Patents by Inventor Hongcai Wen

Hongcai Wen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230271464
    Abstract: A mobile robot tool has a wheel demounting sub-system mounted to a tool frame for screw disengaging fasteners from respective anchor elements integral with a hub of a vehicle from which the wheel is being demounted. Also mounted on the frame at are fastener storage seats for storing respective ones of the fasteners. A transfer mechanism is operable to remotely transfer disengaged ones of the fasteners from the anchor elements to respective ones of the fastener storage seats.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventor: HONGCAI WEN
  • Publication number: 20230076081
    Abstract: A robot tool for servicing a wheel positioned adjacent the robot tool and having an axis of rotation. The tool has a chassis which can be moved in any of rectilinear, curvilinear and spin motion on a support surface. A base mounted can be tilted from level and can be raised and lowered relative to the chassis. A wheel servicing sub-system mounted to the base has an operational axis and an interface part for mechanically engaging a corresponding interface part of a wheel being serviced in a mechanical engagement permitting wheel servicing by the servicing sub-system when the operational axis is aligned with the wheel axis of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventor: HONGCAI WEN
  • Patent number: 11472239
    Abstract: A robot tool has a chassis and a wheel servicing sub-system supported on the chassis, the wheel servicing sub-system having a sub-system interface part engageable with a wheel interface part, the wheel servicing sub-system interface part engagement with the wheel interface part permitting operation of the wheel servicing sub-system to service the wheel, and a control unit on the robot tool to control operation of the wheel servicing sub-system to effect said wheel servicing. The wheel servicing sub-system is one or more of a chassis sub-system, a tool support sub-system, a fastener detaching/attaching sub-system, a fastener storage sub-system, a jacking sub-system, a wheel gripper sub-system, a tire inspection sub-system, a tire pressure sub-system, and a wheel balancing sub-system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Inventor: Hongcai Wen
  • Publication number: 20210221457
    Abstract: Apparatus for use in robotic servicing of a vehicle has a frame defining a bay for receiving a laterally positioned vehicle and a hallway longitudinally adjacent the bay, the hallway accommodating a mobile robotic servicing sub-system. A wheeled chassis underlies and supports the frame with the top of the chassis providing a floor of the bay and the hallway. A deck is located above the bay and an automated robotic system is used to pick the component from the deck, move a component along the frame, and to lower the component into the hallway for release to and pickup by the mobile robotic servicing sub-system to enable servicing with the component of the vehicle by the mobile robotic servicing sub-system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventor: HONGCAI WEN
  • Patent number: 10926365
    Abstract: Screw fastener engaging/disengaging apparatus suitable for attaching/detaching wheels to/from vehicles has a frame and a set of parallel spindles mounted on the frame for holding one type of screw fastener at the spindle ends. The spindle ends are arranged in a circular array with the spindles rotatable about their longitudinal axes. The screw fasteners are configured for screw engagement with screw fasteners of another type mounted on a wheel attachment member to/from which a wheel can be attached/detached. An adjustment mechanism collectively changes positions of the spindle axes between a circular array with a first radius and a circular array with a second radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventor: Hongcai Wen
  • Publication number: 20200223675
    Abstract: A robot tool for automatically lifting/lowering a vehicle, comprising a control system, an image system, a plurality of jacks and a driving device, wherein said image system has aiming devices and can capture images above the jacks, the control system can exchange data with the outside world and store data which including commands, setup information, characteristic parameters and images of vehicles, the control system can obtain positioning images from image system containing information of relative position in horizontal direction between vehicle lifting points and the corresponding jacks, the control system can analyze said positioning images and compare them with the received data to navigate said driving device to move said jacks horizontally, so that each of at least two lifting points of said vehicle can be vertically aligned by a jack below, said control system is capable of operating the jacks 4 to raise or lower the lifted vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventor: HONGCAI WEN
  • Publication number: 20200001414
    Abstract: Screw fastener engaging/disengaging apparatus suitable for attaching/detaching wheels to/from vehicles has a frame and a set of parallel spindles mounted on the frame for holding one type of screw fastener at the spindle ends. The spindle ends are arranged in a circular array with the spindles rotatable about their longitudinal axes. The screw fasteners are configured for screw engagement with screw fasteners of another type mounted on a wheel attachment member to/from which a wheel can be attached/detached. An adjustment mechanism collectively changes positions of the spindle axes between a circular array with a first radius and a circular array with a second radius.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventor: HONGCAI WEN
  • Publication number: 20190389258
    Abstract: A robot tool has a chassis and a wheel servicing sub-system supported on the chassis, the wheel servicing sub-system having a sub-system interface part engageable with a wheel interface part, the wheel servicing sub-system interface part engagement with the wheel interface part permitting operation of the wheel servicing sub-system to service the wheel, and a control unit on the robot tool to control operation of the wheel servicing sub-system to effect said wheel servicing. The wheel servicing sub-system is one or more of a chassis sub-system, a tool support sub-system, a fastener detaching/attaching sub-system, a fastener storage sub-system, a jacking sub-system, a wheel gripper sub-system, a tire inspection sub-system, a tire pressure sub-system, and a wheel balancing sub-system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventor: HONGCAI WEN
  • Patent number: 8469358
    Abstract: A sheet medium transport apparatus has a sheet guide mechanism with drive rollers and reaction rollers mounted for gripping a sheet guided by the guide mechanism. The drive rollers provide a drive component in a transport direction and a transverse drive component for driving a sheet so that a side edge of the transported sheet lodges against a registration plate. Once the sheet is registered against the registration plate, drive from the drive rollers causes the sheet edge to slide past the registration plate in the transport direction with the drive rollers sliding over the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Delphax Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Hongcai Wen