Patents Examined by Thomas Diaz
  • Patent number: 8419280
    Abstract: Provided is a thin slide unit which allows, in a case where two ball plates each formed with a track-like ball groove are combined to thereby construct an endless circulation path for balls, by merely directly connecting the two ball plates without using a guide plate, balls to smoothly circulate, and a slider to smoothly reciprocate with respect to a guide rail. An endless circulation path for the balls of the slider is formed such that the two ball plates each formed with the track-like ball groove are caused to face each other, and that the ball plates are directly connected. Peripheral sides of the two ball plates oppose to each other, to thereby form a load opening portion for causing the balls in the endless circulation path to contact a rolling groove of the guide rail, and form a scooping-up portion for raising the balls from the rolling groove to guide the balls into the endless circulation path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Kasukawa, Hiroshi Saito, Eiji Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8408090
    Abstract: An actuator mounting, in particular, a clutch or brake mounting for a vehicle, includes a mounting housing (3) with an attachment shell (2) for attaching the mounting to a handlebar or a similar steering element, a hand lever (8) supported to rotate on the mounting housing (3), and a mechanical or hydraulic force transmission device arranged on the mounting housing (3). The actuator mounting includes a carrier plate (9) supported on the rotational bearing (7) in common with the hand lever (8) as an intermediate transmission element with multiple functions. The carrier plate (9) has contact points (16, 32, 34) for applying force to or tensioning the hand lever (8), the force transmission device, and the mounting housing stop (35).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Gustav Magenwirth GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Franz Weiher
  • Patent number: 8397602
    Abstract: A torsional vibration damper includes front and rear hub members with an inertia mass between the two hub members. Annular elastomeric rings are positioned between the front and rear hub members and the inertia mass holding the inertia mass. Fasteners extend through the front hub member, the inertia mass, and fixed to the rear hub member. A clearance between the fastener and the inertia mass allows relative motion to absorb torsional vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Metavation, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce G. Christenson, Suhale Manzoor
  • Patent number: 8375825
    Abstract: A bicycle operating device is provided with a first operating unit, a second operating unit and a connecting member. The first operating unit includes a clamp portion for attaching the bicycle operating device to a bicycle and a first operating member. The second operating unit includes a housing and a second operating member. The connecting member includes a first portion detachably coupled to an outwardly facing surface of the clamp portion and a second portion coupled to the second operating unit. The first portion includes a retaining part with an outwardly facing surface that faces an inwardly facing surface of the clamp portion when the connecting member is attached to the clamp portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Hirose, Shinichi Takizawa
  • Patent number: 8375850
    Abstract: A pressure gauge where a main wheel (11) is rotated to raise and lower the upper one of two horizontal feed rollers of a laminating machine so that the pressure applied by the rollers is the same in successive operations. A mark on an indexing wheel (14), which rotates with the main wheel (11), is brought into alignment with a mark on the casing (10) of the machine. The outer ring (14) of the indexing wheel is manually rotatable relative to its inner ring (13), but is held in frictional contact with the main wheel (11) by compression springs (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Vivid Laminating Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Sebastien de la Hamayde
  • Patent number: 8375824
    Abstract: A bicycle control device is basically provided with a base member, a positioning member, a positioning pawl and a wire takeup member. The positioning member pivots relative to the base member about a pivot axis. The positioning pawl is pivotally mounted about a positioning pawl pivot axis to operatively engage at least one positioning abutment of the positioning member. The wire takeup member pivots relative to the base member about the pivot axis. The wire takeup member has a proximal end portion pivotally mounted about the pivot axis and a distal end portion with an inner wire contact surface. The inner wire contact surface is located radially outwardly from the at least one positioning abutment and the positioning pawl pivot axis with respect to the pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshimitsu Miki
  • Patent number: 8365630
    Abstract: A transmission drive unit (10) for adjusting a movable part (58) in a motor vehicle includes a drive element (18), which is capable of being driven by a drive assembly (42), and which is rotatably supported in a support tube (14) via at least one end shield (28). The drive element (18) has a first axial stop (23), which bears against a first axial support surface (21) of the support tube (14), and a second axial stop (35), which rests against a second axial support surface (27) of the end shield (28). The end shield (28) is pressed against the second axial stop (35) of the drive element (18) via a material deformation of the support tube (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Juergen Oberle, Peter Mueller, Andreas Lienig
  • Patent number: 8359943
    Abstract: A gearshift device for an automatic transmission that prevents inadvertent gearshift operations. The gearshift device includes a shaft-shaped gearshift member partially exposed from a housing so as to be rotatable relative to the housing about a rotation axis and movable sidewards in at least a first direction that intersects the rotation axis. The gearshift member is rotated to a plurality of rotation positions respectively corresponding to the gear positions of the automatic transmission. A movement restriction unit permits movement of the gearshift member in the first direction only when the gearshift member is rotated to a selected one of the rotation positions to determine shifting to the gear position corresponding to the selected one of the rotation positions. A control unit provides the automatic transmission with a gearshift control signal corresponding to the selected one of the rotation positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Seki
  • Patent number: 8359946
    Abstract: A Bowden cable adjusting device is provided for one or more Bowden cables (1?, 1?). The Bowden cable adjusting device (3) has a housing (4) with a detachable locking device (6) for adjustably connecting the housing (4) to a transmission element (5), which can be connected to one or more Bowden cables (1?, 1?). The Bowden cable adjusting device (3) has a mounting securing device (7) for the transmission element (5). The mounting securing device (7) can be deactivated. A process for mounting and adjusting a Bowden cable arrangement is also provided, wherein the mounting securing device (7) may be deactivated and the Bowden cable adjusting device (3) is shortened while adjusting the distance between the actuating member (2) and the Bowden cable (1?, 1?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: AL-KO Kober AG
    Inventor: Christoph Kainzner
  • Patent number: 8356531
    Abstract: An actuating element for a lordosis supporting device driven by a traction rope and a lordosis supporting element in a vehicle seat are provided. The actuating device includes a deflecting element that is mounted on a frame such that it is pivotable about an actuating shaft and includes a rope guiding element that is arranged with the fastening point and the deflecting element in such a way that a rope portion leading toward the deflecting element and a rope portion leading away from the deflecting element are guided approximately parallel in a starting position. In preferred embodiments, a fixed end of the traction rope is fastened to the frame at a fastening point and a free end of the traction rope is guided at least partially around the deflecting element for actuating the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Oliver Steffen, Guido Neumann
  • Patent number: 8342058
    Abstract: A torsional vibration damper includes an inertia mass and a rotating shaft or hub with an elastomeric ring between the inertia mass and the rotating shaft or hub. A large portion of said elastomeric member is located in a channel located either in the inertia mass or in the hub. This allows one to achieve high contact pressure without creating a significant fatigue on the elastomeric member. This can be used with either a crankshaft damper or an internal or external drive shaft damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hillsdale Automotive, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce G. Christenson, Suhale Manzoor
  • Patent number: 8322248
    Abstract: An adjusting screw (15) for a control lever device (1) for vehicles, wherein said adjusting screw (15) comprises a screw body (18) with a threaded shank (19) that can be screwed in a corresponding threaded hole (16) of the lever device (1) and a locking body (26) pivotally connected to the screw body (18). The locking body (26) comprises contact means (27) interacting with the screw body (28, 18) such as to counteract the rotation of the locking body (26) relative to the screw body (18) to a certain extent and anchoring means (29) engaging an anchoring seat (17) of the lever device (1) such as to prevent that the locking body (26) may rotate relative to the threaded hole (16) of the lever device (1). There are also provided means (25) for preventing that the locking body (26) may be displaced along the shank (19) of the screw body (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Freni Brembo S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Esposito, Gianangelo Pezzotta, Marcello Colombo
  • Patent number: 8312788
    Abstract: A motion transmitting remote control assembly (20) of the type for transmitting motion in a curved path by a flexible core element (22) in a conduit (24) is secured to a support structure (76) having a U-shaped slot. A support body (66) defines a groove (84) having first and second legs (86, 88) for abutting parallel edges (78) of the U-shaped slot, and a bottom leg (90) connecting the first and second legs (86, 88) for abutting a bottom edge (80). Slider arms (94) movably supported within female guides (92) are urged against snap-in retainers (102) by biasing spring members (104) establishing a locking position. A pair of locking tabs (106) projecting from the slider arms (94) into the groove (84) engage notches (82) in the parallel edges (78). An inclined face (112) is defined along the lower surface (112) of the locking tabs (106) for wedging engagement with the parallel edges (78) of the U-shaped slot to move the slider arms (94) axially to an insertion position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Infac Corporation
    Inventor: Young Dae Kwon
  • Patent number: 8312791
    Abstract: A bicycle pedal has a pedal spindle, a pedal body and a step-in cleat engagement structure. The pedal body includes a tubular mounting portion rotatably mounted on the pedal spindle. The tubular mounting portion includes a center tube section that has a widthwise dimension and a lengthwise dimension as measured from the center spindle axis to an outside surface of the center tube section along reference planes that are substantially perpendicular to each other. The widthwise dimension is substantially perpendicular to a cleat pedaling force direction applied to the pedal spindle, as viewed along in a direction of the center spindle axis. The outside surface of the center tube section has an overall transverse cross sectional shape that includes a generally convex arc that extends a majority of the outside surface of the center tube section on a side of the reference plane that faces the cleat engagement structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Akira Inoue
  • Patent number: 8307734
    Abstract: A connection end portion of a inner member is provided with engagement projections and a connection end portion of a stay is formed with reception grooves that are capable of axially receiving the engagement projections. When operation cable is axially inserted into a cylindrical support, the engagement projections are axially received in insertion grooves and are retained in terminal end positions thereof that are bent in a circumferential direction. When the stay is axially inserted into the cylindrical support in this condition, the engagement projections are axially received in the reception grooves and move to terminal end positions thereof that are bent in an opposite circumferential direction. As a result, the operation cable is positioned in an axial connection condition in which the operation cable is suspended in the stay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiro Shimizu, Atsuki Sasaki, Seiya Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8297146
    Abstract: A bicycle control device is basically provided with a base member, a shift control unit and a first shift operating lever. The base member includes a pair of lateral side walls. The shift control unit is mounted to the base member. The shift control unit has a main pivot shaft defining a shift unit operating axis. The first shift operating lever is operatively coupled to the shift control unit to operate the shift control unit when the first shift operating lever is pivoted about a first shift operating axis at a lever pivot point. The main pivot shaft of the shift control unit is disposed closer to one of the lateral side walls than the lever pivot point of the first shift operating lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshimitsu Miki
  • Patent number: 8286531
    Abstract: An automatic balancing device for counterbalancing an out-of-balance mass includes a plurality of counterbalancing masses, each of which is movable in a circular path about the axis so as to generate a balancing force. The balancing forces combine to produce a resultant balancing force which varies between minimum and maximum values. At a first speed of rotation of the body about the axis, the movement of at least one of the counterbalancing masses is restrained so that a substantially constant, non-zero resultant balancing force is produced, the resultant balancing force being freely movable about the axis. At a second speed of rotation of the body about the axis, the counterbalancing masses are free to adopt a position in which the out-of-balance mass is counterbalanced. The device allows at least partial counterbalancing of the out-of-balance mass at speeds below the critical speed of the system in which it is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: David Michael Jones, Matthew Damian Harrison, Matthew Charles Edward Wilson
  • Patent number: 8272786
    Abstract: An annular vibration isolator for a rotating shaft supported by a bearing is provided. The annular vibration isolator comprises an outer ring extending substantially entirely around the bearing, an arc portion having a contact portion extending toward the bearing, first and second axial portions enclosing a cavity, a first flange portion forming a first channel, a second flange portion forming a second channel, and the first and second flange portions forming a chamber within the cavity and forming a radial passageway connecting the chamber to the first and second channels, and a bellows disposed in the chamber and coupled to the radial passageway, the bellows adapted to receive a fluid from the first and second channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Cottrell
  • Patent number: 8266982
    Abstract: A hysteresis assembly for a pedal includes an elastic member support, two adjacent hysteresis blocks, and an elastic member connecting the elastic member support to the more distant hysteresis block. The hysteresis blocks interface at a slope. The assembly is attached at one end to a mounting bracket for the pedal via a shaft, and at the other end to the pedal arm. As the pedal is displaced, the hysteresis blocks slide relative to each other and frictionally engage the mounting bracket. The frictional force is proportional to the return force generated by the elastic member. The spring rate of the elastic member, the angle of the slope between the hysteresis blocks, and the point of attachment are determined, through analysis, to provide desired hysteresis forces (i.e., idle force, frictional force, and return force) to the pedal, thus providing the feel of a mechanical pedal in an electronic pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Kongsberg Automotive Holding ASA, Inc.
    Inventors: Chuck Peniston, Sean Rick, William Doucet
  • Patent number: 8250946
    Abstract: A vehicle, comprising a brake operating lever, mounted to pivot on a lever bracket, a coupling unit, which couples a brake cable to the brake operating lever, a locking device with teeth and a locking bolt, tensioned against the teeth by means of a first spring element and a release unit, with at least one first lever, said locking bolt and the first lever having an articulation. A parking brake which permits a secure braking and release and also avoids making noise on operation and on releasing may be achieved, whereby the articulation for the locking bolt and the first lever is arranged on the lever bracket and the articulation is provided on the lever bracket in a displaceable manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Edscha Betaetigungssysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Klaus Lesche