Linear Motion Patents (Class 248/569)
  • Patent number: 11439235
    Abstract: A seat tilting device includes: a bottom plate secured to a seat base; a top plate secured to a seat; a pivot connecting the top plate to the bottom plate; a compression spring surrounding the pivot; and a compression ring surrounding the compression spring, wherein there is space between a bottom surface of the top plate and a top surface of the compression ring such that the top plate may tilt on the pivot until it contacts the top surface of the compression ring and the movement of the top plate is resisted by the compression spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Artco-Bell Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Taylor, II, Mark E. Stenftenagel, Richard K. Joutras
  • Patent number: 11209064
    Abstract: A buffer stopper capable of increasing an absorbable energy amount without causing changes in characteristics due to wear of a buffer body. In order to achieve the object, the buffer body containing a rubber elastic body disposed between an end surface formed in a housing and an end surface formed in a shaft which is relatively movable in the axial direction with respect to the housing and a wear resistant sheet which is provided so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the buffer body and which can contact an inner peripheral surface of the housing by expansion and deformation in the radial direction of the buffer body are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: NOK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shoji Mizumachi
  • Patent number: 11098432
    Abstract: A damping device for a washing machine and a washing machine are provided. The damping device for a washing machine comprises an upper boom, a damping spring mechanism and a lower boom, wherein an upper end of the upper boom is installed on a cabinet of the washing machine, a lower end of the lower boom is installed on an outer tub of the washing machine, the damping spring mechanism is installed between the upper boom and the lower boom, and the upper boom and/or the lower boom are/is elastically stretched under the drive of the damping spring mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignees: CHONGQING HAIER WASHING MACHINE CO., LTD., HAIER SMART HOME CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Peishi Lv, Lin Yang, Gangjin Zhang, Yun Tian, Chunxia Zhou, Shengcheng Gao
  • Patent number: 11066863
    Abstract: A device for adjusting an elevation of a piece comprises a body and a pin. The body is intended to be secured to a support, and has an internal surface defining a central cylinder provided with an internal thread and having a first opening. The pin has an external thread, a first end for carrying the piece, and a second end. The pin and the body are connected to one another through their respective threads. The pin can, when rotated, move in a longitudinal direction to adjust the elevation of its first end. The pin has at least two longitudinal slots on its second end to define at least two flexible legs. The body has at least one boss on its internal surface configured to bend the flexible legs and to fit into one of the slots during the rotational movement of the pin so as to index an elevational position of the piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: A. RAYMOND ET CIE
    Inventor: Cyril de Marco
  • Patent number: 10934758
    Abstract: An adjustable bumper assembly includes a bumper assembly insert having a bumper head, a threaded portion connected to the bumper head and a ratchet portion extending from the threaded portion. A coupling ring is threadably connected to the threaded portion. The coupling ring has a ratchet device with a tooth biased into contact with the ratchet portion. A base member includes multiple retention arms homogeneously connected to the base member extending away from a face of the base member. The coupling ring when slidably received in a through passage created in the face of the base member contacts the retention arms. The coupling ring is non-rotatably engaged to the base member such that axial rotation of the bumper assembly insert with respect to the coupling ring axially extends or retracts the bumper assembly insert with respect to the base member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Ryan Cahill, Kyle C. Smith, Robert J. Hood
  • Patent number: 10767809
    Abstract: A support arm for supporting a load such as a display device. The support arm includes a housing defining an indicator window, a balancing mechanism in the housing, and an adjustment mechanism to adjust a counterbalancing force or torque provided by the balancing mechanism to counterbalance the weight of the load. The support arm further includes an indicator arrangement visible in the indicator window to provides a visual indication of the relative force or torque provided by the balancing mechanism. The indicator arrangement may include a lens in the indicator window. The indicator arrangement may include indicia to facilitate the visual indication of relative force or torque. The indicator arrangement may include a portion of the adjustment mechanism or balancing mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: COLEBROOK BOSSON & SAUNDERS (PRODUCTS) LIMITED
    Inventors: Alex Lau, Andrew Wills
  • Patent number: 10760731
    Abstract: Provided is an arm-supporting structure, including a front arm connector, a rear arm connector, an adjusting means for an upper support and a lower support, and an elastic supporting means. The front arm connector, the upper support, the rear arm connector and the lower support are articulated sequentially to form a parallelogram structure. The upper end and the lower end of the adjusting means are articulated with the upper support and the lower support, respectively. Two ends of the elastic supporting means are connected with the adjusting means and the upper support, respectively. The elastic supporting means has a length that is elastically stretchable. The adjusting means automatically adjusts its position in accordance with the swinging of the upper support and the lower support, shifts the position of the fulcrum of the elastic supporting means, and automatically reaches a balance of force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: KUNSHAN HONGJIE ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiaojie Chang
  • Patent number: 10689894
    Abstract: An adjustable stopper device (1) for a vehicle door or hood, includes a base part (100), and adjustment part (200), a stopper part (300) and a fastening structure (400). The adjustment part is connected to the base part via threads (120, 220) and thereby rotatable around a device axis (210) with respect to the base part (100). The stopper part is configured to contact the vehicle door and to provide an abutment surface (310) for the vehicle door when the vehicle door is closed, wherein the stopper part is connected to the adjustment part and wherein the axial position of the abutment surface is adjustable by turning the adjustment part with respect to the base part around the device axis. The fastening structure fastens the base part to the car body (2). A vehicle with, use of and method for manufacturing such a device are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Victor Diez Herrera, Ivan Martin Marino, Albert Pares Isanta, Philip Stellwag, Marco Spanier
  • Patent number: 10670104
    Abstract: An exemplary shock absorber includes a damper tube, a damper piston, a piston shaft, and at least two different surface treatments. The damper tube includes an interior surface. The damper piston includes a piston surface that engages the interior surface. The piston shaft couples with the damper piston and includes a shaft surface that engages a fourth surface. The at least two different surface treatments are disposed on at least one of the interior surface and the shaft surface and create a corresponding plurality of coefficients of friction with at least one of the piston surface and the fourth surface respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Wittenschlaeger
  • Patent number: 10662568
    Abstract: A suspension unit assembly comprises a strut having a first end and a second end and a coupling disposed at the first end of the strut. The coupling has a strut part connected to the strut and a mounting part configured to tilt relative to the strut part of the coupling. A spring is disposed about the strut, one end of the spring being restrained relative to the mounting part of the coupling so that tilting movement between the strut part and the mounting part of the coupling causes the spring to deform and provide a return force that acts to return the coupling to an equilibrium position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Appliances Limited
    Inventor: Russell Joseph Jackson
  • Patent number: 10619394
    Abstract: A spacer assembly includes a housing that is configured to couple to a component. The housing includes a central bore. A bumper is coupled to the housing. The bumper includes a bumper support including a shaft that extends within the central bore, and a bumper head coupled to the bumper support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Kileean Bell
  • Patent number: 8573569
    Abstract: An active vibration damper including: an inner shaft member provided to a movable member; an outer tube member provided to a stator; a pair of leaf springs elastically connecting axially both sides of the inner shaft member and the outer tube member so as to make a linear actuator operatable by itself; an elastic connecting rubber connecting the inner shaft member and the outer tube member; a mass body holding portion provided to the inner shaft member for holding an additional mass body that is disposed further outwardly than the elastic connecting rubber; and a housing having a structure dividable in an axial direction in which respective openings are secured to each other with an annular seal being interposed therebetween at an outer peripheral side of the elastic connecting rubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Hasegawa, Atsushi Muramatsu, Tetsuyoshi Shibata, Hironori Koyama
  • Patent number: 8544813
    Abstract: A vehicle seat, particularly a commercial-vehicle seat is provided with a scissor-type stand (3) which is able to vibrate and which is provided with a top frame (7), two first rocker arms (8a) and two second rocker arms (8b), which intersect in pairs at a scissor axis (10) extending in a transverse seat direction (y). The first two rocker arms (8a) are connected with one another at one end via a transverse tube (18) which extends in the transverse seat direction (y) and are pivotably mounted on the top frame (7) and able to vibrate in the longitudinal seat direction (x) via a bearing mechanism (20). The transverse tube (18) can be locked with the top frame (7) via at least one locking device (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Keiper GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Viktor Enns, Thomas Weber, Thomas Gundall
  • Patent number: 8205852
    Abstract: A flexure mount for economically producing pure translational motion with no arcuate or error motion in the vertical direction utilizing alignment pins and parts reducing structures including monolithic springs. A low profile embodiment utilizes a compound monolithic spring. The flexure mount may be used to translate a mirror or retroreflector in a purely linear direction of precisely controlled and known distance, useful in myriad interferometer applications including spectroscopy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: FTRX LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Jacobson, Zvi Bleier
  • Patent number: 8205853
    Abstract: A flexure mount for economically producing pure translational motion with no arcuate or error motion in the vertical direction utilizing alignment pins and parts reducing structures including monolithic springs. A low profile embodiment utilizes a compound monolithic spring. The flexure mount may be used to translate a mirror or retroreflector in a purely linear direction of precisely controlled and known distance, useful in myriad interferometer applications including spectroscopy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: FTRX LLC
    Inventors: Zvi Bleier, Alexander Jacobson
  • Publication number: 20110226930
    Abstract: A vehicle seat, particularly a commercial-vehicle seat is provided with a scissor-type stand (3) which is able to vibrate and which is provided with a top frame (7), two first rocker arms (8a) and two second rocker arms (8b), which intersect in pairs at a scissor axis (10) extending in a transverse seat direction (y). The first two rocker arms (8a) are connected with one another at one end via a transverse tube (18) which extends in the transverse seat direction (y) and are pivotably mounted on the top frame (7) and able to vibrate in the longitudinal seat direction (x) via a bearing mechanism (20). The transverse tube (18) can be locked with the top frame (7) via at least one locking device (31).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Viktor Enns, Thomas Weber, Thomas Gundall
  • Patent number: 7942378
    Abstract: The medical stands is used to support a medical tool and includes a first parallel linkage to maintain weight balance of the medical tool. The torque transmitting mechanism maintains an attitude of the medical tool and includes a second parallel linkage whose one end is fixed to a body of the medical stand, a connecting element, and a third parallel linkage connected through the connecting element to the second parallel linkage. Links that form the second parallel linkage are made of rigid material. A vibration suppressing mechanism is attached to a longitudinal link of the first parallel linkage and is always resiliently in contact with a longitudinal link of the second parallel linkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Mitaka Kohki Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Katsushige Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7909492
    Abstract: A mounting apparatus for reflectors such as reflector umbrellas for lighting used in motion picture and still photography. The apparatus secures the reflector by retaining elements and the reflector may be removed efficiently from the apparatus and replaced by another reflector if desired by rotating one of the retaining elements about a hinge. The angular position of the reflector may be adjusted by rotating supports for the retaining elements to desired angular configurations by activation of a gear mechanism in a housing. The apparatus includes an indicator that indicates the position or angular orientation of the reflector and allows a user to orient the reflector into one or more desired angular configurations and remove the reflector while maintaining the orientation of the supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Inventor: Sergio Alejandro Ortiz-Gavin
  • Patent number: 7510164
    Abstract: A support (10) for a motor, particularly for a motor vehicle heating, ventilation and/or air-conditioning unit blower, includes a more or less cylindrical hollow sleeve (20) intended to accept the motor, and a fixing housing (30) intended to accept the hollow sleeve (20). The support (10) also includes insulating pads (40) and longitudinal strands (60) for absorbing vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Valeo Climatisation S.A.
    Inventors: Pierre Arnaud Geroux, Stephane Talaucher
  • Patent number: 7472518
    Abstract: An anti-shock device has at least two sliding members placed in at least two layers. Each sliding member is comprised of a slotted seat, an inner seat, and a rolling shaft. The slotted seat has a slot defined longitudinally in a face and has outer curved rails defined in two sidewalls. The inner seat mounted slidably in the slot has an inner curved rail defined therein, corresponding to and curving in the opposite direction of the outer curved rails. The rolling shaft is mounted rotatably through the outer curved rails and the inner curved rail. When subjected to vibration, the anti-shock device converts the horizontal forces into vertical forces. In addition, an energy dissipation member is provided in the anti-shock device that eliminates vertical vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Inventor: Chong-Shien Tsai
  • Patent number: 7296766
    Abstract: A structural damping assembly includes a bonding plate, a stiffener layer, an elastomeric layer, and a constraining layer. The elastomeric layer is boned between the stiffener layer and the constraining layer. The bonding plate and the stiffener layer extend between, and are preferably in contact with, webs which form a pocket on a substrate such as a transmission support beam. The structural damping assembly uses the energy dissipating properties of the elastomeric layer that is sandwiched between the vibrating stiffener layer and the constraining layer to combat noise due to resonant response while operating as a stiffener that increases the frequency of resonance to a range where coincidental placement with an excitation frequency is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventor: Stuart K. Drost
  • Patent number: 7240580
    Abstract: A single degree of freedom positioner resistant to axial and rotational motion on two axes, and to rotation around a third axis, but permitting axial movement along the third axis. The axes are orthogonally related. The positioner is characterized by support of a stage by a plurality of stiffly flexible end supported shear webs that bend in a rolling motion to enable the said axial motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Inventor: Michael R. Everman
  • Patent number: 6911117
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for damping vibration in a paper machine. The apparatus having a dynamic damper which includes a weight suspended by a spring. The spring constant of the spring is changed by means of a control device in order to tune the natural frequency of the dynamic damper. The dynamic damper is tuned to a frequency that is substantially equal to a multiple of the rotational frequency of the roll in the paper machine that is being damped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Metso Paper, Inc.
    Inventors: Jouko Karhunen, Arto Puranen, Jorma Köliö, Esa Lehtovirta, Erkki Hietamäki
  • Patent number: 5735511
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a self-adjusting stopper for dampening movable parts, in particular for lids, hoods or the like in automotive vehicles, and comprises a stop element, a casing, a clamping element and a coupling element in cooperative relationship. Initially the stop element projects a maximum distance out of the casing. By closing the part which has to be dampened, for example the hood of an automotive vehicle, the stop element becomes displaced into the casing. After opening the lid, the clamping element is locked to the stop element by rotating the coupling element to axially adjust the stop element within the casing. A further adjustment is not required. According to the invention, the stop element will be automatically adjusted in a proper axial position by just closing and opening the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: ITW-ATECO GmbH
    Inventors: Jurgen Stocker, Gunter Wibrow
  • Patent number: 4917211
    Abstract: A seismic isolator comprises: a friction device having upper friction plate and a lower friction plate, a friction plane of the upper friction plate and the lower friction plate having a characteristic of Coulomb friction; and horizontally placed springs which reduce a relative displacement and a residual displacement. The upper friction plate includes being any one selected from the group consisting of a polyacetal resin containing lubricating oil, a bronze or brass alloy with solid lubricant buried therein, a sintered alloy with solid lubricant dispersed therein, a porous structure of cast iron with lubricant oil contained therein and a steel backing sintered layer with solid lubricant and oil impregnated therein. Furthermore, the lower friction plate includes being any one surface-treated material selected from the group consisting of a hard chromium-plated plate and a hard nickel-plated plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: NKK Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Yamada, Katsunori Kurabe, Kengo Tagawa, Koichi Shibata
  • Patent number: 4526118
    Abstract: Vibrational movements of a spring biased lever, which is selectively positionable by a stitch length control lever and controls the operation of feed regulating mechanism in a sewing machine accordingly, are dampened by the operation of a plunger that is carried by said control lever and has a camming surface thereon to engage and lift the spring biased lever when the control lever is moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1985
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Robert B. Brauch
  • Patent number: 4371141
    Abstract: A vibration isolation system includes a seismic restraint assembly that attenuates forces above a chosen magnitude transmitted to a unit from a support during a seismic event. Vertical friction elements on a vertical frame engage and support a vertical damper element. Horizontal friction elements on a horizontal frame engage and retain a horizontal damper element. One frame is connected to the unit, the other to the support. The vertical and horizontal damper elements interconnect, but lost motion spacing between these elements ordinarily prevents low level vibrations being communicated therethrough. Each of the vertical and horizontal friction elements is spring biased into a predetermined frictional engagement with its associated damper element. The force of the engagement is adjustable to adjust the level at which higher than ordinary forces that are being transmitted through the assembly will begin to be attenuated by slippage of the frictionally engaged elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 1, 1983
    Assignee: Korfund Dynamics Corporation
    Inventor: Paul Baratoff
  • Patent number: 4343452
    Abstract: An elastic support for a horizontally rotating washing machine or the like in which two spring support strut assemblies are disposed substantially in the middle of the machine and to either side of a vertical plane which includes the axis of rotation. Each of the spring strut assemblies is double-acting, i.e., it has an upper guide rod and a lower guide rod, each of which is surrounded by a compression spring. The top of the upper guide rod is attached to the washing machine housing and the bottom of the lower guide rod is attached to the base of the machine. The free ends of the guide rods move axially within a single guiding and damping casing which has internal passages for guiding the rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1982
    Assignee: Suspa Federungstechnik Fritz Bauer & Shone Ohg
    Inventor: Fritz Bauer
  • Patent number: 4295627
    Abstract: A vehicle seat suspension, of the type comprising a seat frame supported on a base frame by two spaced pairs of scissor action linkage arms, has the ends of the linkage arms connected to one of the frames wholly by pivotal connections having freedom for displacement longitudinally of the suspension and a resilient coupling connecting the one frame to one of the linkage arms to damp the transmission of vibrations between the frames in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1981
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Graves
  • Patent number: 4266630
    Abstract: In a forward engine compartment of a vehicle a power unit is suspended so as to have a controlled rearward movement in the engine compartment when exposed to excessive forces in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle during a collision. There is at least one rear mounting having a resilient body separating two members secured to the power unit and to structural portions of the vehicle body, respectively. Said rear mounting allows one of the members a limited movement relative to the other while absorbing deformation work. As the power unit travels further back the attachment of the rear mounting is gradually destroyed, but it holds long enough to allow the power unit to hit a cowl panel at the rear of the engine compartment, thus controlling the travel of the power unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1981
    Assignee: Saab-Scania Aktiebolag
    Inventors: Dan L. Nilsson, Joel L. Danielsson
  • Patent number: 4238104
    Abstract: An energy absorbing motor mount assembly is disclosed in which a mounting element, including an arm having an enlarged head portion, is mounted for reciprocation in fore and aft directions inside a containment housing. Resiliently displaceable energy absorbing means are positioned on either side of the head portion to resist displacement in either the fore or aft direction. The head is dimensioned to prevent removal from the containment housing and is surrounded by a rubber-like member, which resiliently resists displacement in combination with compression springs. The rubber member also resists displacement in directions transversed to the permitted fore and aft displacment. The resilient spring force applied to the head of the mounting element can be adjusted to vary the energy absorption characteristics of the motor mount assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1980
    Inventor: Rex Hamilton