Patents Examined by Troy Chambers
  • Patent number: 8869653
    Abstract: Provided is a drive apparatus of a hybrid vehicle, configured in such a manner that the occurrence of a resonance phenomenon is minimized and that the efficiency of utilization of the space occupied by a torque limiter mechanism is improved. A drive apparatus for a hybrid vehicle is configured in such a manner that a torque limiter is provided in the path of power transmission between an inner shaft and a generator at a position between the generator and a motor. The torque limiter axially overlaps with at least a part of the stator of the generator and/or at least a part of the stator of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Fujita, Toru Takahashi, Tatsuya Noda
  • Patent number: 8863600
    Abstract: A rack and pinion steering device which can restrict a pinion shaft from moving in an axial direction even when a snap ring of supporting a thrust load of the pinion shaft is detached or broken, and in which when the snap ring is detached or broken, the pinion shaft is moved to an upper side in the axial direction. Then, a raised portion of the pinion on a side of a lower end face is brought into contact with an outer peripheral face of a rack. The pinion shaft does not move further in the axial direction. Therefore, the thrust load can be supported, and a predetermined performance of the rack and pinion steering device can be maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Aizawa
  • Patent number: 8864613
    Abstract: A vehicle drive includes a first gear set and a second gear set both having a sun gear, a ring gear and planetary gears which couple the sun gear to the ring gear. The planetary gears of both sets are rotatably supported by respective planetary gear carriers which are coupled to each other. The vehicle drive also includes an engine, a first clutch which selectively engages the engine to the ring gear of the first gear set, a first motor/generator coupled to the sun gear of the first gear set and a second motor/generator coupled to the sun gear of the second gear set and electrically coupled to the first motor/generator, a second clutch which selectively engages the engine to the second motor/generator, and a third clutch and a third gear set which operate to selectively engage the ring gear of the second gear set to the planetary gear carriers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Morrow, Dave Steinberger, Eric Braun, Andrew Kotloski, Nader Nasr
  • Patent number: 8863602
    Abstract: An oilfield pumping unit two-stage transmission gear reducer includes a low speed stage having a low speed shaft configured to receive motion from an intermediate shaft. A first gear pair includes a low speed shaft double circular arc gear mounted on the low speed shaft and configured to be driven by an intermediate shaft double circular arc gear mounted on the intermediate shaft. A high speed stage includes a high speed shaft configured to receive motion from an intermediate shaft. A second gear pair has a high speed shaft involute gear mounted on the high-speed shaft and configured to be driving an intermediate shaft involute gear mounted on the intermediate shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Inventors: Weidong Gao, Liu Qiang
  • Patent number: 8863596
    Abstract: A Scotch yoke actuator is disclosed with a dual yoke and a diagonally symmetric design. A pair of shafts and pushing devices apply equal, opposing forces to the yoke, causing end loading forces applied to a rotatable shaft attached to the center of the yoke to be cancelled. In embodiments, the weight of the pushing devices is balanced about the yoke, each shaft extends in only one direction from the yoke, and/or the shafts are supported only by the yoke and the pushing devices. In embodiments that use yoke pins, the yoke pins include rollers or bearings to reduce friction, and/or two pair of yoke pin slots support protruding ends of the yoke pins. The yoke pin slots can extend to edges of a yoke housing face, allowing easy shaft removal and reinstallation, and each shaft can include a split end with extensions on opposing sides of the yoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Inventor: Edward G. Holtgraver
  • Patent number: 8863603
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gearshifting device (1; 100; 200), which is intended for a transmission and comprises a selector lever (2) that can be moved in such a manner that different shift positions (P, R, N, D, S, M+, M?) can be selected in at least two gearshift gates (3, 4) and that it is possible to shift between one of the gearshift gates (3, 4) and the at least one other gearshift gate (4, 3), and comprises at least one lock (5), which is used to block the traversing path of the selector lever (2) with respect to one of the gearshift gates (3, 4), in order to shift from one of the shift positions (P, R, N, D, S) into another of the shift positions (P, R, N, D, S).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: ECS Engineered Control Systems AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Pätzold
  • Patent number: 8863604
    Abstract: A drive apparatus for boarding and unboarding devices, in particular for passenger doors, boarding ramps, retractable steps and the like on public transport vehicles having an electric drive motor the driven element of which is connected to the input element of a first reduction gear the output element of which is coupled to the actuation devices for the boarding and unboarding devices where the drive apparatus is constructed as a compact drive where the electric drive motor, the first reduction gear and a second reduction gear as well as an energizable clutch are disposed axially behind each other inside a tubular housing between the first reduction gear and the second reduction gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Gebr. Bode GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Dirk Müller
  • Patent number: 8863606
    Abstract: A robot wrist structure includes a first wrist arm rotatable about a first axis, a second wrist arm provided in a tip end portion of the first wrist arm and configured to swing about a second axis substantially intersecting the first axis, a wrist flange provided in a tip end portion of the second wrist arm and configured to rotate about a third axis in a skew position with respect to the second axis, an intermediate member fixed to the wrist flange, and a cable bundle connected to an end effector fixed to the intermediate member. The cable bundle extends through the second wrist arm, the wrist flange and the intermediate member and drawn out from the intermediate member to reach the end effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Atsushi Ichibangase, Takashi Sanada, Kei Kamohara
  • Patent number: 8863926
    Abstract: An apparatus for transmitting power to a transmission input includes first and second sources of rotary power, first and second transmission input shafts, a clutch hub driveably connected to the first and second power sources, and first and second clutches secured to the clutch hub, for alternately closing and opening a drive connection between the first and second transmission input shafts and the clutch hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Shaun G. Knowles
  • Patent number: 8863599
    Abstract: A power steering apparatus including a rack gear and a pinion gear that are disposed within a housing and preloaded by a yoke assembly. The yoke assembly includes a bushing that is biased into engagement with the rack. A yoke plug extends through a yoke opening to provide a gear mesh load on the rack through the bushing assembly. The yoke body is axially assembled through a rack gear bore in the housing of the steering gear and a yoke assembly is inserted through a yoke bore to apply mesh preload to the bushing assembly. A method of making the yoke assembly by forming leaf springs that are over-molded to form a yoke body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: John Crossman
  • Patent number: 8863601
    Abstract: A ball screw device includes a screw engaged into a nut member for forming two or more endless ball guiding passages and for receiving a number of ball bearing members, the nut member includes two or more conduits and recesses communicative with the helical grooves of the nut member, two deflecting devices are attached to end portions of the nut member and each include an inner member attached to the nut member and having two or more pathways aligned with the recesses of the nut member, and an outer member attached to the inner member and coupled to the inner member with one or more radially extended protrusions for suitably guiding ball bearing members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hiwin Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Hsin Hua Chen, Jhe Kun Liou
  • Patent number: 8864624
    Abstract: A method for shifting a semi-automatic powershift transmission used in a motor vehicle during a manually triggered traction upshift involves the shift phases of the charging of an actuator of a clutch to be engaged, an overlap of the charging of the actuator of the clutch to be engaged and the emptying of an actuator of a clutch to be disengaged, and also involves an engine rotational speed alignment. The charging, the overlap and the engine rotational speed alignment are carried out simultaneously. In the shift process during a manually triggered shift, the driver perceives a change in engine rotational speed with only a minimal delay after the shift command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan-Peter Hoffmeister, Simon Dylla
  • Patent number: 8863617
    Abstract: A motor vehicle transmission having an input shaft, which can be coupled to a drive aggregate, an output shaft, which can be coupled to an output, and several shift elements. At least two shift elements, designed as clutches, are each coupled via an outer clutch plate carrier with the input shaft in such a way that an outer clutch plate carrier of a first radially outer clutch encloses an outer clutch plate carrier of a second radially inner clutch at least sectionally and radially outside. A drive gear is coupled to the input shaft through which a power take-off can be coupled to withdraw power from the input shaft or through which an auxiliary drive aggregate can supply power to the input shaft. The drive gear is linked through the outer clutch plate carrier of the radially inner clutch to the input shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Mario Holder, Dietmar Illerhaus
  • Patent number: 8863597
    Abstract: A device that produces linear motion by sequentially and in a continuous sequence accelerating inertial thrust masses at well defined times towards the axis of counter-rotating disks. The inertial thrust masses are contained in cavities placed equidistantly about the periphery of counter rotating capture disks mounted on a common axle. They are radially accelerated by a bi-directional impulse ramps that can be moved to any position around the periphery of the counter rotating capture plates and into and out of the paths of the gyrating thrust masses to any desired depth within the mechanical range of the impulse ramps which simultaneously engage and radially accelerate the inertial thrust masses of each counter-rotating capture plate. The counter-rotating capture plates are each separately driven by a gear assembly powered by an external engine or motor that powers the rotation of the disks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Inventor: Dennis J. Plews
  • Patent number: 8864325
    Abstract: A power transmission device which is free from a possibility of breakage of a driving member is provided. A stepping motor (driving member) 61a configured to be driven on the basis of a command signal from a controller 70, a lead screw portion 61c configured to be rotationally driven in association with the drive of the stepping motor 61a, and a power transmitting member 65 configured to move along an axial direction X of the lead screw portion 61c in accordance with the rotation of the lead screw portion 61c and transmit a power to a power transmitted member 42e are provided, and the controller 70 is configured to control the output of the command signal to the stepping motor 61a to be stopped when the power transmitting member 65 is not moved along the axial direction X.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Maruyama, Kouichi Jinushi, Yoshiko Adachi
  • Patent number: 8858387
    Abstract: A transmission with nine forward and one reverse gear comprises planetary gearsets, shafts and shift elements. A sun gear of a first gearset (P1) is connectable to a housing via a first brake (03) and couples the sun gear of the second gearset (P2). A carrier of the first gearset (P1) couples the ring gear of the fourth gearset (P4). A ring gear of first gearset (P1) is connectable to the housing by a second brake (04). The carrier of the second gearset (P2) couples the input which is connectable by clutch (15) to the fifth shaft (5). The fifth shaft (5) respectively couples the sun and ring gears of the fourth and third gearsets (P4, P3) and is connectable to a seventh shaft (7) by clutch (57). The seventh shaft (7) respectively couples the sun and ring gears of the third and the second gearsets (P3, P2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Josef Haupt, Martin Brehmer, Gabor Diosi
  • Patent number: 8857283
    Abstract: Ball screw comprising a ball nut (1), which is rotatably mounted on a threaded shaft and on the inner circumference of which at least one ball thread (2) wound around an axis (8) in a coil shape is provided for balls (3) to roll on, wherein at least one recirculating element (5), which is arranged on the outer circumference of the ball nut (1) and which is provided with a recirculating channel for the balls (3), connects a start of a coil to an end of a coil of the ball thread by means of the two ends of the recirculating element in order to enable endless recirculation of the balls (3), wherein the ball nut (1) is provided with a flange (6) for fastening a belt pulley (15) and with a bearing seat (9), and a sleeve (12) pushed onto the ball nut is provided with a perfectly cylindrical outer circumferential surface, which outer circumferential surface secures the recirculating element (5) on the ball nut (1) and surrounds the ball nut (1) in a tubular shape between the flange (6) and the bearing seat (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Presta AG
    Inventors: Alexander Kiforiuk, Dennis Kontner, Jules Ngamga Nzepa, Philippe Steck
  • Patent number: 8857285
    Abstract: A saddle type vehicle having mounted thereon a power unit is provided with a twin clutch type transmission including a pair of main shafts and a pair of clutches along different axes, to enable a compact layout of axes and a reduction in size of the unit and its surroundings. The axis center (first main axis) of a first main shaft is disposed rearwardly of the axis center (crank axis) of a crankshaft and forwardly of the axis center (counter axis) of a counter shaft, whereas the axis center (second main axis) of a second main shaft is disposed rearwardly of the axis center (counter axis) of the counter shaft and forwardly of the axis center (pivot axis) of a pivot shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Fujimoto, Kinya Mizuno, Yoshiaki Tsukada, Takashi Ozeki, Kazuhiko Nakamura, Mitsuo Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8857287
    Abstract: A vehicle shifter 1 comprises a shifter body 2, a shift lever 3, an interlocking member 4, and a selecting return spring 5 serving as a biasing member. The interlocking member 4 is configured such that a front end thereof is pivotally supported by the shifter body 2, and a rear end thereof is swingingly movable around the front end as a swing center during a manual operation for moving the shift lever 3 in a selecting direction. The selecting return spring 5 is configured to pull the rear end of the interlocking member 4 toward a rear end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takushi Ujimoto
  • Patent number: 8857289
    Abstract: Automotive push-pull type transmission shift cable assemblies are disclosed that meet new specifications for extended performance at high temperatures, including certain embodiments suitable for use at elevated temperatures of at least 165° C. The cable comprises a conduit and a core wire extending through the ends of the conduit to a shifter end portion and transmission end portion. The transmission end portion comprises a core wire length adjuster and a conduit end fitting. The core wire length adjuster comprises a core wire adjuster isolator and a retainer cap. At least certain embodiments of the transmission shift cable assemblies pass one or a combination of the following tests: a. Lash 200,000 Cycles Test, b. Attachment Pin Installation 200,000 Cycles Test, c. Attachment Pin Extraction 200,000 Cycles Test, and d. Cable Efficiency Test e. In-Vehicle Routing 165° C. Cable Strength Test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Dura Operating, LLC
    Inventors: Donald Gene Gordy, Kent Birt