Patents Examined by Scott A Browne
  • Patent number: 11667151
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a vehicle wheel cover assembly is provided that includes a mount having an attachment portion with a release configuration that permits the attachment portion to engage inboard and outboard surfaces of a wheel hub flange of a wheel and a secured configuration that fixes the attachment portion to the wheel hub flange. The wheel cover assembly includes a retainer shiftable relative to the attachment portion of the mount from an unlocked position wherein the retainer permits the attachment portion to be reconfigured between the release configuration and the secured configured configuration to a locked position wherein the retainer maintains the attachment portion in the secured configuration. The wheel cover assembly further includes a cover assembly configured to be releasably secured to the mount to cover an opening of the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Consolidated Metco, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Ferguson, Stephen Green, Charles Becker
  • Patent number: 11667340
    Abstract: A rotating assembly for a machine is disclosed herein. The rotating assembly includes an annular support structure and a shaft assembly. The annular support structure includes a bore therethrough and protrusion extending helically around a portion of the bore. The shaft assembly includes a shaft and a collar coupled to the shaft. The collar includes a plurality of grooves located at the outer surface of the collar. The collar is positioned within the bore of the annular support structure such that the plurality of grooves are adjacent to the protrusion. As the annular support structure rotates, the protrusion rotates and is configured to move debris and mud out of the rotating assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Gennaro Suanno
  • Patent number: 11660910
    Abstract: An axle tube assembly includes an axle tube, a first tube reinforcement apparatus disposed in the axle tube at one end and a second identical tube reinforcement apparatus disposed into the axle tube at the second end the reinforcement apparatuses welded in place to the axle tube, a first spindle assembly coupled to the first tube reinforcement apparatus, a second spindle assembly coupled to the second tube reinforcement apparatus, and an elongated connector rod or tube connected to the first and second reinforcement apparatuses inside the axle tube and disposed between the reinforcement apparatuses the first and second spindle assemblies having spindle bodies welded to the cylindrical ends of the axle tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Inventor: Jason D Heft
  • Patent number: 11654713
    Abstract: In a spoke wheel that includes: a rim; a hub; and a plurality of spokes connecting the rim with the hub, the spokes each having an end portion connected with a connection portion disposed at a lateral surface portion on an outside in a width direction of the rim, the rim includes a raised portion that is raised from the connection portion to the outside in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taisuke Nimura, Kazuhiko Gogo
  • Patent number: 11654373
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing lateral movement on a roller coaster includes a main chassis, a passenger chassis, and a hub. The main chassis is configured to ride on a track. The passenger chassis is rotatably supported on the main chassis via the hub. The hub and main chassis are behind the passenger chassis. The hub allows the passenger chassis to perform a full lateral rotation relative to the main chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: S&S WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Merin Jay Swasey, Michael Dean Worley, Jason Ross Parrish, Nyles Todd Snyder, Quin Reeding Checketts, Michael Steven Heare
  • Patent number: 11648798
    Abstract: A wheel center cap ASSY (assembly) for a work vehicle includes a center cap attached to a hub of a wheel coupled to an axle and having a center axis, an adaptor including a cap attachment portion to which the center cap is attached and a plurality of flange portions disposed on the outer side of and along a circumferential direction of the center cap, and a coupling member for coupling the flange portions to the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Min Sung Kim, Akira Minoura, Kendall Peterman
  • Patent number: 11648799
    Abstract: A vehicle wheel structure comprising: a road wheel; a wheel mounting whereby the wheel is mounted to the body of the vehicle, the mounting structure comprising a wheel bearing by which the wheel can revolve about a wheel axis with respect to the body of the vehicle; a wheel cover attached to the wheel by a wheel cover bearing by which the wheel can revolve about the wheel axis with respect to the wheel cover; and a link coupled between (i) the cover and (ii) one of the mounting structure and the vehicle body for resisting rotation of the wheel cover with respect to the wheel mounting about the wheel axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: McLaren Automotive Limited
    Inventors: Dan Parry-Williams, William Cann, Sam Purvis
  • Patent number: 11642919
    Abstract: A wheel structure for a vehicle includes: a rim, and a resonator including a plurality of resonance tubes attached along an outer peripheral surface of the rim. The plurality of resonance tubes are spaced apart from each other and connected along the outer peripheral surface of the rim by a plurality of strips, and an end of each of the strips is coupled to a corresponding end of each of the resonance tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION, DAYOU GLOBAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Young Sam Yoon, Dong Jin Jang, Jung Pil Kang, Hoe Gyung Jeong
  • Patent number: 11633977
    Abstract: A vibration absorber for vehicle wheels is capable of absorbing and attenuating vibration of a vehicle wheel and of increasing a vibration absorption capability of the wheel without changing the external appearance and design of the wheel. The vibration absorber includes a vibration absorption unit mounted on a back surface of a center cap of the vehicle wheel to absorb a first vibration in an axial direction of the wheel transmitted through the center cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kyo Sung Choo
  • Patent number: 11628686
    Abstract: The bicycle hub assembly includes a hub axle, a hub body, a bearing unit, a lock member, and a tool engagement member. The bearing unit is configured to rotatably support the hub body around the hub axle with respect to the rotational center axis. The bearing unit includes an outer race, an inner race and a plurality of rolling members. The lock member prevents the inner race of the bearing unit from rotating relative to the hub axle. The lock member has an outer peripheral surface. The tool engagement member is configured to rotate the inner race of the bearing unit relative to the hub axle. The tool engagement member has an inner peripheral surface. The inner peripheral surface of the tool engagement member is disposed radially outwardly relative to the outer peripheral surface of the lock member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: SHIMANO INC.
    Inventors: Jun Nakajima, Kazuki Koshiyama
  • Patent number: 11613142
    Abstract: A wheel hub assembly assembly having a central axis (X) and covers therefore. An outer ring provided with a tubular mounting portion, and a cover having a keying portion which is inserted inside the tubular mounting portion. The cover is made of plastic material, the keying portion comprises an annular seat made of plastic and a sealing element made of rubbery elastic material. The sealing element is defined by a solid of rotation mounted inside the annular seat over a whole of an axial length of the annular seat so as to project radially outside of the annular seat to make contact with the tubular mounting portion of the outer ring thereby sealingly closing the wheel hub assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Inventors: Philip Engelen, Giorgio Missiaggia, Albertus Maria van der Vorst
  • Patent number: 11607906
    Abstract: Decorative trim panel on a motor vehicle wheel consisting of at least one plate-shaped trim part which at least partially covers the visible side of the motor vehicle wheel and which can be settleable in a load-transmitting manner to the spokes and/or to the rim ring of the wheel by a counter holder and/or latch, the counter holder/latch on the trim part side are formed from at least one latching foot which is integrally formed on the surface of the trim part, a hook head integrally formed thereon, and in that the latching foot is part of a latching connection on the trim part, the bending of which is effected by a locking slide formed to be displaceable and lockable in a latching gap of the latching connection and selectively consolidates or releases the latching connection and thereby bends or returns the latching foot towards the rim side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: DEMMEL AG
    Inventor: Daniel Miguel Pereyra-Garcia Bustamante
  • Patent number: 11602952
    Abstract: A wheel end assembly having a spindle, a hub, and a rotary seal assembly. The spindle defines a spindle air passage, a vent passage, and a spindle hole. The hub defines a hub air passage. The rotary seal assembly fluidly connects the spindle air passage to the hub air passage. The vent passage fluidly connects an inboard cavity to the spindle hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Deval H. Shah, Ronald Noteboom, Mark L. Godwin, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11597412
    Abstract: A housing of a railway vehicle device includes a reinforcing member and at least one first exterior member. The reinforcing member includes a first support member extending in a X-axis direction, and second support members that are fixed to the first support member while main surfaces are oriented in a direction intersecting the X-axis direction, the second support members being plate-like members. The first exterior members are thin plate-like members that are fixed to side surfaces of the second support members, cover a periphery of the reinforcing member, and form housing surfaces extending along the X-axis direction. In each of the first exterior members, cutouts each are formed extending in a direction intersecting the X-axis direction from the both ends in the direction intersecting the X-axis direction. An opening is formed, by the cutouts, in at least one of the housing surfaces extending along the X-axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Minoru Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 11584156
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed and claimed herein provide a wheel cover system. In one implementation, an inward force exerted against a wheel cover of the wheel cover assembly in an inward direction towards the hub is received. The inward force overcomes a spring bias of a spring of the receiver and translates the wheel cover assembly in the inward direction. A first rotational force rotating the wheel cover assembly in a first direction is received. The first post guides and engages the first hook, and the second post guides and engages the second hook during rotation. A first positive feedback is generated in response to the inward force and the first rotational force. The wheel cover assembly is releasably locked to the receiver by translating the wheel cover assembly in the outward direction using an outward force generated by the spring bias. The outward force provides a second positive feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Moochout LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Fleck, John Thomas Calhoun
  • Patent number: 11584155
    Abstract: A rim for a bicycle wheel includes a radially inner portion disposed along an inner circumference of the rim. The rim also includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall spaced apart from the first sidewall. The first sidewall and the second sidewall extend radially outward from the radially inner portion. The first sidewall includes a layer of a composite material. The layer of the composite material includes fabric plies of the composite material that are shaped as strips. The composite material includes a matrix of a polymer-based material and fibers of a reinforcing material. The strips include a first strip and a second strip. The second strip is adjacent to the first strip within the layer of the composite material. The second strip is nonparallel to the first strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: SRAM, LLC
    Inventors: David Morse, Michael Hall, Ruan Trouw
  • Patent number: 11584157
    Abstract: A cap for retaining a wheel trim with a wheel includes a body portion which slides inside a central opening defined by a hub portion of the wheel trim. The body portion has a first end and a second end. The cap includes at least one engagement portion coupled to the body portion. The at least one engagement portion engages with an internal wall of the hub portion. The cap includes at least one retaining tab coupled to the body portion towards the second end of the body portion. The at least one retaining tab extends radially outwards from the second end of the body portion. The cap further includes a holding portion coupled to the body portion towards the first end. The holding portion extends radially outwards from the body portion such that the holding portion abuts a disc portion of the wheel trim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Tesla, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Alexander Harasym, Brian Lee Doorlag
  • Patent number: 11584163
    Abstract: A tire assembly transfers rotation about an axis from an outer flexible ring to an inner central rim. The tire assembly includes a spoke structure extending radially between the inner central rim and the outer flexible ring. The spoke structure defines a plurality of radially extending closed cavities and an alternating plurality of radially extending inlet openings disposed concentrically about the axis and allowing the flexible ring to deflect under load. The closed cavities extend axially and circumferentially at a helical angle relative to the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Ceyhan Celik, Steven Amos Edwards
  • Patent number: 11571936
    Abstract: A tire inflator having an air compressor to inflate a tire to a predetermined pressure threshold. A central OBD module plugged into in a vehicle uses a short-range radio to transmit to the inflator the predetermined pressure threshold fit for a vehicle. An OBD vehicle bus reader can obtain a VIN of an associated vehicle model. A predetermined tire pressure threshold memory contains a predetermined look-up table of tire pressure thresholds for models. A processor uses the VIN to identify the vehicle model in the look-up table to select the one of the predetermined tire pressure thresholds including a spare tire pressure threshold. A short-range radio wirelessly transmits the looked-up tire pressure threshold including a spare tire pressure threshold to each inflator. The tire inflator has an optical moisture sensor on air inlet or air outlet. The air compressor is disabled when moisture is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: UNICUS INNOVATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Richard William Del Olmo, Armand Joseph Gasbarro
  • Patent number: 11571927
    Abstract: The present application relates to a wheel with a sound absorber, the sound absorber being mounted in a wheel air chamber to reduce acoustic resonance, wherein the sound absorber is configured as a flat hexahedral box resonator and fastened to a wheel hub through a band, a first positioning mechanism is provided between the hub and the box resonator to fix the relative positions of the hub and the box resonator, and a second positioning mechanism is provided between the box resonator and the band to fix the relative positions of the box resonator and the band. According to the technical solution of the present disclosure, the resonator is positioned and fixed more reliably on the wheel, and the wheel is simple and economical in manufacturing, and convenient and controllable in installation and operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: CITIC DICASTAL CO., LTD
    Inventors: Shiwen Xu, Mingbo Chen, Minglei Li, Shaobing Huang, Tiefeng Hu, Shuwei Feng, Dadong Wang, Weidong Liu