Patents Examined by Travis Coolman
  • Patent number: 9010777
    Abstract: A skateboard truck assembly comprising a base plate, a hanger, and at least one tensional and/or compressible member interposed therebetween that utilizes rotation of the hanger to at least partially and temporarily deform the tensional and/or compressible member, thereby creating zones of tension and/or compression within the tensional and/or compressible member and facilitating smooth, near frictionless, and efficient motion of the skateboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Braden Boards, LLC
    Inventors: Jared Braden, Roger Braden
  • Patent number: 9010470
    Abstract: Wheeled vehicles, such as wheelchairs, that are adapted to traverse obstacles are provided. The wheeled vehicles include a frame, drive wheels, front anti-tip wheels positioned in front of the drive wheels and rear anti-tip wheels positioned behind the drive wheels. One exemplary vehicle includes front anti-tip wheels supported by rigid arms that are fixed to the frame and drive assemblies that are independently suspended from the frame. Another exemplary vehicle includes a linkage that links the front and rear anti-tip wheels, such that movement of one of the front or rear anti-tip wheel relative to the frame causes movement of the other wheel relative to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Invacare Corporation
    Inventors: Robert L. Cuson, Robert A. Bekoscke, Daniel J. Strothard
  • Patent number: 9004207
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a charging unit for externally charging a power storage unit with electric power received from an external power supply, and an electric power generation unit capable of generating electric power from drive force received from an engine. The power storage unit is configured to be internally chargeable with electric power received from the electric power generation unit. The vehicle travels in selected one of EV priority mode restricting internal charging of the power storage unit and HV priority mode controlling internal charging such that a state of charge of the power storage unit is kept within a predetermined range. When a predetermined operating condition is satisfied while the vehicle is traveling, a control apparatus generates an operation request to the engine. The control apparatus changes the operating condition of the engine depending on whether the mode is EV priority mode or HV priority mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Toyoda Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryuta Teraya
  • Patent number: 8991835
    Abstract: Lightweight inexpensive sleds, made of tough plastic or similar material, are disclosed for transporting injured people or inert loads. Tensile towing forces applied to a strap are distributed to avoid tearing the sled body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: ARC Products, LLC
    Inventors: Bryan A. Wolf, Clifford G. Adkins
  • Patent number: 8991533
    Abstract: An air cleaner device includes an air cleaner case having a case main unit and a cover. An intake duct is disposed on the cover, and an intake path is disposed on the case main unit. An air cleaner element is formed in a position biased on a side of the cover relative to fastening surfaces of the case main unit and the cover. The cover and the air cleaner element are integrally removable relative to the case main unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Abe, Takaaki Shomura, Hidetoshi Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8978798
    Abstract: One embodiment relates to a hybrid vehicle drive system for a vehicle including a first prime mover, a first prime mover driven transmission, a rechargeable power source, and a PTO. The hybrid vehicle drive system further includes a hydraulic motor in direct or indirect mechanical communication with the PTO and an electric motor in direct or indirect mechanical communication with the hydraulic motor. The electric motor can provide power to the prime mover driven transmission and receive power from the prime mover driven transmission through the PTO. The hydraulic motor can provide power to the prime mover driven transmission and receive power from the prime mover driven transmission through the PTO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Odyne Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Thomas Dalum, Joseph Mario Ambrosio
  • Patent number: 8973689
    Abstract: An electrically powered vehicle, for example a motorcycle. Disclosed is a vehicle (1) having a rider saddle (7) and a vehicle frame (10) having two frame profiles (11) extending up to a steering head (5) spaced away from each other and the vehicle (1) comprising at least one front wheel (3) guided at a front wheel guide (2) of the vehicle frame (10) and at least one rear wheel (17) guided at a rear wheel guide (13) and the vehicle having a electrically operated drive motor (30) as well as an electrical energy storage device (16) and a drive motor controller (41) and that between the drive motor (30) and a driving wheel a drive train is provided and that the energy storage device (16) is mountable between the frame profiles (11) above the drive motor (30) and the energy storage device (16) is releasably defined at a drive unit (28) mounting the drive motor (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: KTM Sportmotorcycle AG
    Inventors: Bernhard Plazotta, Alexander Rauscher
  • Patent number: 8960346
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a battery cooling structure of a hybrid industrial vehicle such as a hybrid forklift, the battery cooling structure being capable of sufficiently cooling a battery and also of eliminating the possibility that the battery receives heat from its peripheral devices. To achieve the object, a second cooling air flow passage (35) for battery is provided separately from a first cooling air flow passage (31) in which a radiator (32) is disposed. A battery pack 26 or a battery is disposed in the second cooling air flow passage (35). The second cooling air flow passage (35) is connected to the first cooling air flow passage (31) at a position upstream of a cooling fan (33) disposed in the first cooling air flow passage (31), so that the cooling fan (33) sucks cooling air in the first cooling air flow passage (31) and also sucks cooling air in the second cooling air flow passage (35).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyomitsu Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8955627
    Abstract: An electric vehicle has simple structure allowing effective cooling of on-board batteries collectively disposed within a swing arm. The electric vehicle includes a swing arm that houses an electric motor that is swingably mounted to a vehicle body and drives a drive wheel WR, and batteries of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. A wide case portion that houses the batteries is formed at a position toward a pivot shaft of the swing arm. Also, a protruding portion for forming an air reservoir space above the batteries is formed at a roof portion of the wide case portion. The batteries are disposed side by side in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body. The protruding portion, in a side view of the vehicle body, is substantially convex protruding upward across the batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kaoru Hatanaka, Yoichi Taniguchi, Atsushi Yonehana
  • Patent number: 8950761
    Abstract: A collapsible infant carrier apparatus comprises a support frame including front and rear leg frames and a handle, and a linkage frame pivotally connected with the front leg frame and the handle. A first latch mechanism is connected between the handle and the linkage frame, wherein the first latch mechanism is operable to lock the handle in position relative to the linkage frame. A second latch mechanism is connected between the linkage frame and the front leg frame and having a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein the second latch mechanism when in the locked state locks the linkage frame with the front leg frame, and the second latch mechanism when in the unlocked state enables rotation of the linkage frame relative to the front leg frame. The infant carrier apparatus can be collapsed by rotating the linkage frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Wonderland Nurserygoods Company Limited
    Inventor: Xuhui Chen
  • Patent number: 8950532
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hub reduction gear (10) for a driving wheel (20) of a wheeled vehicle with a planetary gear unit, which has a sun gear (12) connectable to a drive shaft (38a, 38b), a carrier (14) for planet gears (16), which are in mesh with the sun gear (12), and a ring gear (18) being in mesh with the planet gears (16). The planet gear carrier (16) and the ring gear (18) are configured to be alternately connected to the driving wheels (20) of the vehicle and being alternately connectable to a body-fixed part (24). The invention also relates to a driveline for a multi shaft, wheel supported vehicle with a hub reduction gear (10) of planetary gear type at the driving wheels of the vehicle, wherein the planet gear carrier and the ring gear of the planetary gears on at least one side of the vehicle are configured to be alternately connected to the driving wheels of the vehicle and being alternately connectable to a body-fixed part of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: BAE Systems Hägglunds Aktiebolag
    Inventor: Assar Christensen
  • Patent number: 8944443
    Abstract: A foldable golf bag cart includes a connecting seat that has two tubular walls, each of which is formed with an interior pivot hole and a swing hole, and a positioning member that is movably mounted on a rear wheel leg. The swing hole has a swing section, an abutment section, and an insert section. When the positioning member is moved in the insert section, the rear wheel leg is pushed into the abutment section so that the rear wheel leg is prevented from moving forwardly and rearwardly. When the positioning member is disengaged from the insert section, the rear wheel leg extends into the swing section and is movable forwardly to a folded position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Macauto Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Paul Lin
  • Patent number: 8944451
    Abstract: A retractable vehicle step is attachable to a vehicle or truck. The vehicle step facilitates access to a cargo hold of the vehicle. Advantageously, the vehicle step may be pulled out from under the vehicle by the foot of a user. The vehicle step desirably has a covered and protected biasing mechanism for transitioning between retracted and extended positions of the stepping member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Lund Motion Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Horst Leitner, Anthony Smith
  • Patent number: 8944441
    Abstract: The steering assembly is applicable to a human-driven vehicle having a chassis (1) mounted on self-orienting wheels (2). The steering assembly comprises a steering unit (50b) with a steering wheel (4) installed on a mobile support and maintained out of contact with the ground by elastic means at an end (1b) of the chassis (1), and a control unit (50a) with a command member (7) in another end of the chassis. The units are connected by transmission devices (19, 20, 21). The command member (7) is manually operable to lower the steering wheel (4) against the force of said elastic means and to make the steering wheel (4) rotate with respect to a substantially vertical shaft when the wheel (5) is in contact with the ground to steer the vehicle. The elastic means automatically lift the steering wheel (4) when the manual operation of the command member (7) ceases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Inventias Engineering, S.L.
    Inventor: Fernando Esteban Araya Moreno
  • Patent number: 8939456
    Abstract: A mounting system used for connecting an automated running board (ARB) assembly to a vehicle. The mounting system includes a rocker stay, at least one rocker attach bracket connected to the rocker stay, and a bridge bracket. The bridge bracket is connected to an automated running board assembly, and the rocker stay is connected to the bridge bracket. The rocker stay is attached to a rocker molding of the vehicle, and the bridge bracket is attached to an outer door sill of the vehicle and the automated running board assembly, securing the mounting system to the vehicle, and the automated running board assembly to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Magna International Inc.
    Inventors: James Walter Shelswell, Sackda Samatchai, Kenji Shirai
  • Patent number: 8925661
    Abstract: Wheel drive motors (8) constituted of electric motors for driving rear wheels (7) are provided on a vehicle body (2) of a dump truck (1). Each wheel drive motor (8) is connected to a main power generator (12) through a bidirectional converter (20) and the like and driven by power supplied from the main power generator (12). A resistor (21) that consumes regenerative power from each wheel drive motor (8) is connected to the bidirectional converter (20). Cooling air is supplied to the resistor (21) from a blower (24). Operations of a switch (23) of the resistor (21) and the blower (24) are controlled by a controller (28). A mode selecting switch (29) for selecting a heating mode (A), a blowing mode (B), and a heating and blowing mode (C) is connected to the controller (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshikazu Minoshima, Kichio Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8919806
    Abstract: A foldable stroller has a frame assembly with a fold joint, a fold joint, a handle push arm, a front leg with an upper end connected to the fold joint, a rear leg extending down from and pivotally connected to the fold joint, and a drive link. The drive link has a rear end pivotally coupled to the rear leg below the fold joint and a front end pivotally coupled to a lower end of the push arm. The frame assembly is reconfigurable between an unfolded and a folded configuration. In the folded configuration, the fold joint moves upward along the handle push arm. The rear end of the drive link and the rear leg are moved toward and lie closely adjacent the front leg and handle push arm. The frame assembly may automatically move to the folded and/or unfolded configuration. The foldable stroller may also stand upright in the folded configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Pollack, Louis Doucette, Thomas M. Perrin, William Forbes, Alan W. Ball, Kelly Hon
  • Patent number: 8910953
    Abstract: A device (1) for generating tensile force and/or pressing force to thereby actuate at least one brake means (19) so as to brake or lock at least two caster wheels (11) of a mobile appliance includes at least one lever (5, 7) prepared for rotation thereof about a fulcrum (15); and at least one transmission means (9) disposed at the lever (5, 7) for transmitting the tensile force and/or pressing force generated during a rotation of the lever (5, 7) to the brake means (19). In addition, a mobile rack and device thereby equipped are specified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Faulhaber
  • Patent number: 8910736
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hub reduction gear (10) for a driving wheel (20) of a wheeled vehicle with a planetary gear unit, which has a sun gear (12) connectable to a drive shaft (38a, 38b), a carrier (14) for planet gears (16), which are in mesh with the sun gear (12), and a ring gear (18) being in mesh with the planet gears (16). The planet gear carrier (16) and the ring gear (18) are configured to be alternately connected to the driving wheels (20) of the vehicle and being alternately connectable to a body-fixed part (24). The invention also relates to a driveline for a multi shaft, wheel supported vehicle with a hub reduction gear (10) of planetary gear type at the driving wheels of the vehicle, wherein the planet gear carrier and the ring gear of the planetary gears on at least one side of the vehicle are configured to be alternately connected to the driving wheels of the vehicle and being alternately connectable to a body-fixed part of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: BAE Systems Hägglunds Aktiebolag
    Inventor: Assar Christensen
  • Patent number: 8905168
    Abstract: A utility vehicle comprises a driver seat; a passenger seat positioned such that the passenger seat and the driver seat are arranged side by side in a rightward and leftward direction; a console box provided between the driver seat and the passenger seat; a shift lever operated by a driver to perform a shifting operation; and a grab member provided in the vicinity of the passenger seat and secured to the vehicle body frame; wherein the shift lever is provided between the driver seat and the passenger seat and is positioned closer to the driver seat than a center of the console box in the rightward and leftward direction; and the grab member is provided between the driver seat and the passenger seat and is positioned closer to the passenger seat than the center of the console box in the rightward and leftward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kaku, Chad Enger, Brian Butler, Yoshinori Tsumiyama, Jun Takagi