Patents Examined by Thomas E. Lazo
  • Patent number: 11131330
    Abstract: A hydraulic cylinder may include a cylindrical tube, a piston head with a piston rod disposed within the cylindrical tube, a cylinder head secured in one tube end of the cylindrical tuba and having the piston rod extending through a piston rod opening, and a cylinder cap with a cap sealing portion inserted in the opposite tube end of the cylindrical tube. The tube end is crimped down onto the cap sealing portion so that a tube material of the cylindrical tube is disposed within the plurality of annular cap grooves in the cap seal portion to retain the cylinder cap. The cylinder head may have a similar plurality of annular head grooves, with the corresponding tube end being crimped down onto the cylinder head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Tony Barton Davis, Thomas Kwok Fai Yeung, Richard Griffith Marsh
  • Patent number: 11125252
    Abstract: A hydraulic system may include a reservoir of hydraulic fluid, a hydraulic pump, a directional control valve, a hydraulic work loop, a bypass valve, and a hydraulic motor, as well as a plurality of hydraulic conduits interconnecting such components. When excessive hydraulic backpressures are encountered, the system may employ one or more bypass valves and one or more bypass conduits to automatically, and in an on-demand manner, return some or all of the hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic motor to the hydraulic reservoir without the hydraulic fluid passing through flow constrictions causing the excessive hydraulic backpressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: PACCAR INC
    Inventors: Donald Carl, Bill Werner, Floyd Hendrix, Jacob Smarker
  • Patent number: 11125065
    Abstract: Energy may be stored by injecting fluid into a fracture in the earth and producing the fluid back while recovering power and/or desalinating water. The method may be particularly adapted to storage of large amounts of energy such as in grid-scale electric energy systems. The fracture may be formed and treated with resin so as to limit fluid loss and to increase propagation pressure. The fluid may be water containing a dissolved salt or fresh water and a portion or all of the water may be desalinated using pressure in the water when it is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Quidnet Energy Inc.
    Inventors: Howard K. Schmidt, Aaron H. Mandell
  • Patent number: 11118681
    Abstract: A piston and cylinder assembly of an axial piston machine is disclosed which includes a cylinder having a uniform internal diameter, a cylindrical bushing press-fit against the inner surface of the cylinder and extending at least partially therein, the bushing comprising at least one circumferential groove formed on an outer surface of the bushing against the inner surface of the cylinder, a piston reciprocably disposed within the cylindrical bushing, generating a piston-bushing-interface, the piston and the bushing defining a diametrical clearance therebetween, the diametrical clearance defining a lubrication gap and a fluid-dynamic seal between the piston and the cylindrical bushing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Lizhi Shang, Shanmukh Sarode, Andrea Vacca
  • Patent number: 11118362
    Abstract: A method and system for the hydraulic control of a concrete placing boom (14) comprising a plurality of boom arms (16), wherein hydraulic drive cylinders (18) for the boom arms (16), which are connected to one another in an articulated manner, are controlled by a hydraulic circuit (34), wherein a supply pressure is supplied via a hydraulic pump (32) to the hydraulic circuit (34), and wherein a pressure signal is captured in the drive cylinders (18) by at least one pressure sensor (38) for each cylinder. The maximum pressure in the drive cylinders (18) is determined from the pressure signals and the supply pressure is adjusted by an electronic control unit (36) according to the maximum pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Putzmeister Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Münzenmaier, Francisco Martin Brugué
  • Patent number: 11111908
    Abstract: A hydrostatic system has a pressure source and a hydraulic motor or a consumer. An additional hydraulic motor/pump unit is furnished for controlling the volumetric flow for the consumer or the power output of the hydraulic motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Voith Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Rommel, Bert Brahmer
  • Patent number: 11109534
    Abstract: Hydraulic power savings for a rear module handler cylinder of a round module cotton harvester is possible by using a regenerative hydraulic arrangement for raising an empty handler and using gravity to lower the handler. A bale handler system for a cotton picker baler includes a handler for receiving a round module that is movable between upright and lowered positions and a handler cylinder operably connected to the handler. The handler cylinder system includes a regenerative valve. The regenerative valve is engaged when the handler moves to the upright position during regenerative handler raise mode of operation, the regenerative valve is not engaged when the handler moves to the lowered position during float handler lower mode of operation. While in the float handler lower mode of operation, the handler cylinder retracts and diverts an oil flow pressure from a base end to a rod end of the handler cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Steven D. Wallestad, Mark A. Cracraft, James T. Noonan
  • Patent number: 11105067
    Abstract: A hydraulic excavator includes: a revolving frame; a work implement including a first actuator and a second actuator; a control valve; and a first pipe through which hydraulic oil flows between the control valve and each of the first actuator and the second actuator. The first pipe includes: a first conduit connected to the control valve; a second conduit and a third conduit that are connected to the first actuator and the second actuator, respectively; and a first branch portion at which the first conduit branches into the second conduit and the third conduit. A first region and a second region are on one side and the other side respectively with respect to the virtual straight line passing through a center of swing of the revolving frame. In the first region, a work implement is disposed. In the second region, the control valve and the first branch portion are disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Katsunaga Kashima, Shoichiro Asai, Katsuya Ino
  • Patent number: 11105405
    Abstract: A hydrokinetic torque coupling device for coupling together driving and driven shafts, comprises a casing, impeller and turbine wheels, a torsional vibration damper, a turbine hub non-rotatably connected to the turbine wheel, and first and second vibration absorbers. Each of the first and second vibration absorbers is one of a dynamic absorber and a pendulum oscillator. The turbine hub is non-rotatably coupled to a driven member of the torsional vibration damper. The first vibration absorber is mounted to the turbine hub and the second vibration absorber is mounted to one of the turbine hub and the casing. The first vibration absorber and the second vibration absorber are tuned to address different orders of vibrations. The dynamic absorber includes an inertial member and a connecting plate coupled to the inertial member. The pendulum oscillator includes a support member and flyweights configured to oscillate relative to the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: VALEO KAPEC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Alexandre Depraete
  • Patent number: 11098736
    Abstract: A cylinder housing 12 includes a cylindrical cylinder portion 21 which extends in the direction of a center axis line Z and a bent portion 22 which is bent with respect to the cylinder portion 21 and extends inward in a radial direction from an end portion of the cylinder portion 21, the cylinder portion 21 includes a first cylinder portion 25 and a second cylinder portion 26 which is located on the side of the bent portion 22 in the first cylinder portion 25 and is connected to the bent portion 22, a thickness B of the second cylinder portion 26 is equal to or larger than a thickness A of the first cylinder portion 25, and a thickness C of the bent portion 22 is larger than the thickness A of the first cylinder portion 25.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: SANOH INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Huy Hung Ha
  • Patent number: 11092146
    Abstract: A pump includes a pump body. The pump may also include a pump mounting flange configured to mount the pump to an engine flange including four clocked mounting holes. The pump mounting flange may include a first set of four mounting holes corresponding to the four clocked mounting holes in a first orientation. The pump mounting flange may include a second set of four mounting holes corresponding to the four clocked mounting holes in a second orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: FNA Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Gus Alexander, Richard J. Gilpatrick
  • Patent number: 11092175
    Abstract: A dual-independent hybrid actuator system includes an actuator body defining a hydraulic chamber. The actuator system includes a hydraulic piston assembly, including a hydraulic piston disposed within the hydraulic chamber and dividing the hydraulic chamber into a first hydraulic sub-chamber in fluid communication with a first hydraulic fluid passage and a second hydraulic sub-chamber in fluid communication with a second hydraulic fluid passage. The actuator system further includes a piston rod mounted to the hydraulic piston that passes through the second hydraulic sub-chamber with a distal end that projects outward from the actuator body. The actuator system further includes an electric motor mounted to the actuator body, and a threaded axle mechanically coupled to a motor shaft of the electric motor. The threaded axle passes through the first hydraulic sub-chamber and engages with a threaded port formed in the hydraulic piston assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: David E. Blanding, Jeffrey C. Coffman, Jimmy M. Quiambao
  • Patent number: 11092173
    Abstract: A flow control circuit for an actuator is provided. The actuator includes a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber experiences a volume change that is larger than a volume change experienced by the second chamber upon actuation of the actuator. The flow control circuit includes a first port configured to be connected to the first chamber, a second port configured to be connected to the second chamber, and a flow control valve assembly including one or more valves configured to provide a flow of pressurized fluid from a pressurized fluid source to one of the first and second ports along a fluid supply path and further configured to provide a flow of fluid from the other of the first and second ports to a fluid sink along a fluid return path. The flow control circuit further includes a fluid bypass path comprising a bypass valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
    Inventor: Mikkel Aggersbjerg Kristensen
  • Patent number: 11085532
    Abstract: A hydraulic system may include an electrohydraulic control valve disposed in fluid communication between a source of pressured fluid and a hydraulic actuator. The hydraulic system may be controlled to correct for offset errors between a target actuator pressure and a current actuator pressure output from the control valve, without amplifying pressure oscillations in the fluid between the control valve and the hydraulic actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Steven P. Moorman, Christopher J. Weingartz
  • Patent number: 11085173
    Abstract: A hydraulic system of a construction machine includes: a pump that supplies hydraulic oil to a hydraulic actuator; a control valve on a center bypass line extending from the pump to a tank, the control valve including a bypass passage; an unloading valve on the center bypass line downstream of the control valve; and a controller that controls the unloading valve. The control valve is configured such that an opening area of the bypass passage is greater than an opening area of the unloading valve while an operation signal outputted from an operation device increases from a predetermined value to a first setting value, and such that the opening area of the bypass passage is less than or equal to ¼ of a maximum opening area of the bypass passage when the operation signal is greater than or equal to a second setting value greater than the first setting value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro Kondo, Naoki Hata
  • Patent number: 11084476
    Abstract: A vacuum brake booster includes: at least one movable wall, which separates a working chamber and a vacuum chamber in the vacuum brake booster from one another, and a control valve unit, which is coupled to the at least one movable wall, the control valve unit comprising a guide sleeve and an actuation piston guided displaceably in the control valve unit, which actuation piston is actuatable by way of a force input member which can be coupled in particular to a brake pedal, the actuation piston having at least one first valve seat, which in the open state is used to connect the working chamber to the ambient atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: ZF Active Safety GmbH
    Inventor: Jaroslav Kolar
  • Patent number: 11081904
    Abstract: This method is used to manage a pressure accumulator (1) as a component of an energy storage system, consisting of a work machine (4), a collecting tank (7), a displacement apparatus (6) and a pressure accumulator (1) for storing a pressurised gaseous medium. The pressure accumulator (1) is partially filled with a liquid medium so as to be able to control the gas storage volume therewith. Feeding compressed gas (3) into the pressure accumulator (1) involves removing liquid (2). Removing compressed gas (3) from the pressure accumulator (1) involves feeding in liquid (2) so that the storage pressure is kept under control as necessary, in particular is kept constant. To this end, one pressurised unit of gas (3) is introduced into the pressure accumulator (1) with the removal of one unit of liquid (2) from the pressure accumulator (1) by means of the displacement apparatus (6) and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: GREEN-Y ENERGY AG
    Inventors: Rafik Barhoumi, Patrick Baumann, Dominik Schnarwiler
  • Patent number: 11078933
    Abstract: A rotary joint, including: a hydraulic follow-up mechanism and a rotary transmission mechanism. The hydraulic follow-up mechanism includes a cylinder body, a valve sleeve, a valve core, a valve body, a left end cover and a right end cover. The rotary transmission mechanism includes a tray, a stabilizing ring, a follow-up disk, a torque transfer disk and a stable supporting wheel mechanism. The left end cover and the right end cover are arranged at the left and right ends of the cylinder body, respectively. The valve body is concentrically mounted in a cylindrical hollow chamber of the cylinder body. The output shaft at the right end of the valve body projects out of the right end cover. The right end of the valve core is provided with a valve core torque transfer shaft extending rightwards through the right end of the valve body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: WUHAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Lin Jiang, Xiaoyue Pan, Wei Xie, Tixian Tian, Lisheng Ren, Zhao Wang, Liang Zhou, Zhipeng Yu, Han Wang, Xumin Gao, Hui Zhao, Jianyang Zhu
  • Patent number: 11073171
    Abstract: A hydraulic system includes: an operation device that outputs an operation signal corresponding to an operating amount of an operating unit; a variable displacement pump that supplies hydraulic oil to a hydraulic actuator; a control valve interposed between the actuator and pump, the control valve changing a meter-in opening area thereof, so an increase rate of the opening area increases in accordance with increase in the operation signal; a regulator that adjusts a tilting angle of the pump; an unloading valve that defines an unloading flow rate, at which the hydraulic oil is released to a tank; and a controller that, when the operation device is operated, determines a control valve required flow rate so rate is proportional to the meter-in opening area of the control valve, and controls the regulator so a discharge flow rate of the pump is a sum of the control valve and unloading flow rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro Kondo, Makoto Itoh, Hideyasu Muraoka
  • Patent number: 11073170
    Abstract: A hydraulic system including: a pressure line; a pump; an actuator; a valve device configured to control the flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the actuator; an electronic control unit configured to control the valve device by a control signal proportional to the desired speed of the actuator at any given time; a pressure accumulator capable of supplying, together with the pump, pressurized hydraulic fluid for moving the actuator; a sensor device configured to measure, directly or indirectly, the amount of pressurized hydraulic fluid in the pressure accumulator at any given time; setting devices configured to set a setting signal to be proportional with the desired speed of the actuator at any given time. The electronic control unit is configured to restrict the targeted speed of the actuator not to exceed a predetermined maximum speed which is proportional to the amount of pressurized hydraulic fluid in the pressure accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: NORRHYDRO OY
    Inventors: Ari Lappalainen, Mika Sahlman, Jussi Mäkitalo, Peter Stambro