Patents Examined by Nathaniel Chukwurah
  • Patent number: 9968355
    Abstract: A surgical instrument that includes a surgical end effector that is coupled to a shaft assembly by an articulation joint. A flexible firing beam extends through the articulation joint to interface with a firing member in the surgical end effector to apply a firing motion thereto. In at least one form, a pair of firing beam support members flank the flexible firing beam across the articulation joint. The firing beam support members are movably coupled together to prevent lateral movement away from each other in directions transverse to a shaft axis that is defined by the shaft assembly while permitting the firing beam support members to move axially relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Chester O. Baxter, III, Jason L. Harris, Jeffrey S. Swayze
  • Patent number: 9968356
    Abstract: A surgical instrument for stapling the tissue of a patient is disclosed. The surgical instrument comprises a shaft and an end effector. The end effector comprises a staple cartridge body including staple cavities defined therein, staples removably positioned in the staple cavities, an anvil configured to deform the staples, and a knife configured to cut tissue positioned intermediate the staple cartridge body and the anvil. The surgical instrument further comprises a staple drive system configured to eject the staples from the staple cavities and a knife drive system configured to move the knife relative to the staple cartridge body independently of the staple drive system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jeffrey S. Swayze
  • Patent number: 9969073
    Abstract: A hand-held power tool is disclosed. The tool has a tool receptacle for holding a chiseling tool. A pneumatic percussion mechanism of the hand-held power tool includes a striker, an exciter and a guide tube. The striker is designed to apply impacts in the impact direction to the tool. The exciter is motor-driven. The striker is coupled by an air spring to the reciprocating movement of the exciter. The striker abutting the guide tube is guided along a working axis. During a movement between an impact position and the exciter, the striker is guided with a constant guide length on the guide tube and if the impact position is exceeded in the impact direction, the guide length is reduced. The hand-held power tool is equipped with an inclined guide, which inclines the striker relative to the working axis when the impact position is exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Rainer Ontl, Damir Cehajic, Christoph Dieing, Christian Rehekampff
  • Patent number: 9955703
    Abstract: A method and system for wrapping meat in containers is provided. The method and system provide a modified atmosphere, other than that which exists as standard air, to a container such that a final sealed product contains an internal volume or atmosphere of modified gas. In-line processing features dispense the desired modified gas such that minimal interruption is provided in an automated or partially automated packing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: JBS USA, LLC
    Inventors: John Erick Johnson, Jose Luis Montes, Brian Charles Adams
  • Patent number: 9956678
    Abstract: The rechargeable drill having rotatable prongs is a cordless drill with a rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery is accessible via a battery compartment cover, which is removable. The rechargeable battery is wired to a set of rotatable prongs. The set of rotatable prongs are located in a recess provided on a bottom surface of the cordless drill. The set of rotatable prongs are adapted to be inserted into a standard electrical outlet in order to recharge the rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery provides electricity to a motor located inside of the rechargeable drill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Inventor: Adnan Abu-Saleh
  • Patent number: 9950419
    Abstract: A hammer drill comprising: a body; a motor mounted within the body; a transmission housing mounted within the body, a transmission mechanism mounted within the transmission housing which is capable of rotatably driving and/or repetitively striking a cutting tool held by the hammer drill in response to rotation of an output shaft of the motor; wherein the transmission housing comprises a pair of housing portions adapted to engage each other to support the component parts of the transmission mechanism within the transmission housing; wherein the first housing portion is made from metal and the second housing portion is made from a plastic material, each of the components of the transmission mechanism being supported jointly be the first and second housing portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Rompel, Michael Kunz
  • Patent number: 9950415
    Abstract: The representative impact tool has a motor, a driving mechanism, a body housing and a handle, and part of the motor and part of the handle are disposed on an axis of a tool accessory. The impact tool has an outer housing that is disposed to cover the outside of the body housing and connected to the body housing via an elastic element so as to be allowed to move with respect to the body housing in an axial direction of the tool accessory, and the handle is integrally connected to the outer housing. The body housing has an exposed region in which at least part of a region of the body housing corresponding to at least one of the motor and the driving mechanism, is not covered by the outer housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime Takeuchi, Kei Watanabe, Masanori Furusawa
  • Patent number: 9943309
    Abstract: A surgical instrument that includes a surgical end effector that is coupled to a shaft assembly by an articulation joint. A flexible firing beam extends through the articulation joint to interface with a firing member in the surgical end effector to apply a firing motion thereto. In at least one form, the surgical instrument further includes a movable firing beam support assembly that is configured to movably contact the firing beam on each lateral side thereof as the firing beam flexes about the articulation joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jerome R. Morgan, Jason L. Harris, Jeffrey S. Swayze, Chester O. Baxter, III
  • Patent number: 9944037
    Abstract: An apparatus for simultaneously separating a portion of a continuous web of film, having a leading edge and a plurality of spaced apart side seals, includes a base, a plurality of blade pairs, and a film guide device. The blade pairs are moveable between an open and closed positions and are mounted to the base and spaced apart a distance corresponding to the side seals in the film. The film guide device includes a guide member that releasable attaches to a portion of the film adjacent the leading edge. The guide members suspends the film between the plurality of blade pairs in the open position to align the plurality of seals on the film with the plurality of spaced apart blade pairs to accurate separate the film into a plurality of pouches upon movement of the blade pairs to the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Pouch Pac Innovations, LLC
    Inventors: R. Charles Murray, Olaf Clemens
  • Patent number: 9937613
    Abstract: A circular cylindrical striker member 2 for a drilling machine adapted to transfer kinetic energy to an impulse receiving member 4. The striker member has a diameter dmax, and includes a side surface 12 and an impulse surface (6). The striker member is adapted to transfer the kinetic energy to the impulse receiving member by a ring shaped active surface of the impulse surface, wherein the ring shaped active surface is concentric with regard to the cross section of the striker member, has a diameter da, where da<dmax, and has a width wa that during the contact moment with the impulse receiving part is less than 0.2 dmax.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB
    Inventors: Fredrik Saf, Thomas Östling
  • Patent number: 9937608
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the application, a device for driving a fastening element into a substrate has an energy-transfer element for transferring energy to the fastening element. The energy-transfer element can move preferably between a starting position and a setting position, wherein the energy-transfer element is located, before a driving-in procedure, in the starting position and, after the driving-in procedure, in the setting position. According to another aspect of the application, the device comprises a mechanical-energy storage device for storing mechanical energy. The energy-transfer element is then suitable preferably for transferring energy from the mechanical-energy storage device to the fastening element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: HILTI AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Wolfram Hahn, Ulrich Schiestl
  • Patent number: 9931118
    Abstract: A battery assembly is disclosed which includes a housing and one or more battery cells position in the housing. The battery assembly further comprises features configured to absorb an impact force and protect the battery cells. The battery assembly further comprises features configured to accommodate the thermal expansion of the battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, David C. Yates, Jeffrey S. Swayze, Jason L. Harris, Andrew T. Beckman
  • Patent number: 9924947
    Abstract: A staple cartridge that comprises a catridge body, a plurality of staples removably positioned in the cartridge body, and a compressible portion is disclosed. The compressible portion comprises a first portion, a second portion, and a structurally-deficient portion supporting the second portion. The structurally-deficient portion is configured to permit a collapsing motion of the second portion relative to the first portion. The structurally-deficient portion comprises a plurality of cell walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Chester O. Baxter, III
  • Patent number: 9924945
    Abstract: An improved surgical apparatus actuator includes a nail bin assembly (1002), a nail anvil assembly (1001) connecting with the nail bin assembly (1002), and a drive assembly (1003) controlling the nail bin assembly (1002) and the nail anvil assembly (1001) to convert between opening and closing conditions. The nail anvil assembly (1001) includes a nail anvil plate (103) and a nail anvil seat (102), wherein the nail anvil plate (103) is provided on an inner side (1022) of the nail anvil seat (102), the nail anvil seat (102) has the structure, material and processing technology capable of providing high anti-bending performance, the nail anvil plate (103) is cold-punched from a thinner stainless steel sheet. Therefore, the processing difficulty of the components is reduced, and meanwhile, the ability of the actuator chuck to resist bending deformation is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: SHANGHAI YISI MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Minhua Zheng, Xinliang Zhang, Anhua Li, Bo Feng, Junjun Ma, Jing Sun
  • Patent number: 9925653
    Abstract: A hammer drill comprises a motor including an output shaft, a shaft assembly rotationally engaged therewith, a hollow spindle, and a hammer mechanism comprising a piston arranged for reciprocating motion within the spindle. The shaft assembly comprises a first part carrying a first gear engaged with a gear on the spindle to cause spindle rotation, a second part carrying a crank member to cause piston reciprocation, and a connecting part configured to rotationally interconnect, or disconnect, the first and second parts. In a first position of the connecting part only one of the first and second parts is rotationally engaged with the output shaft to enable rotation of only one of the first gear and the crank member respectively, while in a second position both the first and second parts are rotationally engaged with the output shaft to enable rotation of both the first gear and the crank member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Ernst Staas, Stefan Gensmann, Achim Buchholz
  • Patent number: 9924961
    Abstract: A surgical instrument includes an end effector having first and second jaws that cooperate to capture tissue therebetween, a movable firing member to cut the tissue, an actuator actuatable between various settings that define various output values of a characteristic of motion of the firing member, and a real-time feedback system. The real-time feedback system includes a sensor to assess a parameter of the end effector, a zone indicator adjustable between various positions inside and outside a desired zone, and a circuit to receive the sensor input from the sensor, the sensor input defining a measurement of a parameter of the end effector, and select one of various positions based upon the measurement of the parameter of the end effector, the selected position representing a status of a current output value of the characteristic of motion of the firing member, and adjust the zone indicator to the selected position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, David C. Yates, Jason L. Harris
  • Patent number: 9918704
    Abstract: An end effector for stapling and cutting tissue is disclosed. The end effector comprises a housing, staples removably stored in the housing, a cutting portion configured to cut the tissue, and a collapsible ring. The ring is deployable between a first configuration and a second configuration to engage the tissue. The end effector further comprises an actuator configured to deploy the ring between the first configuration and the second configuration and pull the tissue within the cutting portion after the ring has been engaged with the tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jerome R. Morgan, Taylor W. Aronhalt, Gregory W. Johnson, Chester O. Baxter, III, Joseph E. Young, Barry C. Worrell, Christopher J. Schall
  • Patent number: 9919408
    Abstract: Staple gun for driving staples into a workpiece includes a frame with a driver conveyable upward and downward. In the downward movement, the driver executes a drive stroke driving the staple. In the upward movement, an activation member conveys the driver to a highest height and releases the driver to execute the drive stroke. An elongated elastic member has a first end coupled to the driver and a second end to a bearing pin assigned to the frame. A first breakpoint pin is placed between the bearing pin and the driver at a first distance from the bearing pin, and a second breakpoint pin between the driver and the first breakpoint pin is arranged at a second distance from the bearing pin and is movable between first and second positions disengaging and engaging the elastic member, respectively. The first distance is related to the highest height as 1.6-2.0:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Isaberg Rapid AB
    Inventor: Jan Ebbesson
  • Patent number: 9919410
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electrical tool having a motor, a transmission mechanism, a control device, and a function member. The motor drives the function member to move in a reciprocating manner via the transmission mechanism. The function member has a standard position and the control device controls the motor. The control device at least has an associated position sensor capable of detecting a position of the function member. The method for controlling the electrical tool includes at least a reset movement process that is used to reset the function member to the standard position after the function member completes more than one cycle of reciprocating movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Chervon (HK) Limited
    Inventors: Wu Chen, Liang Chen
  • Patent number: 9919409
    Abstract: An electric power tool has a tool housing and a drive motor configured to drive an insert tool. The drive motor is switched on and off by an electric switch actuated by a switching device. The switching device has at least one switching slide with a first end and a second end. The first end has a receiver configured to receive an operating element. The second end is connected to an actuating element configured to actuate the electric switch. The receiver has a first region that tapers into a second region. The operating element has a connecting web connected to a holding element. The holding element has an extent that is less than or equal to an assigned extent of the first region. The connecting web has an extent that is less than or equal to an assigned extent of the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Schomisch, Manfred Lutz