Patents by Inventor Xiaolan Ai

Xiaolan Ai 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: 20020187871
    Abstract: A hub assembly, which accommodates rotation about an axis with a change in angular velocity, includes a carrier that is attached to a supporting structure, a shaft having a pair of sun rollers located in the carrier, a hub having a pair of rings, each surrounding a different sun roller, and planet rollers arranged in two rows between the sun rollers and the rings. The sun rollers have tapered raceways, as do the rings, and the planet rollers have tapered side faces along which they contact the raceways. The carrier has axles about which the planet rollers rotate, with each axle supporting a roller of each row. These rollers bear against each other at beveled end faces such the rollers on each axle back each other. Each roller contains an antifriction bearing which enable it to revolve on its axle and transfer radially and/or axially directed loads to the carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Publication date: December 12, 2002
    Applicant: The Timken Company
    Inventors: Xiaolan Ai, Terry W. Mohr
  • Patent number: 6406399
    Abstract: A planetary traction drive transmission has a sun roller provided with two inner raceways which are presented outwardly and taper downwardly away from each other. It also has two outer rings located within a housing, with the rings surrounding the sun roller and having tapered raceways presented inwardly toward the tapered raceways of the sun roller. In addition the transmission has planet rollers which are organized in two rows, there being a separate row within each ring. The rollers have tapered side faces along which they contact the raceways of the sun roller and the rings. They are also organized in pairs, with a roller of each row forming a pair. The rollers of a pair contact each other at beveled end faces on the rollers, and thus each roller of the pair serves to back and axially position the other roller of the pair. At all lines of contact between the rollers and the raceways and between the rollers themselves pure rolling contact, characterized by the absence of spinning, exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventor: Xiaolan Ai
  • Patent number: 6354745
    Abstract: An antifriction bearing having inner and outer races and rollers between the races accommodates axial misalignment of the races and also axial displacement of one race relative to the other. In one form, the inner race has a cylindrical raceway presented outwardly, whereas the outer race has a spherical raceway presented inwardly toward the cylindrical raceway. Each roller has two arcuate end surfaces and a cylindrical intervening surface. The arcuate end surfaces generally conform to and roll along the spherical raceway, while the cylindrical intervening surface rolls along the cylindrical raceway. In another form, the inner race has a spherical raceway that is presented outwardly and the outer race has a cylindrical raceway that is presented inwardly toward the spherical raceway. Each roller has two cylindrical end surfaces and an arcuate intervening surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventor: Xiaolan Ai
  • Patent number: 6238095
    Abstract: A tapered roller bearing has inner and outer races and tapered rollers organized in at least two rows, with the rollers of the one row being generally aligned with the rollers in the other row. The large ends of the rollers are presented toward each other so that the forces which urge the rollers of either row up their tapered raceways are resisted by the rollers of the other row. The end faces of the aligned rollers in the two rows contact each other or else contact rollers of an intervening row. The geometry of the rollers and the raceways along which they roll are such that, when one race rotates relative to the other race, pure rolling contact exists between the side faces of the rollers and the raceways and pure rolling contact also exists at the end faces of the rollers. Moreover, the lines of contact for the aligned rollers of any set are synchronized and the rollers are stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventor: Xiaolan Ai
  • Patent number: 6095940
    Abstract: A planetary traction drive transmission has an inner shaft provided with two inner raceways which are presented outwardly and taper downwardly away from each other and an outer ring having two outer raceways which are presented inwardly, surround the inner raceways, and likewise taper downwardly away from each other. In addition, the transmission has tapered rollers arranged in two rows between the opposing inner and outer races. The rollers of each row are on apex and in line contact with the inner and outer raceways between which they are located. Moreover, they are arranged in pairs, with the rollers of each pair being generally aligned and backing each other. Indeed, at their large ends the rollers have conical end faces, and the rollers in each pair contact each other along those conical end faces, there being line contact here as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventors: Xiaolan Ai, Thomas J. Rybkoski
  • Patent number: 5975762
    Abstract: A tapered roller bearing has inner and outer races and tapered rollers organized in at least two rows, with the rollers of the one row being generally aligned with the rollers in the other row. The large ends of the rollers are presented toward each other so that the forces which urge the rollers of either row up their tapered raceways are resisted by the rollers of the other row. The end faces of the aligned rollers in the two rows contact each other or else contact intervening elements such as cylindrical rollers or a separating disks. The geometry of the rollers and the raceways along which they roll are such that, when one race rotates relative to the other race, pure rolling contact exists between the side faces of the rollers and the raceways and pure rolling contact also exists at the end faces of the rollers. Moreover, the lines of contact for the aligned rollers of any set are synchronized and the rollers are stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventor: Xiaolan Ai