Patents Examined by Vicky A. Johnson
  • Electro-mechanical interface for an appliance
    Patent number: 10928070
    Abstract: An electro-mechanical interface device for an appliance. The device including: a mounting element having a first side and a second side, the mounting element having a mounting aperture from the first side through to the second side; a first selection element in the form of a hollow sleeve that is partially located through the mounting aperture from the first side of mounting element; and a fastening ring engages the first selection element from the second side of mounting element, such that the first selection element is releasably retained from being withdrawn from the mounting aperture, wherein the first selection element is rotatable with respect to the mounting element. The device may further include a hub element is located within the circular-sleeve of the first selection element that restricts separation of the first selection element from the fastening ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: BREVILLE PTY LIMITED
    Inventors: James George Morton, Gerard Andrew White
  • Multi-purpose removable gear shift knob
    Patent number: 10914371
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a multi-purpose removable gear shift knob disposed on a gear shift lever in a vehicle. In one aspect, a removable gear shift knob includes a body comprising a central aperture for receiving the gear shift lever and a plurality of compartments disposed around the central aperture. An individual compartment of the plurality of compartments is configured to hold one or more accessories, where the one or more accessories are selected from: one or more screwdriver bits, one or more light emitting diodes (LED), and a battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: James D. Cunningham, Scott L. Frederick, Paxton S. Williams
  • Touch-pad integrated steering wheel for a motor vehicle
    Patent number: 10906401
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a steering wheel and a touchpad integrated into the steering wheel, situated in a channel, and adapted to input commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventor: William Brian Lathrop
  • Steering assembly
    Patent number: 10899380
    Abstract: A steering assembly includes a steering member and an adjustment assembly. The steering member has a first side, a second side adjacent the first side, a third side adjacent the second side and disposed opposite the first side, and a fourth side adjacent the third side and disposed opposite the second side. The adjustment assembly includes a first adjustment member and a second adjustment member. The first adjustment member is arranged to apply a first biasing force to the first side and a second biasing force to the second side. The second adjustment member is arranged to engage the third side and the fourth side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Augustine
  • Gearbox with a housing which has a lower housing part, onto which an upper housing part is placed
    Patent number: 10900558
    Abstract: A gearbox includes a housing, which has a lower housing part onto which an upper housing part is placed. The lower housing part and the upper housing part are in physical contact along a contact surface, for example, so that the contact surface between the lower and upper housing part lies in a plane and/or is planar. Cooling fins are situated on the housing, the cooling fins having a curved characteristic such that a portion of an axially directed airflow streaming along the housing, and thus in particular an airflow that is streaming parallel to the axis of rotation of the input shaft, is deflected in a transverse direction between two cooling fins disposed closest to each other in the axial direction in each case, the axial direction, for example, being parallel to the contact surface, e.g., the plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: SEW-EURODRIVE GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Christopher Blickle
  • Supporting apparatus for steering gear box
    Patent number: 10889315
    Abstract: A supporting apparatus for a steering gear box includes a pressing yoke part for supporting a side surface of a rack bar to be engaged with a steering input gear in a shape to wrap the side surface of the rack bar, a supporting yoke part provided in a mounting groove together with the pressing yoke part, an elastic link part formed of an elastic material and extending from the pressing yoke part to be inserted into the supporting yoke part, a cover part provided at a position opposite to the supporting yoke part and shielding an inlet of the mounting groove, and a pressing part located between the supporting yoke part and the cover part and pressing the supporting yoke part by a predetermined elastic force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tae Yoon Kim
  • Crankshaft
    Patent number: 10890208
    Abstract: A crankshaft includes a plurality of journals, a plurality of pins, and a plurality of crank arms. The journals are coaxially disposed with the rotational center of the crankshaft. The pins are decentered with respect to the journals. Each of the crank arms is disposed between one journal and one pin to join the one journal with the one pin. One or more of the crank arms integrally include a counterweight. The counterweight includes two side surfaces. An added layer of a material different from that of a crankshaft body is provided on each of side surfaces of the counterweight. When the Young's modulus of the added layer is E and the Young's modulus of the material of the crankshaft body is E0, E/E0 is 0.2 to 0.4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukihiko Kimura, Kenji Tamura, Hiroshi Nogami, Sam Soo Hwang, Kunihiro Yabuno
  • Threaded couplings with locking
    Patent number: 10883531
    Abstract: A threaded coupling comprises a first coupling member, a second coupling member and a locking assembly. The locking assembly comprises a locking member comprising a pin portion fixed to a flexible cable portion, and a lock nut. When the first coupling member is coupled to the second coupling member the locking assembly is arranged to restrict radial, circumferential and axial movement of the pin portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: CROMPTON TECHNOLOGY GROUP LIMITED
    Inventor: Dale V. L. Faulkner
  • Height extension of analog stick
    Patent number: 10884447
    Abstract: An input device with adjustable height is provided. The input device may be an analog stick. The input device may include a cap and a base. The cap may include a top section and a connector. The connector may include a plurality of magnets over-moulded on the connector. The base may include a stem that defines a space into which the connector may be inserted thereby mounting the cap on the base. The stem may include a first metal structure and a second metal structure over-moulded on the stem. The connector may be held at a first position with regard to the stem when the plurality of magnets attaches to the first metal structure. The connector may be held at a second position with regard to the stem when the plurality of magnets attaches to the second metal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: RAZER (ASIA-PACIFIC) PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Chun Chiang Chan
  • Crank handle assembly
    Patent number: 10877506
    Abstract: In combination with a crank assembly, the improvement comprising an apparatus for improving operation of the crank assembly. The apparatus includes an an end cap of a predetermined material, an elongated extension member having each of a predetermined shape, a first predetermined length and formed of a first predetermined material, such predetermined shape includes a projection on one end thereof for engagement with one end of the crank assembly. A sleeve is disposed around at least a portion of the elongated extension member, such sleeve having a second predetermined length and formed of a second predetermined material. There is a means for securing the sleeve to the elongated handle member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Inventor: Brian Herd
  • Electronic shift control device
    Patent number: 10871222
    Abstract: An electronic shift control device includes: a shift slider which is movable in a shift direction; a shift body under the shift slider and is movable according to the movement of the shift slider; and a bracket which is arranged under the shift slider and receives the shift body. The shift body includes elastic member receiving grooves and hinge protrusions. A hinge elastic member supporting the shift body is in the elastic member receiving groove. The bracket includes a hinge protrusion recess receiving the hinge protrusion. The shift slider is located at a reference position, and when the shift slider moves from the reference position in the shift direction, the hinge protrusion moves along the hinge protrusion recess, and a shift stage is changed, and the shift slider which has moved in the shift direction returns to the reference position by an elastic restoring force of the hinge elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: KYUNG CHANG INDUSTRIAL CO., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Won Kim, Yong Soo Kang
  • Secondary park lock actuator
    Patent number: 10865879
    Abstract: In at least some implementations, a park lock release actuator includes a housing, a drive member and a retainer. The drive member is received at least partially within the housing for rotation about an axis relative to the housing between a first position and a second position. The retainer has a first position in which rotation of the drive member is prevented and a second position in which rotation of the drive member is permitted. At least one of the retainer and the drive member moves relative to the housing in a direction different from the rotation of the drive member so that the path of motion of the retainer between the first position and second position of the retainer is different from the path of motion of the drive member between the first position and second position of the drive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Inventors: David Legault, John Sayeau
  • Tri-axial ergonomic footswitch
    Patent number: 10864054
    Abstract: A foot-operated controller includes a base configured to rest on a floor surface, and a movable contact surface coupled to the base. The contact surface includes an anterior region to support a toe region and a posterior region to support a heel region, and is configured to roll about a roll axis in response to inversion or eversion of a foot engaged with the contact surface, pitch about a pitch axis in response to plantar flexion or dorsiflexion of the foot, and yaw about a yaw axis in response to abduction or adduction of the foot. The roll, pitch, and yaw axes intersect at a point superior to the contact surface, and may align with the operator's ankle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Mauricio Jochinsen, Fred Mercado, Lingfeng Yu
  • Air-guiding device
    Patent number: 10859150
    Abstract: A device for cooling a transmission unit having front cooling fins and rear cooling fins includes a front air guiding blade and a rear air guiding blade. The front air guiding blade is configured to guide air from the underbody flow to the front cooling fins. The rear air guiding blade is configured to guide air from the underbody flow to the rear cooling fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Benno Dahl, Thomas Wolf
  • Lubricated absorber system
    Patent number: 10844929
    Abstract: A mass damper system has a damper mass carrier and a damper mass movably received at the damper mass carrier a lubricant supply, a lubricant collector, and a lubricant distributor radially offset to one another with the damper mass carrier, the lubricant supply arranged at a shorter radial distance from a central axis than the lubricant collector, and the lubricant distributor arranged at a greater radial distance from the central axis than the lubricant collector to collect lubricant supplied by the lubricant supply and to guide the lubricant through the lubricant distributor to the damper mass. A stop arrangement limits a deflection path of the damper mass relative to the damper mass carrier, and the lubricant distributor has a lubricant feed that leads from the lubricant collector to a constructional unit requiring intensive lubrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Kyrill Siemens, Andreas Orlamünder, Paul Weber, Peter Hammer, Daniel Pittner
  • Steering-wheel core
    Patent number: 10843256
    Abstract: A steering-wheel core eliminating or reducing the need to perform finishing processing after casting and decreasing a manufacturing cost even when the steering-wheel core is cast using a molten metal process. The steering wheel core includes a boss core portion coupled to a steering shaft, a rim core portion and a spoke core portion. The boss core portion forms a nut seat surface that makes contact with a nut when the nut is fastened to a distal end of the steering shaft. A recess is formed in the nut seat surface depressed toward a back surface side of the boss core portion. The recess is preferably provided in an annular form so as to surround the circumference of the nut seat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Kensaku Kitajo, Jun Kato
  • Master console for surgical robot
    Patent number: 10835334
    Abstract: Provided is a master console for a surgical robot. The master console includes: a base unit including a first base and a second base, the first and second bases being provided parallel to each other; and a foot pedal unit between the first base and the second base, wherein the foot pedal unit includes at least one foot pedal switch capable of being manipulated by a foot of an operator, a foot panel configured to support the at least one foot pedal switch, and a footrest extending outward from the foot panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: meerecompany Inc.
    Inventor: Hyung Keun Lim
  • Steering wheel spinner
    Patent number: 10829142
    Abstract: A steering wheel spinner is incorporated within an outer steering wheel. The spinner assembly is fashioned as an inner steering wheel secured within the circumference of the outer steering wheel. The inner steering wheel is capable of full 360° rotation relative thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Inventor: Douglas E. Andersen
  • Famor extension brake
    Patent number: 10824184
    Abstract: I was training my teen student driver on the road when I came up with this brilliant yet innovative idea. It is very hard to control the vehicle by just merely yelling “BRAKE” to the student driver. It is unfair to other motorists the risk they are unknowingly taking without an absolute control of the vehicle of a professional driver who is just sitting on the passenger side. In view of this unsafe training condition, I designed and fabricated a Famor Extension Brake. It is a mechanical device that is easily installed on any motor vehicle without modifications. Using this device, the passenger can independently apply the brake to the vehicle when the driver fails to do so. These can be a student, old or destructed drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Inventor: Allan Rubia Famor
  • Vehicle power transmission device
    Patent number: 10816080
    Abstract: In a vehicle power transmission device including a case housing a power transmission mechanism and a cover covering a side surface of the case in a vehicle width direction, the cover includes a stepped portion with a vehicle rear-side portion projecting outward in the vehicle width direction in a horizontal cross section, a front-side extending portion extending from the stepped portion to the vehicle front side and a plate-shaped inclined rib disposed at a corner portion between the stepped portion and the front-side extending portion, and inclined toward the front-side extending portion from a leading end portion of the stepped portion to the vehicle front side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Marina Hirata, Seitaro Nobuyasu, Hiroshi Hata, Shigetsugu Iwata, Atsushi Kawamoto