Patents Examined by Terence Boes
  • Patent number: 11174920
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a transmission apparatus of an agricultural working automobile, the transmission apparatus comprising: a first gear-shifting part for performing gear-shifting to adjust the speed of an agricultural working automobile; and a second gear-shifting part for performing gear-shifting to adjust the speed of the agricultural working automobile, wherein the second gear-shifting part comprises a sub-gear-shifting drive mechanism for performing gear-shifting, using one operation selected from among an operation transferred through a first power transmission path from the first gear-shifting part and an operation transferred through a second power transmission path from the first gear-shifting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: LS MTRON LTD.
    Inventor: Kyu Beom Choi
  • Patent number: 11154185
    Abstract: A flexible instrument comprises a first link and a second link that each comprise a first end, a second end, and a wall extending between the first end and the second end, the wall comprising an outer wall surface and an inner wall surface; an outer ear extending in a first axial direction away from the first end of the link; an inner bearing surface defined at the first end of the link, the inner bearing surface extending between the outer ear and the inner wall surface; an inner ear extending in a second axial direction away from the second end of the link; and an outer bearing surface defined at the second end of the wall, the inner bearing surface extending between the inner ear and the outer wall surface. The instrument further comprises at least one of a position sensor and an orientation sensor located along the wall of the instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Christoph Matthias Pistor, Joshua T. Oen
  • Patent number: 11149796
    Abstract: A power take off includes a housing, an input mechanism that is supported in the housing and is adapted to be rotatably driven by a source of rotational energy, and an output mechanism that is supported in the housing and is rotatably driven by the input mechanism, the output mechanism being adapted to rotatably drive a rotatably driven accessory. The power take off further includes a two piece damping assembly that minimizes the transmission of torque transients from the input mechanism to the output mechanism. The two piece damping assembly may be an input cluster gear assembly that includes a first gear portion and a second gear portion that are supported for rotational movement relative to one another. The two piece damping assembly may also be part of a clutch assembly for selectively the output mechanism to be rotatably driven by the input mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan S. Hedge, Gregory Friend
  • Patent number: 11149834
    Abstract: Disclosed is a compound harmonic drive including: an inner ring gear including a first set of gear teeth; a flex spline including a flex spline inner ring and a flex spline outer ring, the flex spline inner ring forms a second set of gear teeth that engage the first set of gear teeth and the flex spline outer ring forms a third set of gear teeth; an outer ring gear including a fourth set of gear teeth that are engaged by the third set of gear teeth; and a wave generator disposed between the flex spline inner ring and the flex spline outer ring, wherein the gear system rotates about an axis and each set of gear teeth is axially aligned with each other and radially offset from each other about the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Derick S. Balsiger
  • Patent number: 11149821
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a line gear mechanism with variable-angle transmission, which consists of a line gear pair having intersecting shafts which includes a driving line gear and a driven line gear. The driving line gear and the driven line gear are each composed of a wheel body and a line tooth. Contact curves of the driving line gear and the driven line gear mesh according to a pair of space conjugate curves. One or more line teeth are provided on the driving line gear. The line tooth on the driven line gear is a line tooth that has a property of variable-angle transmission. During transmission, the mechanism may adjust a transmission angle of the line gear pair having the intersecting shafts, thus causing meshing points to form on different contact curves while a transmission ratio remains unchanged and the transmission is stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: SOUTH CHINA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yangzhi Chen, Chao He, Yueling Lv
  • Patent number: 11141234
    Abstract: A bending mechanism includes: an elongated support member; a swivel that is supported at a distal end of the support member so as to swivel around an axis that intersects a longitudinal axis of the support member; a transmitter that are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the support member, transmits a driving force applied at a proximal end thereof, and makes the swivel swivel relative to the support member; and a regulator that regulates stress generated in the transmitter at each swivel position of the swivel with respect to the support member such that the stress does not exceed a prescribed threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Takayama, Noriaki Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 11137067
    Abstract: An automatic transmission may include a rotating shaft; a slider portion provided on the rotating shaft; a first connecting member having one end hinged to the rotating shaft and the other end rising or falling by a centrifugal force as the rotating shaft rotates; a second connecting member having one end hinged to the first connecting member and the other end connected to a slider portion to vertically slide the slider as the first connecting member rises or falls; a diaphragm spring coupled to the slider portion and deformed in an axial direction of the rotating shaft depending on position of the slider portion; a shift fork connected to the slider portion or the diaphragm spring and engaging a synchronizer with a shift stage gear depending on position of the slider portion; an elastic regulator controlling an elastic force of the diaphragm spring; and a controller controlling the elastic regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Soon Ki Eo, Ki Jong Park, Ma Ru Kang
  • Patent number: 11111991
    Abstract: An input cam having a recessed track for establishing a desired dwell time for a plurality of rotatable permanent magnets and an output cam having a recessed track for maximizing the harnessing of linear motion energy and to apply the harnessed energy to a rotary output are provided to improve the efficiency of a magnetic transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: MagnaMotor, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Herrin, Sean R. Khant
  • Patent number: 11092202
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle drive-force transmitting apparatus which defines a first drive-force transmitting path provided with a first clutch and a two-way clutch and a second drive-force transmitting path provided with a continuously variable transmission and a second clutch. The control apparatus switches the two-way clutch from its lock mode to its one-way mode, when the second drive-force transmitting path is to be established in place of the first drive-force transmitting path. The drive-force transmitting apparatus includes a hydraulic actuator configured to control switching of the two-way clutch between the lock mode and the one-way mode. When a request for establishing the second drive-force transmitting path in place of the first drive-force transmitting path is made during forward running of the vehicle with the two-way clutch being in the lock mode, the control apparatus executes a dither control for fluctuating a hydraulic pressure applied to the hydraulic actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shotaro Arai, Atsushi Ayabe, Kunio Hattori, Yusuke Ohgata, Shinji Oita
  • Patent number: 11085529
    Abstract: An axle drive device for a motor vehicle, having at least one drive assembly that is in operative connection with an input shaft of a shift transmission connecting the drive assembly to a wheel axle. The shift transmission a multiple-speed draw key transmission, having a draw key that, in different positions, establishes different transmission ratios between the input shaft and an output shaft of the shift transmission, wherein the draw key is connected to a centrifugal force regulator that shifts the draw key in dependence on a rotational speed of the input shaft or a rotational speed of the output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Frank Vollmer, Johannes Brunner, Markus Störmer, Karl Jägle, Thomas Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 11085518
    Abstract: An inverted compound harmonic drive including: a wave generator configured to receive rotational input; a flex spline disposed radially within the wave generator that receives energy due to the rotation of the wave generator, the flex spline including a plurality of inner facing splines that include an axial center spline, a first axial end spline being adjacent to and forward of the axial center spline, and a second axial end spline adjacent to and aft of the axial center spline; an output gear meshes with the axial center spline; a first ground gear adjacent to and forward of the output gear that meshes with the first axial end spline; and a second ground gear adjacent to an aft of the output gear that meshes with the second axial end spline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Derick S. Balsiger, Keith Bloxham
  • Patent number: 11078995
    Abstract: An assembly for converting motion comprises a first arm rotatable about a first fixed pivot; a second arm rotatable about a second fixed pivot; a third arm pivotably connected to a second position on the second arm; a first connecting arm extending between the first and third arms; a second connecting arm extending between the first and second arms; a support arm extending from the connection between the second and third arms, the support arm linked to the connection between the first arm and the first connecting arm, wherein one of the connection between the second and third arms and the connection between the first arm and the first connecting arm is moveable relative to the support arm and the other of the connection between the second and third arms and the connection between the first arm and the first connecting arm is fixed relative to the support arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Inventor: David Martyn
  • Patent number: 11067159
    Abstract: A robot includes a gear device. The gear device includes an internal gear including internal teeth and an external gear including external teeth, which partially mesh with the internal gear, and having flexibility, the external gear relatively rotating around a rotation axis with respect to the internal gear, and a wave motion generator configured to come into contact with an inner circumferential surface of the external gear and move a meshing position of the internal gear and the external gear in a circumferential direction around the rotation axis. The gear device includes a wall section disposed at an end portion of tooth width of the internal gear and coupled to two dedenda adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the internal gear and a tooth bottom present between the two dedenda.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Inventor: Yoichi Noda
  • Patent number: 11067164
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic gear shifter assembly for a dual-mode flying and driving vehicle. The electronic gear shifter assembly may include a lever moveable between a first shifting path that includes at least one drive-related operating position, and a second shifting path that includes at least one flying-related operating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Terrafugia, Inc.
    Inventors: Julie Henion, Kevin Colburn, Carl C. Dietrich, Dagny Dukach, Edmund Golaski, Andrew Heafitz, Elizabeth Von Der Heydt, Lluis Penalver-Aguila, Bryan Sandoz, Ethan Stowe
  • Patent number: 11060597
    Abstract: An oval shaft that includes a cam body integrated with a rotation input section and rolling elements that are sandwiched between an inner ring provided at the outer periphery of the cam body and a flexible outer ring; an internal gear having an inner gear formed at the inner periphery; a flex gear having outer gears that have a reduced teeth number relative to the inner gears so that, when the outer gears are provided at the outer periphery of the oval shaft, the outer gears are engaged with the inner gears at a plurality of engagement positions, the flex gear has a plurality of transmission pins; and a rotation output mechanism having an output plate having an engagement section including an engagement hole that is engaged with each transmission pin and that is provided along the circumferential direction with a predetermined interval to allow the displacement of the transmission pin in the circumferential direction and/or the radiation direction during the rotation transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: SKG INC.
    Inventor: Yutaka Imagawa
  • Patent number: 11060596
    Abstract: A transmission component is described in which a cylindrical section has outer teeth, and a flange extends radially outward relative to the cylindrical section. The flange has a plurality of raised connecting sections that are axially offset from a remainder of the flange. Each connecting section has a hole configured to receive a fastener such as a screw. In certain embodiments, a plurality of recesses are provided radially between the connecting sections and the cylindrical section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Bastian Hain, Peter Zierer
  • Patent number: 11059168
    Abstract: An automatically positionable joint for a modular tooling assembly includes a first joint member; a second joint member that is rotatably connected to the first joint member; a motor for causing rotation of the first joint member with respect to the second joint member; and a first clutch that is movable between an engaged position in which the first clutch restrains rotation of the first joint member with respect to the second joint member and a disengaged position in which the first clutch permits rotation of the first joint member with respect to the second joint member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Norgren Automation Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Edwin E. Marttinen, Steven D. Koski, Stephen E. Wikstrom, Vincent C. Rabaut, III, Dale Lesh, John David Begin
  • Patent number: 11047457
    Abstract: Rack-and-pinion sliding support mechanisms and mechanical elements thereof. One or more shafts are coupled to pinions configured to engage with one or more racks and configured to be driven by one or more motors. The rack and pinion are configured to provide vertical and horizontal displacement to reduce premature component wear leading to poor gear mesh caused to by forces on the mechanism during use. Motor assembly in such support mechanism is modified—as compared to current industrial versions—to prevent the destruction of motor-assembly housing by torques generated by the one or more motors and transferred to the pinions, thereby reducing motor failures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Inventor: David H. Vroom
  • Patent number: 11047466
    Abstract: A first concave-convex part is formed in an outer diameter side circumferential surface of a first annular concave part provided in an axial one-side surface of an inner wheel element, and a second concave-convex part is formed in a bottom surface of a second annular concave part provided in the axial other-side surface of the inner wheel element. An outer circumferential part of the inner wheel element is embedded in an outer wheel element, and synthetic resin forming the outer wheel element partially enters into a plurality of concave parts constituting the first concave-convex part and the second concave-convex part. Thus, a configuration is achieved in which the holding power of a synthetic resin outer wheel can be secured from the metal inner wheel element, and the manufacturing error can be suppressed in the worm wheel tooth part provided in the outer circumferential surface of the outer wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Haruhiko Kiyota, Takeshi Yamamoto, Kaname Yasuda, Tomohiro Arai, Junichi Takano, Kazuki Hotta
  • Patent number: 11047469
    Abstract: An automatic transmission includes a transmission housing having a sump portion, a main transmission fluid pump arranged at the sump portion, and a recess having a fluid return passage. A torque converter mounted in the recess and a scavenging pump arranged in the sump portion and fluidically connected to the fluid return passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Daryl A. Wilton, Clinton E. Carey