Patents Examined by Paul N. Dickson
  • Patent number: 11932345
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes a vehicle body, a left wheel, a right wheel, left and right bearings, left and right axle, left arm, right arm, and lean mechanism. The left arm supports the left wheel from inside in a vehicle width direction. The right arm supports the right wheel from inside in the vehicle width direction. The lean mechanism causes the left wheel and the right wheel to lean about a front-rear direction as a rotation center when the vehicle body leans about the front-rear direction as a rotation center. The single bearing is inserted into a hub hole of the left wheel. The single bearing is inserted into a hub hole of the right wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakajima, Hiroshi Ishii, Taro Iwamoto, Kazuya Nagasaka, Taichi Inaba
  • Patent number: 11932327
    Abstract: A machine comprises a frame, a plurality of ground engaging units, a plurality of moveable legs, and a hydraulic system. A first ground engaging unit and a second ground engaging unit connect a first leg and a second leg, respectively, with the frame. The hydraulic system controls heights of the plurality of moveable legs. The hydraulic system comprises a fluid circuit to control fluid between the first and second legs, a load holding valve to control fluid flow into the fluid circuit, and first and second relief valves to control flow of fluid between the first and second legs in opposite directions. A method for controlling slope of a construction machine comprises activating a relief valve connecting right and left lifting cylinders to control flow of hydraulic fluid between the lifting cylinders to control retraction of one of the lifting cylinders from retracting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas J. Argenziano, Dario Sansone
  • Patent number: 11932305
    Abstract: A steering bracket for a construction machine includes a body having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a body length defined along a longitudinal axis of the body. The body includes an elongate member adapted to be coupled directly with a frame of the construction machine. The elongate member has a first length defined along the longitudinal axis and a first height defined perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The body also includes a short member adapted to be coupled directly with the frame of the construction machine. The short member is spaced apart from the elongate member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The short member has a second length defined along the longitudinal axis. The second length is less than the first length. The body further includes a plate member coupled between the elongate member and the short member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Rajendra Vavilala, Brian C. Howson, William James Hurst
  • Patent number: 11932189
    Abstract: An airbag for a driver seat is provided with: a steering wheel of a vehicle; an inflator stored in the steering wheel; and a cushion stored in the steering wheel along with the inflator that expands and deploys to restrain a passenger. The cushion contains: a steering side panel positioned on a steering wheel side; an occupant side panel positioned on an occupant side; and a side panel connecting an edge of the steering side panel to an edge of the occupant side panel to configure a side portion of the cushion. The occupant side panel has a larger area than the steering side panel, and an upper portion of the expanded and deployed cushion is thicker in the vehicle front-rear direction than a lower portion of the cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Kazuki Morita, Kazuhiro Abe
  • Patent number: 11932190
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus for a vehicle includes an airbag disposed on behind an instrument panel and configured to be expanded and deployed rearward of the vehicle so as to be positioned on a front side of an occupant. The airbag includes a recess in a rear surface of the airbag that are to be opened rearward of the vehicle and positioned on the front side of the occupant's head, an upper expansion to be expanded rearward and on an upper side of the recess and extend in the vehicle lateral direction, left and right side expansions in pairs to be expanded rearward and on opposite sides of the recess in the airbag's width direction, and a lower expansion that is to be expanded rearward and on a lower side of the recess, extend in the vehicle lateral direction, and be positioned on the front side of the occupant's chest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shoichiro Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 11932067
    Abstract: End member assemblies having a longitudinal axis are dimensioned for securement to a flexible spring member. The end member assemblies include a first end member with a first surface portion and a plurality of projections disposed in peripherally-spaced relation to one another about the longitudinal axis. A second end member includes a plurality of grooves dimensioned to receive one of projections. Gas spring and damper assemblies include a damper assembly and a gas spring assembly that includes an end member assembly as well as an end member assembly with a flexible spring member secured between the end member assemblies. A suspension system including one or more gas spring and damper assemblies is also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Peter W. Lauzon
  • Patent number: 11932340
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension pre-load management system is disclosed. At least one suspension component, such as a motorcycle shock absorber, has an expandable chamber that with increased volume of a nearly incompressible fluid increases the suspensions pre-load. In one embodiment the system utilizes a controller, a pressure sensor, a pump, and a number of solenoids in a manifold block to allow a user to set a desired pre-load level. In another embodiment the controller monitors the pressure of the chamber and maintains a desired pre-load setting. In yet another embodiment, the controller identifies a hard braking event such that would cause a brake dive and increases the pre-load to counter act the dive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignees: Robert Bosch LLC, Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Kurt Person
  • Patent number: 11926191
    Abstract: An all-terrain vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a lateral stabilizer bar and a shock absorber. The lateral stabilizer bar further includes a main bar, two side bars and ball-pin connecting rods. The side bars are connected to two sides of the main bar respectively and bent backward relative to the main bar, ends of the side bars are disposed on a suspension assembly, the main bar is disposed at the front end of a frame and located in front of a radiator, the ends of the two side bars are connected to the ball-pin connecting rods respectively, and the ball-pin connecting rods are disposed on the upper rocker arm. The side bars and the ball-pin connecting rods of the lateral stabilizer bar are located on an inner side of the shock absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: SEGWAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiang Li
  • Patent number: 11926215
    Abstract: An operating element for operating an entertainment system for a motor vehicle, having an interface to a media playback unit and at least one panelling element for a vehicle compartment panelling. The operating element is an element of the panelling element. The operating element is configured for an entertainment system and is able to be stowed easily in a motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Dominik Klaiber
  • Patent number: 11926189
    Abstract: A sway bar system is described. The sway bar system includes a sway bar having a first end and a second end. The sway bar system further includes a first electronically controlled damper link which is coupled to the first end of the sway bar. The first electronically controlled damper link is configured to be coupled a first location of a vehicle. The sway bar system also has a second link which is coupled to the second end of the sway bar. The second link is configured to be coupled a second location of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Tsiaras, Rick Strickland
  • Patent number: 11926186
    Abstract: A suspension device includes: a hydraulic damper including a rod provided with a valve for generating a hydraulic pressure when the rod is displaced between a first liquid chamber and a second liquid chamber; and an electric damper configured to electrically displace the rod by an actuator. The electric damper includes: an outer cylinder; an inner cylinder; a piston provided on the rod and configured to stroke in the inner cylinder; and a communication passage disposed inside the inner cylinder at a central portion where the piston strokes. The communication passage establishes communication between the first liquid chamber at one axial end side of the piston and the second liquid chamber at another axial end side of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Yamazaki, Takashi Yanagi, Kazuya Konada
  • Patent number: 11926388
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes a vehicle body, a left front wheel, a right front wheel, a lean mechanism, and a lean brake mechanism. The lean mechanism causes the left front wheel and the right front wheel to lean about a front-rear direction as a rotation center when the vehicle body leans about the front-rear direction as a rotation center. The lean brake mechanism brakes a leaning operation of the lean mechanism. The lean brake mechanism includes a brake caliper and a brake disc. The brake caliper is attached to the lean mechanism and has a brake pad. The brake disc is attached to the lower arm of the upper arm and the lower arm that is farther from the brake pad in the front view, has a contact portion that generates braking force by being pressed by the brake pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Taro Iwamoto, Takeshi Nakajima, Hiroshi Ishii, Kazuya Nagasaka, Taichi Inaba
  • Patent number: 11925131
    Abstract: An electric work vehicle includes a work device, a battery, a motor drivable on electric power supplied by the battery, a travel device drivable by the motor, and a hydraulic pump positioned next to the motor and drivable by the motor to supply operating fluid to an operating mechanism of the work device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Nakayama, Hironobu Nogami, Norita Tottori, Takefumi Oguri
  • Patent number: 11926277
    Abstract: A knee airbag includes a cushion portion, which includes overlying panels interconnected along a perimeter connection to define an inflatable volume of the knee airbag. The panels are interconnected within the perimeter connection along one or more interior connections that define inflatable chambers within the inflatable volume. The knee airbag also includes a tether connected to an exterior surface of the cushion portion at spaced locations. The tether has a length that is shorter than the distance between the locations on the cushion portion to which the tether is connected. The tether is configured to become tensioned in response to inflation of the cushion portion and causing a bend to form in the cushion portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: ZF PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS US INC.
    Inventors: Douglas Gould, Joseph Palazzolo, Jaime Perez
  • Patent number: 11926201
    Abstract: An emergency egress system for a multi-passenger vehicle such as a school bus (372) includes an emergency exit opening (380) that is normally closed by an emergency exit door (382). Opening the emergency exit door of the bus causes the door to open by rotating about at least one horizontal hinge (384). As the door moves outwardly and then downward a ramp (394) moves outwardly from a retracted position toward an extended position. Opening the emergency exit door also causes the suspension of the bus to be automatically lowered to place the emergency exit opening (16) closer to the ground (166).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Inventor: Michael A. Lillo
  • Patent number: 11926389
    Abstract: A tilting vehicle includes a frame unit, a tilting mechanism and two front wheels. The frame unit includes a head tube extending generally along an up-down direction, and a main frame detachably connected to the head tube. The tilting mechanism includes one crossbar pivotally connected to the head tube and extending along a left-right direction, and two connecting rods extending along the up-down direction, being opposite to each other along the left-right direction, and being pivotally connected to opposite ends of the one crossbar, respectively, such that the connecting rods are movable along the up-down direction relative to the head tube. The front wheels are rotatably mounted to the connecting rods, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Kwang Yang Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheng-Hung Huang, Feng-Chih Tsai
  • Patent number: 11919356
    Abstract: A drive unit for a commercial vehicle includes at least one electric motor; and means for levelling the axle driven by the at least one electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH
    Inventor: Huba Nemeth
  • Patent number: 11917944
    Abstract: An outdoor power equipment includes a frame, a cutting deck supported by the frame, a first ground-engaging element coupled to a first portion of the frame, a second ground-engaging element coupled to a second portion of the frame, a suspension system having a first end coupled to the frame and a second end opposite the first end, and an operator platform movable with the suspension system with respect to the frame. The operator platform includes a seat coupled to the second end of the suspension system and a footrest pivotably coupled to the second end of the suspension system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Ariens Company
    Inventors: Chris T. Forrest, Kevin A. Spatchek, Courtney Wenzel, Brent P. Berglund
  • Patent number: 11919566
    Abstract: An X-axis steering column includes a cap, a U-shaped tab attached to the cap, and an upper tube that slides relative to a lower tube. An attachment for attaching the cap to the U-shaped tab includes two screws and at least one stop in contact with at least one lateral groove. The at least one stop is configured to absorb lateral loads without any longitudinal movement of the steering column being impeded, including during adjustment of the steering column or during an impact due to a collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Automotive Steering Vendome
    Inventors: Nicolas Genet, Thomas Jorigne, Fredie Gouge
  • Patent number: 11919750
    Abstract: A crane controller for controlling travel movements of a crane, in particular a portal crane. The crane controller includes control electronics and at least one input device, connected to the control electronics, having a grip part, a main axis of the grip part is swivellable together with the grip part in at least two swivel directions oriented, in particular orthogonally, in relation to one another, and the control electronics are able to generate electrical signals, for actuating at least one actuator of the crane, on the basis of an adjustment of the grip part relative to an original position of the grip part. The grip part has its main axis additionally displaceable in at least two, preferably three, different displacement directions relative to the original position and/or is rotatable about the main axis, and the control electronics generate electrical signals for actuating the at least one actuator of the crane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Hans Kunz GmbH
    Inventors: Roman Beer, David Moosbrugger, Patrick Malouvier