Patents Examined by Thomas Diaz
  • Accelerator apparatus
    Patent number: 8783129
    Abstract: A limiting portion of a support member, which rotatably supports an accelerator pedal, forms a gap between a contacting portion of the accelerator pedal and the limiting portion in a state where the accelerator pedal is rotated in a depressing direction. A cover member is provided to one of the support member and the accelerator pedal and covers the gap at any rotational position of the accelerator pedal within a rotatable range of the accelerator pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Saito, Haruhiko Suzuki, Takashi Hamaoka, Yoshinori Inuzuka
  • Crank assembly for a bicycle bottom bracket assembly, shaft and crank arm thereof
    Patent number: 8770061
    Abstract: A crank assembly for a bicycle's bottom bracket assembly comprises a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis, at least one crank arm associated with at least one free end of said shaft, first front coupling means formed on said shaft and second front coupling means formed on said at least one crank arm, said first and second front coupling means being coupled together. In particular, the aforementioned first and second front coupling means comprise respective front toothings. The front coupling is located in an end zone, or on the outside, of a bottom bracket assembly's shaft's housing box formed in the bicycle's frame. The front coupling introduces a structural discontinuity between crank arm and shaft, for which reason the bending load exerted on the crank arm during pedaling is transmitted to the shaft to a small degree. Such a structural discontinuity is located at the shaft/crank arm interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Campagnolo S.R.L.
    Inventors: Mario Meggiolan, Maurizio Valle
  • Reduced mass crankshaft
    Patent number: 8757027
    Abstract: A crankshaft for an engine having an odd number of cylinders is provided. In one example, the crankshaft includes a central pin coupling a first and a second asymmetric counterweight and a pair of pins coupling cheeks absent counterweights. The crankshaft can improve engine balance at least during some conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Rick L. Williams
  • Control lever device for work vehicle
    Patent number: 8739650
    Abstract: A control lever device for a work vehicle. The control lever device comprises a plurality of control levers to be movable along paths arranged in parallel with each other, a vertical limit member including lever openings formed therein for the plurality of control levers and extending to allow the movement of the control levers, dust-proof members movable along the back surface of the vertical limit member following the movement of the control levers to close the lever openings, lateral limit members for limiting displacement of the dust-proof members in a lateral direction relative to the moving direction of the control levers, and a base defining a movable surface for the dust-proof members. The vertical limit member and the lateral limit members are formed as a single cover to cover the dust-proof members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Masumoto
  • Sliding bezel
    Patent number: 8733204
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a control knob bezel plate for a barbecue grill. The preferred bezel plate assembly of the present invention comprises a bezel plate, a control knob, a control panel, a gas control valve, and two anchors. The preferred bezel plate includes a raised annular portion which serves as a frame for the control knob. Both the preferred bezel plate and the control panel include two parallel slots which are adapted to engage with the anchors. The two parallel slots in the bezel plate are aligned generally transverse to the two parallel slots in the control panel. The bezel plate is connected to the control panel by means of the anchors which are configured to slide within the slots. In this manner, the bezel plate can be adjusted in two dimensions with respect to the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Weber-Stephen Products Co.
    Inventors: Roy N. Voss, Adrian A. Bruno
  • Rolling bearing device and spindle
    Patent number: 8734021
    Abstract: By incorporating a pump for sucking and discharging lubricating oil in a tank for storing the lubricating oil on an outside of a rolling bearing, for example, on a spacer for an outer ring in a housing for accommodating the rolling bearing and a nozzle in which an lubricating oil outlet communicating with a discharging port of the pump to supply the lubricating oil discharged from the pump to the rolling bearing is opened in an annular-shaped space between a fixed ring and a rolling ring in the rolling bearing, a cost is reduced by using a general-purpose rolling bearing, and at the same time, external devices and pipes for a lubrication are not required wholly or partially and problems of a noise made by compressed air are eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya Suzuki, Kiyoshi Tanimoto, Hiroshi Ueno, Shinji Fukuda
  • Selectively filled composite steering wheel
    Patent number: 8726761
    Abstract: A steering wheel for a vehicle includes a hollow shell with a first interior chamber. The steering wheel further includes an outer skin on an exterior of the hollow shell. An interior filler may be positioned in at least the first interior chamber. The hollow shell may be molded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Brent T. Elkin, Larry M. Wilmot, Valerie D. Gardner
  • Gear shift operating device
    Patent number: 8720300
    Abstract: A bicycle gear shift operating device is a device configured to be mounted to a handlebar. The bicycle gear shift operating device includes at least one operating lever, a support member that supports the operating member and a mounting member that supports the support member on a handlebar. The mounting member has a mounting portion configured to be attached to the handlebar and a fastening portion that is configured to fasten the support member. The mounting member is configured to be selectively fasten the support member in either a first mounting orientation in which the fastening portion is offset in a first axial direction of the handlebar from the middle portion or a second mounting orientation in which the support member is offset in a second axial direction that is opposite the first axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Etsuyoshi Watarai, Kanji Kirimoto, Kenji Ose, Kazutaka Fukao, Yoshimitsu Miki
  • Axle with variable volume sump
    Patent number: 8707826
    Abstract: An axle having a variable volume sump. The axle includes an axle housing that defines a gear chamber and a separate reservoir. The gear chamber and the reservoir are in fluid communication with each other via an opening. A regulator is located adjacent the opening. The regulator is operable to assume a first closed position that obstructs the opening when a temperature in the axle is below a predetermined value, and is also operable to assume a second open position that places the gear chamber and the reservoir in fluid communication via the opening when the temperature is above the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Chrysler Group LLC
    Inventors: Lourens M. Jacobs, Gerald R. Thom, Joseph P. Elser, Muhammad Hamid Iqbal
  • Pedal apparatus for electric motorcar or for motor vehicle having throttle mechanism
    Patent number: 8708865
    Abstract: A pedal apparatus for an electric motorcar or for a motor vehicle having a throttle mechanism, includes: a brake pedal having a brake auxiliary pad to which a brake arm is connected; and an accelerator pad configured to be rotated in the lateral direction within a predetermined angle range for an accelerating operation. The accelerator pad is formed of a reinforced plastic and is formed with a convex-shaped projection at a midsection thereof, a distal end of the accelerator arm extending from a throttle position sensor mounted on a vehicle body and rotating a predetermined angle range is disposed so as to be in abutment with the accelerator pad, and the rotation angle detected by the rotation of the accelerator arm is transmitted to an accelerator or a throttle mechanism that controls a driving motor via the throttle position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Inventor: Masuyuki Naruse
  • Method of making a convertible push-bicycle
    Patent number: 8707825
    Abstract: The teachings provided herein relate to an articulable crankset for converting a pedal-powered vehicle into a push-powered vehicle having the articulable crankset in a retracted position to provide at least less of an obstruction to a user's legs during use of the push-powered vehicle than a non-retractable crankset. The vehicle can be a bicycle, and the articulable crankset can be a component of a production bicycle or a component of a conversion kit that will convert a bicycle from a pedal-powered bicycle to a convertible bicycle that can also function as a push-powered bicycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Kroozn, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Kinting Shiu, Vanessa Chen-Hwa Shiu
  • Containment reinforced flywheel
    Patent number: 8707821
    Abstract: An inertial energy storage rotor having a reinforcement harness encompassing its outer circumference and sides, and having improved adjustable tensioning spoke elements extending from said harness and attaches to flywheel hub. The adjustable tensioning spokes allow the harness to be evenly torqued around the perimeter and sides of the rotor to provide additional reinforcement allowing the rotor to withstand centrifugal forces higher than otherwise able.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Inventor: Patrick J Dugas
  • Rotating machine and additional ring
    Patent number: 8702311
    Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a technique for providing a stepped structure separately to a rotating shaft in a later step of assembly for preventing oil leakage from a bearing box. To this end, the rotating machine of the present invention includes a rotating shaft having a rotating member, a bearing device including a rotating shaft insertion hole larger in diameter than the rotating shaft, an oil thrower provided between an outer circumferential portion of the rotating shaft insertion hole and the rotating shaft, and an additional ring attached to the rotating shaft between the oil thrower and the rotating shaft such as to protrude in a radial direction of the rotating shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Matsuo, Hideyuki Toda, Taku Ichiryu
  • Variable radius lever arm assembly
    Patent number: 8689661
    Abstract: A curled variable radius lever comprises a lever arm 2 of variable effective length that curls and uncurls about a drive axis. In a preferred arrangement the lever assembly has a plurality of rigid blocks 3 articulated together by a chain 4 with link pivots 5 which are affixed to respective blocks 3. Each block 3 has a pair of facing walls 11 and a pair of facing mutually inclined sloping walls 12 which abut when the lever arm 2 is in a curled condition. The lever arm 2 is pulled into the curled condition by a coiled tension spring 13 and restrained in this position by a magnet 9. When it is uncurled the walls 11 abut. The chain 4 then prevents the arm 2 from bending further when a driving force is applied by users to a handle 6. The lever may be used with socket sets, yacht winch, fishing rod reel, a bicycle crank or a jack assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventor: Malory Maltby
  • Shaft member for fluid lubrication bearing apparatuses and a method for producing the same
    Patent number: 8678653
    Abstract: A low-cost shaft member for hydrodynamic bearing apparatuses restores the pressure balance in a thrust bearing gap formed on both axial sides of the flange portion in an early stage. A shaft material integrally having a shaft portion and a flange portion with a through-hole between both end faces of the flange portion is formed in a common forging step. As a result, the through-hole is formed to open to an inner diameter side of the bearing gaps avoiding the thrust bearing gaps formed on both end faces of the flange portion of the shaft member as a finished product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignees: NTN Corporation, Fukui Byora Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Yamashita, Natsuhiko Mori, Toshiyuki Mizytani, Takeshi Shimazaki, Koji Yamagata
  • Compression ring for an isolator in a motion transmitting remote control assembly
    Patent number: 8671798
    Abstract: An annular isolator (68, 70) is disposed in an open ended bore (66) of a support body (58) and surrounds an end fitting (26, 28) for attenuating vibrations therebetween. A cap (74) is disposed on the support body (58) to close the open ended bore (66). An inflexible compression ring (76) is sandwiched axially between the isolator (68, 70) and the cap (74) and in abutting engagement with a stop (78) to limit compression of the isolator (68, 70) from the cap (74). The compression ring (76) is inserted into the bore (66) prior to molding the cap (74) to limit compression of the isolator (68, 70) during fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Infac Corporation
    Inventor: Young Dae Kwon
  • Foot cradle apparatus of a muscle training device
    Patent number: 8667863
    Abstract: A foot cradle apparatus of a muscle training device is provided, having a foot cradle with a tread and a side wall at least partially limiting the tread, and a fixation unit for fixing a human foot in the foot cradle. A foot fixation unit that is simple to handle and has small dimensions and a low weight is created in that the fixation unit is formed as a lockable, pivotable bracket, whose pivot bearing has a pivot axis oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the foot cradle and is provided in a compact bearing unit which is connected fixedly at least indirectly to the foot cradle and which is attached to an inner side wall, close to the inner side of a patient's foot, of the foot cradle and is connected fixedly to the tread via the inner side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: medica-Medizintechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Christian May
  • Operating mechanism for a parking brake
    Patent number: 8667862
    Abstract: An operating mechanism for a parking brake includes a manual brake lever pivotably coupled to a bearing block and a locking device adapted to lock the manual brake lever into a position. The locking device includes a detent arranged on the manual brake lever and adapted to pivot around a pivoting axis, the detent having a bore, a locking segment connected to the bearing block, a spring element adapted to hold the detent into a locking position on the locking segment, and a connecting element adapted to secure the detent on the manual brake lever. The connecting element and the spring element jointly form a single structural unit adapted for insertion into the bore in the detent during installation of the detent on the manual brake lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Dietz-automotive GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Baris Barcin
  • Shifter
    Patent number: 8667861
    Abstract: A shifter is fixed on a handle of a bicycle and connected with a rear speed changer of a cable and contains: a body, a first bar, and a speed changing mechanism, the body including the first bar, a chamber to receive the speed changing mechanism, and two tabs, and each tab including a first hole, and the body including a first aperture arranged on a top end thereof and communicating with the chamber to insert the cable into the chamber via the first aperture so as to connect with a first seat, the body including a first retaining ring, the chamber including a first positioning pillar, an axial shaft, a second aperture, and a first returning spring, the first positioning pillar being provided to fix a first fixing piece in the chamber, and the axial shaft being used to axially position a first hook in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Inventor: Chang Hui Lin
  • Cam apparatus
    Patent number: 8661937
    Abstract: A cam apparatus of a suspended cam type includes a cam driver 2 having a sliding surface 9; a cam slide 3 which is moved with its sliding surface 28 in contact with the sliding surface 9 of the cam driver 2; a cam-slide supporting means 4 for supporting the cam slide 3 movably in an A direction; and a returning mechanism 5 for returning the cam slide 3 to its rear initial position in the A direction of that cam slide 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Oiles Corporation
    Inventor: Takayuki Miyaji