Patents Issued in May 27, 2014
  • Patent number: 8733828
    Abstract: This invention relates to a roof structure in a vehicle, wherein the roof structure (100) is provided with printed electrical connection means (110) for connecting electrical devices in the vehicle. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing such a roof structure and to a system comprising an electrical device, a roof structure (100) with printed electrical connection means (110), a printed conductive pad (112, 212, 312, 412) and an electrical connector, wherein the electrical connector (530, 730) is pierced through the roof structure (100) to connect the electrical device with the conductive pad (112, 212, 312, 412).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Dennis J. VanHouten, Christopher S. Kring, Ben Sapak, Jack L. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8733829
    Abstract: A composite chair to provide multiple use states includes a frame and at least one carrying portion and one movable portion located on the frame. The movable portion includes a movable deck, two coupling members and an adjustment member. Each of the coupling members has a fastening end hinged on the frame and an action end hinged on the movable deck. The action end has a swivel displacement against the fastening end. The adjustment member includes two guide tracks extended along the movable deck, a linkage bar with two ends held in the guide tracks and two movable arms bridging the linkage bar and movable deck. The linkage bar is movable in the guide tracks to allow the coupling members in the swivel displacement to incorporate with the movable arms to drive the movable deck to move upwards and downwards against the carrying portion to change different use states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Keysheen Industry (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lausan Chung-Hsin Liu, Shopo Hsin Tsu Liu, Fibro Tsu Kun Liu
  • Patent number: 8733830
    Abstract: The headrest hat hook retractable side hanger allows the driver and passenger to hang their hat and coat on the side of the headrest seat inside a vehicle. An automobile headrest seat comprising of a headrest retractable hat hook hanger built into the right side and left side of the headrest that retracts inside the headrest for storage and can extend out the double hat hook from the both sides of the headrest to hang hats, caps, and coats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Roy C Sanchez
  • Patent number: 8733831
    Abstract: A mounting assembly for securing an entertainment device to a vehicle seat having a pair of spaced headrest post guides extending through a top surface of the vehicle seat is provided. The mounting assembly includes a first bracket member having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end and the second end each configured to attach to a respective headrest post guide with the first bracket member extending between the headrest post guides. A second bracket member is configured to support an entertainment device and is slidingly attached to the first bracket member and is selectively securable between forward and aft locations relative to the first bracket member to position the entertainment device rearwardly of the vehicle seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Brawner
  • Patent number: 8733832
    Abstract: An apparatus includes groove-shaped thin portions, of which the length direction is in a vertical direction, that are provided at predetermined intervals in the front-back direction in front of a hip point of a seat side garnish. When an impacting body impacts the seat side garnish and a load is applied to the seat side garnish, first, stress concentrates at the thin portions, and then the area between the thin portion and the thin portion of the seat side garnish, and the area between the thin portion and the thin portion of the seat side garnish deforms so as to move inward in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the seat cushion will readily rise up in front of the hip point, and is thus able to be prevented or suppressed from rising up at the hip point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Osamu Fukawatase
  • Patent number: 8733833
    Abstract: The invention relates to an inflatable seat for use as a child safety seat when fitted to a vehicle seat. The seat can be moved between a compact storage condition and an inflacted in use condition. The seat includes a plurality of inflatable cells (16), the inflation of which and control of air between the same are controlled by air control means so as to prevent rapid loss or gain of air to or from a portion of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventors: Simon Dickinson, Amber Lee Dickinson
  • Patent number: 8733834
    Abstract: A trim assembly for a seat back of a vehicle seat is provided. The seat back has a seat frame and a seat cushion. The trim assembly includes a backboard securable to the seat frame and adapted to form a rear surface of the seat back. The backboard has a channel formed therein and a plurality of spaced apart retaining windows formed along a length of the channel. A trim cover is adapted to cover the seat cushion and form a front surface of the seat back. The trim cover has a cover material portion and a trim retainer connected to the cover material portion. The trim retainer includes an engagement feature. The trim retainer is insertable into the channel such that the engagement feature cooperates with the retaining windows for securing the trim cover to the backboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Palmer
  • Patent number: 8733835
    Abstract: A vehicle seat has a cover that comprises, in sections, a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first and second layers have different elasticities. The layers may be connected, such as by sewing. The layers may have strips arranged transversely to an expansion direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Emanuel Ulfig
  • Patent number: 8733836
    Abstract: A strap-tightening structure for a furniture item having a frame that supports an elongate strap. The elongate strap includes a rearward section that overlies the back rest of the furniture and a forward section that overlies the seat section. A rearward end of the elongate strap overlies a transversely disposed rearward end of the frame and is secured against longitudinal displacement when the forward end of the elongate strap is pulled taut at the forward end of the furniture. A pair of tensioning belts are secured to a forward end of the elongate strap. Each of the tensioning belts is disposed in overlying relation to a transversely disposed forward end of the frame. A pair of releasable buckles is secured to a bottom side of the elongate strap and adjustably engages the tensioning belts so that the elongate strap can be pulled taut whenever it develops a sag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Jan S. Gross
  • Patent number: 8733837
    Abstract: A furniture cover is provided that has a substantially t-shaped, substantially continuous, fabric body having a generally elongated central trunk portion, and two outwardly extending arm portions. The central trunk portion is sized to extend over and substantially across the back, seat and front of a seating device. The arm portions are sized to extend over and substantially across the arms of the seating device. The fabric body has a first layer of comfort fabric for exposure to the user; and a second layer of waterproof fabric, seamed around a perimeter edge to the first layer, so that the second layer provides a waterproof barrier across the covered portions of the seating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Caber Sure Fit Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard Weinstein, Anita Aruajo, Karolin Belashkin, Nilvi Surrinder
  • Patent number: 8733838
    Abstract: An apparatus for maintaining at least two seats in a vertical position and a predetermined distance between rows of the at least two seats. The apparatus includes at least two substantially flat base portions; and at least two support blocks mounted a predetermined distance from each other on an upper surface of each of the base portions, wherein the at least two support blocks define a hollow region for receiving a lower end portion of a leg of a seat to maintain the seat in a vertical position. The predetermined distance between the support blocks corresponds to a predetermined distance between rows of seats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Scott Suprina
  • Patent number: 8733839
    Abstract: A mechanism for an office chair has a displaceable actuating element. The position of the element changes during a movement of the office chair mechanism, and the change in position thereof changes the movement characteristic of the office chair mechanism. The actuating element is operationally connected to a functional element. The position of the functional element changes in the event of a change in the position of the actuating element during a movement of the office chair mechanism. At least one property of the change in position of the actuating element changes in the event of a change in the position of the functional element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Bock 1 GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Hermann Bock
  • Patent number: 8733840
    Abstract: Described are seat pan assemblies for a passenger seat having a pan frame pivotally coupled to a seat back, a seat pan pivotally coupled to the pan frame, a tilting mechanism coupled to the seat pan and the pan frame, wherein the tilting mechanism is configured to rotate the seat pan between an upright position and a sleeper position, and an automatic release mechanism, wherein the automatic release mechanism is configured to return the seat pan to an upright position when the seat back is in an upright position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Zodiac Seats US LLC
    Inventors: Rik Westerink, Armando Valdes, Chirag Patel, Timothy W. Terleski
  • Patent number: 8733841
    Abstract: A zero turn lawnmower mounting support arm affixable to the frame assembly portion of the lawnmower and being made up of a mounting tube unit affixed to the topside of the frame assembly and to which a first hollow tube unit is perpendicularly affixed with a laterally positioned mounting plate being also affixed to the frame assembly and the mounting tube and the first hollow tube unit with a second hollow tube unit atop of which there is held a pivotable handrest base unit equipped with a cushion and pivot arm stop complex unit with the second hollow tube unit being adjustably fitted about the first hollow tube unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Daniel L. Morris
  • Patent number: 8733842
    Abstract: A tailored vehicle seat component 12 having at least two portions with different properties that are joined together, such as by an adhesive or in a welding process (e.g., laser weld). These different properties include thickness, grades, surface finishes, coatings, and the like. The laser tailored welded vehicle seat 12 components may be incorporated into seat back frames 16, seat track assemblies 26, recliners 20, seat base frames 18, head restraints 88, cushion pans 132, and the like, to optimize manufacturing operations, mass, performance quality, and costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Daniel J. Sakkinen, Michael J. Thomas, Kurt A. Seibold, John David Kotre, Christopher P. Kubacki, Mark A. Harris
  • Patent number: 8733843
    Abstract: A supporting shell for a seat is provided by carrying out in-seat measurements with a plurality of test subjects, wherein the test subjects sit down on a measuring mat placed on a neutral seat frame. The measuring mat has a readily displaceable filling and adapts to the contour of the body of the respective test subject. After the test subject has sat down on the measuring mat and before the test subject leaves the same, the filling inside the measuring mat is fixed in place by applying a negative pressure. The geometric data of the surface contour of the measuring mat are determined and stored for each test subject. The measured surface contours are then superimposed onto one another. This produces an average surface contour which can subsequently be further altered slightly for adaptation to large seat users, and therefore a modified surface contour is created as a basis for the production of the supporting shell of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Matthias Franz, Alexander Durt, Uemit Kilincsoy, Peter Vink
  • Patent number: 8733844
    Abstract: A lightweight seat suitable for applications such as those in which the seat and occupant must withstand extreme amounts of applied force during use, e.g., encountering high waves in boats of seven meters (23 feet) or greater at speeds of at least 20 knots (37 km/h (or 10.3 m/s)).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Stanley W. Widmer
  • Patent number: 8733845
    Abstract: A trip hazard removing apparatus includes a saw head and blade connected to guide rail(s), which are connected to a support structure, which is connected to lift arm(s) of a vehicle. The vehicle moves the trip hazard removing apparatus between trip hazards occurring between upper and lower slabs of a sidewalk, placing it on the lower slab adjacent to and in contact with a trip hazard, and lifting it after removing the trip hazard. A trip hazard engaging mechanism automatically locates the saw blade's position and angle relative to and above the upper slab to create appropriate transition surface(s) between the upper and lower slabs as it cuts off the trip hazard. The guide rail(s) allow placing the saw blade facing the sidewalk's side surface. The saw head and blade are moved along the guide rail(s) across the upper slab and through the side surfaces to remove the trip hazard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Kevin Bollinger
  • Patent number: 8733846
    Abstract: The invention relates to a spoke for a spoked wheel. The spoke has an elongated body and a separate attached end piece on at least one of its ends. The elongated body is tubular and its end is fitted in a recessed bore of the end piece. The end piece is assembled by gluing. In addition, a plug blocks each end of the tubular body to force the glue to creep back while the end piece is being fitted. The invention also relates to a wheel and to a method for manufacturing the spoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Mavic SAS
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Mercat, Julien Michaud, Olivier Mouzin
  • Patent number: 8733847
    Abstract: An asymmetrical electric braking architecture for aircraft, having plural electro-mechanical brake actuators (EBAs) for selectively applying a braking force on friction elements of braked wheels. The architecture comprises (1) a brake control unit (BCU) for acting in normal mode to generate braking setpoint values in response to a braking order, (2) electro-mechanical actuator controllers (EMACs), each including at least one inverter for supplying power to the EBAs in response to the braking setpoint values, (3) at least one emergency brake power and control unit (EBPCU) including at least one inverter for supplying power to some of the EBAs in response to a braking order; and (4) protection means for channeling power supplied by the EMACs or the EBPCU towards the actuators while preventing power from being diverted towards the architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Messier-Bugatti-Dowty
    Inventors: Julien Thibault, Emmanuel Colin
  • Patent number: 8733848
    Abstract: A vehicular braking apparatus including a shut-off valve for shutting off, as needed, a flow of oil from a wheel cylinder to a master cylinder; a pressure increase-decrease control valve increasing and decreasing a pressure in the wheel cylinder; a reservoir receiving and storing in a reservoir chamber the oil from the wheel cylinder when the pressure increase-decrease control valve is in a pressure decrease position; a pump sucking in and pressuring the oil from the reservoir chamber and supplying the oil to the wheel cylinder via the pressure increase-decrease control valve when the pressure increase-decrease control valve is in a pressure increase position; and a communication control valve controlling communication between the master cylinder and the reservoir chamber. The communication control valve is a normally-closed valve and is opened by a suction pressure of the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Isono, Yasuji Mizutani
  • Patent number: 8733849
    Abstract: In a brake control device and a brake control method, when a shift to a brake mode for backup involving separation of a supply path of working fluid is performed at the time of detection of an abnormality during braking, a differential pressure acting between an outlet opening and an inlet opening of an open-close valve which is provided between a hydraulic pressure source that is used during the backup brake mode and wheel cylinders and which needs to be opened during the backup brake mode is lessened prior to the separation of the supply path of working fluid so that the open-close valve is opened in accordance with a valve-opening command. Therefore, at the time of switch of the control mode, the confinement of wheel cylinder pressure is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshito Tanaka, Hiroshi Nakaoka, Yasuji Mizutani, Eiji Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8733850
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling tension of a track, and more particularly to an apparatus for preventing a track wheel from separating due to an uneven road surface and obstacles on the road surface by minimizing space between a moving idler and roller when controlling the tension of the track, and for supporting the weight of a machine more safely by maximizing the space between a rear roller and a front roller. To this end, the present invention is characterized by: a track frame structure in which the idler and the front roller move together when controlling the tension of the track; and a damping member for absorbing external shock, wherein the idler is fixed in an idler frame, the front roller is fixed in a roller frame, and the buffer member is positioned between the idler frame and the roller frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Dong-Il Rubber Belt Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Hwa Park, Jin Oh Kwon, Cheol Hyun Cho, Yoon Tae Nam
  • Patent number: 8733851
    Abstract: A modular furniture system is provided. The system includes surface members, junctions, and connectors. Each connector has two engagement portions. The surface members and junctions each include one or more channels for receiving a connector, the channels are shaped to slidingly attach with an engagement portion of a connector. The channels are positioned so that the connectors being used to interconnect a surface member to a junction or a surface member to another surface member to assemble the modular furniture system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: David W. Lee
  • Patent number: 8733852
    Abstract: A toilet brush caddy is provided, includes a unitary one-piece housing, and is capable of supporting a toilet brush. The housing includes a brush receptacle and the toilet brush includes a handle and a cleaning head having a plurality of bristles. The caddy is capable of supporting the toilet brush such that the toilet brush is supported at an angle relative to the vertical, only contacts a front side of the brush receptacle, and the bristles do not contact any other portion of the brush receptacle when the brush is supported by the caddy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Quickie Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Brian Gold, Matthew David Marhefka
  • Patent number: 8733853
    Abstract: An arc-resistant switchgear enclosure has an interior compartment with a door opening and a vent outlet. The door is mounted to close the door opening. The door receives pins that extend from the enclosure. The pins have stops thereon that are received by a keyhole in the latch member. The latch member can slide so as to position the pin in a large opening in the keyhole and unlatch the door or a narrow opening in the keyhole to latch the door. The latch members are ganged so that a handle operates all of the latch members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Central Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul W. Gingrich
  • Patent number: 8733854
    Abstract: A cabinet with electrical locks forms a first through hole larger than a diameter of a horizontal rod for manually lifting a longitudinal track to unlock. A second through hole larger than a diameter of a pivoting arm for lifting the longitudinal track mechanically is also formed. Thereby, the first and the second through holes provide excess space for the horizontal rod and the pivoting arm, so the horizontal rod and the pivoting arm may not interfere each other when driven to lift the longitudinal track up. Thus, the pivoting arm may not be damaged when the longitudinal track is lifted manually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Ting-Yu Chang
  • Patent number: 8733855
    Abstract: Modular bucket assemblies enable selective configuration of switchgear compartments for conformance with selective levels of personnel accessibility to energized switchgear. The bucket assemblies can be configured to enable personnel access to energized compartments while service doors are open, such as for instrumentation compartments. Interiors and the front face of instrumentation compartment bucket assemblies are isolated from potential infiltration of hot arc gasses in the switchgear cabinet. Other compartments can be configured to enable personnel access to the front face of a fully closed door energized circuit breaker compartment by isolating the compartment door exterior and venting any hot arc gasses out of the compartment interior in a direction away from the front and other peripheral sides of the switchgear cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Industry, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry W. Josten, Keith Flowers, Rahul Rajvanshi
  • Patent number: 8733856
    Abstract: A server enclosure includes an enclosure body, and a cover panel located between the first side panel and the second side panel. The enclosure body includes a bottom panel, a first side panel, a second side panel extending from the bottom panel. The first side panel includes a side panel body and a mounting protrusion extending from the side panel body. The cover panel includes a connecting plate, a first cover plate pivotally mounted to the connecting plate, and a mounting element movably mounted to the first cover plate. The mounting element defines a cutout receiving the mounting protrusion. The first cover plate rotates about an axis. The mounting element moves along a first direction from a first position to a second position to enable the mounting protrusion to engage with the cutout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chung-Cheng Hsieh, Li-Ping Chen
  • Patent number: 8733857
    Abstract: A bezel assembly includes a panel, a shielding member, and a securing member. The panel includes a main body. The main body defines a through hole and a first opening. The shielding member attached to the panel includes a mounting portion. A second opening is defined in the shielding member, and the first opening and the second opening are configured to a data storage extend through to abut the first opening. The securing member secured to the panel includes a latching piece with a cutout. The securing member is slidable relative to the main body between a first position and a second position; when the securing member is in the first position, the mounting portion extends through the through hole to engage with the latching piece; when the securing member is in the second portion, the mounting portion is located on the cutout to disengage from the latching piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (WuHan) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhi-Ping Wu
  • Patent number: 8733858
    Abstract: A computer enclosure includes a computer case and a power supply tray. The computer case includes a side plate and a rear plate adjacent to the side plate. A clamping portion is located on the rear plate, and an opening is defined between the side plate and the rear plate. The power supply tray is attached to the opening and includes a clipping member. The clipping member includes a securing portion extending from the power supply tray and a clipping portion rotatably attached to the securing portion. The clipping portion is engaged with the clamping portion to secure the power supply tray to the computer case, and the clipping portion is rotatable relative to the rear plate to disengage the clipping portion from the clamping portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (WuHan) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chao-Jie Cai, Wei Liang, Yong Ma, Yu-Lin Liu
  • Patent number: 8733859
    Abstract: A silverware basket for a dishwasher appliance is provided. The silverware basket appliance includes features for selectively securing a cover of the silverware basket in an open position. To selectively secure the cover in an open position, the silverware basket can include a pin with a noncircular cross-section that rotatably mounts the cover to the silverware basket or a recess defined by a brace that can receive a portion of the cover in the open position or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Darrell W. Shewmaker, Ryan James Diener, William Nathan Garnett, Daniel J. Hart
  • Patent number: 8733860
    Abstract: A storage system comprising a plurality of shelf units movable together through a circuit attached to and moved by a flexible drive such as a chain or belt, while being guided and stabilized in orientation by a separate guide track which track followers, retained by each shelf unit, move to maintain a selected orientation of the shelves within a system support or enclosure. Each shelf unit is removable by the user from engagement of the drive and from the system enclosure permitting replacement of the shelves within the storage system without system disassembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventors: Thomas J. Burke, Ross Marrone, John Skurzynski
  • Patent number: 8733861
    Abstract: A cooperating hinge arrangement on a door or panel that includes a first hinge coupled with a first area of the door or panel and a second hinge coupled with a second area of the door or panel. The first and second areas of the door or panel meet at a miter joint such that opening of the first area simultaneously opens the second area of the door or panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Robert W. Mann
  • Patent number: 8733862
    Abstract: An appliance is provided having one or more racks or shelves, the position of which may be adjusted vertically. Multiple different positions along the vertical direction can be made available for selection by a user of the appliance. One or more locking mechanisms allow for selective adjustment of the vertical position at which a shelf may be located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Lee Armstrong, Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Joshua Stephen Wiseman
  • Patent number: 8733863
    Abstract: A laundry machine (1) including a cabinet (10) having an opening (10a) for loading and/or unloading laundry, a door (300) selectively opening and/or closing the opening of the cabinet (10), and a door positioning unit (A) for positioning the door (300) away from the cabinet (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: LG ELectronics Inc.
    Inventors: Dae Wook Kwak, Jong Min Kim, Han Ki Cho, Soon Jo Lee, Kyu Chul Lee, Cheol Kang Heo
  • Patent number: 8733864
    Abstract: A two way three section slide drawer slide assembly for permitting a drawer to be selectively pulled out from opposite open ends of a compartment is provided with an elongated outer section secured to the compartment; an elongated intermediate section disposed in the outer section; two elongated sliding members each slidably disposed either between upper edges of the outer section and the intermediate section or between lower edges of the outer section and the intermediate section; an elongated inner section including a two-end open flat track; an elongated bearing member disposed between the intermediate section and the inner section; two stop units releasably secured to the engaging members respectively; and two flexible limit members threadedly secured to the inner section. One limit member is disposed reverse to the other limit member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: E-Make Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kung-Cheng Chen, Lung-Chuan Huang
  • Patent number: 8733865
    Abstract: A drawer slide system can include a frame comprising a top portion. The top portion can have an inside facing surface and an outside facing surface. The drawer slide system can also include a drawer comprising a top portion. The top portion can have an inside facing surface and an outside facing surface. The inside facing surface of the top portion of the frame can be adjacent to the outside facing surface of the top portion of the drawer. The drawer slide system can further include a longitudinally extendable top drawer slide comprising a fixed portion and a movable portion. The movable portion of the top drawer slide can be coupled to the inside facing surface of the top portion of the drawer. The drawer slide system can also include a bracket coupled to the fixed portion of the top drawer slide and to the top portion of the drawer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Rev-A-Shelf Company LLC
    Inventors: Paul F. Chambers, David P. Noe
  • Patent number: 8733866
    Abstract: A combination of bracket and slide assembly includes a bracket and a rail. The bracket has a top portion, a bottom portion, a side portion connected to the top and bottom portions, and a support member fixedly to the side portion. The top portion, the bottom portion and the side portion define a longitudinal path. The support member is located in the longitudinal path. The rail extends through the longitudinal path of the bracket and has a top wall, a bottom wall, and a sidewall connected to the top and the bottom walls. The sidewall has a reinforcement path with a recessed surface, and the reinforcement path is located corresponding to the bracket. A first protrusion and a second protrusion are located on the top and the bottom of the reinforcement path. The support member is slidably connected to the reinforcement path and located corresponding to the first and second protrusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: King Slide Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken-Ching Chen, Chien-Li Huang, Chun-Chiang Wang
  • Patent number: 8733867
    Abstract: A drawer of a refrigerator includes a basket extractable and retractable through the refrigerator while having a storage space surrounded by four wall surfaces. A first partition is slidably mounted to facing first and third ones of the wall surfaces, to move between facing second and fourth ones of the wall surfaces, a second partition is arranged to cross the first partition and is slidably mounted to the second and fourth wall surfaces, to move between the first and third wall surfaces. A moving guide disposed at an intersection between the first and second partitions, to guide movements of the first and second partitions. The drawer achieves an enhancement in utilization by virtue of the partitions capable of varying a partitioned size of the drawer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jungyeon Hwang, Seonkyu Kim, Seungjin Yoon, Woonkyu Seo, Daesung Lee
  • Patent number: 8733868
    Abstract: A direct-to-product printing tray to hold a photo product and a plurality of labels in place while a composite image is printed on the photo product and a first label. The direct-to-product printing tray includes a label-dispensing system within the direct-to-product tray. The label-dispensing system is configured to automatically advance a second label to a position previously occupied by the first label in response to the removal of the first label from the label-dispensing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Fujifilm North America Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Lane Polk, Gregory Lee Franklin
  • Patent number: 8733869
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus, including: a first ejecting head for ejecting a black ink; a second ejecting head disposed upstream of the first head and configured to eject a liquid that acts on an ink; third ejecting heads disposed downstream of the second head and configured to respectively eject color inks, the third ejecting heads including a specific third ejecting head disposed between the first and second heads; a head moving mechanism configured to move the specific third head between a print position and a retracted position; and a controller which controls the apparatus and which includes, an image-data storage portion, a head control portion configured to control the heads, and a head-movement control portion configured to control the head moving mechanism to move the specific third head from the print position to the retracted position when monochrome printing is conducted in which only the black ink is ejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masashi Ohhashi
  • Patent number: 8733870
    Abstract: There is provided an ink jet recording apparatus including an ink jet head; a scanning mechanism for scanning the ink-jet head; a transport mechanism including nip sections for nipping a recording medium; and a controller including a pattern forming mechanism, which controls the ink jet head to form a pattern including a mark for detecting a deviation between a landing position in a forward scanning and a landing position in a backward scanning; wherein the pattern forming mechanism controls the ink jet head to form a part of the mark on the recording medium in one of an area which overlaps in the transport direction with one of the nip sections and areas which are placed at outside positions of the nip sections nipping the recording medium at outermost positions in the scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Terada
  • Patent number: 8733871
    Abstract: A process for forming a metal interconnection in an integrated circuit includes forming a first metal layer and a second metal layer on the first metal layer. Photoresist is placed on the second metal layer and patterned to form a mask. The second metal layer is etched. The mask is then removed and the first metal layer is patterned with the second metal layer acting as mask for the first metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Pte Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin Hao Chia, Yong Peng Yeo, Wei Leong Lim, Shi Min Veronica Goh, Mei Yu Muk
  • Patent number: 8733872
    Abstract: A print head circuit of an inkjet printer comprising a plurality of row heating elements arranged in a plurality of rows, a plurality of column heating elements arranged in a plurality of columns, and a plurality of lateral bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), each lateral BJT is connected in between and in series with a corresponding one of the plurality of row heating elements and a corresponding one of the plurality of column heating elements, the plurality of lateral BJTs have common bases, wherein the plurality of row heating elements and the plurality of column heating elements are selectively energized to heat ink in the inkjet printer in a desired pattern for printing media, and wherein each of the plurality of lateral BJTs operates to allow the corresponding row and column heating elements that are connected in series with the lateral BJT to be energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Rohit Kumar Gupta, Adam Ghozeil, Bee Ling Peh
  • Patent number: 8733873
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes: a drive waveform generator generating a drive waveform signal; a modulator performing pulse modulation on a signal from the drive waveform generator to provide a modulated signal; a digital power amplifier performing power amplification on the modulated signal to provide an amplified digital signal; a Lowpass Filter smoothing the amplified digital signal to provide a drive signal of an actuator; a compensator advancing the phase of the drive signal to provide a negative feedback signal; and a subtractor providing a differential signal between the drive waveform signal and the negative feedback signal as an input signal to the modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Oshima, Kunio Tabata, Shinichi Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Noritaka Ide
  • Patent number: 8733874
    Abstract: It is possible to implement a calibration process that corrects density unevenness even in the case where the utilization ratios of the plurality of nozzle arrays used in printing differ. Concretely, making use of a print head provided with a plurality of nozzle arrays ejecting ink of the same color, it is a printing apparatus that performs printing, based on print data, by ejecting ink from the nozzles provided in the nozzle arrays, and has a print density characteristic acquisition unit, which acquires the print density characteristics of each of the nozzle arrays, and a nozzle array contribution ratio establishing unit, which establishes the printing ratios of the nozzle arrays that print a predetermined printing area, and does color shift correction processing of the print data based on each of the print density characteristics of the nozzle arrays and the nozzle array contribution ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoko Baba
  • Patent number: 8733875
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes: movable head having a nozzle line with nozzles arranged in a predetermined direction; and a control unit that performs a first liquid discharge process and a second liquid discharge process, which sequentially form dots on a medium by intermittently discharging liquid from the nozzles while moving the head and maintaining the inclusion of a normal component perpendicular to the predetermined direction in the moving direction of the head and which form dots on the medium such that a dot formation position in the perpendicular direction of the dots formed in the second liquid discharge process is positioned between dot formation positions in the perpendicular direction of the dots formed continuously in the first liquid discharge process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Oshige
  • Patent number: 8733876
    Abstract: The present invention has been made to judge the discharge state of each nozzle accurately at an appropriate timing. For this purpose, a printing apparatus using a printhead including a heater and a temperature sensor to detect a temperature of the heater has the following arrangement. A temporal change in a detected temperature is monitored upon driving the printhead. In the temperature dropping process, temperatures are extracted at plural points of a time interval including a timing at which a feature point of the temporal change in the detected temperature in normal discharge appears. The second derivative of the temperature is calculated and added to obtain a total sum. The total sum is compared with a threshold defined based on the characteristic of the temporal change in the monitored temperature in discharge failure, thereby judging whether to normally discharge ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Ike
  • Patent number: 8733877
    Abstract: A discharge defect of a nozzle in an apparatus that forms an image on a medium by discharging liquid from a liquid discharge head based on image data is accurately detected. A discharge defect of a nozzle is detected by comparing data (reference data) of a reference image with read data obtained by reading an output image. In this case, a mark for matching the read pixel and the nozzle position with each other is recorded on the medium, and the correspondence relationship is specified by reading the mark. In addition, data items that are converted to have the nozzle resolution by performing a filtering process corresponding to the human visual characteristics for both the data of the reference image and the data of the read image are compared with each other, thereby detecting a discharge defect of a nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Inoue