System Including Spaced Pulleys Interconnected By A Belt Patents (Class 474/148)
  • Patent number: 12035992
    Abstract: Systems and methods for computer-assisted systems using robotic technology are described. For example, this disclosure describes systems and methods that can be used in various contexts such as, but not limited to, minimally invasive computer-assisted tele-operated surgery using robotic technology. The disclosure describes instruments and mechanisms for actuating and controlling the motions of such instruments. The instruments and actuator mechanisms may be used in medical operations and non-medical operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel H. Gomez, Andrew Cullen Waterbury, John Ryan Steger, Alain Sadaka
  • Patent number: 11921151
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to inspect an inspection object seated on a jig, the jig capable of being introduced into and withdrawn from the inspection apparatus. The inspection apparatus includes: a mover configured to move the jig; and a clamping driver configured to contact and press the jig, the clamping driver including a pressing portion configured to be movable in a clamping direction and an unclamping direction opposite to the clamping direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: KOH YOUNG TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Myong Kang, Kang Jo Hwang, Choung Min Jung
  • Patent number: 11746861
    Abstract: A linear actuator includes: a guide rail assembly; a driving block sleeved on the guide rail assembly, where a top of the driving block is provided with a mounting surface, the mounting surface being disposed above the guide rail assembly and provided with a fixing structure and a prepositioning structure; and an electric motor, configured to actuate the driving block to slide back and forth along a length direction of the guide rail assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: LIMOSS (DONGGUAN) CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Christian Gassner
  • Patent number: 11708872
    Abstract: A clutch device includes at least one first blocking element, at least one second blocking element at least one first actuation element, and at least one second actuation element. The second blocking element in a second release position is arranged completely outside of a recess and in the second blocking position engaging in the second recess by passing through the second through-opening in order thereby to fix together rotationally the components in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Etzel, Sebastian Liebert, Ulrich Ohnemus
  • Patent number: 11643884
    Abstract: A system including an elevator to move a tubular, the elevator including two or more remotely operable latches that can configure the elevator to handle various tubular diameters. A portion of the latches can be laterally offset from each other and another portion can overlap adjacent latches. The elevator can be Atmosphere Explosible (ATEX) certified or International Electrotechnical Commission for Explosive Atmospheres (IECEx) certified according to explosive (EX) Zone 1 requirements with an electronics enclosure contained within a sealed chamber. The elevator can be rotated greater than 90 degrees relative to a pair of links that support the elevator. The elevator can use rotary actuators to operate the latches and rotate the housing of the elevator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Canrig Robotic Technologies AS
    Inventors: Jan Friestad, Kenneth Mikalsen, Ørjan H. Larsen, Bjørnar Lingjerde
  • Patent number: 11608140
    Abstract: The invention relates to a belt drive (24) with (a) a first pulley wheel (12) in the form of a drive sprocket with drive teeth (16), (b) a second pulley wheel in the form of an output sprocket (18) and (c) a toothed belt (22) that (i) connects the drive sprocket (12) and the output sprocket (18) for transmitting a force and (ii) has a belt back (38) and (iii) a plurality of teeth (34), wherein a tooth base (36) is situated between two adjacent teeth. According to the invention, (d) the toothed belt (22) comprises a plurality of recesses (26), each of which is configured in a tooth base (36), and (e) at least one pulley wheel features guide projections (28) for engaging in the recesses (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: ARNTZ BETEILIGUNGS GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Detlef Mohrmann
  • Patent number: 11566697
    Abstract: A drive sprocket can include a plurality of teeth for meshing with a drive member to transmit rotary motion. The drive member can include a plurality of engagement pockets engaging the teeth of the drive sprocket, where each tooth has a tooth profile defined by a first side comprising a first engagement surface and an opposite second side comprising a second engagement surface, which engagement surfaces are configured such that when driven, a tooth meshes to the engagement pocket at a first contact location on the first engagement surface and also at a second contact location on the second engagement surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: NEW MOTION LABS LTD.
    Inventors: Josh Daniel Palmer, Lucas Lobmeyer, Marcel Fowler
  • Patent number: 11268600
    Abstract: The method for manufacturing a linear motion guide device includes a step of forming a long member (8) having a pair of side wall parts (51) and a bottom wall part (52), a step of attaching a track body (4) to the pair of side wall parts (51) of the long member (8), and a step of cutting away a base member (5) to which the track body (4) is attached by cutting the long member (8) together with the track body (4) into a desired length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuto Homma, Kenichi Hasebe, Kaoru Hoshide
  • Patent number: 11181179
    Abstract: To provide a sprocket that reduces the influence of tension fluctuations concurrent with load torque variations, that suppresses noise and vibration, and that prevents an increase in tension fluctuations, noise, and vibration even when the chain tension is low and the load torque is small, or in regions where a chain and the sprocket engage without being affected by the tension. The sprocket has a plurality of teeth mating with the chain that are provided with an equal pitch therebetween, and that include teeth with different working pressure angles relative to the chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Yuji Kurematsu, Kazuyuki Ebinuma, Tsuyoshi Kabai
  • Patent number: 10941021
    Abstract: A belt and sheave assembly for an elevator system includes a sheave having a plurality of tracking grooves laterally spaced across a sheave width, and a debris channel located in a tracking groove of the plurality of tracking grooves defining a radially inwardmost extent of the tracking groove. The assembly further includes a belt having a plurality of tension members arranged along a belt width and extending longitudinally along a length of the belt, a jacket at least partially enclosing the tension members, the jacket defining a side of the belt configured to interface with the sheave, and a plurality of tracking features extending from the side of the belt. The tracking features are laterally spaced across the belt width. Each tracking feature is configured to be received in a tracking groove, and each tension member is laterally offset from each of the tracking features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Wenping Zhao, Daniel A. Mosher, Walter Thomas Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10816062
    Abstract: The present invention provides a toothed belt transmission that reduces noise and vibration resulting from the engagement between a toothed belt and a toothed pulley, and that improves the durability of the toothed belt. The toothed belt transmission in which a tooth height of a toothed belt and a tooth height of a toothed pulley are set so that when the toothed belt and the toothed pulley start engaging with each other, tooth tip parts of the toothed belt and tooth bottom parts of the toothed pulley contact each other before tooth bottom parts of the toothed belt and tooth tip parts of the toothed pulley contact each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Masahiko Konno, Shoichiro Shimizu, Masato Tomobuchi, Masaru Kanamori
  • Patent number: 10736617
    Abstract: A medical-device force transmission mechanism transmitting a force input at the proximal end of an elongated insertion portion inserted into a body and acting along the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion, to a rotation unit supported at the distal end of the insertion portion in a rotatable manner about the longitudinal axis of the insertion portion, the medical-device force transmission mechanism including: a first force transmitting part passing through the insertion portion and transmitting the force to the distal end of the insertion portion; a force converting part disposed at the distal end of the insertion portion and converting the force transmitted by the first force transmitting part into a rotational force; and a second force transmitting part transmitting the rotational force converted by the force converting part to the rotation unit at a different rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masahiro Fujii
  • Patent number: 10400869
    Abstract: A simple-structured, easy-to-produce chain drive mechanism is provided, which can reduce the overall noise level irrespective of chain length or rpm, while suppressing noise and vibration caused by tension fluctuations and maintaining durability and service life. The engagement/seating mode between a silent chain and a driving sprocket is one of inside-flank engagement/inside-flank seating, inside-flank engagement/outside-flank seating, outside-flank engagement/inside-flank seating, and outside-flank engagement/outside-flank seating. The engagement/seating mode between the silent chain and a driven sprocket is one of inside-flank engagement/inside-flank seating, inside-flank engagement/outside-flank seating, outside-flank engagement/inside-flank seating, and outside-flank engagement/outside-flank seating. The engagement/seating mode between the chain and the driving sprocket is different from that between the chain and the driven sprocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Toshifumi Sato, Takeo Sasaki, Kosuke Fujishima
  • Patent number: 10398518
    Abstract: Instrument device with an elongated, flexible shaft that is configured to both roll and articulate in a controllable manner. The claimed system and apparatus provides endoscopic rolling and articulating capabilities with minimal tradeoffs in control, allowing for greater ease of use and clinical efficacy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Yu, Jason Lee
  • Patent number: 10295040
    Abstract: A bicycle sprocket comprises a sprocket body, a plurality of sprocket teeth, and at least one chain-supporting portion. The plurality of sprocket teeth includes at least one first tooth and at least one second tooth. The at least one chain-supporting portion is arranged on the sprocket body to face the bicycle chain in an axial direction parallel to a rotational center axis of the bicycle sprocket without being received within an outer link space and an inner link space in a state where the plurality of sprocket teeth engages with a bicycle chain. The at least one chain-supporting portion is spaced apart from at least one of at least one first tooth and the at least one second tooth in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SHIMANO INC.
    Inventor: Akinobu Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 10274045
    Abstract: A compressed rubber layer of a V-ribbed belt includes a surface rubber layer including side surface portions of V-shaped ribs, and an inner rubber portion provided inside the surface rubber layer. The surface rubber layer and the inner rubber portion are each made of a rubber composition containing an ethylene-?-olefin elastomer as a main ingredient of a rubber component. An ethylene content of the ethylene-?-olefin elastomer contained in the rubber component of the rubber composition forming the surface rubber layer is higher than an ethylene content of the ethylene-?-olefin elastomer contained in the rubber component of the rubber composition forming the inner rubber portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Bando Chemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Okubo, Kouichirou Hara
  • Patent number: 10155566
    Abstract: A bicycle sprocket is provided. The bicycle sprocket has a rotational center axis and includes a first shifting facilitation area configured to facilitate a first shifting operation from a first sprocket toward the bicycle sprocket, and a second shifting facilitation area configured to facilitate a second shifting operation from a second sprocket toward the bicycle sprocket. The first tooth number of the first sprocket is different from the second tooth number of the second sprocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Akinobu Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 10120321
    Abstract: A power transmission apparatus includes a first pulley and a second pulley. A belt is extended around them. A supply unit supplies a voltage such that the first pulley and the belt are electrostatically attracted and that the second pulley and the belt are electrostatically attracted. The belt includes a conductor layer. At least one pulley includes a first electrode to which a first voltage is applied and a second electrode that is insulated from the first electrode and to which a second voltage is applied. An insulating layer or a dielectric layer is arranged between the conductor layer of the belt and the first electrode of the at least one pulley and an insulating layer or a dielectric layer is arranged between the conductor layer of the belt and the second electrode of the at least one pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuri Mori, Seiji Hara, Mineto Yagyu
  • Patent number: 10054192
    Abstract: An apparatus for use of a chain. The chain is formed of: shaped pieces, to be connected to each other at jointing points in jointing parts, arranged at opposite ends of the shaped pieces, utilizing joint pins. A first jointing point of the jointing parts is arranged as a uniform projection assembly that is narrower than the width of a center part of the shaped piece. A second jointing point as a fork assembly. Each of the jointing points has a hole in order to form a uniform chain by placing the projection assembly of a previous shaped piece between the fork assembly of a following shaped piece and by placing a joint pin in the hole; and a drive arrangement including at least one chain wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: FINNCHAIN OY
    Inventors: Aki-Samuli Jortikka, Tomi Aronen
  • Patent number: 10001193
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a power transmission belt containing a tension member extending in a belt lengthwise direction, an adhesion rubber layer in contact with at least a part of the tension member, a compression rubber layer formed on one surface of the adhesion rubber layer, and a tension rubber layer formed on other surface of the adhesion rubber layer, in which the compression rubber layer is formed of a vulcanized rubber composition containing a rubber component, a polyolefin resin and a reinforcing material, the rubber component contains a chloroprene rubber, and the reinforcing material contains a short fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsuboshi Belting Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisato Ishiguro, Keiji Takano, Yoshihiro Miura
  • Patent number: 9500271
    Abstract: Provided are a sprocket and a chain transmission mechanism configured such that noise and vibrations caused by the elongation of the chain and also wear of parts are reduced, the decrease in the meshing strength of the chain and the sprocket is inhibited, and the chain service life is extended. The sprocket and chain transmission mechanism each have bottom land portion arcs of a predetermined radius and a predetermined angular range between a plurality of teeth to be meshed with the chain. The radius of each of the bottom land portion arcs satisfies the following relationship with the diameter of a roller or a bush of the meshing chain: Rb>0.505*?r+0.069*?r1/3 (where Rb is the bottom land portion arc radius, and ?r is the diameter of the roller or the bush of the meshing chain).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: TSUBAKIMOTO CHAIN CO.
    Inventors: Masanori Yokoyama, Tsuyoshi Kabai
  • Patent number: 9482297
    Abstract: A controllable or selectable coupling assembly includes a plurality of forward locking elements, at least one reverse locking element and first and second coupling members supported for relative rotation about a common rotational axis. The coupling members include a first, second and third coupling faces. The first coupling face has a set of forward pockets angularly spaced about the axis. The second coupling face has a set of reverse locking formations adapted for abutting engagement with the at least one reverse locking element. The third coupling face opposes the first coupling face and has a set of forward locking formations. Either forward backlash is a non-zero integer multiple of reverse backlash or the reverse backlash is a non-zero integer multiple of the forward backlash to prevent the coupling assembly from inadvertently binding in both directions (i.e. a “lock-lock” condition) about the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Means Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas E. Brubaker, Brice A. Pawley, Jeffrey J. Prout
  • Patent number: 9261185
    Abstract: A drive transmission mechanism including a shaft including a reduced diameter portion at an outboard end, an engaging portion inboard of the reduced diameter portion, and an installation portion inboard of the engaging portion and having the same diameter as the engaging portion, a first bearing having an inner ring onto which the reduced diameter portion is fitted, a connecting member provided to the shaft and including a main body into which the installation portion is fitted and a fitting portion provided to the main body on a side in which the engaging portion is provided to accommodate the engaging portion, and a second bearing engaging the shaft to support the shaft at an inboard end of the shaft opposite the first bearing with the connecting member interposed between the first and second bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Takagi
  • Publication number: 20150148163
    Abstract: A power transmission belt has an uneven surface of rubber which when the power transmission belt is wound around a flat pulley, comes in contact with the flat pulley. The uneven surface has projected parts each having a flat top surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventor: Takayuki Kusano
  • Publication number: 20150148162
    Abstract: A transmission pulley, for a power transmission system including a belt having longitudinal grooves, having at least one end cap, a stack (E) of identical crowns, as well as means of connecting the crowns and the cap, parallel to a rotational axis (X10) of the pulley and rotating about this axis. The cap defines a hollow housing wherein half of the adjacent crown is engaged on one side of a median plane of the crown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventors: Charles Chambonneau, Samuel Viault
  • Patent number: 9022193
    Abstract: Ball screws are described that may be incorporated into other devices such as a pulley assembly or a differential device. The ball screws include a threaded shaft defining a central longitudinal axis with a threaded nut threadedly coupled thereto to define at least one track in between them. Each track forms a continuous loop around an infield protrusion and is filled with a plurality of rolling elements filling. Each rolling element has the same radius from the central longitudinal axis such that the nut can rotate at higher speeds without the rolling elements locking up as a result of centripetal force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Dayco IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Paul T. McCrary
  • Patent number: 9014603
    Abstract: A driving device includes a stretched member, and a first rotation member and a second rotation member that support the stretched member in a stretched manner. The first rotation member has a first rotation axis, and the second rotation member has a second rotation axis. The first rotation member includes a plurality of members arranged in an axial direction of the first rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Toshimasa Shiobara
  • Patent number: 8992359
    Abstract: In the present invention, one or both of an active wheel or a passive wheel is composed of an eccentric transmission wheel and is combined with a synchronous transmission belt for forming an eccentric wheel transmission wheel series, so that when the feet input forces at different angles from the treadle shafts of the treadles to an active wheel shaft combined on the active wheel through cranks, the active wheel forms different transmission speed ratios relative to the passive wheel according to the treadle angle, and random inward packing is performed to the transmission belt (100) of the engage end of the eccentric passive wheel (413) during the transmission for stabling the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Publication number: 20150083069
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for a chain drive assembly. The system includes a first driving sprocket coupled with a crankshaft of the motor; and a second driving sprocket coupled with the crankshaft and positioned adjacent the first driving sprocket. The system also includes a first driven sprocket coupled with a first peripheral device, and a second driven sprocket coupled with a second peripheral device. In one embodiment, the system includes a first chain mechanically coupling the first driving sprocket and the first driven sprocket, and a second chain mechanically coupling the second driving sprocket with the second driven sprocket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventor: Steven H. Horn
  • Patent number: 8986143
    Abstract: In a transmission chain, guide plates are provided on opposite ends of guide rows. In a guide row, both of the guide plates can be contact guide plates arranged to contact sides of the transmission sprocket teeth. However, some of the guide rows are formed with one guide plate configured for contact with the sprocket teeth and the opposite guide plate configured so that it does not contact the sprocket teeth. The sprocket tooth-contacting plates can be on one side of the chain in some of the guide rows and on the opposite side of the chain in other guide rows. The guide plates in still other guide rows are configured so that they never contact the sides of the sprockets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Tsubakimoto Chain Co.
    Inventor: Shuuji Hamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8979687
    Abstract: A torque transmission chain and torque transmission device of which the strength of links is increased by devising lock points that regulate the maximum relative rotation angle between the links are provided. Lock points that contact with pins and interpieces to regulate the maximum relative rotation angles are provided at four portions, that is, a front surface of a link front pillar portion, a rear surface of a link rear pillar portion and a front surface and rear surface of a link intermediate pillar portion. Each of allowable maximum relative rotation angles regulated by the lock points of a link outline portion is set so as to be smaller than each of allowable maximum relative rotation angles regulated by the lock points of the link intermediate pillar portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Tada, Shigeo Kamamoto
  • Publication number: 20150050056
    Abstract: The roller members (40) are provided with: a bearing part (41) affixed to a device main body (5a); an elastic roller part (42) that is disposed having a gap (D) with the outside peripheral surface of the hot roller (27) and with which an end part (26a) of the anchoring belt (26) comes into contact because of the meandering of the anchoring belt (26); and a powder (43) that is disposed between the bearing part (41) and the elastic roller part (42) and restricts the rotation of the elastic roller part (42). The gap (D) is constituted smaller than the thickness (T) of the anchoring belt (26) and the end part (26a) of the anchoring belt (26) enters the gap in opposition to the elastic force of the elastic roller part (42) because of the meandering of the anchoring belt (26).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventor: Akihiro Kondo
  • Publication number: 20150051034
    Abstract: A force transmission includes an input axle having an input axis of rotation that receives a rotational input. An input capstan is fixed to the input axle. An output capstan is fixed to a main tube bushing. The output capstan and main tube bushing have an output axis of rotation that is at an angle to the input axis of rotation. A cable couples the rotation of the input capstan to rotate the output capstan and the main tube bushing. At least one of the input capstan and the output capstan is tapered such that the overall path length of the cable remains substantially the same throughout the range of motion of the capstans.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas G. Cooper, S. Christopher Anderson
  • Publication number: 20150043942
    Abstract: A driving device includes an endless metal belt having a strip shape, rotational members, and a polisher. The rotational members bear the metal belt to allow the metal belt to run circularly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Yuta Okuno, Masahiro Ueno, Akihiro Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20150028558
    Abstract: A wheelchair bowling kit and bowling wheelchair are described. Embodiments of the wheelchair bowling kit can be implemented to allow a handicapped bowler to bowl more conventionally. Generally, the wheelchair bowling kit can include a drive mechanism and a locking mechanism. The drive mechanism can be implemented to propel a wheelchair forward using only one hand while the other hand is free to hold a bowling ball. The locking mechanism can be included to keep a castor of the wheelchair from rotating, resulting in the wheelchair moving in a substantially straight line. The bowling wheelchair can include components similar to the drive mechanism and locking mechanism that are manufactured as part of the bowling wheelchair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Richard Shane Hartman, Jack Samuel Horox
  • Patent number: 8926463
    Abstract: A drive mechanism for a cage in a spiral conveyor belt system including a plurality of tooth segments secured to a drive ring and positioned to define a substantially constant pitch diameter. The drive ring may be formed from a plurality of discrete pie plates positioned adjacent each other and arranged in a substantially circular format around the cage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Tarpaulin.com, Inc.
    Inventor: Niv Eldor
  • Patent number: 8894522
    Abstract: A drive end block for a rotatable magnetron comprises a housing, which has a vacuum-tight rotary feedthrough extending through a wall of the housing, and a drive apparatus for generating a torque. An output end of the rotary feedthrough lies outside the housing for connection to the rotatable magnetron and a drive end of the rotary feedthrough lies inside the housing for introducing a torque. The drive apparatus is situated outside the housing of the drive end block and is connected using a torque transmission apparatus to the drive end of the rotary feedthrough so that the drive apparatus is electrically insulated from the housing and the rotary feedthrough of the drive end block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: VON ARDENNE Anlagentechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Juergen Heinrich, Goetz Grosser, Thorsten Sander
  • Publication number: 20140342863
    Abstract: The invention is based on a vehicle device having a drive unit, a gear unit which is at least substantially securely connected to the drive unit and which comprises an output shaft to drive an application tool which can be orientated relative to the gear unit, and a force-transmitting unit between the gear unit and the application tool. In order to provide a generic vehicle device having an advantageously long service-life, it is proposed that the force-transmitting unit have at least one first drive wheel which is connected to the output shaft in an at least substantially rotationally secure manner in at least one operating state and which has a rotation axis which is orientated at least substantially perpendicularly relative to a forward direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventor: Artur Willibald
  • Patent number: 8888630
    Abstract: When an engaging pawl 23b is fitted into a recessed portion 34b of a first sprocket 34, which is linked by a chain 33 to a second sprocket 32 that drives an oil pump 3 disposed at a radial detached from a torque converter 2, frictional resistance between a side face 34a of the first sprocket 34 and an end face 23c of the engaging pawl 23b is reduced by tapering the side face 34a of the first sprocket 34.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignees: JATCO Ltd, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Makita
  • Publication number: 20140323256
    Abstract: A friction transmission belt has a belt body made of a rubber composition and wrapped around pulleys to transmit power. The belt includes a thermoplastic resin film provided to coat a pulley contact surface of the belt body, and a powder layer comprised of reduced friction coefficient powder particles provided on a surface side of the thermoplastic resin film. The powder layer includes powder particles buried in the thermoplastic resin film, powder particles carried and exposed on the surface of the thermoplastic resin film, and powder particles agglomerated and adhering to the powder particles carried and exposed on the surface of the thermoplastic resin film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventor: Keisuke Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20140299519
    Abstract: The method for fractionating bulk material comprises the step of feeding the bulk material to at least one screen in a device (1) comprising at least one housing (10) with an inner space for receiving the screen. The housing (10) has at least one inlet (13) for feeding the bulk material and at least one outlet for discharging at least one fraction of the bulk material. The housing (10) has a roof (15) and a floor (16), with at least a gyrating mass (17) respectively arranged on the roof and the floor. The device (1) also has at least one mechanical coupling means, wherein the gyrating masses are coupled to one another by the mechanical coupling means (21) arranged outside the inner space and can be driven. The device (1) has a drive means for driving the mechanical coupling means. The method also comprises the step of setting the housing (10) in an oscillating motion by means of driving the gyrating masses. In a further method step, the fractionating of the bulk material is performed by means of the screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Bühler AG
    Inventors: Jurgen Moosmann, Bruno Fassler
  • Patent number: 8845468
    Abstract: A friction drive belt (B) includes a pulley contacting portion (13) which is made of a rubber composition of an ethylene-?-olefin elastomer as raw rubber in which carbon black having an iodine adsorption number of 40 mg/g or lower, and 3-10 parts by mass of short aramid fiber (14) relative to 100 parts by mass of the raw rubber are blended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Bando Chemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Takahashi, Hisashi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8821327
    Abstract: An engine includes an engine structure defining a plurality of cylinders. A crankshaft is rotatably mounted to the engine structure and a plurality of pistons are each disposed in a corresponding one of the plurality of cylinders and drivingly connected to the crankshaft. A drive pulley is drivingly connected to the crankshaft. An accessory is mounted to the engine structure and includes a driven pulley connected to the drive pulley by a belt. The belt has a load direction extending through an axis of rotation of the drive pulley and the driven pulley. The accessory includes a housing having two slots extending generally parallel to the load direction of the belt and each receiving a fastener therein. A tensioner bolt is located between the two slots and extends generally parallel to the load direction to apply a tension force on the housing in the load direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Paul A. Stade, Michael David Lanier, Ricky M. Graves
  • Patent number: 8824930
    Abstract: A synchronized drive unit, including a drive member including a pulley; a driven member including a pulley; a relay member including to transmit a power; and timing belts hung around the drive and driven members through the relay member with tension and rotates the drive and driven members in synchronization, wherein each of the timing belts is formed of plural narrow timing belts parallely placed in a rotational axis direction of the pulley and the narrow timing belts are located on the driven member so as to counteract their eccentric components each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimiharu Yamazaki, Masahiro Ishida, Yohei Miura, Noriaki Funamoto, Shinya Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20140235391
    Abstract: When the rotational speed of an engine 11 is equal to or higher than 4000 rpm, the rotational fluctuation ratio of a crank shaft pulley 13 at an outer circumferential surface thereof is sometimes equal to or greater than 6%. Moreover, in the layout in which a V-ribbed belt 20 is wound on a plurality of pulleys 14, 15, at least one of span lengths is equal to or longer than 220 mm. The V-ribbed belt 20 includes a back reinforcement fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, BANDO CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hideaki Kawahara, Takeshi Nishigaki, Hideyuki Kato, Kosuke Sogawa, Kazunori Ueno, Kenji Yamanari, Shin Satsumabayashi
  • Publication number: 20140235392
    Abstract: A belt drive mechanism includes a plurality of pulleys and a belt made from a metal material and wound around the plurality of pulleys. Around the entire circumference of an outer peripheral surface of at least one of the plurality of pulleys, a swelling portion is formed to swell outward in a radial direction of the pulley. The swelling portion includes a first part having a larger swelling amount and a second part having a smaller swelling amount, the first part having a larger linear expansion coefficient than the second part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro YAMAGUCHI, Masahiro UENO
  • Publication number: 20140228159
    Abstract: A chain or belt drive assembly, including: a first sprocket with: a first plurality of radially outwardly extending protrusions; and at least one opening passing through material forming the sprocket and wholly surrounded by the material forming the first sprocket; and a second sprocket including a second plurality of radially outwardly extending protrusions, The assembly includes a continuous chain or belt engaged with the first and second pluralities of protrusions; and at least one pendulum mass assembly including: a first pendulum mass disposed on a first radial side of the first sprocket; second pendulum mass disposed on a second radial side, opposite the first radial side, of the first sprocket; and at least one connection element fixedly secured to the first and second pendulum masses and passing through the at least one opening. The connection element is displaceable within the at least one opening in radial and circumferential directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Simon Xunnan He
  • Publication number: 20140200106
    Abstract: An inverted tooth chain and sprocket drive system in which the initial contact distance ICD, the meshing impact angle Sigma (?), the link plate entrance angle Beta (?), and other aspects of the meshing geometry are controlled and optimized to reduce noise and vibration by using a particular chain link plate form and, in preferred cases, by modifying the sprocket tooth pressure angle. The system can include first and second sprockets for which the pressure angle can be controlled to ensure that the desired values for the initial contact distance ICD, the meshing impact angle Sigma (?), and the link plate entrance angle Beta (?) are equal for both sprockets even though the sprockets have different tooth counts. For a chain pitch P in the range of 6.35 mm to 8.0 mm, the initial contact distance ICD is controlled such that 0.49P?ICD?0.53P, the meshing impact angle Sigma (?) is controlled such that ??34°, and the link plate entrance angle Beta (?) is controlled such that ??9°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: Cloyes Gear and Products, Inc.
    Inventors: James D. Young, Darren J. Stewart
  • Publication number: 20140135159
    Abstract: In the present invention, one or both of an active wheel or a passive wheel is composed of an eccentric transmission wheel and is combined with a synchronous transmission belt for forming an eccentric wheel transmission wheel series, so that when the feet input forces at different angles from the treadle shafts of the treadles to an active wheel shaft combined on the active wheel through cranks, the active wheel forms different transmission speed ratios relative to the passive wheel according to the treadle angle, and random inward packing is performed to the transmission belt (100) of the engage end of the eccentric passive wheel (413) during the transmission for stabling the operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Inventor: Tai-Her YANG
  • Publication number: 20140121049
    Abstract: A drive unit has three axles, three rotation transmitting members and an acting force detecting unit. The first axle is configured to be rotated by a crank arm. The first rotation transmitting member is arranged on the first axle to transmit rotation of the first axle by the crank arm. The second axle is spaced from the first axle. The second rotation transmitting member is arranged on the second axle, and is operatively engaged with the first rotation transmitting member to transmit rotation of the first rotation transmitting member. The third axle is spaced from the first axle and the second axle. The third rotation transmitting member is arranged on the third axle, and operatively engaged with the second rotation transmitting member to transmit rotation of the second rotation transmitting member. The acting force detecting unit arranged to detect a force acting on the second axle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Inventors: Yusuke NISHIKAWA, Tetsuya HINO