The present invention generally relates to motorcycles and more particularly to an axle assembly for a motorcycle having a plurality of driven wheels, such as a three-wheeled motorcycle or trike.
Motorcycles having a plurality of driven wheels will commonly employ an endless power transmitting element, such as a belt or a chain, to transmit rotary power from a powertrain to a sprocket that is employed to drive a pair of rear wheels. When the sprocket is to be serviced or the endless power transmitting element is to be replaced, it is frequently necessary to disassemble the rear axle assembly of such motorcycles such that the axle housing assembly is separated in a lateral direction into two or more portions. While the configuration permits the axle assembly to be constructed in a relatively inexpensive manner given the relatively low volume requirements of such axle assemblies, we have noted several drawbacks of this configuration. In this regard, the rear axle of the motorcycle need be substantially broken down to replace an endless power transmitting element. Consequently, it was not practical to service a motorcycle with multiple drive wheels on the road if an endless power transmitting element, such as a belt, broke. Accordingly, there remains a need for an improved axle assembly for a motorcycle with a plurality of driven wheels.
In one form, the present teachings provide a method for installing an endless power-transmitting element to a differential assembly of a motorcycle having an axle assembly with two drive wheels. The method can include: sliding first and second axle shaft assemblies outwardly from a differential assembly to disengage the first and second axle shaft assemblies from the differential assembly; removing a pair of bearing caps from a carrier housing; removing the differential assembly from the carrier housing; installing the endless power-transmitting element about the differential assembly; replacing the differential assembly to the carrier housing; installing the bearing caps to the carrier housing to secure the differential assembly to the carrier housing; and sliding the first and second axle shaft assemblies inwardly to engage the axle shaft assemblies to the differential assembly.
In another form, the present teachings provide a method of fabricating an axle assembly. The method includes: providing a carrier housing assembly with a carrier housing and a pair of bearing caps; removing the bearing caps; selecting a differential assembly from a group of at least two different differential assemblies; placing the selected differential assembly to the carrier housing; and installing the bearing caps to the carrier housing to secure the selected differential assembly to the carrier housing assembly such that the differential assembly is rotatable about a predetermined axis.
In still another form, the present teachings provide an axle assembly for a motorcycle having a pair of rear wheels. The axle assembly can include an axle housing, a differential assembly, a pair of axle shafts and an endless power transmitting element. The axle housing assembly has a carrier housing assembly and a pair of axle tubes. The carrier housing assembly includes a carrier housing and a pair of bearing caps that are removably coupled to the carrier housing to define a pair of bearing journal portions. The carrier housing defines a differential cavity with an opening through which the bearing caps can be removed from the carrier housing. The axle tubes are fixedly coupled to the carrier housing. The differential assembly includes a differential, a sprocket and a pair of differential bearings. The differential has a differential case with a pair of trunnions. The sprocket is coupled to the differential case and the differential bearings being mounted on the trunnions. The differential bearings are received between the bearing caps and the carrier housing to rotatably mount the differential assembly to the axle housing assembly. The axle shafts are received through the axle tubes and coupled to the differential assembly. The endless power transmitting element is coupled to the sprocket and extends out of the opening in the carrier housing.
In another form the present teachings provide a motorcycle having a frame, a power train, an endless power transmitting element and a rear axle assembly. The power train is coupled to the frame and has an output member. The endless power transmitting member is coupled to the output member. The rear axle assembly is mounted to the frame and has a carrier housing, a differential assembly and a pair of shafts. The carrier housing has a carrier structure and a pair of bearing caps. The carrier structure defines an opening through which the endless power transmitting member is received. The differential assembly is received in the carrier structure and is received about the differential assembly. The bearing caps are removably coupled to the carrier housing and cooperate with the bearing journals to support the differential assembly for rotation about a differential axis. The shafts are coupled to the differential assembly. Each of the shafts is configured to transmit rotary power between the differential assembly and a drive wheel.
In another form, the present teachings provide a motorcycle with a frame, a powertrain, an endless power transmitting member and a rear axle assembly. The power train is coupled to the frame and has an output member. The endless power transmitting member is coupled to the output member. The rear axle assembly is mounted to the frame and has a carrier housing, a differential assembly and a pair of shafts. The differential assembly is coupled to the carrier housing for rotation about a differential axis. The endless power transmitting element is disposed about the differential assembly and is configured to transmit rotary power between the output member of the power train and the differential assembly. The carrier housing includes a carrier structure and a member that is removable from the carrier structure to permit the endless power transmitting element to be moved through the differential axis between one of the shafts and the differential assembly to permit the endless power transmitting element to be drivingly engaged to the differential assembly.
In another form, the present teachings provide a method for installing an endless power-transmitting element to a drive axle of a motorcycle. The drive axle includes a carrier housing, a differential assembly and a pair of axle shaft assemblies. The carrier housing includes a carrier structure and a pair of bearing caps. The differential assembly is mounted to the carrier housing between the carrier structure and the bearing caps for rotation about a differential axis. Each of the axle shaft assemblies is configured to output rotary power from the differential assembly to an associated drive wheel. The method includes: disengaging at least one of the axle shaft assemblies from the differential assembly; removing at least one of the bearing caps from a carrier housing; creating a space between the carrier structure, the axle shaft assemblies and the differential assembly; installing the endless power-transmitting element through the space and about the differential assembly; securing the differential assembly between the carrier structure and the bearing caps; and re-engaging the at least one of the axle shaft assemblies to the differential assembly.
In yet another form, the teachings of the present disclosure provide an axle assembly that includes a carrier housing, a differential assembly and a pair of shafts. The carrier housing has a carrier structure and a pair of bearing caps. The carrier structure defines an opening that is configured to receive therethrough an endless power transmitting member for transmitting rotary power from a powertrain to the differential assembly. The differential assembly is received in the carrier structure. The bearing caps are removably coupled to the carrier housing and cooperate with a pair of bearing supports to support the differential assembly for rotation about a differential axis. The shafts are coupled to the differential assembly. Each of the shafts is configured to transmit rotary power between the differential assembly and an associated one of the driven wheels.
In still another form, the present teachings provide a method for replacing an endless power transmitting element in a motorcycle having a power train, a rear axle assembly and a pair of driven wheels. The rear axle assembly includes a carrier housing, a differential assembly and a pair of shafts. The carrier housing has a carrier structure and a pair of bearing caps. The differential assembly is received in the carrier structure. Each of the shafts has a first end, which is drivingly coupled to the differential assembly, and a second, opposite end that is coupled to an associated one of the driven wheels. The method includes untightening a plurality of threaded fasteners that secure a pair of bearing caps to a pair of bearing supports that are integrally formed with the carrier housing; mounting the endless power transmitting element about an output member of the power train; moving the differential assembly away from at least one of the bearing supports; mounting the endless power transmitting element about the differential assembly and through an opening in the carrier housing; and re-tightening the threaded fasteners to re-secure the bearing caps to the bearing supports.
In another form, the present teachings provide an axle assembly that includes a differential assembly, a pair of bearings and a carrier housing assembly. The differential assembly has a differential case and a drive member that is coupled to the differential case. The drive member is configured to engage an endless power transmitting element. The bearings are mounted to the opposite ends of the differential case. The carrier housing assembly has a carrier housing and a pair of bearing caps. Each of the bearings is received between the carrier housing and an associated one of the bearing caps to support the differential assembly for rotation relative to the carrier housing assembly about a rotational axis. The carrier housing includes a plurality of struts that are spaced circumferentially apart about the rotational axis such that a void space is formed between each adjacent pair of the struts. An opening is formed in the carrier housing and is configured to receive the endless power transmitting element there through.
In a further form, the present teachings provide an axle assembly that includes a differential assembly and a carrier housing assembly. The differential assembly has a differential case and a drive member that is coupled to the differential case. The drive member is configured to engage an endless power transmitting element. The carrier housing assembly has a carrier housing, a pair of bearing caps and a pair of axle tubes. The carrier housing defines a front opening, a rear opening and a pair of tubular end members into which the axle tubes are received. The front opening is configured to receive the differential assembly there through. The differential assembly is received between the carrier housing and the bearing caps. The front and rear openings are not covered or closed when the axle assembly is employed to drive the driven wheels.
In another form, the present teachings provide a method for replacing an endless power transmitting element in a motorcycle having a rear axle assembly with a pair of driven wheels. The method includes: removing the bearing caps from the carrier structure; disengaging the shafts from the differential assembly; moving the differential assembly away from carrier structure; mounting the endless power transmitting element about the differential assembly and through an opening in the carrier housing; replacing the bearing caps to the carrier structure; and re-engaging the shafts to the differential assembly.
In still another form, the present teachings provide a method for installing an endless power transmitting element to a rear axle assembly for a motorcycle having a pair of driven wheels. The method includes providing a carrier housing having a carrier structure and a pair of bearing caps; installing the endless power transmitting element about a differential assembly; mounting the differential assembly to the carrier structure such that the endless power transmitting element extends through an opening in the carrier structure; and coupling the bearing caps to the carrier structure.
In a further form, the present teachings provide a method for replacing an endless power transmitting element in a motorcycle having a rear axle assembly with a pair of driven wheels. The rear axle assembly includes a carrier housing, a differential assembly and a pair of shafts. The carrier housing has a carrier structure and a pair of bearing caps. The differential assembly is received in the carrier structure. Each of the shafts has a first end, which is drivingly coupled to the differential assembly, and a second, opposite end that is coupled to an associated one of the driven wheels. The method includes: untightening a plurality of threaded fasteners that secure a pair of bearing caps to a pair of bearing supports that are integrally formed with the carrier structure; moving the differential assembly away from at least one of the bearing supports; mounting the endless power transmitting element about the differential assembly and through an opening in the carrier housing; and re-tightening the threaded fasteners to re-secure the bearing caps to the bearing supports.
In still another form, the present teachings provide an axle assembly that is configured for use in a motorcycle having a pair of driven wheels. The axle assembly includes a case, a drive member, a pair of bearings and a carrier housing. The drive member is coupled to the drive case and comprises a pulley or a sprocket that is configured to engage an endless power transmitting element. The bearings are mounted to opposite ends of the case. The carrier housing assembly has a carrier housing and a pair of bearing caps. Each of the bearings is received between the carrier housing and an associated one of the bearing caps to support the case for rotation relative to the carrier housing assembly about a rotational axis. The carrier housing comprising an open and unsealed side that is configured to receive the endless power transmitting element therethrough.
In a further form, the present teachings provide an axle assembly that is configured for use in a motorcycle having a pair of driven wheels. The axle assembly includes a case, a drive member, and a carrier housing. The drive member is coupled to the case and comprises a pulley or a sprocket that is configured to engage an endless power transmitting element. The bearings are mounted to opposite ends of the case. The carrier housing assembly has a carrier housing and a pair of bearing caps. Each of the bearings is received between the carrier housing and an associated one of the bearing caps to support the differential assembly for rotation relative to the carrier housing assembly about a rotational axis. The carrier housing includes a front surface that is configured to face toward a front wheel of the motorcycle. The drive member extends outwardly from the carrier housing beyond the front surface. The carrier housing includes at least one unsealed opening that is formed on a surface other than the front surface. The at least one unsealed opening permits air flowing through the font surface during operation of the axle assembly to exit the carrier housing.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
With reference to
The powertrain 14 can have a power source and can output rotary power to the rear axle assembly 20. The rear axle assembly 20 can transmit the rotary power to the rear wheels 22. The power source can be any type of power source, including an electric motor, an engine or a combination thereof. In the particular example provided, the powertrain 14 includes an engine 24 that transmits rotary power to a transmission 26 having a plurality of manually selectable gear ratios and a transmission output member 28. A clutch (not specifically shown) can be employed to selectively interrupt the transmission of rotary power from the engine 24 to the transmission 26 (e.g., when shifting the transmission 26 between two gear ratios).
An endless power-transmitting element 30 can be employed to transmit rotary power from the transmission output member 28 to the rear axle assembly 20. In the particular example provided, the endless power-transmitting element 30 is a belt 32 and the transmission output member 28 is a toothed pulley or wheel (i.e., a sprocket), but other types of endless power-transmitting elements, such as chains, could also be employed. It will be appreciated that the teachings of the present disclosure have application to other motorcycle configurations that do not employ an endless power-transmitting element and as such, it will be understood that the particular example provided will not limit the scope of the appended claims.
With reference to
The carrier housing assembly 106 can include a carrier housing 110 and a pair of bearing caps 112. The carrier housing 110 can be formed of any suitable material, such as steel, cast iron or aluminum, and can be formed in any desired manner (e.g., weldment, sand casting, die casting). The carrier housing 110 can include a pair of end members 120 and a plurality of strut members 122, such as an upper strut member 122a, a lower strut member 122b and a rear strut member 122c. Each of the end members 120 can include a generally tubular structure 130 and a bearing support 132. An associated one of the bearing caps 112 can be removably coupled to the bearing support 132 via a plurality of threaded fasteners 134 to form a bearing support portion 136. A bore 138 can be formed through each end member 120 and can concentrically intersect a bearing bore 148 that can be formed into the bearing support portion 136. The bore 138 can be formed of a uniform diameter throughout its length, or could be formed as in the particular example provided with a first portion 140 that is relatively bigger in diameter than a remaining portion 142 to thereby define a shoulder 144. One or more tube coupling apertures 150 can be formed through the tubular structure 130 and can intersect the bore 138 (e.g., the first portion 140 of the bore 138). It will be appreciated that one or both of the bearing caps 112 (and optionally the carrier housing 110) can be configured to aid the assembly technician, service technician or operator of the motorcycle 10 (
The opposite ends of the strut members 122 can be coupled to the end members 120 and can be contoured to define a differential cavity 154 between the end members 120. The upper and lower strut members 122a and 122b can be configured to resist bending of the axle housing assembly 100 in a vertical direction (relative to the operational orientation of the rear axle assembly 20 as depicted in
Each axle tube assembly 108 can include a tube structure 170, a pair of suspension mounts 172, and a brake attachment structure 174. The tube structure 170 can be unitarily formed or can be a multi-component structure having a tube member 180 and a bearing mount 182 that can be coupled to an end of the tube member 180 as in the particular example illustrated. An axle shaft aperture 184 can be formed through the tube structure 170 and a shaft bearing aperture 186 can be formed in an end of the tube structure 170 (e.g., in the bearing mount 182). The suspension mounts 172 can comprise any type of suspension mount for mounting the rear axle assembly 20 to a vehicle. In the example provided, each suspension mount 172 includes a first plate member 190, which is fixedly coupled (e.g., welded) to the tube structure 170 at a predetermined location, and a second plate member 192 that may be moved over at least a portion of the length of the tube structure 170. Threaded fasteners (not shown) may be employed to clamp the first and second plate members 190 and 192 to the mounting hardware (not shown) that is employed to couple the rear axle assembly 20 to a remainder of the motorcycle 10 (
The differential assembly 102 can be mounted to the carrier housing 110 between the bearing supports 132 and the bearing caps 112 and can be configured to transmit rotary power from the powertrain 14 (
The sprocket assembly 202 can include a first sprocket portion 240, a second sprocket portion 242 and one or more isolators 244 that can be disposed between the first and second sprocket portions 240 and 242. The first sprocket portion 240 can include a hub portion 250 and a power-transmitting portion 252 that can be coupled to the hub portion 250. The power-transmitting portion 252 can be configured to receive power from the powertrain 14 (
The second sprocket portion 242 can include a mating sprocket coupling portion 268 that can matingly engage the sprocket coupling portion 234 of the differential case 216 to thereby non-rotatably couple the second sprocket portion 242 to the differential case 216. In the example provided, the mating coupling portion 268 includes a plurality of mating teeth or splines (not specifically shown) that matingly engage the splines of the sprocket coupling portion 234. The fasteners 222 that are employed to couple the first and second case members 218 and 220 to one another can also be employed to fixedly but removably couple the second sprocket portion 242 to the differential case 216. In the example provided, the fasteners 222 are received through holes (not shown) in the first and second case members 218 and 220 and are threadably received into threaded holes (not shown) that are formed in the second sprocket portion 242. The hub portion 250 of the first sprocket portion 240 and the second sprocket portion 242 can cooperate to define a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart cavities 270 into which the isolators 244 can be received. Each of the circumferentially spaced-apart cavities 270 can include radially inner and outer walls 272 and 274, respectively, which can be defined by the second sprocket portion 242, and a pair of radially extending sidewalls (not specifically shown) that can be disposed generally transverse to the radially inner and outer walls 272 and 274. In the particular example provided, each of the radially extending sidewalls is formed by the second sprocket portion 242 and the isolators 244, which are formed of a resilient material, frictionally engage the radially adjacent faces 280 and 282 of the first and second sprocket portions 240 and 242, respectively, to transmit rotary power therebetween. It will be appreciated that the radially extending sidewalls could be formed by both the first and second sprocket portions 240 and 242. For example, a sidewall formed by the first sprocket portion 240 could be circumferentially disposed between a pair of sidewalls formed by the second sprocket portion 242.
The differential bearings 204 can be coupled to the first and second trunnions 230 and 232 (e.g., press-fit) and can be received in respective ones of the journal bearing portions 136 between a respective bearing support 132 and bearing cap 112. It will be appreciated that the differential bearings 204 rotatably mount the differential case 216 to the carrier housing 110 about a predetermined axis 290. The differential bearings 204 can be any suitable type of bearings but in the example provided, are sealed roller bearings.
The sensor wheel 206 can be coupled to the differential case 216 or the sprocket assembly 202 and can include a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart sensor targets 192 that can be sensed by the sensor 168 that is coupled to the carrier housing 110. The sensor 168 can responsively generate a sensor signal that can be received by a controller 296. The controller 296 can employ the sensor signal to determine a rotational speed of the differential case 216. It will be appreciated that the rotational speed of the differential case 216 can be employed for various purposes, including control of the powertrain 14 (
Each of the axle shaft assemblies 104 can include a shaft 300, a shaft bearing 302, a spacer ring 304, a retaining ring 306, and a bearing retaining plate 308. The shaft 300 can include a shaft member 310, which can be configured to be received in the tube structure 170, and a wheel flange 312 that can be configured to be coupled to one of the rear wheels 22 (
While not shown, it will be understood from this disclosure that seals can be installed to the proximal ends of the tube structures 170 and to the trunnion bore 236 in the first and second trunnions 230 and 232 to sealingly engage the shaft members 310 so as to inhibit the infiltration of moisture and debris into the axle tube assemblies 108 and the differential case 216.
To install (or replace) the endless power-transmitting element (e.g., belt 32 of
Another advantage of the rear axle assembly 20 concerns its modular configuration. In this regard, portions of the rear axle assembly 20, such as the carrier housing 110 or the entire axle housing assembly 100, can be common across a family of axle assemblies to thereby provide alternative axle assemblies at a relatively lower cost. For example, the axle housing assembly 100 may be common across a first family of axle assemblies 400a as depicted in
It will be appreciated that other families of axle assemblies could be fabricated. For example, a third family of axle assemblies can be generally similar to that of the first family of axle assemblies 400a, except that the family members of the third family of axle assemblies utilize different axle tube assemblies (for example, the axle tube assemblies are similar to those describe above, but employ different suspension mounts). As another example, a fourth family of axle assemblies can be generally similar to that of the first family of axle assemblies 400a, except that the carrier housing 110 of the family members of the fourth family of axle assemblies is machined to provide a different camber angle and/or toe angle.
In the example of
Each of the sensors 168′ can be coupled to one of the axle tube assemblies 108′ and can be configured to sense the plurality of sensor targets 192 that are associated with tone wheel 520 that is coupled for rotation with the axle shaft assemblies 104′. It will be appreciated that the tone wheels 520 can be coupled to any portion of the axle shaft assemblies 104′ and that they could be coupled to the shaft bearings 302′. It will also be appreciated that the sensors 168′ replace the single sensor 168 that is employed in the example of
In the example of
In the example of
In a further example, the rear axle assembly can be generally similar to the rear axle assembly 20 of
In another example, rear axle assembly can be generally similar to the rear axle assembly 20 of
A further rear axle assembly 800 is illustrated in
While specific examples have been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the claims. Furthermore, the mixing and matching of features, elements and/or functions between various examples is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that features, elements and/or functions of one example may be incorporated into another example as appropriate, unless described otherwise, above. Moreover, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular examples illustrated by the drawings and described in the specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the teachings of the present disclosure, but that the scope of the present disclosure will include any embodiments falling within the foregoing description and the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/527,859 filed Jun. 20, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/443,279 filed Apr. 10, 2012 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,261,870), which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/277,368 filed Oct. 20, 2011 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,177,014), which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/111,624 filed May 19, 2011 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,042,639), which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12/726,744 filed Mar. 18, 2010 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,984,782), which is a bypass continuation of PCT/US 2008/073461 filed Aug. 18, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/975,684 filed Sep. 27, 2007. Each of the aforementioned applications is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth in detail herein.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13527859 | Jun 2012 | US |
Child | 13614488 | US | |
Parent | 13443279 | Apr 2012 | US |
Child | 13527859 | US | |
Parent | 13277368 | Oct 2011 | US |
Child | 13443279 | US | |
Parent | 13111624 | May 2011 | US |
Child | 13277368 | US | |
Parent | 12726744 | Mar 2010 | US |
Child | 13111624 | US | |
Parent | PCT/US2008/073461 | Aug 2008 | US |
Child | 12726744 | US |