Patents Examined by Randell J Krug
  • Patent number: 12251831
    Abstract: A robot includes a mobile base, a turntable rotatably coupled to the mobile base, a robotic arm operatively coupled to the turntable, and at least one directional sensor. An orientation of the at least one directional sensor is independently controllable. A method of controlling a robotic arm includes controlling a state of a mobile base and controlling a state of a robotic arm coupled to the mobile base, based, at least in part, on the state of the mobile base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: BOSTON DYNAMICS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Murphy, Benjamin Zelnick, Malik Hansen, Vadim Chernyak, Christopher Everett Thorne, Alex Perkins
  • Patent number: 12245834
    Abstract: A medical device is provided. The medical device includes a shaft motor, a parallel manipulator, a receiving yoke, a runner and a transmission yoke. The shaft motor is configured to generate a mechanical force for manipulating a surgical tool. The parallel manipulator includes an end platform used to support the surgical tool, a base platform used to support the shaft motor and a plurality of limbs coupled between the end platform and the base platform. The limbs are configured to control movement of the end platform. The receiving yoke is coupled to the surgical tool. The runner is slidingly engaged to the shaft motor and configured to receive the mechanical force. The transmission yoke is coupled to the runner and the receiving yoke, and the transmission yoke is configured to transfer the mechanical force to the receiving yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: POINT ROBOTICS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Kun-Pin Huang, Chih-Hsiang Hsieh, Chao-Wei Wu, Ming-Chun Ho
  • Patent number: 12241528
    Abstract: An anti-rotation safeguard of an axially moving element is provided with an anti-rotation safeguard, the anti-rotation safeguard being suited for use in a ball screw drive in an automated manual transmission. The ball screw has nut which rotates on balls on a spindle, at least one securing element protruding radially from the spindle, and at least one guide element with a longitudinal a groove which guides the securing element. During translation of the spindle, rotation of the spindle is prevented by the securing element in the guide element groove. The guide element is accommodated in a cutout of the ball screw drive enclosure and can rotate about its longitudinal axis so that force transfer from the securing element to the groove is over a large surface area to reduce wear of the groove and of the securing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH
    Inventors: Sebastian Schaller, Steffen Groessl
  • Patent number: 12226872
    Abstract: An automatic adjustable stroke device for a random orbital machine has a housing with a central axis and a wall defining a cavity. A counterbalance shaft assembly is rotatably disposed at least partially within the cavity. A shaft portion of the counterweight shaft assemblies aligned with the central axis. A mounting assembly is disposed at least partially within the cavity. The mounting assembly has a workpiece attachment mechanism. A stroke adjuster couples the counterweight shaft with the mounting assembly. The stroke adjuster enables the mounting assembly to adjust its stroke upon rotation of counterweight shaft. The mounting assembly variably adjusts a stroke radius of the workpiece attachment mechanism with respect to the central axis of the housing. The stroke adjuster has a gear automatically adjusting the mounting assembly stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Lake Country Tool, LLC
    Inventor: Scott S. McLain
  • Patent number: 12203314
    Abstract: A spindle drive for the motor-driven adjustment of an adjustable element including a housing, a body connector, an adjustable element connector, a spindle nut, a spindle disposed in the housing and operatively connected to the spindle nut and the adjustable element. Either the spindle translate along a drive axis, extending in an axial direction, to move the adjustable element between an open position and a closed position, a planetary gear assembly operatively coupled to and disposed between the spindle nut and the motor, the planetary gear assembly including, a sun wheel, a planet carrier, a gear carried by the planet carrier, an annulus connected to the housing and arranged coaxially to the sun wheel, and a first frictional element non-rotatably fixed with respect to the housing and connected to either the planet gear or the planet carrier. The first frictional element brakes movement of the spindle or the spindle nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile SE & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Bamberg
    Inventors: Axel Weißer, Egor Melnikov, Matthias Kieninger, Philipp Leuerer, Harald Krüger
  • Patent number: 12203531
    Abstract: A harmonic drive assembly and fluid-powered linear motors with both axial pistons are rotary piston arrangements incorporating the harmonic drive assembly are disclosed. The motors may be used in downhole drilling applications, but the drive assembly and/or motors may be used in other applications. The assembly, motors and methods use advanced harmonic drives, advanced helical drives, and combinations thereof with 1) motors with axial pistons and reciprocating linear rings to convert reciprocative axial motion to continuous rotary motion, and 2) motors with rotary pistons and reciprocating linear rings to rectify reciprocative rotary motion to continual rotary motion to improve performance over prior configurations. Axial pistons provide a robust simple solution for generating rotation; Rotational pistons provide increased torque generation as the torque generated is proportional to motor length. Since downhole drills are long, a high-torque motor can be produced using this method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignees: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
    Inventors: David W. Raymond, William T. Radigan
  • Patent number: 12202132
    Abstract: A pivot drive (1) having a base (10), an output element (12) which is mounted to the base (10) in a manner so as to be rotatable around an axis of rotation and pivotable around two or more pivot axes, the two or more pivot axes intersecting each other at a point of intersection which is arranged on the axis of rotation, and having a rotation actuator (30) and two or more pivot actuators (42, 44), the rotation actuator (30) and the pivot actuators (42, 44) being mounted in a stationary manner with respect to the base (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Maximilian Junker
  • Patent number: 12202567
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a power unit including a transmission that changes the speed of rotation produced by output power of a drive source for travel and a case accommodating the transmission, the transmission including a pivotally supported change shaft, the change shaft being angularly movable about an axis to change a gear ratio of the transmission; and an operation unit that operates to angularly move the change shaft, the operation unit including an electric motor and a power transmission structure that transmits power of the electric motor to the change shaft in the form of rotational power by which the change shaft is angularly moved. The operation unit is mounted on an exterior of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Nishiyabu, Takuya Noami, Tetsuji Yamamoto, Yuji Hida
  • Patent number: 12196277
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a rotary lock assembly includes an epicyclic gear assembly having a sun gear assembly, a ring gear assembly, and a planet gear assembly having a collection of planet gears mechanically engaged to the sun gear assembly and the ring gear assembly, and a planet carrier mechanically engaged to the planet gears and configured to be rotated by the planet gears, a lock rotor configured to be rotated by the ring gear assembly, and a rotary output assembly configured to be rotated by the planet carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Thomas Kopecek
  • Patent number: 12179343
    Abstract: An integrated joint module includes a housing, a driving assembly, a speed reduction assembly, a braking assembly and an encoding assembly. The housing includes a first housing and a second housing, an annular supporting platform is arranged on an inner side of the first housing. The driving assembly includes an output shaft, a stator embedded in the annular supporting platform, and a rotor connected with the output shaft and arranged on an inner side of the stator, the speed reduction assembly and the braking assembly are connected with two ends of the output shaft. The encoding assembly is arranged on a side of the braking assembly away from the driving assembly and connected with the output shaft, the second housing is sleeved on the encoding assembly and connected with the first housing. The integrated joint module helps to simplify the structure of the joint module and reduce the cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: SHENZHEN YUEJIANG TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhongbin Wang, Yu Jiang, Yingbo Lei, Weizhi Ye, Lun Wang, Ming Zhang
  • Patent number: 12181027
    Abstract: An electromechanical linear actuator having a threaded drive, which comprises a threaded nut connected to a cantilever tube and a lead screw connected to a hollow shaft of an electric motor via a rotationally fixed connection in such a way that, by a rotation of the hollow shaft and the lead screw, the threaded nut and the cantilever tube are linearly movable. An axial design length of the electromechanical linear actuator in the maximally retracted state is minimized in that a holding brake for the lead screw and a first rotary bearing for bearing the lead screw on a housing of the linear actuator are arranged within the hollow shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Reiner Knoell, Marco Knoell, Michael Goldbach
  • Patent number: 12179346
    Abstract: An active arm module for the robot arm of a modular industrial robot has a first housing, first and connection sides arranged at an offset, and a drive device. The first connection side is mounted rotatably relative to the first housing, and is connected to the drive device in a torque-locking manner. The second connection side is connected to the first housing in a torque-proof manner, the drive device being arranged in the first housing and configured to rotate the first connection side relative to the first housing. A further module can be connected to the first and/or second connection side, where the first connection side is optically, electrically, power-electrically and/or fluidically connected to the second connection side, and an optical signal, electrical signal, electrical power, and/or a fluid can be exchanged with the further module via the and/or second connection side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Beckhoff Automation GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Pfister, Hans Beckhoff, Dirk Janssen, Uwe Prüssmeier, Christoph Zech, Leo Büchinger, Thomas Morscher, Armin Pehlivan, Peter Kastler, Clemens Maier
  • Patent number: 12181026
    Abstract: An actuator for providing a thrust force over a determined travel, comprising a nut, a screw, a sleeve configured to surround the screw in an axial direction (X-X) of the screw, a plurality of rollers, the nut being configured to cooperate with the screw, the nut being secured to the rollers, which are free to rotate, the rollers being configured to each move in particular in the one of at least one helical guide or the sleeve, the screw being configured in order, when it is turned, to operate the actuator, to rotate the nut when it bears via the rollers on a profile of the helical guide and to thus advance in the axial direction (X-X) of the screw at greater or lesser speed along a slope of the profile of the helical guide. The actuator further comprises a motor configured to turn the screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: KENDRINOV S.A.
    Inventors: Christian Salesse, Jean-Marc Loriot
  • Patent number: 12178538
    Abstract: A micro-engine including a rotation structure, the rotation structure including a head portion, a rear portion, and a deformable portion connecting both portions. The deformable portion is deformable in elongation or compression along a main axis and includes a spring element displaying a free end. The free end of the spring element includes at least an abutment member. The deformable portion further includes a wheel-platform which displays a first and a second face, being configured to cooperate with the free end of the spring element in order to transform a back-and-forth movement of the at least one spring element into a rotational movement of the wheel-platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: ROBEAUTE
    Inventors: Bertrand Duplat, Ali Oulmas, Philippe Planard
  • Patent number: 12172616
    Abstract: An electromechanical brake pressure generator for a hydraulic braking system of a vehicle. The brake pressure generator has a spindle drive unit for converting an input-drive-side rotational motion into a translational motion for piston actuation of a hydraulic piston/cylinder unit. A multi-stage gear linkage is disposed between the spindle drive unit and an electric drive motor. The gear linkage encompasses a planetary gearset unit driven by a motor pinion constituting a sun gear, the output-drive-side ring gear of which unit drives the spindle drive unit. A motor shaft of the electric drive motor extends in adjacently parallel fashion next to a spindle drive shaft of the spindle drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Claus Oehler, Mark Boehm, Martin Uhlig, Christoph Oehler, Marc Micke, Konstantin Haberkorn
  • Patent number: 12168483
    Abstract: A steering apparatus includes a turning shaft movable in a vehicle widthwise direction, a pinion shaft meshed with the turning shaft and a first housing that retains therein the turning shaft and the pinion shaft. An inner circumferential surface of the first housing facing with the turning shaft is provided with an inclined portion that continuously changes an internal diameter. When a portion where a tooth of the turning shaft and a tooth of the pinion shaft are meshed with each other is defined as a meshed portion, the inclined portion is formed below at least the meshed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Enomoto, Hiroaki Mori, Hiroshi Fujita
  • Patent number: 12146551
    Abstract: Disclosed is a linear adjuster, comprising: a spindle-and-spindle-nut mechanism, a first adjustment part, and a second adjustment part. The first adjustment part comprises a first main body and a first stop device. The second adjustment part comprises a second main body and a second stop device. The first adjustment part and the second adjustment part may be moved relative to each other by means of the spindle-and-spindle-nut mechanism which comprises a spindle longitudinal axis (L3). The first stop device and the second stop device come to a stop state when the linear adjuster performs a retraction travel movement or an extension travel movement and the first adjustment part and the second adjustment part are in a predefined stop travel position relative to each other. A positioning device, a positioning assembly and a method for repairing a linear adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: PHYSIK INSTRUMENTE (PI) GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Simon Hammer
  • Patent number: 12127808
    Abstract: A medical device is provided. The medical device includes a shaft motor, a parallel manipulator and a shaft coupling. The shaft motor is configured to generate a mechanical force for manipulating a surgical tool. The parallel manipulator includes an end platform used to support the surgical tool, a base platform used to support the shaft motor and a plurality of limbs coupled between the end platform and the base platform. The limbs are configured to control movement of the end platform. The shaft coupling has a first end coupled to the surgical tool and a second end coupled to the shaft motor. The first end is swingable with respect to the second end along a direction, and the shaft coupling is configured to transfer the mechanical force to the surgical tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: POINT ROBOTICS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Kun-Pin Huang, Chih-Hsiang Hsieh, Chao-Wei Wu, Ming-Chun Ho
  • Patent number: 12115656
    Abstract: Modular robotic arms include modular sections with a joint and arm segment. In some examples, the modular sections may connect to each other using common tooling flanges, such as a standard robotic interface for an end effector. In the same or different examples, a robotic arm controller is located in a base or other section for the robotic arm. In the same or different examples, a robotic arm joint includes a differential gear with two motors. Coordinated control of the two differential joint motors facilitates both hinge and rotary motion for the joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Ally Robotics, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Mitchell Tolson, Troy M. Swartwood, Jordan Lucas Heintz
  • Patent number: 12110051
    Abstract: An input device includes: a casing that includes a tubular portion in which an end portion of a column post is fitted, and to which a turn lever unit that a driver operates is attached, the column post rotatably supporting a steering shaft; and a biasing member disposed between a brim portion and the column post in a central axis direction of the tubular portion, the brim portion being provided on an inside surface of the tubular portion. The tubular portion includes an engaging portion that engages, in the central axis direction, with an engaged portion of the column post, and in a state in which the engaging portion is engaging with the engaged portion, the biasing member biases the brim portion in a direction in which the brim portion moves away from the column post, the direction being in the central axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichiro Sasaki, Toshio Osawa