Patents Issued in March 31, 2015
  • Patent number: 8991918
    Abstract: A child seat attachment structure comprising a lower anchor comprising a fixing portion that is fixed to a configuration member configuring a vehicle body or a vehicle seat, a leg portion that extends from the fixing portion towards a vehicle top side, and a coupling portion that is provided at an upper end portion of the leg portion and that fixes a child seat to the vehicle body or the vehicle seat by connecting to a connector of the child seat; and a contacted portion that restricts displacement of the coupling portion of the lower anchor towards a vehicle front side with respect to the fixing portion by making contact with a portion of the lower anchor when the child seat fixed to the vehicle body or the vehicle seat has moved towards the vehicle front side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakakita, Shoji Yamamoto, Yasuhiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8991919
    Abstract: A child safety seat having a seat, a backrest, and a belt device for buckling a child therein. The belt device includes a shoulder belt routed through an opening in the backrest. The opening includes a longitudinal slot extending in a longitudinal direction of the backrest in a reclining element and a belt slot in a belt guide piece. The guide piece is movable along the reclining element to adapt the position of the belt slot to the child's body. The guide piece detachably connects to the reclining element via a locking device having a locking element pretensioned by a reset force. An actuating element on the reclining element applies tensile force to the tensioning element, counter to the reset force. This moves the locking element into a release setting, thus releasing the locking device and displacing the guide piece along the longitudinal direction of the backrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Hauck GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tobias Neuber, Reinhold Unseld
  • Patent number: 8991920
    Abstract: A collapsible infant bouncer comprising support assembly configured with a pair of intersecting support rods pivotally articulated to one another, each support rod configured with at least a top link and a bottom link foldable about a folding joint, and a flexible seating member mounted on the support assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Tiny Love Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoshana Oren, Giora Shachal
  • Patent number: 8991921
    Abstract: A seating unit having a seat assembly and an adjustment assembly coupled to the seat assembly is provided, where the adjustment assembly includes a single drive mechanism for translating the seat assembly from a first position to a second position and expanding the seat assembly from a first configuration to a second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon Jay Peterson, Jennifer Kristy Geister
  • Patent number: 8991922
    Abstract: A lumbar support for a chair includes a member having a first portion separated from a second portion via a slit formed in the member and a slider mechanism. The slider mechanism has a slider that is moveable from a first position to a second position. The first and second portions of the member are attached to each other when the slider is at the second position via the slider. The first and second portions of the member are unattached at the second position when the slider is moved from the second position to the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Formway Furniture Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Warren Bisman, Damon Gregory Burwell, Leif Robert John Roy, Paul Michael Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 8991923
    Abstract: An adjusting device for a lumbar support includes a pair of spaced guide members. A first adjusting member is coupled to the pair of guide members and displaceable along the pair of guide members and configured such that the lumbar support is adjusted when the first adjusting member is displaced. A second adjusting member is displaceable along the pair of guide members. A drive mechanism for effecting an adjustment of the lumbar support includes a motor provided on the first adjusting member so as to be displaceable along the guide members jointly with the first adjusting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Schukra Geraetebau GmbH
    Inventors: Gunter Maierhofer, Klaus Junker, Frank Falster, Matthias Meyer
  • Patent number: 8991924
    Abstract: A chair with a tilting backrest including two flexible supporting sectional elements set at a distance from one another in a transverse direction, wherein each of said supporting sectional elements is provided with a plurality of through notches that form respective points of localized bending that enable bending backwards of the supporting sectional element, and wherein each of said notches has a first contact surface and a second contact surface that, in the position of maximum inclination backwards of the backrest, come to bear upon one another to stop bending backwards of the sectional element, wherein the projections of said first and second contact surfaces in a vertical plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chair are at least partially superimposed on one another in such a way as to prevent visual communication through said notches in a direction orthogonal to said vertical plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: PRO-CORD S.p.A.
    Inventor: Alessandro Piretti
  • Patent number: 8991925
    Abstract: A lift chair includes a frame assembly including a chair portion rotatable with respect to a base portion. A lift mechanism portion is positioned in a base portion cavity. The lift mechanism portion includes a lift motor and a drive assembly connected to the lift motor having a slide. A lift tube connects the slide to the chair portion. The lift tube upon actuation of the lift motor displaces the chair portion between a nominal and a full lift position by slide displacement in a slide lifting direction. First and second guide members are positioned on opposite sides of the drive assembly and connected to a base portion base platform. The lift tube is connected to both the first and second guide members to distribute a weight load from the chair portion via the lift tube to the slide, and by the guide members to the base platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: La-Z-Boy Incorporated
    Inventor: Larry P. LaPointe
  • Patent number: 8991926
    Abstract: A backrest for a wheelchair includes an adjustable cushion support, a backrest frame, and attachment members. The adjustable cushion support supports a backrest cushion, and substantially defines plane P1. The backrest frame holds the cushion support and has two substantially parallel side posts substantially defining a plane P2. The attachment members attach the cushion support to the backrest frame. The cushion support comprises two side bars and a plurality of transversally extending and vertically spaced apart flexible straps. Each strap is length adjustable. The cushion support comprises at least two connecting plates. Each plate being integral with one of the side bars and being provided with at least two parallel adjustment slots. The slots define an angle ?, with said plane P1 of the adjustable support cushion. The attachment members are slidably mounted on the slots, enabling depth, width and angular adjustment of the cushion support on the backrest frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Invacare International Sarl
    Inventor: Ulf Johansson
  • Patent number: 8991927
    Abstract: A headrest holder includes two tension pieces defined in the body portion thereof and a head portion. The two tension pieces, each including a protrudent portion, are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of that body portion, while being in a mutually facing relation, so that a headrest stay inserted in the headrest holder is retained between the two protrudent portions against wobbling. Further, those two tension pieces and either the head portion or a support bracket of seat frame establish three supportive points. Namely, the headrest holder inserted in the support bracket is retained against wobbling because the two protrudent portions and the headrest holder's neck portion closely contact the support bracket. Also, a headrest stay inserted in the headrest holder is retained against wobbling because the two protrudent portions and headrest holder's head portion closely contact the headrest stay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignees: World Class Plastics, Inc., Tachi-S Engineering USA, Inc.
    Inventors: David Wisniewski, Masato Miyaguchi, Hisayuki Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 8991928
    Abstract: A constricting member of a chair footrest ring is revealed. The constricting member is mainly a constricting sleeve with a hole mounted on a center thereof. A plurality of tapered-shaped mounting and fixing parts is disposed projectingly on an outer surface of the constricting sleeve, from top to bottom and expanded outward. At least one trench is also formed on the outer surface of the constricting sleeve. A positioning projective ring is projecting from and integrally formed on an outer edge on a top end of the constricting sleeve. The structure is simple so that the manufacturing cost is reduced and the assembling is more convenient and faster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Inventor: Kun-Yu Hsieh
  • Patent number: 8991929
    Abstract: A stroller seat has a seat bottom with a calf support pivotally connected thereto and pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position. A positioning mechanism is coupled to the calf support and movable between an engaged arrangement and a released arrangement. The positioning mechanism, when in the engaged arrangement, retains the calf support in a position selectable from among at least the lowered position and raised position. A release actuator on the calf support is coupled to the positioning mechanism. The release actuator moves the positioning mechanism to the released arrangement. The positioning mechanism, whether in the engaged or released arrangement, allows the calf support to move in the direction of the raised position. The positioning mechanism, when in the engaged arrangement, prevents the calf support being moved in the direction of the lowered position. The positioning mechanism, when in the released arrangement, permits the calf support to move toward the lowered position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Graco Children's Products Inc.
    Inventors: Louis Doucette, Shelley Palazzolo, Thomas J Pollack, Brady Matthew Schroeder
  • Patent number: 8991930
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly including at least a component of the seat assembled made of closed-cell foam and having an integral exterior surface. The component may include a backrest, headrest, seat cushion or a component thereof such as an armrest. A method of forming a seat assembly including a first seat component and a second seat component wherein at least one of the first and the second components are made of closed-cell foam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Gregg Laframboise, Scott E. Dluge, Daniel J. Koester, David Thimm, Duane Potes, Jr., Sheraine Sabbagh, John Gomez, Joon Kyu Lee, Richard P. Doerer, Emery Jay Zadina, Kurt G. Lusko
  • Patent number: 8991931
    Abstract: Plural weft fascia portions wider than wefts are arranged in a ground texture formed in a lattice shape by warps and the wefts so as to be spaced from each other from one end of the clothing fabric toward the other end thereof in the vertical direction, and the arrangement intervals between the weft fascia portions adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are gradually decreased from one end of the clothing fabric toward the other end in the vertical direction, and then are gradually increased from the minimum portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Okamura Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuya Narita, Ryou Igarashi
  • Patent number: 8991932
    Abstract: A backrest mechanism for a chair includes a pair of left and right side rods, each having a folded portion in a laid-V shape in a side view at a portion for supporting a sitting person around his or her lumbar, and a back plate that connects opposing surfaces of the side rods. An upper portion of the back plate above the folded portions serves as a flexible portion that is elastically deformable in a backward direction and that has smaller rigidity than the left and right side rods, and a lower portion of the back plate below the flexible portion serves as an inflexible portion that has greater rigidity than the flexible portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Okamura Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Okuda, Syouichi Izawa
  • Patent number: 8991933
    Abstract: A backrest includes first and second side wings and connectors configured to connect the first and second side wings to the wheelchair frame. The first side wing comprises a plurality of transverse profiles extending towards the second side wing and the second side wing comprises a plurality of second transverse profiles extending towards the first side wing. At least one first transverse profile of the first side wing and at least one associated second transverse profile of the second side wing are at least partially mutually embraced in a slidable manner. The at least one first transverse profile and the at least one second transverse profile are dimensioned and configured so that the mutual slidably embracement of the at least one first transverse profile and the at least one second transverse profile is made on a range of distances enabling the width adjustment of the backrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Invacare International Sarl
    Inventor: Ulf Johansson
  • Patent number: 8991934
    Abstract: An engaging member is arranged at a first portion of part of an upholstery member, the first portion facing a first section, and the engaging member is fixed to an engaged member in a second groove. A second portion of the part of the upholstery member, the portion facing the second section, is arranged in the second section. One end-side portion of the engaging member is extended into the second section. In the direction in which the second groove extends, the length of an extended portion that is formed at the one end-side portion of the engaging member and that is extended into the second section is shorter than the length of a portion of the second section excluding the other portion corresponding to the extended portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kousuke Sei, Keisuke Yamamoto, Yukinori Sugiura, Takanori Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 8991935
    Abstract: A child safety seat utilizes a compression-type resilient shock absorber in which a soft-material resilient member serves to dampen shocks applied to the seat's harness assembly by undergoing compressive deformation in a way that prevents the harness safety belts from experiencing a “hard stop”. The resilient member (e.g., a foam rubber block, a gel-like substance, or a fluid-filled bladder) is disposed such that one portion is held against a rigid support (e.g., the backside surface of the seat's shell), and a second portion is operably coupled to a fixed end of a safety belt. The resilient shock absorber is oriented such that tension applied to the safety belt pulls the two end portions of the resilient member toward each other and against the rigid support, thereby causing the resilient member to compressively deform against the rigid support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Inspired Products Group, LLC
    Inventors: Eugene R. Balensiefer, II, James W. Holley, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8991936
    Abstract: A center door assembly for a dump bed and a method for removing the door from the dump bed. A frame is mounted in a wall of the dump bed and has a pair of opposite and spaced apart channels. A pair of elastomeric inserts are removably mounted in the channels. A retractable door has a pair of edges slidably received in the inserts and is movable linearly within the channels between a closed position and an open position. A pivot linkage assembly is operatively connected to the door for linearly moving the door between the closed and open positions. The elastomeric inserts are removed from the channels through a bottom opening in the channels providing lateral space between the channels to enable the door to be removed from the frame. The elastomeric inserts are provided with bend areas enabling them to be compressed for removal from the channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Mac Trailer Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventor: James A. Maiorana
  • Patent number: 8991937
    Abstract: An improved solution mining method for a soluble target layer such as potash, comprising injecting spent crystallizer brine unsaturated with salt generally horizontally into the top of the target layer to enable immediate target layer dissolution with waste salt accumulating in the sump while the dissolved target material is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: 101061615 Saskatcnewan Ltd.
    Inventor: Harvey Haugen
  • Patent number: 8991938
    Abstract: A wheel construction includes a wheel rim having axially inner and outer portions and a mid-portion, and each axially inner and outer portion, a connecting surface adjoining a flange and extending towards the mid portion. The construction includes a side part between the connecting surface and the mid portion, and for at least one of the inner and outer portions, the connecting surface is a frusto-conical having an axial end of greatest radius and an axial end of least radius, the connecting surface the greatest radius, adjoining the flange and the axial end of least radius adjoining a circumferentially extending convex surface which extends beyond the end of least radius, and a selected side part including a generally frusto-conical region and a curved region including circumferentially extending concave surfaces and the curved region adjoining the end of least radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: GKN Land Systems Limited
    Inventors: Giampietro Brame, Vincenzo Zuccarotto
  • Patent number: 8991939
    Abstract: A brake control system has a manual fluid pressure source and a power fluid pressure source. A fluid pressure actuator forms an X-pipe having a first channel and a second channel. The power fluid pressure source supplies the operating fluid to each wheel by using the first channel and the second channel. A channel system including the first channel and a channel system including the second channel can be isolated from each other by an isolation valve. The fluid pressure actuator includes a regulation unit configured to regulate a state of supplying the operating fluid such that a difference between a state occurring when the operating fluid is supplied to one of the first channel and the second channel after passing through the isolation valve, and a state occurring when the operating fluid is supplied to the other channel without passing through the isolation valve, is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eiji Nakamura, Akira Sakai
  • Patent number: 8991940
    Abstract: In an electrically driven brake booster wherein an electrically driven actuator moves a booster piston upon operation of a brake pedal to generate a hydraulic pressure for driving a brake force at the maser cylinder, the electrically driven actuator controls to move the booster piston as the pressing member in order to correctly detect presence/absence of an operation of the booster piston and detect a movement pattern of an input rot and an input piston as the shaft member relative to a movement of the pressing member. In accordance with the movement pattern, presence/absence of an operation of the brake pedal is detected. By confirming that the brake pedal is not operated, by the method described above, a zero point of a stroke sensor for detecting the position of the shaft member and zero points of oil pressure sensors for detecting a hydraulic pressure supplied by the master cylinder are learnt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kentaro Ueno
  • Patent number: 8991941
    Abstract: A vehicle brake apparatus in which a self-locked state of a cut-off valve is quickly relieved if the valve becomes stuck in the self-locked state. The vehicle brake apparatus comprises a master cylinder to have wheel cylinders generate a braking force, master cut-off valves of a normally open type, a slave cylinder electrically driven to apply a braking force to the wheel cylinders. The apparatus also includes pressure sensors for detecting brake fluid pressures generated by the master cylinder and the slave cylinder, and out-valves through which the brake fluid pressure on the wheel cylinders is reduced. If the brake fluid pressure corresponding to a depressing stroke of a brake pedal becomes higher than a valve openable pressure on the master cut-off valves while the brake pedal is being operated, the brake fluid pressure on the wheel cylinders is reduced through the out-valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Gotoh, Kunimichi Hatano
  • Patent number: 8991942
    Abstract: A brake control apparatus for a vehicle provided with a regenerative braking system includes a hydraulic circuit where a first passage connects a master cylinder to a wheel cylinder. A second passage connects a discharge side of a pump to a first portion of the first passage. A third passage connects a suction side of the pump to a second portion of the first passage between the master cylinder and the first portion. A fourth passage connects the suction side of the pump to a third portion of the first passage between an inflow valve and the wheel cylinder. A reservoir is connected to the third passage and a portion of the fourth passage between an outflow valve and the suction side of the pump. A shut-off valve restricts brake fluid discharge through a discharge-side valve from the pump being driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kotaro Koyama
  • Patent number: 8991943
    Abstract: A system, method and device are provided which relate to an automatic parking brake for motor vehicles having multiple brake actuators and an operating element for operating the parking brake. In embodiment, the brake actuators are connected to a controller, which is able to perform a wheel-specific slip control when a critical driving situation occurs. For example, a simultaneous locking and the loss of the cornering force can be prevented by a controller. The controller is designed in such a way so that when controlling the slip on a first wheel, the slip (?2) of a second wheel is taken into account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Baehrle-Miller, Dieter Blattert, Vitaliy Bograd
  • Patent number: 8991944
    Abstract: To provide a crawler bushing and a crawler link device that can maintain a sealing function stably on a long-term basis and permits easy maintenance for recovery of the sealing function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Hisamatsu
  • Patent number: 8991945
    Abstract: A refrigerated merchandiser including a case defining a product display area. The case includes a canopy defining an electrical raceway, and a panel defining aesthetic fascia for the canopy. The panel is coupled to the canopy and movable between a first position enclosing the electrical raceway and a second position providing access to the electrical raceway. The panel is self-supported in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Hussmann Corporation
    Inventor: Michael A. Grill
  • Patent number: 8991946
    Abstract: A hair styling accessory organizer includes an organizer base; an organizer platform carried by the organizer base; and at least one generally elongated hair head support member upward-standing from the organizer platform, the hair bead support member having a base portion carried by the organizer platform, a tapered portion of varying cross-sectional diameter extending from the base portion and a terminal portion extending from the tapered portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Inventor: Carolyn Braggs
  • Patent number: 8991947
    Abstract: Embodiments provided relate to systems and methods for using aircraft lavatories as storage when the aircraft is on the ground and during taxi, take-off, and landing, but to also allow the lavatories to be open for use during other aircraft flight times. This is accomplished by providing a slidable unit that is contained within the interior space of the aircraft lavatory in a storage position and that is extended out of the aircraft lavatory space in a lavatory use position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: MAG Aerospace Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Thomas M. Lee
  • Patent number: 8991948
    Abstract: A high cabinet may be mechanically lowered to within reach of a disabled user. In the second exemplary embodiment, a scissor-jack type mechanism pushes an outer cabinet out from the wall and a sliding mechanism allows an inner cabinet to drop down from within the outer cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Inventors: Monti Marsters, Everett Larry Marsters, Don Marsters
  • Patent number: 8991949
    Abstract: A drawer for receiving components may include a caddy tray and at least one caddy. The caddy tray may include a substantially planar caddy tray bottom defining a caddy tray depth and a caddy tray width. The at least one caddy may be mechanically coupled to the caddy tray via a hinge mechanically coupled to the caddy tray bottom such that the caddy pivots relative to the caddy tray about the hinge, the hinge having an axis generally parallel to the caddy tray depth, the at least one caddy having a plurality of bays, each bay having one or more structural components for receiving a modular information handling resource and configured such that the bay is accessed for insertion or removal of the modular information handling resource when the at least one caddy is pivoted from a closed position to an open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Kyle, Scott E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8991950
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing a modular electronic device from a chassis and a method for assembling thereof are provided. The apparatus for removing the modular electronic device from the chassis includes a door pivotally coupled to the chassis, a sliding element in slidable engagement with the door, an ejection actuator including a spring member connected to the ejection actuator and to the rear of the chassis, and a linkage element connecting the sliding element with the ejection actuator. Additionally, the apparatus for removing the modular electronic device from the chassis includes a guide rail disposed in the chassis enclosure to guide the modular electronic device and to guide the ejection actuator along the chassis enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Exablox Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Privitera, Jon Carver, Joshua Druker, Tad Hunt, Douglas Brockett, Ramesh Balan
  • Patent number: 8991951
    Abstract: A pop-up monitor with an obstacle sensing function is provided. The pop-up monitor includes a body housing and a monitor frame which is installed to move in a vertical direction with respect to the body housing. The pop-up monitor includes a driving unit, a sensor, and a controller. The driving unit includes a motor, a rotational shaft, and a gear set which transfers a rotational motion of the motor to the rotational shaft. The sensor outputs a sensing signal for whether the rotational shaft rotates. The controller outputs a control signal for a rotational direction of the motor according to the sensing signal and state information regarding whether the motor rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joung Hoon Lee, Wan Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 8991952
    Abstract: The hooking device of a drawer to a longitudinal guide, comprises a support body fixable to a front and/or a bottom of the drawer and is provided with an oscillating command lever of a hooking organ of the support body to the guide, the support body exhibiting a first part of body fixable to the drawer and at least one second part of body slidably connected with the first part of body and adjustably positioned at least in the longitudinal direction of the guide, the lever and the hooking organ being solidly constrained to said second part of body in displacement thereof in the longitudinal direction of the guide, at least first adjustment means being further provided for varying a position of said second part of body with respect to the first part of body in the longitudinal direction of the guide for adjusting the position of the drawer with respect to the guide in the longitudinal direction of the guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Arturo Salice, S.p.A.
    Inventor: Luciano Salice
  • Patent number: 8991953
    Abstract: A refrigerator having a drawer sealing apparatus includes a refrigerator main body having a cooling chamber, a case disposed within the cooling chamber and forming an accommodation space with a front opening, a drawer accommodated in the case and having a drawer door for opening and closing the front opening of the case, and a sealing apparatus comprising a drawer side member disposed on the drawer door and a case side member disposed on the case, the sealing apparatus having a sealing position where the drawer side member and the case side member are engaged with each other to maintain a sealed state when the drawer door is closed, and an unsealing position where the engaged state is released when the drawer door is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jaeyoul Lee, Ayoung Choo, Daehyun Yoo
  • Patent number: 8991954
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of circulating fluid in a fluid ejection device includes generating compressive and expansive fluid displacements of different durations from a first actuator located asymmetrically within a fluidic channel between a first fluid feedhole and a nozzle while generating no fluid displacements from a second actuator located asymmetrically within the channel between the nozzle and a second fluid feedhole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Alexander Govyadinov, Kianoush Naeli, Tony S. Cruz-Uribe
  • Patent number: 8991955
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes: an ink container having an outlet port and a return port; a printhead having a first ink port and a second ink port; a first ink line interconnecting the outlet port and the first ink port; a second ink line interconnecting the return port and the second ink port; a bypass line interconnecting the first and second ink lines; a valve system for controlling fluid flow through the first ink line and the bypass line; and a controller for controlling the valve system. During printing, the controller is configured to open the first ink line and the bypass line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeff Borra, Ryan Root, Jon Lucas, Robert L. Mallory, Robert Rosati, Raul Perez
  • Patent number: 8991956
    Abstract: An ink jet recording device includes a conveying unit, carriage, motor, recording head, encoder, and controller. The controller is configured to perform: a recording control for controlling the recording head to eject ink while the carriage is moving; and a first movement control for setting a target stand-by position from which the carriage is configured to start moving in a particular direction and controlling the motor to move the carriage to and stop at the target stand-by position. Further, the controller is configured to control the carriage to move in the particular direction, when the carriage stops at a position upstream of the target stand-by position in the particular direction in the first movement control, from the upstream position at which the carriage has stopped, and to perform the recording control during a period of continuous movement of the carriage across the target stand-by position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoru Arakane
  • Patent number: 8991957
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a first piezoelectric element, a first nozzle that ejects a liquid in association with the driving of the first piezoelectric element, a second piezoelectric element, a second nozzle that ejects a liquid in association with the driving of the second piezoelectric element, a driving signal generation unit that generates a driving signal for driving a plurality of piezoelectric elements, and a residual vibration detection unit that detects residual vibration generated by the driving of the piezoelectric element. The first nozzle is adjacent to the second nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Otokita
  • Patent number: 8991958
    Abstract: A method of driving a liquid ejection head adapted to apply a voltage to the liquid ejection head to eject a liquid including a polymer is provided. The method includes raising the voltage from a first voltage to a second voltage; raising the voltage from the second voltage to a third voltage at a gradient larger than that in raising the voltage from the first to the second voltage, and then holding the voltage at the third voltage; dropping the voltage from the third voltage to a fourth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the fourth voltage; raising the voltage from the fourth voltage to a fifth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the fifth voltage; dropping the voltage from the fifth voltage to a sixth voltage, and then holding the voltage at the sixth voltage; and raising the voltage from the sixth voltage to a seventh voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kei Hiruma
  • Patent number: 8991959
    Abstract: A recording apparatus including a recording head that includes an element array of a plurality of recording elements for discharging a liquid, the plurality of recording elements in the element array being divided into groups, and a drive unit configured to drive the recording head in a driving mode selected from a plurality of driving modes including a continuous driving mode in which recording elements in each of the groups are driven in order from one end and a distributed driving mode in which recording elements in each of the groups are driven such that adjacent recording elements are not driven sequentially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Nitta, Hiroaki Shirakawa, Yasunori Fujimoto, Taku Yokozawa
  • Patent number: 8991960
    Abstract: A method of compensating for bi-directional alignment error in a printing system including a carriage, a print head disposed thereon, and a bi-directional printing mode includes determining a data set by a data set determination module corresponding to bi-directional alignment error at a plurality of carriage speeds. The method also includes determining a line of best fit of the data set by a best fit determination module and identifying a flight time of fluid ejected from the print head and a carriage position error of the carriage from the line of best fit by an alignment parameter identification module. The method also includes compensating for the bi-directional alignment error by an error compensation module based on the flight time and the carriage position error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Greg Hargis, Yifeng Wu
  • Patent number: 8991961
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a liquid discharge head, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The controller changes a voltage waveform to be input to the ink discharge head, while a nozzle surface is facing a first gap. The temperature sensor measures a first actual temperature of the ink discharge head, while the nozzle surface is facing a second gap. The controller calculates, on the basis of the first actual temperature and a discharge history of ink discharged to a sheet located between the first gap and the second gap, a first estimated temperature of the ink discharge head corresponding to the time in which the nozzle surface is facing the first gap. The controller changes the voltage waveform on the basis of the first estimated temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadao Kyoutani
  • Patent number: 8991962
    Abstract: A method of printing a spit pattern for an inkjet printer includes selecting a dot distance between dots of the spit pattern, selecting at least a sub-matrix of a dither matrix of entries arranged in rows and columns, constructing a bi-level bitmap of the same size as the sub-matrix, splitting each column of the bi-level bitmap which has more than one entry having a value of one into a number of columns such that each column of the number of columns comprises one entry having a value of one, removing each column of the bi-level bitmap which has no entry having a value of one, extracting the row and column number of each entry of the bi-level bitmap having a value of one, adapting the row number of each extracted entry in accordance with the dot distance, and printing the spit pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: OCE_Technologies B.V.
    Inventor: Carolus E.P. Gerrits
  • Patent number: 8991963
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharging apparatus including: a first nozzle row and a second nozzle row in which nozzles for discharging liquid are lined up, and the second nozzle row is disposed by forming an overlapped region in which an end portion of one side in a predetermined direction is overlapped with an end portion of the other side in the predetermined direction of the first nozzle row; and a control unit which discharges liquid from the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row depending on input data of an image and a recording duty for discharging liquid, increases a recording duty in the overlapped region with respect to a recording duty in a non-overlapped region which is a region other than the overlapped region, and differentiates increased amounts of the recording duty in the overlapped region from each other depending on the input data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Tanase, Toru Takahashi, Hiroshi Wada, Takamitsu Kondo
  • Patent number: 8991964
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a recording head that discharges ink onto a recording target medium from a nozzle; a first moving unit that moves at least one of the recording target medium and the recording head; a first radiating unit that is disposed at the opposite side to the recording head with respect to the recording target medium and radiates electromagnetic waves that cure the ink; and a second moving unit that moves at least one of the recording target medium and the first radiating unit, and a control unit that controls driving of the recording head, the first moving unit, the first radiating unit, and the second moving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenori Usuda, Shinichi Kamoshida
  • Patent number: 8991965
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a transport roller that transports a medium in a transport direction; a head that moves in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and ejects liquid to the medium; a cutter that moves in the transport direction and the orthogonal direction and cuts a part of the medium positioned in a predetermined range from a first position to a second position in the transport direction; and a controller that performs a first process of forming an image on the medium by controlling the transport roller to transport the medium in the transport direction and controlling the head moving in the orthogonal direction to eject the liquid, and performs a second process of forming a cutting line on the medium by controlling the cutter to cut the part of the medium over the predetermined range during the first process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masaaki Wakita
  • Patent number: 8991966
    Abstract: An inkjet printer including a feeding device configured to feed a sheet in a feeding direction, a platen configured to support the sheet, a recording device configured to eject ink on the sheet, contacting members configured to contact the sheet, a detector configured to detect an end portion position of the sheet in a width direction, and a controller configured to control the feeding device and the recording device is provided. The contacting members are arranged at intervals in the width direction, and the controller performs a suppression process in which at least one of the feeding device and the recording device is controlled to suppress a contact of the sheet with the recording device when the end portion position detected by the detector is a position between the two adjacent contacting members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoru Arakane, Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 8991967
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first roller and a second roller on which a recording medium is stretched; a head which performs image forming on the recording medium in an image forming region between the first roller and the second roller; an opening-shutting door which is provided in an external member; an opening-shutting regulation unit which regulates an opening operation of the opening-shutting door; and a control unit which transports the recording medium while applying a tension to the recording medium in the image forming region by controlling rotations of the first and second rollers, and regulates the opening operation of the opening-shutting door by the opening-shutting regulation unit while the head is performing the image forming, in which the control unit releases a regulation of the opening operation of the opening-shutting door by the opening-shutting regulation unit after performing a preparation operation for releasing the regulation which stops the recording medium in a state in whi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Daiki Tokushima