Patents by Inventor William M. Becker

William M. Becker 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: 20150175237
    Abstract: A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Brian Lampman
  • Publication number: 20150130263
    Abstract: An axle for removably retaining a wheel on a vehicle. The axle comprises a rotary-type connector at a first end thereof; a cam assembly operatively connected to the second end, the cam assembly including a cam having an axis of rotation; a lever operatively connected to a second end of the axle, said lever being rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cam, between an open position in which the axle is removable from and mountable on the vehicle and a closed position in which the axle is retained on the vehicle; and a cam assembly operatively connected to the second end; and a lever stop ensuring that an angle of maximum rotation for the lever from the closed position is less than 180 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: FOX FACTORY, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew LAIRD, Mario GALASSO, William M. BECKER, David M. HAUGEN
  • Patent number: 9027947
    Abstract: Embodiments of a fork brace for a bicycle are disclosed herein. In one aspect, a brace portion is integrally formed along with two tubular fork members and an overlay fits in a mating relationship with the brace portion to create a unitary, tubular brace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: Mario Galasso, William M. Becker, Andrew Laird
  • Patent number: 9004516
    Abstract: A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Fox Factory Inc.
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Brian Lampman
  • Publication number: 20140265226
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling a suspension. In one embodiment, a method includes altering a temperature of a first suspension component and then pressing the first suspension component and a second suspension component into engagement while the temperature remains substantially altered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Derek D. Beich
  • Publication number: 20140224607
    Abstract: A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Brian Lampman
  • Patent number: 8769793
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling a suspension. In one embodiment, a method includes altering a temperature of a first suspension component and then pressing the first suspension component and a second suspension component into engagement while the temperature remains substantially altered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Derek D. Beich
  • Patent number: 8727366
    Abstract: A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Incorporated
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Brian Lampman
  • Publication number: 20140102839
    Abstract: A modern suspension damper, for example, a shock absorber or a suspension fork, including an inertia valve and a pressure-relief feature is disclosed. The pressure-relief feature includes a rotatable adjustment knob that allows the pressure-relief threshold to be externally adjusted by the rider “on-the-fly” and without the use of tools.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: FOX FACTORY, INC.
    Inventors: William M. BECKER, Robert C. FOX, Dennis K. WOOTTEN
  • Publication number: 20130319805
    Abstract: An air bleed system for a suspension fork or shock absorber includes: a fluid passage between an interior of the suspension and an exterior of the suspension; and a manually operable valve having a first position substantially closing the fluid passage and a second position allowing fluid flow between the interior and the exterior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventor: William M. Becker
  • Patent number: 8496305
    Abstract: A furniture unit including a compartment that contains and conceals a subwoofer, wherein the compartment has vent openings that allow air and sound to pass freely between the subwoofer compartment and the outside of the furniture unit while concealing the subwoofer from the view of a person sitting within a typical viewing angle of a television that is placed on top of the furniture unit or mounted on the wall above the unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Becker Designed, Inc.
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Matthew Weatherly
  • Patent number: 8459418
    Abstract: A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Brian Lampman
  • Publication number: 20130134687
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a shock absorber for a vehicle having a gas spring with first and second gas chambers, wherein the first chamber is utilized during a first travel portion of the shock absorber and the first and second chambers are both utilized during a second portion of travel. In one embodiment, a travel adjustment assembly is configured to selectively communicate a first gas chamber with a negative gas chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventors: Andrew Laird, Sante M. Pelot, William M. Becker, Dennis K. Wootten
  • Patent number: 8398105
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing cavitation and its effects in a damper. The damper includes a flow dividing structure. In one embodiment, the structure is disposed in a valve including an annular flow path constructed and arranged to separate fluid into substantially separate streams as the fluid passes through the annular path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Sante M. Pelot, Joseph Franklin
  • Patent number: 8342488
    Abstract: An improvement to damping cylinders in which the damping fluid needs to be separated from a gas is disclosed. In particular, an annular bladder is used. An annular bladder allows for a control shaft to extend at least a portion of the length of the damping cylinder. This configuration effectively and simply reduces most issues that result from when an IFP is used for the same purpose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventor: William M. Becker
  • Publication number: 20120018265
    Abstract: A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Brian Lampman
  • Publication number: 20120001401
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling a suspension. In one embodiment, a method includes altering a temperature of a first suspension component and then pressing the first suspension component and a second suspension component into engagement while the temperature remains substantially altered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Derek D. Beich
  • Patent number: 8033368
    Abstract: A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Brian Lampman
  • Publication number: 20110215551
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a vehicle suspension system gas spring. In one embodiment, a vehicle suspension system gas spring includes a compressible main gas chamber and an additional volume combinable with the main chamber to change a gas spring rate of the system. In one embodiment, a low friction piston seal is created by a flexible seal member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Inventors: Mario Galasso, Josh Yablon, Andrew Laird, William M. Becker, Joseph Franklin, Dennis K. Wootten
  • Patent number: D644853
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Becker Designed, Inc.
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Matthew Weatherly, Cristian Wicha