Did You Know...
...When G.G. Hubbard learned of his future son-in-law's invention, he called it "only a toy." His daughter was engaged to a young man named Alexander Graham Bell.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8091821 | Method for controlling an electric belt retractor, and an electric belt retractor A method for controlling an electric belt retractor (16) which has an electric motor (20) which can drive a belt spool (18) in a belt band retraction direction and/or in a belt band withdrawal direction, and a blocking catch which is able to be ... | 01/10/2012 |
| 7744031 | Apparatus and method to reduce/eliminate lockup of seatbelt retractor during motorized pretensioning activation A motorized seat belt retractor, comprising: a take-up spool configured to rotate in a winding direction and an unwinding direction; a motor for providing a driving force in a first direction and a second direction to the take-up spool, wherein the take-up spool rot... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7735767 | Webbing take-up device A webbing take-up device (10, 100) is disclosed, wherein a motor (44) is provided directly below a take-up shaft (20) between a pair of leg plates (16, 18) with a rotary shaft (50) of the motor (44) disposed perpendicularly ... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7607604 | Seat belt tensioner The disclosed seat belt tensioner may comprise a drive motor, a gear connected to the drive motor, and a seat belt spindle connected to the gear by a spindle clutch. The spindle clutch may have spindle clutch pawls, which engage in pawl teeth of the seat belt spindl... | 10/27/2009 |
| 7559502 | Motor retractor A motor retractor, comprising: a winding shaft which winds up a webbing for restraining a vehicle passenger; a motor which rotates the winding shaft in a webbing winding-up direction; and a control portion which, after release of the webbing wearing state of the pas... | 07/14/2009 |
| 7416149 | Webbing take-up device In a webbing take-up device, when the release of a webbing belt is detected from the signal of a buckle switch, a motor starts driving, the webbing belt is taken up, and a computing circuit increases a voltage Eb in accordance with an integrated time after the signa... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7415777 | Simple controller for a power operated tape measure A power operated tape measure enables measuring tape extension through a drive mechanism, as well as measuring tape retraction. A tape cartridge assembly including an annular reel, a measuring tape wound onto the reel, as well as a spring coupled with the reel, and ... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7416151 | Webbing retractor A webbing retractor has two torque transmitting routes for taking-up, such that rapid and reliable taking-up, and gentle taking-up are possible. When an engaging claw of a pawl restricts rotation of a ratchet plate, due to planetary gears rotating around a sun gear,... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7380740 | Seat belt retractor and seat belt device A seat belt retractor is provided in which two winding performances are achieved while reduced power consumption of a motor and simplified control of the motor are also achieved. A clutch gear is meshed with a carrier gear by rotation of a motor in the normal direct... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7374124 | Winding apparatus for bandages and related methods A portable, hand held winding apparatus, a kit, and a method of using the winding apparatus, for rolling up or winding elongate bandages and the like, are disclosed. The winding apparatus includes a hand held rotary drive device having a motor-driven rotatable conne... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7374150 | Ergonomic fish tape A fish tape reel has an ergonomic pistol grip and ergonomic hand grips at an inner periphery of a hollow housing. Fish tape is wound into the housing cavity by rotating the housing with respect to the pistol grip. This can be done manually by grasping the interior h... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7370721 | Seatbelt tensioning device and method A device and method for tensioning a vehicle seatbelt are disclosed. The device has a motor, a pulley, a first cable, and a seatbelt buckle. The motor has a motor output for transferring rotational energy developed in the motor. The pulley is in communication with t... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7363679 | Vacuum system A vacuum system has a cabinet that can be mounted to a wall. The cabinet includes a hose storage compartment with a hose drive assembly for automatically extending and retracting a vacuum hose. A portable vacuum unit can be removably docked to the cabinet and connec... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7360795 | Torsion bar load limiter and pretensioner for seat belt system An anchorage device for a motor vehicle is provided, including a pretensioning wheel, a pulley connected to the pretensioning wheel via a torsion bar first portion, a seat belt connecting member connected to the pulley, and a locking device coupled with the pulley v... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7360675 | Wire bonder for ball bonding insulated wire and method of using same An electrical contact device is provided for electrically grounding an uninsulated end-portion of insulated wire stored on a spool driven by a device comprises the following. An electrical connector fixes to the spool and is configured to receive an electrical conne... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7350734 | Seat belt pretensioner An in-line seat belt pretensioner is provided that includes a frame containing a first guide member and a second guide member for tensioning of seat belt webbing upon pretensioner activation. As the pretensioner is activated, the seat belt is tensioned by activation... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7341216 | Device for controlling a seat belt retractor A seat belt retractor has a winding shaft to wind a seat belt. A motive spring pretensions the winding shaft in the winding direction of the seat belt. An electric motor provides a torque that can be transmitted to the motive spring to change the spring force. A swi... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7334590 | Anti-slip opening and closing device for sun umbrella An anti-slip opening and closing device for an umbrella is described, which comprises a rope reeled on a roller positioned on a pole of the umbrella. The roller is screwed with a reel having a friction disc. The friction disc is set inside a notch of a ratchet wheel... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7316368 | Direct current powered hose rewinding apparatus The present invention relates to portable hose carts for handling and storage of flexible hoses, such as garden or air hoses. The cart is primarily constructed of plastic components having a centrally rotatable spool for winding of the flexible hose, an enclosure fo... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7309039 | Fishing reel power device A fishing reel power device is characterized by a variable speed motor and adapter combination which can be used with a conventional fishing reel for automatically winding the same. The adapter includes either recesses for receiving the handle and counterweight of a... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7290732 | Systems, apparatuses and methods for cutting and spooling paper Systems, apparatuses and methods for cutting and spooling paper are described. In one embodiment, a system for cutting a traveling web of paper that is being wound onto a first spool and transferring the paper web onto a second spool by feeding turn-up tape into a n... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7284339 | Simple controller for a power operated tape measure A power operated tape measure enables measuring tape extension through a drive mechanism as well as measuring tape retraction through at least one of a drive mechanism and spring biasing on a tape reel. A tape cartridge assembly including an annular reel and a measu... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7278600 | Seat belt retractor and seat belt device A seat belt retractor includes a spool for winding up a seat belt; a motor for generating rotational torque to rotate the spool; and a power transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotational torque of the motor to the spool. The seat belt retractor winds the se... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7275710 | Aircrew restraint system A mobile aircrew restraint system includes a track system and a trolley which runs along the track and carries a retractor which releases a webbing strap attached to a harness. The track is preferably an extruded or sectioned track which follows contours of an aircr... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7240923 | Seatbelt retractor and seatbelt device A seatbelt retractor for winding a seatbelt includes a spool for winding the seatbelt, a motor for generating rotational torque to rotate the spool, and a clutch mechanism. The clutch mechanism connects a power transmission path to transmit the rotational torque of ... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7237640 | Vehicle seat belt apparatus A vehicle seat belt apparatus includes a reel to wind a seat belt, a motor to control a belt tension of the seat belt by rotating the reel, and a lock section to allow rotation of the reel in a normal state, and to prevent rotation of the reel in a belt extracting d... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7216827 | Seatbelt retractor and seatbelt device A seatbelt retractor includes a spool for winding a seatbelt, a motor for generating rotational torque to rotate the spool, a clutch mechanism for connecting a power transmission path to transmit rotational torque of the motor to the spool in a connected mode and fo... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7198222 | Drill-operated tool to assist in the opening of fiber-optic cables A tool is provided for opening a cable having a length of filament disposed within a sheath. The tool has a mechanism for gripping an end of the filament and is equipped to be engaged with a powered mechanical rotation device that rotates a column about which the fi... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7191972 | Belt retractor The belt retractor has a belt spool (12) mounted rotatably in a frame (10) and a drive motor (28) coupled to the belt spool (12) via a belt drive (14, 24, 22). This drive motor (28) is a brushless direct current motor with a... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7188633 | Retrofit motor and control for patio umbrellas An electric opening and closing device that retrofits to new and existing patio and market umbrellas. Such umbrellas are commonly used to provide shade outdoors, and are usually installed through a hole in the center of a table or mounted freestanding in a support b... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7178753 | Thread brake A drum brake (1) having a rotatably journalled drum (2) and means for adjusting the torque applied to the drum (2) has several peripherally-extending take-up slots (4) for filaments (5) with the slots being spaced from each other i... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7165439 | Battery powered hydraulic tool A battery powered hydraulic tool including a frame; a battery connected to the frame; a motor connected to the frame and adapted to be powered by the battery; and a hydraulic pump connected to the motor by a gear reduction transmission. The motor and gear reduction ... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7150448 | Fish tape having electrical box locator circuit and method therefor A fish tape assembly has a fish tape. A housing is provided for storing the fish tape. A location indicator circuit is coupled to a first end of the fish tape. The location indicator circuit being used to send a location signal indicating a location of the first end... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7140571 | Electric seat belt retractor system An electric retractor extracts and retracts a seat belt in response to tension in the seat belt. The electric retractor may include a spool rotatably attached to a retractor frame. A seat belt is wound on the spool. The spool is rotated by a motor via a worm gear sy... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7111488 | Battery powered hydraulic tool A battery powered hydraulic tool including a frame; a battery connected to the frame; a motor connected to the frame and adapted to be powered by the battery; and a hydraulic pump connected to the motor by a gear reduction transmission. The motor and gear reduction ... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7108284 | Webbing retractor A webbing retractor which, by causing relative rotation between a prime mover rotating body and a rotating disc, connects the prime mover rotating body and a driven shaft which is connected to a take-up shaft of a webbing belt. A planet gear is pivotally supported a... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7090161 | Webbing retractor A webbing retractor has two torque transmitting routes for taking-up, such that rapid and reliable taking-up, and gentle taking-up are possible. When an engaging claw of a pawl restricts rotation of a ratchet plate, due to planetary gears rotating around a sun gear,... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7086625 | Belt retractor for a seat belt A belt retractor for a seatbelt comprising a retractor pawl which blocks the seatbelt from being pulled out of the belt retractor in the event of an accident, and having a tightening device which tightens the seatbelt in a hazardous situation, the tightening device ... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7086622 | Fishing reel winding arm adapter for winding a fishing line This invention relates to an article of manufacture, and specifically to a fishing reel winding arm adapter for winding line onto a fishing reel spool using a high-carbon plastic cylindrical body with an attached drive member that allows an electric screwdriver to b... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7083136 | Webbing retractor A mechanism of a webbing retractor which can instantaneously apply driving force of a motor to a spool. At a base plate of a prime mover which is driven to rotate, two pawls are disposed at opposing positions at an outer side of an adapter connected to a take-up sha... | 08/01/2006 |
