the coupler and adapted to engage the at least one support member to retain the at least one support member and the coupler together and prevent longitudinal movement therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Trico Products Corporation
    Inventors: Mitica Polocoser, Kyle Moll
  • Patent number: 9493141
    Abstract: A wiper blade arrangement having an attachment element that holds a wiper blade, which can be secured on a wiper arm of a windscreen wiper system of a vehicle. The wiper blade is coupleable via the attachment element to at least one channel for washer fluid, which can be introduced from the wiper arm into the attachment element. The attachment element allows a relative movement of the wiper blade with respect to the wiper arm. For this, the attachment element has a rider designed for holding a spring strip of the wiper blade, which includes a wiper-arm-side upper part and a wiper-blade-side lower part, which are connected to each other via a central part of the rider, which encloses at least one line for the washer fluid, wherein the central part has greater elasticity than the upper part and the lower part of the rider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventor: Heiko Schmid
  • Patent number: 9493139
    Abstract: A wiper apparatus is provided with: a wiper arm (14) which is swung about a rotation shaft (18); and a wiper motor (13) for generating drive power to be transmitted to the rotation shaft (18), the wiper apparatus is provided with a power transmission mechanism (19) for transmitting the drive power from the rotation shaft (18) to the wiper arm (14), the power transmission mechanism (19) is provided with: a link member (19a) fixed to the rotation shaft (18); and a support shaft (19b) fixed at a position on the link member (19a), which deviates from the rotation shaft (18), and configured to support the wiper arm (14), a coupling section between the support shaft (19b) and the wiper arm (14) is positioned in front of the front end of the front glass (11), and at least one part of the wiper motor (13) is located within the projection region of the front glass (11), thereby suppressing the increase in the number of parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Iwazaki, Jun Abe
  • Patent number: 9488298
    Abstract: A device for holding together elongate objects such as high-power electrical cables has a frame (30), a strap (12) designed to be fixed at one end to the device and to pass round the cables back to the device with its other end, a spindle (20) rotatably mounted in the frame so as to be generally parallel to the elongate objects in use, the other end of the strap being attachable to the spindle once passed round the cables, and then wound round the spindle by turning the latter in order to tighten the strap round the objects; and a locking mechanism constituted by at least one non-circular section of the spindle (20) and a matching non-circular aperture (33) in the frame, and by the spindle being displaceable along its length with respect to the frame by tightening a locknut (22) so that the non-circular section engages in the corresponding aperture when it is desired to lock it against rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Ellis Patents Holdings Limited
    Inventor: Christopher John Calvert
  • Patent number: 9487963
    Abstract: The invention relates to an automobile apparatus (1) for cleaning surfaces submerged in a basin (2) comprising a driving mechanism, a programmed controlling device for the driving mechanism, a man-machine interface consisting of an input device, and a filter chamber, characterized in that, on activation of a return command button (12), a return setpoint is emitted to the programmed controlling device, which is adapted to inhibit a cleaning program and control the driving mechanism such that it drives the apparatus up to the surface of the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: ZODIAC POOL CARE EUROPE
    Inventor: Thierry Michelon
  • Patent number: 9490037
    Abstract: A clamper (23) includes a clamp mechanism (231) which inserts an insertion portion (2311a) into a tube member and clamps the tube member and a lifting and lowering mechanism (232) which lifts and lowers the clamp mechanism (231) in the insertion direction of the insertion portion (2311a). The clamp mechanism (231) includes a clamp body (2311) which has the insertion portion (2311a), a cotter (2312) which protrudes from the insertion portion (2311a) to come into friction-contact with the tube member and is movable in a reciprocating manner in the insertion direction of the insertion portion (2311a), a piston rod (2313) which presses the cotter (2312) so that the cotter protrudes from the insertion portion (2311a) when being pulled toward the opposite side to the insertion direction of the insertion portion (2311a), and a rod cylinder (2315) which is integrated with the clamp body (2311) and pulls the piston rod (2313).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kamiyoshi, Jun Fujita, Hidekazu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9486886
    Abstract: A device for pivoting a rotor of a turbomachine from a first—preferably horizontal—position into a second—preferably vertical—position is provided. The rotor includes a plurality of rotor discs held together by at least one tension rod, the device includes two sidewall elements arranged parallel to one another, a bridge element connecting the sidewall elements to one another, and a divisible turning ring for form-fittingly holding an axial section of the rotor to be positioned perpendicularly. The rotor further includes two pins rotatably seated in the sidewall elements and arranged flush to the turning ring in order to pivot the turning ring about a pivot axis parallel to the horizontal plane. The bridge element includes a disk, wherein the disk is movable perpendicularly to the horizontal plane in order to be bolted in a flange-like manner onto a rotor retained by the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Carsten Foerster, Armin Hulfenhaus
  • Patent number: 9481343
    Abstract: A windscreen wiper device is provided. The windscreen wiper device includes an elongated wiper strip of a flexible material for sealing against the windshield and at least one elongated groove. At least one flexible and elongated carrier element is disposed in the at least one groove of the wiper strip for biasing the wiper strip into a predetermined configuration when in a relaxed state. The at least one carrier element presents at least one upwardly facing curve and at least one downwardly facing curve when in a relaxed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Oslizlo, Dennis E. Cox
  • Patent number: 9481071
    Abstract: A work surface is ground by moving a grinding wheel, on an outer periphery of which a helical dressed groove having no intersection is formed, in a first direction being tilted with respect to a forward direction. Then, the work surface is ground by moving the grinding wheel in a second direction which is tilted with respect to a backward direction. When the grinding wheel is virtually moved for grinding in the forward direction, an extending direction of a virtual grinding trace formed by the dressed groove transcribed and the first direction are tilted in mutually opposite directions with respect to the forward direction. An absolute value of a tilt angle of the first direction is smaller than that of the extending direction of the virtual grinding trace. Rotation directions from the forward direction to the first direction and from the backward direction to the second direction are opposite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Ichihara, Hironobu Ishida
  • Patent number: 9480330
    Abstract: A cleaning device (10, 110) comprises a body (16, 116), a cleaning arrangement (14, 14), and a driver (18, 118) to effect motion of the cleaning arrangement. The driver is held by the body, and the driver comprises a mounting arrangement (30, 32, 180, 82) to detachably mount the cleaning arrangement on the driver. There is also disclosed a cleaning arrangement (14, 14) for use with a drive arrangement (12, 112) of a cleaning device (10, 110). The cleaning arrangement has a longitudinal main axis and comprising a support (124) extending along the main axis. The cleaning arrangement further includes a brush part (126) on the support, the brush part extending radially outwardly from the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Inventor: Ali Waqar Majeed
  • Patent number: 9475527
    Abstract: An automated motorized device may be configured to move on a structure for use in assembling of the structure. The automated motorized device may comprise an end effector configured to perform a plurality of assembling related functions; a first movement assembly, comprising a first plurality of dual function movement components; a second movement assembly, comprising a second plurality of dual function movement components; and a pivoting component connected concentrically to the end effector, and to at least one of the first movement assembly and the second movement assembly. Functions of each dual function movement component may comprise adhering and gliding; and during movement of the automated motorized device, one of the first movement assembly and the second movement assembly is secured to the structure while the other one of the first movement assembly and the second movement assembly moves over the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: James Darryl Gamboa
  • Patent number: 9469276
    Abstract: A windscreen wiper device for cleaning a windshield of a vehicle is provided. The windscreen wiper device includes a wiper strip of a flexible material for sealing against the windshield to drive rain, snow, ice and other elements away therefrom. The windscreen wiper device also includes at least one carrier element extending between opposite and, at a minimum, downwardly curved end portions and in engagement with the wiper strip to bias it into a predetermined configuration. A frame structure includes a plurality of claws in engagement with the carrier elements between the end portions. The frame structure also includes a pair of end caps that are pivotably coupled to at least an adjacent portion of the frame structure and engage the end portions of the carrier elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Oslizlo, Dennis E. Cox
  • Patent number: 9468353
    Abstract: A mopping system incorporating a multi-use absorptive storage reservoir of fluid retaining material for retention and pressure-induced expulsion of treatment solution to a surface being treated in combination with an independently removable cleaning pad of fibrous construction. The storage reservoir and cleaning pad are adapted to releaseably engage one another in juxtaposed relation such that the cleaning pad may be readily replaced during a treatment operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: CONTEC, INC.
    Inventors: John S. McBride, Jr., Jackson S Burnett, III
  • Patent number: 9463546
    Abstract: A device for dissipating heat from a rotary power tool is disclosed. The rotary power tool comprises a hollow disc housing. On the top planar surface of the hollow disc housing, a plurality of hollow bolts traverse the surface of the hollow disc housing into the interior of the hollow disc housing. In the interior of the hollow disc housing, the hollow bolts create a substantially angled plane relative to the top planar surface of the hollow disc housing. The hollow disc housing encloses a heatsink. When the heatsink spins, it creates a vacuum, thereby drawing exterior air through the hollow bolts. The angled plane created by the hollow bolts directs the flow of air through the heatsink. The combination of the heatsink and the directed air flow serves to cool the rotary power tool and prevent overheating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Skitter & Squirt Adventures, LLC.
    Inventor: Jack M. King, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9457446
    Abstract: A method of grinding wafers includes determining thickness variations in a wafer; determining incremental adjustments to spindle alignment based on best fit predictions of wafer shaper; and implemented the incremental adjustments to spindle alignment of a grind module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Strasbaugh
    Inventors: Thomas E. Brake, William J. Kalenian, David L. Grant
  • Patent number: 9458949
    Abstract: A loading device for lifting an elongated object having an elongate axis includes a frame having a first fulcrum surface and a second fulcrum surface, a first effector arm that pivots about the first fulcrum surface, a second effector arm that pivots about the second fulcrum surface, and an actuator moving the first effector arm and the second effector arm between a retracted position and a deployed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Inventor: Richard S. McKinley
  • Patent number: 9457773
    Abstract: A locking mechanism for use on a support winch includes a stator unit, a rotor unit and a locking unit, wherein the rotor unit has a shaft element and a crank element, wherein the crank element is pivotably arranged in relation to the shaft element, wherein the shaft element is rotatably mounted about a rotation axis, and secured to prevent displacement transverse to the rotation axis relative to the stator unit, wherein the locking unit secures the crank element in a first axial position when the crank element is in an idle position to prevent displacement along the rotation axis in at least one direction, and wherein the locking unit secures the crank element to prevent swiveling movement relative to the shaft element when the crank element is in an operating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SAF-HOLLAND GmbH
    Inventor: Katja Müller