Motor vehicles inventions 11/08

20080289888 - Two cars in tandem: This invention of two cars in tandem consists of a small front cab car and a second caboose car that plugs into the small car resulting in a larger car for more passengers or cargo space. People seated in both cars are close enough to talk to each other. The... Agent: John S Page

20080289889 - Power output apparatus, control method of power output apparatus, and vehicle equipped with power output apparatus: The drive control process of the invention sets minimum and maximum control rotation speeds Necmin and Necmax, which are based on an output limit Wout and an input limit Win of a battery, to a minimum engine speed Nemin and a maximum engine speed Nemax of an engine (step S120).... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080289890 - Wheel-driven battery charger: An improved battery charging system for use on a non-motorized, ground-supported wheeled vehicle such as a horse-drawn buggy, including a generator incorporated into the hub assembly of at least one wheel, a voltage control unit for controlling the voltage output of the generator over the full range or vehicle speeds,... Agent: Andrew D. Mead, Attorney At Law

20080289891 - Mounting structure of part: A breather device provided on the outer peripheral section of a case of an in-wheel motor is located at a position above the rotation shaft of the in-wheel motor, between the in-wheel motor and a wheel. The position is inside the wheel in the width direction of a vehicle.... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080289892 - Straddle-type rough-road running vehicle: A straddle-type rough-road running vehicle includes a vehicle body frame supporting front and rear wheels, an engine unit mounted to the vehicle body frame and including an engine body and a power transmission case, a straddle type driver's seat, an intake control unit for controlling an air/fuel ratio, and an... Agent: Barnes & Thornburg LLP

20080289893 - Vehicle body cooling structure for motorcycle and motorcycle: A vehicle body cooling structure for a motorcycle comprises a cooling air passage that extends between an engine and a fuel tank in the front-and-rear direction. A cowling covers the front part of the vehicle body, which contains the engine. The vehicle body cooling structure also comprises a heat blocking... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20080289894 - Control apparatus and control method for vehicle: A distribution ratio determining unit determines the distribution ratio for distributing a required torque based on a static load distribution ratio, when the sign of the required torque is negative. The distribution ratio determining unit determines the distribution ratio based on a dynamic load distribution ratio, when the sign of... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080289895 - Safety management system: The safety management system of the present invention includes: a driver authentication section which authenticates a driver of a transportation machine and outputs an authentication result; a health status determination section which measures blood component data of a driver authenticated by the driver authentication section, determines a health status of... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20080289896 - Four wheeled utility vehicle: The invention provides a four wheeled utility vehicle which can efficiently introduce a cooling air into an engine room from a front side of the vehicle. The vehicle is provided with a cabin arranged between front wheels and rear wheels and accommodating a seat of the vehicle and an operating... Agent: Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.

20080289897 - Steering apparatus for a vehicle having front and rear steerable wheels: An apparatus (10) for turning steerable wheels (28, 124) of a vehicle (12) in response to input to a driver control interface (14) includes a sensor (18) for monitoring steering input to the driver control interface (14) and for providing a steering input signal indicative of the monitored steering input.... Agent: Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell & Tummino L.L.P.

20080283311 - Balanced ball vehicle: A balancing ball vehicle includes a spherical ball having a center and a central axis that passes through the center, a first driving wheel frictionally engaged with the ball and rotating about a first wheel axis, and a second driving wheel angularly spaced about the central axis from the first... Agent: Tianfu Li

20080283312 - Motor vehicle comprising an electric energy source and a method for operation said vehicle: A motor vehicle, in particular an electric or hybrid vehicle, with an electric energy source and a control device assigned to said source, is intended to improve the degree of effectiveness and to extend the service life of the electric energy source in a vehicle of this type. For this... Agent: Continental Teves, Inc.

20080283313 - Fuel cell vehicle: A fuel cell vehicle is provided that can suppress uneven torque. The fuel cell vehicle 1 includes a motor 4; a fuel cell 10; a battery 3; a battery drive unit 21 for driving the motor 4 using electricity from the battery 3 so as to serve as an battery... Agent: Lahive & Cockfield, LLP Floor 30, Suite 3000

20080283314 - In-wheel motor system and method of installing the same: A direct drive motor module has hollow disk-like plates (21, 22) for interconnecting the rotation side of an in-wheel motor (3) and a wheel (2) and a drive force transmission mechanism (20) comprising cross guides (23) for guiding the plates (21, 22) in the vertical direction. To mount the direct... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080283315 - Vehicle having in-wheel motors: A vehicle having in-wheel motors, wherein when the in-wheel motors are mounted on the vehicle driven by the torque of an internal combustion engine, the in-wheel motors (3) are mounted on wheels on one side of the vehicle opposite to the other side on which the internal combustion engine (51)... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080283317 - Protective housing for a vehicle battery: A protective housing for a vehicle battery, and a motor vehicle equipped therewith are provided. The protective housing has two transverse walls and two longitudinal walls, which together form a lateral enclosure for a battery receptacle chamber. A floor structure delimiting the battery receptacle chamber on the bottom is provided,... Agent: Crowell & Moring LLP Intellectual Property Group

20080283318 - Protective housing for a vehicle battery: A protective housing for a battery in a motor vehicle includes two transverse walls and two longitudinal walls, which together form a lateral enclosure for a battery receptacle chamber. The protective housing is fastened to at least one longitudinal girder of the vehicle in the installed state in an installation... Agent: Crowell & Moring LLP Intellectual Property Group

20080283316 - Vehicle mounting structure for fuel cell system: A vehicle mounting structure for a fuel cell system containing a vehicle floor; a vehicle skeletal member positioned under the vehicle floor, having floor frames provided on the sides of the vehicle body along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a plurality of cross members provided in the width... Agent: Lahive & Cockfield, LLP Floor 30, Suite 3000

20080283319 - Wind energy extender: Self-generated wind due to the forward progress of a vehicle is captured in an air flow chamber housing a wind energy system, which has a horizontal wind turbine with multiple blades moving in a clockwise direction. The air flow chamber is positioned in an optimal manner to harness the air... Agent: Mrs. Cleo Camille Putnam

20080283320 - Motorized vehicle configured to accommodate handicapped individuals: A motorized vehicle, such as a trike motorcycle, includes a frame having a front end connected to at least one front wheel and having a rear end, first and second spaced swing arm assemblies mounted at the rear end, first and second rear wheel assemblies supported by the first and... Agent: Muncy, Geissler, Olds & Lowe, PLLC

20080283322 - Power transmission wheel with torsional dampers: A power transmission wheel having a hub and a rim is disclosed. The hub has a central annular portion for operatively engaging a power transmitting shaft. The rim has an inner annular portion and an outer annular portion for operatively engaging a flexible power transmitting element. The central annular portion... Agent: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (brp)

20080283321 - Straddling type of vehicle: In a straddle type of vehicle having a fuel tank (30) with a built-in fuel pump (42), the fuel pump (42) is placed in the fuel tank (30) with the pump axis (A) directed nearly in the vehicle width direction. The straddling type of vehicle is provided that a nearly... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20080283323 - Transmission for four-wheel drive vehicle and four-wheel drive vehicle: Disclosed is a mechanism of a four-wheel drive vehicle, for enabling an engine and a transmission to be arranged compact by using an empty space within a body frame of the vehicle. The transmission includes a power take-off part for driving front wheels of the vehicle, and a rear reduction... Agent: Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.

20080283324 - Hydraulically driven working vehicle and hydraulic transaxle: In a hydraulic four-wheel drive vehicle, a rear transaxle incorporates a hydraulic motor for driving rear wheels, a front transaxle incorporates a hydraulic motor for driving front wheels, and hydraulic pressure fluid pipes interposed between the front and rear transaxles are extended along at least one of left and right... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080283325 - Apparatus for controlling load for vehicle driving wheel: An object of the invention is to increase driving force of driving wheels at starting a vehicle, when the vehicle runs on a μ-sprit road. At first, a road surface for a driving wheel is detected, which has a higher coefficient of friction than that of a road surface for... Agent: Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney PC

20080283326 - Drivetrain for an all terrain vehicle: An all-terrain vehicle including a frame having longitudinally-spaced ends defining a first longitudinal axis, and an engine supported by the frame. The engine includes a crankshaft defining a second longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the first longitudinal axis.... Agent: Baker & Daniels LLP

20080283327 - Frame for an all terrain vehicle: An all-terrain vehicle including a frame having longitudinally-spaced ends defining a first longitudinal axis, and an engine supported by the frame. The engine includes a crankshaft defining a second longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the first longitudinal axis.... Agent: Baker & Daniels LLP

20080283328 - Longitudinal stringer exhaust flex pipe assembly: A longitudinal stringer type exhaust flex pipe assembly is provided having two end pieces and multiple interlaced interlocking longitudinal stringer elements forming a flexible cylinder. Every other longitudinal stringer element is affixed to each end piece, such that each stringer element is affixed to only one end piece. The stringer... Agent: International Truck Intellectual Property Company,

20080283329 - Motorized traction device for a patient support: A patient support including a traction device for powered movement of the patient support. The traction device includes a storage position and a use position.... Agent: Barnes & Thornburg, LLP

20080283330 - Torsional-vibration damper connected to crankshaft and combination of torsional-vibration damper and clutch: A torsional-vibration damper T is adapted to be connected to a crankshaft 2 of a motor vehicle. The torsional-vibration damper T includes a primary element 5 of a drive side thereof connected indirectly or directly to the crankshaft 2 substantially free of play in an axial direction “ax.” A secondary... Agent: Bliss Mcglynn, P.C.

20080283331 - Vehicle steering apparatus: An electric motor provided in a vehicle steering apparatus includes a stator coaxially surrounding a steering shaft, an inner rotor disposed on the inner periphery of the stator, and an outer rotor disposed on the outer periphery of the stator. The facing area between the stator and the rotor can... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080277172 - Hybrid mobile robot: A hybrid mobile robot includes a base link and a second link. The base link has a drive system and is adapted to function as a traction device and a turret. The second link is attached to the base link at a first joint. The second link has a drive... Agent: Ralph A. Dowell Of Dowell & Dowell P.C.

20080277173 - Recharging station and related electric vehicle: The invention relates to a recharging station (10) for recharging an electric vehicle (50) powered by energy storage means (52), said vehicle (50) being designed to follow a route via a point at which the recharging station (10) is situated, said station (10) including recharging means (12) suitable for recharging... Agent: Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP

20080277174 - High-grade ethanol vehicle with fuel-cell motors and optional flexible-fuel engine: This invention is for a hybrid vehicle operated by fuel with a high-ethanol content, which synergistically combines independent sources of ethanol power to move toward renewable and environmental-friendly fuel to replace gasoline. The vehicle combines one or more electric motors powered by Direct-Ethanol Fuel-Cells (DEFCs) using either HYPERMEC™ or a... Agent: Crockett L. Grabbe

20080277175 - Fuel cell hybrid-electric heavy-duty vehicle drive system and method: A system and a method that provides fuel cell and energy storage hybrid-electric propulsion and control for a heavy-duty vehicle over 10,000 pounds GVWR. Power output is supplied from a fuel cell system to a high-power intermediate DC bus through a fuel cell DC/DC converter. Power output is supplied from... Agent: Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP

20080277176 - Power output apparatus, vehicle equipped with power output apparatus, and control method of power output apparatus: Upon incompletion of abnormality detection of an air-fuel ratio sensor provided in an exhaust pipe of an engine during operation of the engine (steps S310 and S320), when the state of charge SOC of a battery is lower than a preset reference charge level Sref or when the accelerator opening... Agent: Kenyon & Kenyon LLP

20080277177 - Wiring system and method for a rearview mirror: A wiring system and method are provided for an automobile having a windshield, a headliner, an auxiliary system, and a rearview mirror having a function and control mechanism associated with the auxiliary system. The wiring system includes a first interface coupled to the rearview mirror, and at least one conductor... Agent: General Motors Corporation Legal Staff

20080277178 - Steering wheel assembly with centrally located stationary support member: A steering wheel assembly has a steering wheel armature, a hub portion and spokes. The hub portion is fixable to a conventional steering column shaft. The steering wheel assembly has a first drum supported on the steering column shaft, to freely rotate about only the axis of the steering column... Agent: Key Safety Systems, Inc. Patent Department

20080277179 - Industrial truck with a step recess and a closable maintenance opening: An industrial truck T, in particular a counterweighted fork-lift truck, has a vehicle chassis (1) which surrounds an auxiliary equipment compartment C. A step recess (5) forms a section of the boundary of the auxiliary equipment compartment. To simplify the service and maintenance of the industrial truck, the step recess... Agent: The Webb Law Firm, P.C.

20080277180 - Lightweight propulsion device for providing motive force to a skate equipment user: A propulsion device for use with skate equipment includes a frame having an upper end and a lower end, an engine, a single wheel and a hand grip. The engine is mounted substantially above the lower end of the frame. The single wheel is mounted at the lower end of... Agent: Tillman Wright, PLLC

20080277181 - Two person motorcycle frame: A motorcycle frame having a rider seating surface and a passenger seating surface positioned below a top surface of a rear wheel, above a rear wheel axle and forward of the rear wheel.... Agent: Christie, Parker & Hale, LLP

20080277182 - Drive system for vehicles with at least two drivable vehicle axles: The present invention relates to a drive system for vehicles with at least two drivable vehicle axles (V, H), in particular for utility vehicles and farm tractors. The drive system has an infinitely variable transmission with no intermediate axle differential comprising at least a first (11) and a second (12)... Agent: Troutman Sanders LLP

20080277183 - System and method for security enhanced rideshare: A method and system for a comprehensive security-enhanced rideshare system is provided. The rideshare program includes localization, mapping and ride matching for participants. Participation incentives and revenue methods provide for the financial viability of the rideshare system. Participant security is monitored in near real-time using location-determining communication devices used by... Agent: Cascadia Intellectual Property

20080277184 - Frame for an all-terrain vehicle: A frame for a vehicle has a first pyramidally-shaped frame portion and a second pentahedrally-shaped frame portion. The first frame portion has a first apex and a first base. The first apex is disposed vertically above the first base. The second frame portion has a first vertex and a second... Agent: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (brp)

20080277185 - System and method for segregating an energy storage system from piping and cabling on a hybrid energy vehicle: A system is provided for segregating an energy storage system from at least one of at least one air pipe and at least one electric cable of a hybrid energy vehicle. The energy storage system includes at least one energy storage device and at least one hybrid cable. The system... Agent: Beusse Wolter Sanks Mora & Maire, P.A.

20080277186 - Power steering apparatus: A power steering apparatus (10) includes a first pump (24) which is continuously driven to supply fluid under pressure to a power steering motor assembly (18). A second pump (32) is driven by the engine (30) of the vehicle when a predetermined vehicle operating condition occurs. The predetermined vehicle operating... Agent: Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell & Tummino L.L.P.

20080277188 - Front steering module for a zero turn radius vehicle: A front steering module adapted for integration with the subframe of a zero-turn radius vehicle incorporating an electronic steering apparatus. The module provides both front wheel steering and corresponding control inputs for the electronic steering apparatus. The module has a frame member having a pair of steered wheel assemblies mounted... Agent: Neal, Gerber, & Eisenberg

20080277187 - Power steering apparatus: An engine driven pump 24 is connected with a power steering motor assembly 18. An electric motor 36 drives a pump 34 connected with the power steering motor assembly 18. A controller 38 effects operation of the electric motor 36 to drive the pump 34 to supply fluid to the... Agent: Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell & Tummino L.L.P.

20080277189 - Electric power steering apparatus: The control housing 30 is installed between the motor housing 25 of the electric motor 18 and the gear housing 22. The ECU controlling the electric motor 18 is accommodated in the accommodating room S formed within the control housing 30. The motor housing 25 accommodates the bus bar 45... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080277190 - Creep steering control system operable from rearward-facing position: A creep steering control system for a utility vehicle is operable from a rearward-facing position. The creep steering control system includes a pivotable actuator alongside a rearward-facing seat that provides electronic output based on the position of the actuator. A linkage is provided between the pivotable actuator and steering wheel... Agent: Stephen D. Dellett Patent Department

20080277192 - Electric power steering apparatus: A microcomputer is provided with an extracting section capable of extracting a specific frequency component from an input signal. The extracting section extracts, from a pinion angle corresponding to a signal indicating the state of a steering system, a frequency component corresponding to a vibration that increases generation of a... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080277191 - Electric power steering apparatus and method for controlling the electric power steering apparatus: An electric power steering apparatus includes an electric power supply device that includes a main electric power unit that supplies high-tension electric power and a sub-electric power supply unit that supplies low-tension electric power, the main electric power unit and the sub-electric power supply unit being connected to each other... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080277193 - Electric power steering device: A steering shaft is composed of an upper shaft, a lower shaft, an input shaft, and an output shaft. The upper shaft, the lower shaft, and the input shaft can rotate together, and the input shaft and the output shaft are relatively rotatably coupled to each other via a torsion... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080271934 - Motor vehicle energy converter: An energy conversion apparatus using recovered energy sources including motor vehicle kinetic energy and wind resistance, supplemented by liquefied air transferred to the vehicle and by solar radiation thereto. The energy sources are combined, as available, to drive a compressor for supplying intake working fluid of a motor vehicle prime... Agent: Lawson & Persson, P.C.

20080271935 - Multiple winding electric machine: An exemplary embodiment provides an electrical machine apparatus that includes a rotor coupled to an armature and a stator surrounding the rotor. The stator has a series of coils; the series of coils configured into a first group of coils and a second group of coils, the first group of... Agent: General Motors Corporation Legal Staff

20080271936 - Thixomold hinge assembly: A hinge assembly is provided for moving a step on a motor vehicle between a stowed position and a deployed position. A rail bracket is fixedly secured to the vehicle and includes inner and outer bushings insert molded therein. A step bracket includes inner and outer bushings insert molded therein.... Agent: Magna International, Inc.

20080271937 - System and method for powering a power consuming vehicle accessory during an off state of the vehicle: A hybrid battery system of an automotive vehicle provides power to various features without running an internal combustion engine.... Agent: Brooks Kushman P.C./fgtl

20080271938 - Motorized cycle: There is provided a motorized cycle comprising a frame, a seat mounted upon the frame, a plurality of suspensions mounted to the frame, a plurality of wheels each coupled to a suspension wherein the operation of the motorized cycle is based on the physical position and movements of the rider.... Agent: The Webb Law Firm, P.C.

20080271939 - Pump system and axle-driving system: A pump system includes a housing, an input shaft, a pump shaft; a hydraulic pump body, a PTO shaft, a power transmission gear train, and a PTO clutch mechanism. The housing has a narrow gear accommodating space surrounding a region including a mesh point between the first and second transmission... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080271940 - Transmission system for a vehicle: The present invention is a transmission system having an input portion connected to an engine, an output portion connected to a front propshaft and a rear propshaft, and a middle portion connecting the input portion to the output portion. The front propshaft and the rear propshaft are substantially co-axial and... Agent: Marshall & Melhorn, LLC

20080271941 - Vehicle: A vehicle including a steering system for moving a pair of wheels supported by a wheel support structure relative to a vehicle structure to achieve steering of the vehicle whilst the vehicle is travelling. The system including a pressure source for providing a supply of pressurized fluid through first and... Agent: Macmillan Sobanski & Todd, LLC

20080271942 - Power steering system: A power steering system, which is disposed in the forward part of a vehicle, allows an electric motor to boost the steering torque applied by a driver, and transmits the steering torque to wheels via a steering transmission mechanism. The power steering system includes an impact detection device that detects... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.