Patents Issued in January 31, 2012
  • Patent number: 8104815
    Abstract: An arm-folding mechanism for use in a vehicle-mounted radiation imaging system. The vehicle includes a vehicle body behind a driving cab. The vehicle body includes a generator cabin and a control cabin. The arm-folding mechanism includes a vertical detection arm, a main arm frame, and a hinged mechanism hingedly connecting the vertical detection arm with the main arm frame. The hinged mechanism includes: a first connection arrangement having a free end and a fixed end fixedly connected with or integral with the main arm frame; a second connection arrangement fixedly connected with the vertical detection arm; and an intermediate arrangement connecting the first connection arrangement with the second connection arrangement so that the vertical detection arm can rotate relative to the main arm frame. The bottom of the first connection arrangement is at the same level as or above the bottom of the main arm frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignees: Nuctech Company Limited, Tsinghua University
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Chen, Hua Peng, Shangmin Sun, Quanwei Song, Jinning Liang
  • Patent number: 8104816
    Abstract: A storage assembly for use in a passenger compartment of a vehicle provides power to an electronic device from a vehicle power system. The storage assembly includes a storage bin having an exterior surface, an opening, and a storage space accessible through the opening. The storage assembly also includes a door having an outer surface which is pivotally coupled to the storage bin. A retractable cord is attached to a detachable member which is releasably attached to the storage bin. The retractable cord includes a first end having a first connector which is configured to connect the vehicle power system and a second end having a second connector configured to connect to the electronic device. A notch is formed in the housing adjacent the opening. The notch allows the second connector to extend beyond the exterior surface of the housing when a door is in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred William Lupton, III, Marc Daniel Reish
  • Patent number: 8104817
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a storage compartment which contains a housing and a lid which closes the housing. The storage compartment further has a locking mechanism which has a housing-side closing bar and a lid-side bolt which interacts with the latter and which engages behind the closing bar in the locked state and releases from the closing bar through rotation. The storage compartment is arranged essentially vertically between two rear seats of the motor vehicle, wherein the lid can be adjusted between a closed position which abuts against the housing and an open position which is moved forward. An arrestor hook, which is formed as an emergency securing device, is arranged on an inner side of the lid. If force is suddenly applied to the housing in the direction of the lid, in particular in the event of a crash, the arrestor hook engages behind the closing bar and as a result prevents undesired opening of the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG
    Inventors: Martin Kayser, Jan Kretzschmar
  • Patent number: 8104818
    Abstract: The invention relates to a dashboard seal provided between the windshield (1), the sound-proofing wall (2) of the engine compartment and the dashboard (3) in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The dashboard seal is characterized in that the upper lip (6) includes a closed pocket (8) extending along a transverse section under the latter and limited by said upper lip (6), by the clamp (5) and, at the lower portion thereof, by a connection arm (8a) connected both to the upper lip (6) and to the clamp (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Philippe Barre, Jacques Matusik
  • Patent number: 8104819
    Abstract: An automotive audio bracket for mounting a vehicle component to an interior surface of the vehicle includes a first mounting surface oriented substantially perpendicular to the interior surface and adapted for attachment to a rigid support structure of the vehicle, and a second mounting surface oriented substantially perpendicular to the interior surface and adapted for attachment to the vehicle component. An elongated aperture extends through one of the first and second mounting surfaces, the aperture being elongated along an axis substantially perpendicular to the interior surface. A fastening mechanism is positioned within the aperture and connects the first mounting surface to the second mounting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Biggs, Nicholas Spitler
  • Patent number: 8104820
    Abstract: Methods of deploying and stowing a sunshade utilizing a wiper-based system, including selectively engaging the sunshade and wiper, actuating the wiper, so as to deploy the shade, locking the wiper in the deployed position, so as to reduce the thermal load in a confined space, and returning the wiper after use, so as to stow the shade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan L. Browne, Nancy L. Johnson, Paul W. Alexander
  • Patent number: 8104821
    Abstract: The invention provides a new-style tonneau cover, wherein comprises a cover plate body matching the rear truck bed. The cover plate body is a three-layer structure, comprising an outer layer, an intermediate layer and an inner layer from the exterior to the interior. The outer layer is made of polyurethane foam mixed with glass fiber; the intermediate layer is made of polyurethane foam and the inner layer is made of resin; the density of polyurethane foam in the intermediate layer is lower than that in the outer layer; polyurethane foam is light in weight and high in specific strength. In this invention, the cover plate body is made of three different layers so that the cover is light in weight and high in strength, taking up less room of the rear truck bed, better for free opening and closing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Jiuda Vehicle Fittingsmaking (Shanghai) Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Yachun Hu, Shaobo Hu
  • Patent number: 8104822
    Abstract: A vehicle roller blind or a sunshield roller blind for motor vehicles includes a roller blind web which is connected to a thrust element, which is rigid in compression and/or bending-resistant, for tensioning the roller blind web, and having an adjusting device which actuates the thrust element, which is embodied in the manner of a single-strand cable window lifter and which is at least partially encapsulated together with the thrust element. The thrust element and the adjusting device are arranged in a housing which holds the thrust element and the adjusting device and which comprises a drive housing for the roller blind drive and a preferably tubular guide channel which holds the thrust element and the flexible traction means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co., KG, Coburg
    Inventors: Olaf Kriese, Markus Schultz
  • Patent number: 8104823
    Abstract: An automotive vehicle includes one or more swinging doors which may be immobilized in a number of positions, so as to allow the doors to be used to assist passengers upon entering and leaving the vehicle. The motion of the door may be damped, or stopped entirely, either at the discretion of a vehicle occupant, or automatically, in the event that the door is driven by external forces to swing at a high rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventor: Kelly M. Kohlstrand
  • Patent number: 8104824
    Abstract: According to a vehicle door system (10), when a forward collision prediction sensor (76) predicts a forward collision of a vehicle (12), a state is immediately brought about where a terminal edge portion (54) at the rear end of a front door (16) is positioned more outwardly in the vehicle width direction than a terminal edge portion (56) at the front end of a rear door (18). Thus, even when the front door (16) is moved toward the rear door (18) side (that is, toward the rear of the vehicle) due to a forward collision or the like that has occurred after the forward collision is predicted, for example, it is possible to prevent the situation in which the front door (16) is jammed inside the rear door (18), more specifically, the situation in which a rear-end hemmed portion (60) of the front door (16) gets inside a front-end hemmed portion (62) of the rear door (18) with respect to the vehicle width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshinori Hitomi
  • Patent number: 8104825
    Abstract: A vehicle bumper assembly includes a bracket for mounting to an interior of a vehicle, the bracket defining a protrusion portion to engage with one end of a bumper cover and an elastic clip coupled to the bracket, wherein the elastic clip is adapted to contact the bumper cover of the vehicle. A finger protection assembly for a vehicle is provided wherein the assembly includes a bracket for mounting to an interior of a vehicle, the bracket defining a protrusion portion to engage with one end of a bumper cover and an elastic clip coupled to the bracket, the clip adapted to contact the bumper cover of the vehicle, wherein the elastic clip is capable of deforming to prevent injury to the finger inserted between a rear door and the bumper cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Edward Stadtherr
  • Patent number: 8104826
    Abstract: A vehicle with a cabin comprises a vehicle body supported by a plurality of wheels; a cabin bracket supported by the vehicle body; an elastic member for supporting the cabin, disposed between the cabin and the cabin bracket; and a weight member attached to a plate-shaped member of the cabin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Tomofumi Fukunaga, Yutaka Kitano, Kenichi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 8104827
    Abstract: The present invention is a component for providing alignment between at least two external components. The present invention is a bracket member having at least two attachment structures, and at least two externally visible components connected to the at least two attachment structures, and the at least two attachment structures provide adjustable positioning between the at least two externally visible components connected to the at least two attachment structures such that the position off the at least two externally visible components can be adjusted relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Magna International Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Crane, Tom Cobb, Thomas M. Pilette
  • Patent number: 8104828
    Abstract: An adjustable workstation with a hideaway seat and method are disclosed. The table may be adjustable in height so that the workstation may be used as a sitting desk or a standing workstation. The chair is pivotably coupled to the table so that it may be extended and used for sitting or stowed away under the desk while the user stands. The workstation may also have wheels for mobility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Inventor: William Knighton
  • Patent number: 8104829
    Abstract: A juvenile motion-inhibitor system in accordance with the present disclosure includes a juvenile seat including a seat bottom and a seat back that is arranged to extend upwardly from the seat bottom. The juvenile motion-inhibitor system also includes one or more cushions to assist in cushioning a child in the event an external force is applied to the seat bottom or back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Cosco Management, Inc.
    Inventors: Ward Fritz, Andrew W. Marsden, Walter S Bezaniuk, Joe Langley, Paul Brown
  • Patent number: 8104830
    Abstract: A vehicle seat is provided comprising a seat back frame having right and left side frames, a headrest for supporting a head of a seat occupant, and a back-and-forth movable body provided inside a backrest that is positioned at a rear of the seat occupant, wherein a backward movement of the back-and-forth movable body forwardly moves the headrest to support the head of the seat occupant. The back-and-forth movable body is attached to each side frame through a link member and is provided with a backward protrusion protruding backward, and the backward protrusion extends laterally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignees: TS Tech Co., Ltd., Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Niitsuma, Hirooki Negishi, Jinichi Tanabe, Koji Sano, Koji Uno, Tatsuya Terauchi, Tomoki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8104831
    Abstract: A vehicle seat is provided comprising a seat back frame having right and left side frames, a headrest for supporting a head of a seat occupant, and a back-and-forth movable body provided inside a backrest that is positioned at a rear of the seat occupant, wherein a backward movement of the back-and-forth movable body forwardly moves the headrest to support the head of the seat occupant. The back-and-forth movable body is attached to each side frame through a link member and is provided with a backward protrusion protruding backward, and the backward protrusion extends laterally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignees: TS Tech. Co., Ltd., Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Niitsuma, Hirooki Negishi, Jinichi Tanabe, Koji Sano, Koji Uno, Tatsuya Terauchi, Tomoki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8104832
    Abstract: A seat in which a cushioning member has a high following ability to a human body motion and which can efficiently damp a vibration inputted from the outside is provided. The seat is constituted to use a torsion bar 112 and to support a cushioning member of a seat cushion section 150 by a parallel link mechanism having a first link plate 113 pivotally supported by the torsion bar 112, a second link plate 116 disposed in correspondence with the first link plate 113, and a connection link plate 117 connecting the first link plate 113 and the second link plate 116, and operational directions of the first link plate 113 and the second link plate 116 are set to almost coincide with a vertical direction along a surface of a seat back section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Etsunori Fujita, Hiroki Oshimo
  • Patent number: 8104833
    Abstract: A vehicle headrest cover for covering a vehicle headrest having a display mounted therein includes a material designed to correspond with the shape and dimensions of the vehicle headrest and fit over the vehicle headrest for covering the vehicle headrest. The material has a cut-out in a face thereof which corresponds to the position of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Audiovox Corporation
    Inventors: Theodore W. Koontz, II, Michael J. Paladino
  • Patent number: 8104834
    Abstract: A seat assembly for a motor vehicle which includes a locking mechanism is provided. The seat assembly has a base frame mounted to the floor of the vehicle. A seat cushion is pivotally mounted to the base frame for movement between a seated position and a stowed position. A locking mechanism operable to lock the seat cushion in the seated position is mounted to the base frame. The locking mechanism is capable of engaging the seat cushion at an intermediate position between the stowed position and the seated position. Upon engagement of the locking mechanism with the seat cushion at the intermediate position, movement of the seat cushion towards the stowed position is prevented while movement of the seat cushion towards the seated position is unimpeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter James Moegling, Robert Joseph Hazlewood, Todd Rupert Muck
  • Patent number: 8104835
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed as having, for example, a frame, a backrest assembly including a pivot bracket, a seat assembly pivotably connected to the pivot bracket and the frame, a leg rest assembly pivotably connected to the frame, a link connected to the leg rest assembly at a first pivot joint and the pivot bracket at a second pivot joint, and a lock connected to the leg rest assembly and the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Invacare Corp.
    Inventors: Wesley L. Ovre, Mathew A. Haugen, Jeffrey V. Schmidt, Leo J. Schweiss, Michael W. Lokken
  • Patent number: 8104836
    Abstract: A foldable seat headrest assembly including a locking mechanism that includes a lock lever that can be manipulated by a manual release handle that selectively locks the headrest pad component against a groove formed in a portion of a lock post so as to keep the headrest assembly in an upright position. The groove provides both a back stop and a forward stop for the lock lever. When the lock lever is disengaged from the groove by manipulating the release handle in a downward motion, a dump spring allows the headrest portion to assume a folded or dumped position. In the folded or dumped position, the headrest portion fits compactly against the back portion of the seat. The manual release handle can be associated with either the left or the right side of the headrest assembly allowing the same assembly to be used on either side of a vehicle, e.g., the driver or passenger side of the vehicle, as well in the front and rear seats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Windsor Machine & Stamping (2009) Ltd
    Inventor: Mark Little
  • Patent number: 8104837
    Abstract: The invention provides a chair armrest that is variably adjustable to allow a user to assume an ergonomically preferred sitting position. The ergonomic chair armrest comprises, either separately or together, an arm support assembly capable of adjustment to various positions through a vertical plane and an arm pad assembly capable of adjustment to various positions through a horizontal plane. The invention further provides an ergonomic chair having an armrest that is adjustable in both a vertical plane and a horizontal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Humanscale Corporation
    Inventor: Niels Diffrient
  • Patent number: 8104838
    Abstract: An armrest assembly includes a mounting bracket, a limit member mounted on the mounting bracket, and an armrest support mounted on the limit member. The bottom of the mounting bracket is provided with a slideway which has a first side provided with an upright limit face and a second side provided with an oblique limit face. The limit member has a first side provided with an upright mating face abutting the upright limit face and a second side provided with an oblique mating face abutting the oblique limit face. Thus, the upright mating face and the oblique mating face are limited by the upright limit face and the oblique limit face respectively, so that the limit member is moved in the slideway smoothly and stably without producing any vibration to facilitate movement of the armrest support relative to the mounting bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Inventor: Po-Chuan Tsai
  • Patent number: 8104839
    Abstract: A chair includes a support frame, a seat frame detachably mounted on the support frame and a backrest frame detachably mounted on the support frame. Thus, the support frame, the seat frame and the backrest frame are combined together easily and quickly so that a user can assemble and disassemble the chair by himself without needing aid of any hand tool, thereby facilitating the user assembling and disassembling the chair. In addition, the support frame, the seat frame and the backrest frame are detached from and laminated with each other before assembly so as to reduce the whole volume of the chair and to decrease the cost of packaging, storage and transportation of the chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Inventor: Su-Nu Huang
  • Patent number: 8104840
    Abstract: Seat pads of the present invention are sewn by hollow weave, and includes skins having single sheets of woven cloth integrally continuously having single layer portions and laminated layers portions in a shape of a hollow bag, and cushioning members enclosed at inner portions of the laminated layers portions and having a shape the same as that of the laminated layers portion and having an elasticity, the laminated layers portions are formed at portions of the single sheets of woven cloth intended to support the physical body of a seated person, the cushioning members are provided with predetermined thicknesses, the laminated layers portion are formed with recesses and projections of the same shape projected by a predetermined amount from head and tail faces of the single layer portions, and attachably and detachably mounted to a seating face of a seat, a recessed portion constituting a shape the same as that of the laminated layers portion is formed at a position of the seating face of the seat facing the lam
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Tarumi, Hitoshi Yasuda, Kazukimi Shinohara
  • Patent number: 8104841
    Abstract: An attachment assembly for securing a child safety seat to a mounting portion of a vehicle is provided. The attachment assembly may include a guide having a channel, and a metal strap positioned in the channel of the guide in a retracted configuration such that a free end of the metal strap is adjacent to a front face of the guide, a fixed end of the metal strap is secured to a side of the channel, and a body of the strap is bent along a radius so as to double back between the free end and the fixed end. When pulled in tension, the metal strap is configured to transition from the retracted configuration to an extended configuration, and the guide is configured to constrain the strap during this transition so that the strap rolls along the radius within the guide, thereby absorbing energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Reddy Malapati, Chris O'Connor, Rodney Simon, Pardeep Kumar
  • Patent number: 8104842
    Abstract: An upper cross beam 10 for supporting a rear side of a cab 19 from below is formed as a separate member from a base frame 7. This upper cross beam 10 is separably mounted on left and right column portions 7E of the base frame 7 by using bolts 12. Namely, when an engine 27 is mounted to the base frame 7, the upper cross beam 10 is separated in advance from the base frame 7. Consequently, at the time of the operation of carrying in the engine 27, it merely suffices to vertically hoist or lower the engine 27 by use of a crane. It is thereby possible to carry in the engine 27 between the column portions 7E of the base frame 7 without being hampered by the upper cross beam 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Fushiki, Hajimu Kozawa, Takashi Yagyu, Takayoshi Murahashi, Takashi Tateyama
  • Patent number: 8104843
    Abstract: The invention relates to a trailer for the transportation by road of cargo, such as containers. The trailer comprises a trailer frame; a tipping frame and lifting means which act on, on the one hand, the trailer frame and, on the other hand, the tipping frame. The trailer frame comprises a front zone which is located on coupling above a tractor unit and which is provided with a coupling member in order to effect coupling. The trailer frame also has a rear zone comprising three sets of wheels. An intermediate zone connects the front zone to the rear zone. The tipping frame extends along the trailer frame and is fastened, in the rear zone, to the trailer frame so as to hinge about a tipping axle. The trailer frame has a longitudinal beam and the tipping frame has two lateral beams. The central beam of the trailer frame is submerged between the lateral longitudinal beams of the tipping frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Inlicence B.V.
    Inventor: Wouter Hendrik Hogervorst
  • Patent number: 8104844
    Abstract: A cutting tool has a first cutting end, a second cutting end, a shoulder at an interface between the first cutting end and the second cutting end, and a shield removably mounted on one of the first cutting end and second cutting end. The cutting ends each have a cutting tip at a distal end, a body portion, a recess in the body portion and a retainer positioned in the recess. Cutting ends can be mirror images of each other, or may be non-mirror imaged, for example with different gage lengths, to accommodate different operating conditions. One of the cutting ends is mounted in a holder and the shield protects the retainer and recess features on the operating cutting end. A combination of a reversible cutting tool and a sleeve and/or block holder system, an apparatus for cutting, a sleeve per se and a shield per se are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Sandvik Intellectual Property AB
    Inventor: Joseph Conwell Fader
  • Patent number: 8104845
    Abstract: A vehicle braking apparatus is provided with a brake operating element that is operated by a driver, and an actuator that generates a braking force in accordance with a braking operation of the brake operating element. A controller is operatively arranged to control the actuator such that an increase in a rate of change of the braking force with respect to the braking operation by the driver is suppressed upon determining that vehicle cabin background noise is equal to or below a prescribed threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Itoh, Hidetoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8104846
    Abstract: A crawler has a track connection system. The crawler includes a crawler frame; at least one drive tumbler supported on the frame; a track made of a plurality of track shoes connected in series to produce a track having a first end and second end that can be connected together to form the track into an endless track. The track is wrapped around the frame, with the first and second ends spaced apart but each adjacent a section of the frame. The track connection system is mounted to the frame and includes a mover device connected to the frame; and a track engagement member coupled between the mover device and the track; iii) whereby actuation of the mover device causes the track engagement member to move the track into a position where the first and second ends can be connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Manitowoc Crane Companies, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Porubcansky, Joel D. Zick
  • Patent number: 8104847
    Abstract: A storage and dispensing arrangement is provided to maintain moistened wipes wet. The moistened wipes are rolled around a core tube and placed inside a first housing. The first housing is then placed inside a second housing having a closing door to isolate the first housing from external environment. The unit is then hanged into a stand, a rack or a wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Inventors: Ana Colon, Julissa Santiago
  • Patent number: 8104848
    Abstract: A dryer having a door opening and closing apparatus are disclosed. The door opening and closing apparatus includes a cabinet provided with an opening part, a door installed to the cabinet to open and close the opening part, a hook provided to the door, a fixing part provided to the cabinet, a plate spring provided to the fixing part to allow the hook to be inserted therein and a projection part provided to the fixing part to allow the plate spring to be pivoted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Daewoo Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Hyoung Tae Yoon
  • Patent number: 8104849
    Abstract: An expandable table device for allowing a user to change a baby's diaper or to care for the baby which is composed of a base, a storage compartment disposed in the base, and an expandable table component disposed in the base. The table component is composed of a plurality of wings that can be stacked atop each other and stored in the storage compartment, or the wings can be expanded from the storage compartment and unstacked so as to create a generally flat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Inventor: Claudia Urioste-Risso
  • Patent number: 8104850
    Abstract: An office furniture unit has an outer face with slotted hangers, and a removable storage unit assembly including a bottom panel positioned in a generally horizontal orientation along the office furniture unit, and a top panel disposed above and generally parallel with the bottom panel. First and second panels are disposed at opposite ends of the top and bottom panels and are connected therewith to define a rigid, box-shaped case having an open back portion. The first and second end panels have rear portions with multiple vertically spaced slots. First and second hanger brackets have a rear portion with first hooks selectively received in the slotted hangers of the office furniture units, and a forward portion with second hooks selectively received in the slots in the rear portions of the first and second end panels to detachably support the case against the outer face of the office furniture unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Allen C. Hager, Robert E. Jeffers, William K. Hofman, Brian L. Bultsma, Scott Michael Miller, Marvin C. Knauf, Karl Heinz Mueller, John R. Hamilton, Karl J. Mead
  • Patent number: 8104851
    Abstract: A sliding track assembly for a casing for installing an embedding object so that the embedding object can be pulled out or pushed thereto comprises a retaining unit having a front end and a rear end; each of the front end and the rear end having a plurality of through holes for locking the retaining unit to a casing; a base having a wall with a plurality of through holes; a sliding sleeve engaged to and slideable to the base; the sliding sleeve having a long hole; a supporting frame installed at an inner side of the sliding sleeve and having an ear; the ear having a plurality of retaining holes and a sliding groove corresponding to the long hole of the sliding sleeve; and a clamping unit installed at an outer side of the sliding sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Broadrack Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Limo Lu
  • Patent number: 8104852
    Abstract: Refrigerator for enabling putting in or taking out food to/from a basket (55) therein with of lowering a position of the user, such as bending oneself, and enabling the user to look into an inside of the basket (55) conveniently as the basket (55) is tilted in a lifted up state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seung Hwan Oh, Kyung Han Jeong, Sang Oh Kim
  • Patent number: 8104853
    Abstract: Disclosed are a refrigerator and a method of manufacturing a door of the refrigerator. The door includes a door frame formed with at least one opening, at least one front panel coupled to a front surface of the door frame to open or close the opening, a rear panel coupled to a rear surface of the door frame to form a foaming cavity together with the front panel and provided with a rack receiving water bottles, and a decorative member formed at a front surface of the front panel. A chamfer is formed at an edge portion of the door frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myung Soo Kim, Myung Wouk Kim, Yong Kyung Kim, Jun Seong Lim, Young Jin Seo, Jong Il Lee
  • Patent number: 8104854
    Abstract: In an ink-jet printer, as a liquid-droplet jetting apparatus, when a predetermined condition is satisfied during an printing operation, a non-jetting drive pulse is applied to an actuator to impart vibration to an ink meniscus of an ink in the vicinity of nozzles without jetting the ink from the nozzles, while a carriage is moving along a width direction of a recording paper. This makes it possible to prevent the drying of the ink in the nozzles without performing flushing operation frequently. Accordingly, the occurrence of printing failure can be lowered and the printing time can be shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 8104855
    Abstract: An inkjet printer system includes a print head, a sub tank, and a sensor. The print head is configured to eject ink. The sub tank includes an ink supply chamber and an ink detection chamber. The ink supply chamber has an ink inlet hole and an ink outlet hole connected to the print head. Ink is supplied to the sub tank through the ink inlet hole. Ink is supplied to the print head from the sub tank through the ink outlet hole. The ink detection chamber communicates with the ink supply chamber. The sensor is configured to detect an amount of ink contained in the sub tank and includes a float member provided in the ink detection chamber to float in the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutaka Tamaki, Masaki Kodaira, Yukihiro Uchiyama, Atsushi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 8104856
    Abstract: A printer includes a holding unit, a printer head, a supporting device, a movement controller and a printing controller. The holding unit is configured to hold a print substrate having a surface to be printed. The axes X and Y pass through the print substrate. The movement controller is configured to move the holding unit and the printer head relative to each other in the directions of the axes X, Y and Z which are substantially perpendicular to each other and configured to rotate the holding unit about the axes X and Y relative to the printer head. The printing controller is configured to control ejection of the ink from the printer head according to a relative position of the holding unit and the printer head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignees: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd., Institute of National Colleges of Technology, Japan
    Inventors: Chikao Tezuka, Kazutomo Seki, Nobuyuki Ono
  • Patent number: 8104857
    Abstract: A method of calculating a correction value includes forming a test pattern in which a dot row formed A method of calculating a correction value includes forming a test pattern in which a dot row formed by aligning dots in a direction intersecting a predetermined direction is aligned in the predetermined direction on a medium and forming information on the test pattern on the medium, calculating a correction value of the first nozzle group based on the pattern included in read-out data values in a case where the information included in the read-out data values represents that the test pattern is formed by a first nozzle group, and calculating a correction value of a second nozzle group based on the test pattern included in the read-out data values in a case where the information included in the read-out data values represents that the test pattern is formed by the second nozzle group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Takahashi, Toru Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 8104858
    Abstract: An inkjet head may comprise an ejection port which ejects ink and an ink flow path which supplies the ink to the ejection port. The inkjet head may also comprise an ejection actuator which supplies ejection energy to the ink in the ink flow path. The ejection energy may cause the ink to be ejected from the ejection port. The inkjet head may also comprise a wall portion. The wall portion may be located at a position farther from the ejection port along the ink flow path with respect to a position at which the ejection energy is supplied. The wall portion may define an inner wall surface of the ink flow path. The wall portion may deform to decrease a cross section of the ink flow path in a direction orthogonal to an ink-flow direction as a temperature of the ink in the ink flow path increases. The wall portion may deform to increase a cross section of the ink flow path in a direction orthogonal to an ink-flow direction as the temperature of the ink in the ink flow path decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahito Kato, Manabu Hibi
  • Patent number: 8104859
    Abstract: A head array unit includes a plurality of liquid discharging heads configured to discharge liquid and a head supporter configured to support the plurality of liquid discharging heads. The head supporter includes a plurality of liquid inlets, a channel system, and at least two ports. The plurality of liquid inlets is configured to supply liquid to the plurality of liquid discharging heads, respectively. The channel system is configured to sandwich or surround each of the plurality of liquid inlets and contain coolant to control a temperature of the head array unit. The at least two ports are connected to the channel system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomomi Katoh
  • Patent number: 8104860
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus, including: a flow-passage unit; a plurality of actuators including a plurality of individual electrodes; a plurality of signal output circuits; a power supply device; an electric current detecting device; and a control device including an abnormality judging portion which judges that there exists an abnormality among (a) at least one of the signal output circuits corresponding to at least one test-target individual electrode that is at least a part of the individual electrodes and (b) at least one of the actuators corresponding to the at least one test-target individual electrode, on the basis of a current change amount that is a difference between a first current value and a second current value, the first current value being detected by the detecting device when each of the signal output circuits outputs a first signal for giving a first potential and the second current value being detected by the detecting device when each of the at least one of the signal output circuits ou
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Ito
  • Patent number: 8104861
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a multi-color inkjet printing system includes using a 3×2 test target array. The test target includes printing a first color three times in which two of the three colors are aligned along a first axis and the third is offset from the first axis and at a midway point between the other two test marks along the other axis. A second test color is aligned with at least one of the first colors along both axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: John J. Saettel, Rodney G. Mader
  • Patent number: 8104862
    Abstract: Provided are a method of precisely evaluating the performance of an optical sensor including light-emitting elements corresponding to light-emitting wavelengths respectively representing multiple colors as well as a light-receiving element even under a condition in which mists of color inks adhere to the sensor, and a printing apparatus for carrying out the method. To this end, how much the performance of the optical sensor mounted on a carriage decreases is evaluated based on a cumulative number of ejections for each ink color, which number corresponds to the amount of mist, and a degree at which each ink affects each color LED. This makes it possible to precisely evaluate the performance of the optical sensor including the light-emitting elements corresponding to the light-emitting wavelengths respectively representing the multiple colors as well as the light-receiving element even under the condition in which the mists of the color inks adhere to the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsutoshi Miyahara
  • Patent number: 8104863
    Abstract: Printing systems are disclosed that produce homogenous, smooth edged printed patterns (such as integrated circuit (IC) patterns) by separating pattern layouts into discrete design layers having only parallel layout features, and by printing each design layer using individual print solution droplets deposited onto the substrate. A first alignment operation is performed to achieve a specified orientation between the printhead and a first set of alignment marks on the substrate using first image data generated by the imaging sensor of the camera before performing a first print operation, and a second alignment operation to orient the printhead relative to a second set of alignment marks is performed before a second print operation. A first pattern layout portion includes first layout elements aligned parallel to a first reference axis, and the first print operation is performed by making multiple printing passes in a print direction aligned with the first reference axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Steven E. Ready, William S. Wong
  • Patent number: 8104864
    Abstract: There is provided an image recording device, comprising: a platen that supports a recording medium; a carriage that is located to face the platen and is configured to move in a first direction along the recoding medium; a recordation head that is mounted on the carriage and performs image recordation on the recording medium; a long member elongated, to face the platen, in the first direction within a region in which the carriage moves; a support member that fixes the long member such that the long member does not move in the first direction relative to the platen; and a guide member that is located on the carriage to deform the long member such that the carriage and the platen face directly with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Terada