Patents Examined by Sophia Marie McGuire
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Patent number: 11180214Abstract: A system includes a bicycle and a container including an opening. The bicycle is movable between an unfolded position and a folded position. The system includes a first member supported by the container in the container and positioned to engage the bicycle, and a second member supported by the container in the container and positioned to engage the bicycle spaced from the first member. The first member is movable relative to the second member toward and away from the opening.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2016Date of Patent: November 23, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Thomas Robert George Thompson, Paul Jonathan Alexander Wraith
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Patent number: 11161544Abstract: A method for steering a four-wheeled vehicle includes: determining a front wheel steering angle; determining a responsive low-speed steering angle of the two rear wheels, the responsive low-speed steering angle being (i) negative when the front wheel steering angle is positive, and (ii) positive when the front wheel steering angle is negative; determining a responsive high-speed steering angle of the two rear wheels, the responsive high-speed steering angle being (i) non-negative when the front wheel steering angle is positive, and (ii) non-positive when the front wheel steering angle is negative; determining a responsive rear wheel steering angle being a sum of the responsive low-speed and high-speed steering angles; and controlling a steering actuator to steer the two rear wheels in accordance with the responsive rear wheel steering angle.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2019Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS INC.Inventors: Christian De Grammont, Maxime Boisvert, Maxime Desjardins-Goulet
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Patent number: 11142275Abstract: A motorcycle (saddle type vehicle) includes a vehicle body frame, an engine, a bracket and an ignition coil. The engine is mounted to the vehicle body frame. The bracket is mounted to the vehicle body frame. The ignition coil is mounted to the bracket. The bracket includes a frame mounting part, an extension part, and an ignition coil mounting part. The frame mounting part is mounted to the vehicle body frame. The extension part extends away from the frame mounting part toward an outer side in a left-right direction. The ignition coil is mounted to the ignition coil mounting part such that the ignition coil is positioned in the outer side in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2019Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shogo Sakaguchi, Motoki Kaji
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Patent number: 11104189Abstract: An indexing block positioned within the receiver hitch and connected to a tri-ball block having a plurality of towing accessories (e.g., different sized hitch balls, pintles, hooks, etc.) on its separate, exterior facings. A biasing member and lock cooperate with an internal, coaxial plunger, thereby allowing for selective rotation of the tri-block relative to the indexing block, without the need to completely remove the assembly from the hitch receiver itself. Ball bearings fitted within the indexing block facilitate movement of the plunger and tri-block relative to the indexing block when the assembly is being rotated to position a new towing accessory in its desired place.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2019Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: HORIZON GLOBAL AMERICAS INC.Inventor: Gregory Y. Rotenberg
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Patent number: 11097774Abstract: A steering assist system for a hybrid vehicle capable of being driven by both of an engine and a drive motor, including a first assist portion and a second assist portion configured to assist a steering force respectively utilizing the engine and an electric motor each as a drive source, wherein the steering force is assisted only by the second assist portion in a motor-driven state in which the vehicle is driven only by the drive motor, and wherein the steering assist system is configured to, upon occurrence of a failure of the second assist portion in the motor-driven state, drive the engine, execute assist switching from an assist by the second assist portion to an assist by the first assist portion, and gradually increase, in the assist switching, an assist force by the first assist portion up to a set assist force when the vehicle is being steered.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2019Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takeshi Nishida, Shuji Fujita
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Patent number: 11097580Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for a modular double pin load sensor coupled to a hitch receiver. An example disclosed apparatus to be coupled to a receiver tube includes a crossbar interface to be coupled to a crossbar of a hitch, a pin adapter coupled to the crossbar interface, a first load-sensing pin disposed within the pin adapter, and a second load-sensing pin disposed within the pin adapter.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2018Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Methode Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Andrew Niedert, Christopher Eric Allard, Peter Simeon Lazarevski, Kevin Stanton Giaier, Chad Reed, Johannes Gießibl
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Patent number: 11091200Abstract: Each zero turning radius mower steering lever module includes a one-piece plastic housing independently mounted on a grass mowing machine frame member. A central passage extends through each housing, and a steering arm bracket may be positioned in the central passage and pivotably mounted on a horizontal pivot axis. A steering arm may be attached to an upper end of the steering arm bracket, and a hydrostatic transmission linkage and a damper linkage attached to a lower end of the bracket.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: Deere & CompanyInventors: Frank M. Welz, Thomas R. Genz, Kyle T. Ressler, Jaimie Pelino, Paul O. Elhardt
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Patent number: 11084522Abstract: A steering assembly including a motor assembly, a worm assembly, and a coupler assembly is provided. The worm assembly includes a worm member defining a central axis and having first and second ends. The coupler assembly may include an adapter having a first wall defining a through-hole sized to receive a portion of the first end therein. The coupler assembly may operatively connect the motor assembly and the worm assembly. The worm member and the adapter may be arranged with one another such that pressing a swedge tool against a face of the worm member in a direction substantially parallel with the central axis deforms the first end to overlap a portion of the worm member onto a portion of the adapter adjacent the through-hole to secure the worm member and adapter to one another and to axially retain the worm member in a position relative to the central axis.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2019Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding CorporationInventors: Daniel J. Diffin, Matthew T. Strickler, Jeremy E. Reisig
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Patent number: 11066115Abstract: A training wheel system is provided that can improve packaging, shipping, and installation. The training wheel system includes a bracket for maintaining the orientation of a training wheel arm. In one form, the bracket can nest within a channel of a portion of the training wheel arm.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2019Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Kent International Inc.Inventor: Scott Kamler
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Patent number: 11046354Abstract: A steering system for a vehicle, including an input shaft, via which a steering force can be input by a steering element, an output shaft acting on a steering actuating mechanism, a coupling for connecting and disconnecting the input shaft and the output shaft with and from each other, respectively, and at least one actuator, by which the coupling can be actuated to couple and uncouple the input shaft and the output shaft with and from each other, wherein in the uncoupled state, the output shaft is independently rotatable relative to the input shaft in such a manner that a steer-by-wire drive controllable by a control unit is provided.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2019Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: AUDI AGInventor: Thomas Klinger
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Patent number: 11040585Abstract: A trailer coupling comprises a cross member unit, which is mountable on a tail region of a body, and a bearing unit held by the cross member unit. A ball neck with a coupling ball is held on the cross member unit by the bearing unit. The cross member unit is connected in its two outer, mutually opposed end regions to mounting elements for fixation to the tail region. The cross member unit has an upper supporting structure and a lower supporting structure. The supporting structures are each connected at their mutually opposed outer end regions to the mounting elements and in a central region carry the bearing unit. One of the supporting structures is primarily torsionally rigid and at least partially surrounds a structure interior, and that the other of the supporting structures is primarily tensile stiff in the direction of travel.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2019Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: ACPS Automotive GmbHInventor: Christian Holz
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Patent number: 11033444Abstract: Wheelchair with two independent driving arms fixed to the frame by pivot bearings at a low position. The driving arms extend to a sufficient height for the user to hold their upper portions and to move them in forward-backward directions around the pivotal bearings. Ropes are connected to the lower sections of the driving arms. Two large wheels have wheel hubs equipped with freewheel, and each wheel hub have a rope drums attached with a spring bias, and a winding made of rope. Pulling a the rope in forward direction results in turning the wheel hub in forward direction, and when the rope drum (31, 31?) is turned in the other direction the freewheel releases the connection towards the large wheel. The wheel hub comprises a release mechanism that releases the freewheel when the large wheel is moved in backward direction and backward movement gets allowed.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2019Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Inventors: László Mórucz, Zoltán Kálazi
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Patent number: 11027771Abstract: A steering assistance device includes: a steering angle detection unit that detects the steering angle of a vehicle; a pump unit that performs steering assistance of the vehicle by using oil pressure; a motor that performs steering assistance of the vehicle by using electrical power; and a steering control unit that causes the pump unit to perform steering assistance with the steering assistance amount thereof reduced by a predetermined amount from the predetermined steering assistance amount, and causes the motor to perform steering assistance, in a case where the pump unit can perform steering assistance in a steering assistance amount predetermined for the detected steering angle.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2017Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: ISUZU MOTORS LIMITEDInventor: Teruhiko Suzuki
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Patent number: 11014604Abstract: A hydraulic steering arrangement (1) is described comprising a supply port arrangement having a pressure port (P) and tank port (T), a working port arrangement having two working ports (L, R), a steering unit (2) arranged between the supply port arrangement and the working port arrangement and a steering valve (3) arranged between the supply port arrangement and the working port arrangement. Such a steering arrangement should have a safety means. To this end in a manual steering mode the steering valve (3) is connected to the working port arrangement through the steering unit (2).Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2019Date of Patent: May 25, 2021Assignee: DANFOSS POWER SOLUTIONS APSInventors: Soren Pedersen, Morten Bruhn
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Patent number: 11008038Abstract: A vehicle steering assist system, including an engine pump, a flow-rate restricting mechanism, a motor pump, a motor-pump controller, and a steering-force assist device, wherein the steering assist system is configured to restrict an engine-pump ejection flow rate to be lower than a required receiving flow rate to be received by the assist device when the engine pump is operated by being driven by an engine rotating at an idling speed, the engine-pump ejection flow rate being a flow rate of a working fluid ejected from the engine pump to the assist device via the restricting mechanism, and wherein the motor-pump controller is configured to control a motor-pump ejection flow rate such that an insufficient flow rate of the working fluid is covered by the motor-pump ejection flow rate, the insufficient flow rate being a shortage in the required receiving flow rate not covered by the engine-pump ejection flow rate.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2019Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, JTEKT CorporationInventors: Takeshi Nishida, Tsuyoshi Ikeda