The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 20, 2001
Lane R. Miller, Fuquay-Varina, NC (US);
Douglas A. Swanson, Apex, NC (US);
Russell E. Alteri, Cary, NC (US);
Douglas E. Ivers, Cary, NC (US);
Stephen F. Hildebrand, Apex, NC (US);
William S. Jensen, Apex, NC (US);
Scott K. Miller, Raleigh, NC (US);
Michael D. Janowski, Clayton, NC (US);
Michael F. Walch, Cary, NC (US);
Lord Corporation, Cary, NC (US);
Abstract
A controlled equilibrium device comprising a housing; at least one spring, each at least one spring having a spring stiffness; and a load leveling device movable through the housing between a first maximum displacement position and a second maximum displacement position, the load leveling device comprising a deadband displacement zone defined between a first deadband displacement threshold and a second deadband displacement threshold, the displacement required to reach the first and second deadband displacement thresholds being less than the displacement distances required to reach the first and second maximum displacement positions, the at least one spring stiffness being substantially constant when the displacement of the load leveling device is within the deadband zone, the stiffness of the at least one spring being modified to a second stiffness when the load leveling device is equal to or beyond either the first deadband displacement threshold or the second deadband displacement threshold.