Patents Examined by T. Scott Fix
  • Patent number: 12290920
    Abstract: An arm module includes a housing with a first connection side controllably rotatable relative to a second connection side, about an axis of rotation. The first connection side has a rotatable first connection device. The second connection side has a second connection device fixed to the housing, with a rotation-compatible data transmission device for transmitting data signals along at least one transmission path between the first and second connection sides. The transmission path includes at least one wireless transmission sub-path for wireless transmission of data signals, and at least one wire-guided transmission sub-path for wire-guided transmission of data signals. The rotation-compatible data transmission device includes at least one first wireless transmission unit and at least one second wireless transmission unit, interconnected via the transmission path and arranged to wirelessly transmit and receive data signals along the wireless transmission sub-path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Beckhoff Automation GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Kastler, Clemens Maier, Christoph Zech, Thomas Morscher, Armin Pehlivan, Michael Jäger, Peter Fischer, Thomas Rettig, Thorsten Bunte, Christopher Pohl
  • Patent number: 12290925
    Abstract: Provided is a parallel mechanism consisting of: a first module including a first plate having a first hollow formed therein; a second module disposed to be spaced apart from the first module, and including a second plate having a second hollow formed therein; and a power transmission unit provided in a space between the first and second modules, and including a third plate connecting the first and second modules in parallel, wherein the first and second modules form a symmetrical structure on the basis of the power transmission unit, a first range of motion in the first module is amplified, by means of the symmetrical structure, to a second range of motion that is wider than the first range of motion in the second module, a working space is formed in a space communicating with the first and second hollows, and the third plate is provided outside the working space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignees: INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION FOUNDATION HANYANG UNIVERSITY ERICA CAMPUS, KOREA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDTION, SEJONG CAMPUS
    Inventors: Byung Ju Yi, Hyun Hwan Jeong
  • Patent number: 12281690
    Abstract: To provide an extension/contraction mechanism that can lessen increase stress imposed on belts. An extension/contraction mechanism according to the present disclosure includes a telescopic extension/contraction part, in which the extension/contraction mechanism includes a first drive source connected to a screw shaft in such a way that it can transmit a drive force, a first belt holder that accommodates a second belt in such a way that the second belt can be sent out to the screw shaft or the second belt can be wound-up from the screw shaft, a second belt holder that accommodates a first belt in such a way that the first belt can be wound-up from the screw shaft, and a first belt holder drive part and a second belt holder drive part. The first and second belt holder drive parts rotate the first and second belt holders independently of the rotation of the screw shaft, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Hada
  • Patent number: 12281701
    Abstract: A transmission includes a speed change gearbox including gears configured to be switched by a movement of a shifter having a cam pin in a guide groove and configured to be moved by a movement of the cam pin following the rotation of a shift drum. The guide groove includes a bent section having an inner wall on an inner side that is formed by (i) first end mill machining performed in a direction in which the guide groove extends; and (ii) second end mill machining performed in the direction in which the guide groove extends, in such a manner as to increase a curvature radius of the inner wall on the inner side formed by the first end mill machining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yasuda, Jun Yoshida, Yusuke Morita, Akihiro Takami
  • Patent number: 12275139
    Abstract: A wrist device includes a first element coupled to an arm to be rotatable about a fifth axis, and a second element coupled to the first element to be rotatable about a sixth axis. There is a fifth motor to rotationally drive the first element, and a sixth motor to rotationally drive the second element. A fifth transmission mechanism transmits a driving force of the fifth motor to the first element and a sixth transmission mechanism transmits a driving force of the sixth motor to the second element. The sixth transmission mechanism includes a first gear rotatably supported by the arm and a second gear rotatably supported by the first element and to mesh with the first gear, and reduces a rotation speed of a driving force in a component group including the first driving gear and components after the first driving gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Shibata, Hitoshi Kudo
  • Patent number: 12270461
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a linear-to-rotary apparatus that includes a linear actuator having an actuator housing including a piston chamber, a piston shaft disposed in the piston chamber, and a rotor apparatus. The rotor apparatus includes a rotary joint defining a rotational axis, a rotor arm extending radially from the rotary joint and configured to at least partially pivot about the rotary joint, and a torque linkage pivotably connected to the rotor arm. The torque linkage is also attached to an end of the piston shaft of the piston at a pivot connection joint, where the pivot connection joint defines a pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to the translation axis of the piston shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig D. Mawle, Mark A. Spickard, Barry T. Brinks
  • Patent number: 12263588
    Abstract: A section of a continuum arm robot including a pair of pivot points at a first and second end of the joint, the section further having a first and second connecting rod connected to the section and joining at the centre of the section, the connecting rods has a plurality of gear teeth at the peripheral ends of the connecting rod that intermesh at a central point on the section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Liam D Harrison, Andrew D Norton
  • Patent number: 12264737
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electronic shift range switching device (10) which is configured to control a shift range of a vehicle, the device comprising: a housing unit (100); a shifting knob unit (200) exposed at one end thereof to the outside of the housing unit (100) and disposed at the other end thereof within the hosing unit (100) in such a manner as to be rotatable with respect to the housing unit (100); and a locking correction integrated unit (300) configured to control whether or not to interrupt the rotation of the shifting knob unit (200) and to return a position of the shifting knob unit (200) to a P shift range in a self-correction manner under a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: LS AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Won Lee, Hyun Seong Cho, Jin Han Park
  • Patent number: 12251815
    Abstract: An intelligent flexible biomimetic facial-expression robot is provided and includes a model head, a skeleton, a drive means, and an epidermal layer. The skeleton defines two first slide slots and two first notches. The drive means includes a mounting bracket, an eyebrow drive module, and an eyelid drive module. The eyebrow drive module includes a first drive source, a first crank, and a first rocker. The eyelid drive module includes a second rocker. The epidermal layer defines two first areas and two second areas. Each of the first crank and the second crank passes through the two first slide slots. A distal end of the first crank drives the two first areas, asynchronous with respect to the second crank driving the two second areas, and the two first areas and the two second areas flexibly deform to generate expressions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Inventor: Quansheng Wang
  • Patent number: 12252011
    Abstract: A driveline system and driveline operating method are provided herein. In one example, the driveline system includes a hydraulic coupling designed to rotationally couple to a prime mover and an output interface designed to rotationally couple to a downstream driveline component, and a power take-off (PTO) assembly. The PTO assembly includes a first pump gear rotationally coupled to an input gear that is directly coupled to the output interface, where the first pump gear is designed to rotationally couple to a first pump via a first pump shaft interface and a first pump adapter designed to mount to the first pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
    Inventors: Kurt Cattoor, Filip D. Schacht
  • Patent number: 12251832
    Abstract: A continuum arm robot comprising: a tool, a tip section comprising a number of sections a manipulatable robotic section having multiple degrees of freedom, a stiffening section comprising a passive core with an inflatable section surrounding the passive core and a valve for allowing a fluid into the inflatable outer; and a passive section comprising a length of flexible conduit, wherein the core of the passive section and the stiffening section contain the cables for manipulating the tip section and the fluid conduit for supplying the fluid to the inflatable outer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Andrew D Norton, Xin Dong, Dragos A Axinte
  • Patent number: 12246444
    Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure provides a strain wave gear device including an internal gear, an external gear and a wave generator. The wave generator has a cam and a fourth bearing. The cam has a non-circular outer peripheral surface, and the fourth bearing is positioned between the inner peripheral surface of the external gear and the outer peripheral surface of the cam. The fourth bearing has an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of balls, and a retainer. The strain wave gear device includes a restricting portion provided such that the restricting portion can avoid touching the retainer. The restricting portion can restrict the fourth bearing from moving in the direction extending along the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Nabtesco Corporation
    Inventor: Yuta Wanaka
  • Patent number: 12246443
    Abstract: An arm joint for a manipulator having a motor with a transmission, comprising a gear wheel that can rotate about a transmission axis of rotation, wherein the gear wheel is rotatably mounted in a housing of the arm joint and has an adapter on at least one of its end sides, and wherein the adapter has an opening that is central relative to the transmission axis of rotation on the side facing away from the end side of the gear wheel The central opening has an internal thread for the purpose of a simple construction, easy assembly and a great number of variation possibilities in terms of construction and application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: IGUS GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Raak, Felix Berger
  • Patent number: 12246441
    Abstract: A robot in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present technology includes a torso having a superior portion, an inferior portion, and an intermediate portion therebetween. The robot further includes two legs connected to the torso via the inferior portion of the torso, two arms connected to the torso via the superior portion of the torso, and a protrusion also connected to the torso via the inferior portion of the torso and extending anteriorly from the torso. The robot is configured to move an object toward the torso at least partially via contact between the object and at least one of the arms. The robot is further configured to support a weight of the object at least partially via the protrusion while the robot ambulates via the legs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Agility Robotics, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Abate, Jonathan Hurst
  • Patent number: 12228959
    Abstract: A manual activation system includes a housing and a pulley arranged within the housing. The pulley is movable between an inactive position and an active position. A tension member is wrapped about the pulley and has a tensile force acting on the pulley. At least one link arm is rotatably mounted within the housing. The at least one link arm is operably coupled to the pulley to selectively oppose the tensile force acting on the pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: KIDDE-FENWAL, LLC
    Inventor: Karen Bouchard
  • Patent number: 12205427
    Abstract: A compensating element having first and second modules is disclosed. A locking mechanism which can be switched between a first and a second operating state is provided. The first module is connected firmly to the second module in the first operating state. The first operating state defines a zero position between the first and the second module. The first and the second module are connected to one another in the second operating state by a spring mechanism in such a way that they are movable relative to one another. The compensating element has a midaxis, and the first and the second module are arranged at least partially next to one another in the direction of the midaxis. A measuring system is also disclosed with which the relative position between the first and the second module can be measured. The first or second module includes an externally visible luminous surface. A luminous state of the luminous surface is dependent on the relative position measured by the measuring system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Efim Kuhn, Andreas Rueb, David Geissler, Fan Yang, Floria Krusche, Markus Groganz, Michael Danzberger, Peter Schlegel, Sebastian Siedler, Thomas Dickmann, Tobias Wolf
  • Patent number: 12196294
    Abstract: A crank device or crank drive is disclosed which has a crankshaft, into which a variable first force can be introduced by way of a transmission element over a variable first lever spacing. Here, the first variable force has a predefined profile and/or predefined change. A profile of the first variable lever spacing is designed in a manner which is dependent on the predefined profile of the first variable force in such a way that an effect of change in the first variable force on the crankshaft is at least partially compensated for. The compensation is provided over a rotational range of the crankshaft, which is preferably less than one revolution of the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Schneider, Sebastian Amend
  • Patent number: 12188556
    Abstract: A blocking component includes a body, arranged fixedly, a slidable member, slidably connected to the body and movable relative to the body, an elastic member, arranged between the body and the slidable member and configured to apply an elastic reset force to the slidable member so that the slidable member tends to move towards the outside of the body and a blocking member, rotatably connected to the slidable member and having a stop surface facing away from the body, a transition surface facing the body, and an abutting surface facing the slidable member. When the blocking member is in a natural state, the abutting surface is in contact with a surface of the slidable member, and the natural state includes at least a state in which no external force away from the body is applied to the transition surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: FICOSA INTERNATIONAL TAICANG CO. LTD
    Inventors: Kan Xu, Feng Zhang, Cheng Huang
  • Patent number: 12188543
    Abstract: A speed reducer-equipped motor includes a motor, first gear, eccentric shaft, and stopper protrusions. The speed reducer-equipped motor also includes a transmission gear, an output member, a rotation stopper, and an interference avoider. The transmission gear revolves around an axis of the first gear following rotation of the first gear along with the eccentric shaft. The output member rotates following the revolution of the transmission gear. The rotation stopper works to stop the transmission gear from rotating the center thereof in response to sliding motion of the stopper protrusions on the rotation stopper. The interference avoider is arranged between the rotation stopper and the transmission gear and works to avoid physical or mechanical interference of corners of the rotation stopper which are located close to the stopper protrusions with base end portions of the stopper protrusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuki Maruo
  • Patent number: 12181039
    Abstract: Disclosure relates to a vehicle gear knob replacing a transmission structure including an R button, a D button, and an N button, with a gear rod method or a rotary jog/shuttle method, the vehicle gear knob including: a lower support including a pair of first grooves to which the R button and the D button are guided, respectively, and a second groove to which the N button is guided; an upper support provided above the lower support and blocking the R button, the D button, and the N button from being exposed; a press operation part coupled to the upper support and operating the N button by a pressing force; and a grip part provided above the press operation part and selectively operating the R button or the D button by using the lever principle, if a driver grips the grip part and applies force thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Inventor: Jae Yong Bang