Patents Examined by Thomas Williams
  • Patent number: 7338037
    Abstract: A rubber bearing with a bearing body implemented as an elastomer spring, wherein the spring travel of the bearing body is limited in at least one damping direction by path delimiters. The path delimiter(s) are formed by at least two corresponding stop elements, whereby the spring travel of the elastomer bearing body in the respective direction is determined by the spacing or gap between the stop faces of the stop elements which form the path delimiter. The rubber bearing is constructed so that it can adapt to changing preloads. The path delimiter is designed so that the position of one of its stop elements can be changed, the spacing between the stop face of this stop element and that of the corresponding stop element can be changed, and the new position of the corresponding stop element can be fixed again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Hubert Siemer, Frank Duisen, Frank Tepe
  • Patent number: 7328887
    Abstract: An air spring spacer for use in mounting an associated air spring in spaced relation to an associated vehicle component. The air spring spacer includes a spacer body, a first indexing feature, and a second indexing feature complementary to the first indexing feature. The indexing features providing for self-alignment of the spacer in a predetermined orientation upon the application of an axial force. A kit is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: BFS Diversified Products, LLC
    Inventor: Joshua R. Leonard
  • Patent number: 7328776
    Abstract: A brake device for a strap-reel frame is installed on the frame body of the strap-reel frame for braking the inner and the outer disc pivotally fitted on the horizontal shaft of the frame body. The brake device includes a swinging rod having one end pivotally connected with a preset portion of the frame body above the horizontal shaft and able to be actuated to swing downward by its own gravity. The swinging rod has its intermediate portion fixed with two brake blocks able to be moved downward together with the swinging rod to push against the outer circumferential edge of the inner disc and stop the inner disc from rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Inventor: Hsiu-Man Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 7318503
    Abstract: A brake caliper mounting clip is disposed between a brake caliper having a brake pad channel and a brake pad having an edge member. The edge member moves in the brake pad channel between a rotor gap and a caliper housing. The clip further comprises a pad holding portion slidingly engaged with the edge member and having a plurality of pad retaining members. The pad retaining members are connected to the pad holding portion and disposed between the edge member and the rotor gap. The plurality of the pad retaining members is further configured to prevent the brake pad from falling into the rotor gap. Additionally the edge member of the brake pad and the plurality of pad retaining members are configured to prevent improper installation of the brake pads in the caliper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Akebono Corporation (North America)
    Inventor: Muhammad Farooq
  • Patent number: 7316457
    Abstract: A motion control apparatus for a four-wheel drive vehicle performs over-steer suppressing control when the vehicle is in an over-steer state so as to apply a braking force to a front wheel located on the outer side of a turning locus without lowering engine output, and performs LSD control for the front/rear wheels when the obtained difference between wheel speeds of the left and right wheels exceeds an allowable limit so as to apply a braking force for suppressing idle rotation to the one of the left and right wheels that is of higher wheel speed. During execution of the over-steer suppression control, the braking force for suppressing front-wheel idle rotation to be imparted to the front wheel located on the inner side of the turning locus by means of the front-wheel-side LSD control is lowered, whereby the rear wheels become unlikely to produce excessive idle rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignees: Advics Co., Ltd., Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Taniguchi, Koji Tanimoto, Yoshiyuki Tanaka, Jun-ichi Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 7314257
    Abstract: A vehicle brake system includes a brake actuator associated with a tire, the brake actuator having at least one moveable brake component, and a brake control system. The brake control system is operative to determine a target position of the at least one moveable brake component based at least in part upon a relationship between an actual tire/road friction force and a target tire/road friction force, and to control actuation of the brake actuator based at least in part upon the target position of the at least one moveable brake component and at least in part based upon a current position of the at least one moveable brake component. The target tire/road friction force may be determined based at least in part upon a relationship between vertical force acting on the tire, optimal tire slip, slip angle, at least one road dependant parameter, and at least one tire dependant parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Haldex Brake Products AB
    Inventors: Jacob Svendenius, Peter Nilsson, Ola Nockhammar
  • Patent number: 7314123
    Abstract: A parking brake equalizer includes: a main body including side plates and a back plate to have a U shape, and accommodating output members; and a resin member disposed within the main body. The main body has engaging holes provided in the back plate, allowing connecting members connecting the output members and braking devices to extend outwardly of the main body while inhibiting the output members from passing therethrough; inserting holes provided in one of the side plates such that the output members are insertable into the main body therethrough; and slits provided to connect the inserting and engaging holes, for enabling the connecting members to be insertable therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignees: Toyota Iron Works Co, Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Sakashita, Takumi Uno, Toshiro Takeshima, Masayuki Shimizu, Takuya Inaba
  • Patent number: 7314125
    Abstract: Impact attenuating/spring systems may include first and second body portions and at least one spring member at least partially included between the body portions. The spring member(s) may substantially enclose and/or be pivotally engaged with the body portion(s). The components of the impact attenuating and spring element may be arranged such that when a force is applied to the body portion(s), the spring member(s) will exert a counter force to urge the impact attenuating and spring element back toward its original orientation. The spring members may include one or more polymeric element that stretches under a tensile force. The impact attenuating and spring elements may be included in a piece of footwear or other device in a manner such that a user or a retailer (or others) can select an appropriate spring member (or portion thereof), e.g., depending on characteristics of the user or the intended use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Patricia Louise Smaldone, Michael A. Aveni, Fred G. Fagergren
  • Patent number: 7311182
    Abstract: To make a sealing and guiding packet available to shock dampers in order to minimize or even entirely prevent the negative effects of the so-called stick-slip effect and thus permit greater riding comfort, a sealing and guiding packet is proposed which comprises the following features: a) A cylindrical gasket (6) surrounding an oscillating piston rod (10) and in contact with the latter, which has a first and a second end face (6a, 6b) and a cylindrical mantle surface (6c), b) a cylindrical elastomer element (7) surrounding the ring (6), which has two radially extending flanges (7a, 7b), which thrust the ring (6) resiliently against the end faces, and which [elastomer element] has a radially extending third flange (7c) which biases the ring against the piston rod surface; as well as c) tightening elements (1; 1.1, 1.2, 1.3; 4) which in the working state keep the elastomer element (7) under bias both in the axial and in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Thyssenkrupp Bilstein GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Nevoigt, Steffen Lang
  • Patent number: 7308976
    Abstract: A suspension damper includes a housing bounding a main chamber. A hydraulic fluid is disposed within the main chamber. A piston rod is selectively movable between an advanced position wherein a portion of the piston rod is advanced into the main chamber and a retracted position wherein the portion of the piston rod is retracted from the main chamber, wherein as the piston rod is moved a fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid within the main chamber progressively increases and a portion of the hydraulic fluid passes through a passage within the housing. A control valve is at least partially disposed within the main chamber, the control valve being moved by the fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid so as to progressively restrict the flow of the hydraulic fluid through the passage as the fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid within the main chamber progressively increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Turner Technology Group
    Inventor: Roy A. Turner
  • Patent number: 7309111
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pressure medium-actuated brake system of a tractor-trailer combination comprising at least one first brake circuit and one second brake circuit. The inventive brake system contains a multiple-circuit braking power sensor, which is connected to a first compressed-air reservoir for the first brake circuit and to a second compressed-air reservoir for the second brake circuit. The brake system also contains an electronic controlling and regulating unit, a control valve device and a tractor protection valve, which can be brought into connection with at least one compressed-air reservoir and via which a brake pressure for a brake system of the trailer can be controlled. The invention provides that at least the multiple-circuit braking power sensor and the control device are placed in immediate proximity to one another and are combined to form a modular unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Knorr-Bremse Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Herges, Bernhard Schwendemann
  • Patent number: 7306077
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a fail-safe skate retarder that applies a braking force proportional to the weight of a rail car entering the retarder. Each segment of the retarder includes a lever mechanism with a pair of levers rotatably joined under the running rail. Each lever holds a braking rail for engaging a wheel of the car. The retarder is normally in a lower, fail-safe position with the brake rails closer together than the width of the wheel. When the car enters the retarder, the wheel forces the brake rails apart into a braking position, and the middle of the lever mechanism rises to lift the running rail and car. A hydraulic power unit and cylinder is activated to raise the middle of the lever mechanism even further to a release position so that the brake rails are spread apart more than the width of the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: AAA Sales + Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Heyden, Mark Zawlocki
  • Patent number: 7303242
    Abstract: An adaptation to a vehicle antilock braking system modulator to increase the initial displacement of the master cylinder, provide quicker system response and improved pedal feel. A solenoid assembly is added to the non fluid side of each of the low pressure accumulators in the ABS modulator. Upon the operator initiation of a brake apply, the solenoids are energized to immediately push upon the sump pistons and inject fluid from the low pressure accumulators into the brake system. This extra “shot” of fluid decreases the amount of fluid that the master cylinder delivers to the brake system. This improves pedal feel as it reduces the required initial pedal travel for a given brake system displacement. The low pressure accumulator pistons are spring balanced to ensure retention of fluid between brake applies and to allow normal ABS operation. During ABS operation, the low pressure accumulator displacer solenoids are de-energized to allow effective operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: John Edmund Mackiewicz
  • Patent number: 7303241
    Abstract: A pump drive motor control apparatus controls a motor used for driving a hydraulic pump. Every time the supply of electricity to the motor is resumed (every time the motor control signal changes from a low level to a high level), the apparatus measures a time which the voltage generated by the motor requires to decrease by a predetermined amount, the time indicating the decreasing speed of the generated voltage. The apparatus normally sets the high-level maintenance time, in which the motor control signal is maintained high, to a base time. When a state in which the measured time is not longer than a reference time is detected a predetermined number of times (3 times) or more, the apparatus determines that the load of the pump is heavy. In such a case, the apparatus increases the average rotational speed of the motor by increasing the high-level maintenance time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichi Kokubo
  • Patent number: 7303052
    Abstract: A device for tightening and loosening a bicycle's brake wire is provided, which is installed between a handbrake operating device and a handbrake assembly of the bicycle. The device is mainly composed by a knob structure, a seat structure, and a tubular element. The knob structure and seat structure are configured such that their total length changes as the knob structure is twisted, which in turn tightens or loosens the brake wire of the bicycle. The gap between the handbrake assembly's brake pads therefore could be narrowed for the handbrake's normal operation, or loosened for dismounting the bicycle's wheel quickly and conveniently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Inventor: Szu-Fang Tsai
  • Patent number: 7300118
    Abstract: A vehicle brake system includes a source of fluid pressure adapted to supply a braking force a brake actuator including a parking brake chamber, and a combination valve fluidly coupling the brake actuator to the source of pressure, the combination valve having an inlet fluidly coupled to the source of pressure and an outlet fluidly coupled to the brake actuator. The combination valve includes within a single housing (i) a solenoid responsive to electrical signals to move from one position in which the parking brake chamber is fluidly coupled to the source of pressure in order to pressurize the parking brake chamber and release the parking brake, and another position in which the parking brake chamber of the brake actuator is vented in order to exhaust pressure within the parking brake chamber so that the parking brake is applied, and (ii) at least one of a manifold, an inversion valve, a double check valve and an anti-compounding valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Haldex Brake Corporation
    Inventors: Joe Hoover, Robert Rudolph, David G. Engelbert, Noble Hamilton
  • Patent number: 7293842
    Abstract: An electrical control network is laid over one or more vehicle dynamics control and/or ride control systems of a heavy vehicle, which control network controls actuation of components thereof. The invention offers many advantages including reduction of components, simplified design, unified communication for numerous different types of system components, simplified resolution of conflicts between competing control strategies, expandability to additional vehicle systems, and flexibility to upgrade for new, improved vehicle control schemes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Haldex Brake Products Ltd.
    Inventors: Paul Bale, Robert David Prescott, Peter Nilsson, Anders Lindqvist
  • Patent number: 7290759
    Abstract: A vibration isolation platform utilizes a plurality of viscoelastic polymer blocks sandwiched between rigid plinths or boards and stacked on top of one another to provide vibration damping additively per layer of the sandwich. Smaller viscoelastic blocks are positioned between the edges of the plinths and the sidewalls of a framework in which the sandwich is mounted to compensate for lack of shear stress in the larger blocks. The platform is pre-loaded to optimum isolation and locked down at the required compression. Optimum isolation is achieved for any electronic component positioned on the platform up to the design weight limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Inventor: Joe Lavrencik
  • Patent number: 7284748
    Abstract: A vibration damping mount includes: a substantially annular damping member having an insertion hole, through which the bolt to be attached to an attachment boss is inserted, and externally surrounds the bolt; a grommet that includes a first retaining section for retaining a heat shield, a second retaining section for retaining the damping member, and a coupling section for coupling the first retaining section and the second retaining section, the second retaining section, the coupling section, and the first retaining section being provided in this order from the attachment boss side; and a collar member that includes a pair of flange sections, which nip the damping member from both sides in an axial direction with gaps formed on both the sides, and a coupling section, which couples the pair of flange sections each other and has a gap in a radial direction between the coupling section and the damping member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Sanwa Packing Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuaki Mishima
  • Patent number: 7275795
    Abstract: A hybrid system for a vehicle which can ensure a braking stability on a slippery road is provided. Therefore, the system is provided with a motor 2 a rotation force of which is transmitted to a rear wheel 7, braking actuators 57, 67 which brake the front wheel 6 and the rear wheel 7, and proportional valves 53, 63 controlling a braking force introduced into each braking actuator 57, 67. A control unit 20 is so provided that the control unit 20 calculates a required braking energy based upon a vehicle operating condition in demanding a braking and operates the motor 2 as a power generator to generate a power so as to produce the calculated braking energy, as well as controls a braking force of the front wheel 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Nishina, Yuuji Suzuki, Tatsuji Miyata