Patents by Inventor Andrew Malcolm Boyes
Andrew Malcolm Boyes has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 11939911Abstract: A clutched pulley assembly mountable to the shaft of a motor-generator unit (MGU) has a first sheave, with first spline teeth, rotatably mounted to the MGU shaft, and a second sheave, with second spline teeth, fixed to the MGU shaft. A slider gear with slider gear spline teeth is axially moveable between a torque transfer position, where the slider gear spline teeth simultaneously intermesh with the spline teeth of the first and second sheaves to operatively connect the sheaves to each other, and a torque cut-off position, where the slider gear spline teeth intermesh with the second sheave spline teeth but not the first sheave spline teeth so as to operatively disconnect the sheaves. An actuator drives the slider gear between the torque transfer and cut-off positions. The pulley assembly can be used in a stand-cooling mode wherein the engine is stopped but the MGU powers a load.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2020Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIPInventors: Kody A. Orr, Geoffrey William Ryeland, Andrew Malcolm Boyes, Reza Farshidi, Christopher Nyholm, Jun Xu, Ercong Ji
-
Patent number: 11892038Abstract: A clutch system includes a rotary input member, a wrap spring clutch and a rotary output member. The wrap spring clutch has a first end, a second end, and a plurality of coils. The stiffness of the wrap spring clutch is selected such that, when transmitting less than a selected coil engagement torque, the clutch system transmits torque helically from the rotary input member, to the second end, helically through the wrap spring clutch to the first end, and into the rotary output member. When transmitting more than the selected coil engagement torque, the clutch system transmits torque in parallel from the rotary input member, to the second end, helically through the wrap spring clutch to the first end, and into the rotary output member, and from the rotary input member through the coil engagement surface, to the first end, and into the rotary output member.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2020Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIPInventors: David Balsdon, Evan Hurry, Hao Tran, Andrew Malcolm Boyes
-
Patent number: 11879536Abstract: In one aspect, a rotary device is provided, and includes a shaft adapter, a chambered member, a seal member and at least one internal torque transfer member. The shaft adapter is connectible to a crankshaft or accessory shaft and defines an axis. The chambered member (e.g. a pulley) is rotatably connected to it, and at least partially encloses a chamber (e.g. for oil), and includes a circumferential portion, a first side wall, and a second side wall which is a separate member from the circumferential portion. One of the circumferential portion and the second side wall has projections thereon, and the other has valleys that mate with the projections with no clearance, so as to be able to transfer a torque of at least 10 Nm into one another without plastic deformation. A seal member is compressed between the second side wall and the circumferential portion.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2020Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIPInventors: Ahmed Abdul Wadood Anwer, Frank Verriet, Sean Kieran, Andrew Malcolm Boyes
-
Publication number: 20230406070Abstract: In an aspect, a heater module is provided for a heater for a thermal management system for an EV. The module includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a module inlet header in fluid communication with the inlet so as to receive a coolant from the inlet, a module outlet header that is in fluid communication with the outlet so as to transport the coolant to the module outlet, a plurality of module coolant conduits extending between the module inlet header and the outlet header, wherein there is a PCM storage space defined in the housing between the module coolant conduits, thermal conductors extending from the plurality of module coolant conduits into the PCM storage space, and a quantity of phase-change material in the PCM storage space and in contact with the plurality of thermal conductors. The housing is positioned in engagement with an electric heating element.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2021Publication date: December 21, 2023Inventors: Zheng X. ZHENG, Eric VANDENBERG, Evan HURRY, Julian PIRES, Andrew Malcolm BOYES
-
Patent number: 11732774Abstract: In an aspect a device for a driven shaft is provided that receives an input torque that varies cyclically between a peak input torque and a low input torque at a peak input torque frequency, which includes a shaft adapter, a rotary drive member, at least one isolation member, a torsional vibration damping structure including an inertia member and a elastomeric damping member, and a supplemental damping structure. The supplemental damping structure applies a supplemental damping torque to resist relative movement between the rotary drive member and the inertia member in addition to damping provided by the elastomeric damping member. A sum of torques including the supplemental damping torque limits a maximum twist between a first end of the driven shaft and a second end of the driven shaft, to below a yield point of the driven shaft.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2019Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIPInventors: Sean Kieran, Ahmed Abdul Wadood Anwer, Geoffrey William Ryeland, Ron Farewell, Kyle Pugsley, Frank Verriet, Andrew Malcolm Boyes
-
Publication number: 20220307414Abstract: A clutch system includes a rotary input member, a wrap spring clutch and a rotary output member. The wrap spring clutch has a first end, a second end, and a plurality of coils. The stiffness of the wrap spring clutch is selected such that, when transmitting less than a selected coil engagement torque, the clutch system transmits torque helically from the rotary input member, to the second end, helically through the wrap spring clutch to the first end, and into the rotary output member. When transmitting more than the selected coil engagement torque, the clutch system transmits torque in parallel from the rotary input member, to the second end, helically through the wrap spring clutch to the first end, and into the rotary output member, and from the rotary input member through the coil engagement surface, to the first end, and into the rotary output member.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2020Publication date: September 29, 2022Inventors: David BALSDON, Evan HURRY, Hao TRAN, Andrew Malcolm BOYES
-
Publication number: 20220299099Abstract: In one aspect, a rotary device is provided, and includes a shaft adapter, a chambered member, a seal member and at least one internal torque transfer member. The shaft adapter is connectible to a crankshaft or accessory shaft and defines an axis. The chambered member (e.g. a pulley) is rotatably connected to it, and at least partially encloses a chamber (e.g. for oil), and includes a circumferential portion, a first side wall, and a second side wall which is a separate member from the circumferential portion. One of the circumferential portion and the second side wall has projections thereon, and the other has valleys that mate with the projections with no clearance, so as to be able to transfer a torque of at least 10 Nm into one another without plastic deformation. A seal member is compressed between the second side wall and the circumferential portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2020Publication date: September 22, 2022Inventors: Ahmed Abdul Wadood ANWER, Frank VERRIET, Sean KIERAN, Andrew Malcolm BOYES
-
Publication number: 20220220885Abstract: A clutched pulley assembly mountable to the shaft of a motor-generator unit (MGU) has a first sheave, with first spline teeth, rotatably mounted to the MGU shaft, and a second sheave, with second spline teeth, fixed to the MGU shaft. A slider gear with slider gear spline teeth is axially moveable between a torque transfer position, where the slider gear spline teeth simultaneously intermesh with the spline teeth of the first and second sheaves to operatively connect the sheaves to each other, and a torque cut-off position, where the slider gear spline teeth intermesh with the second sheave spline teeth but not the first sheave spline teeth so as to operatively disconnect the sheaves. An actuator drives the slider gear between the torque transfer and cut-off positions. The pulley assembly can be used in a stand-cooling mode wherein the engine is stopped but the MGU powers a load.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2020Publication date: July 14, 2022Inventors: Kody A. ORR, Geoffrey William RYELAND, Andrew Malcolm BOYES, Reza FARSHIDI, Christopher NYHOLM, Jun XU, Ercong JI
-
Publication number: 20210324937Abstract: In an aspect a device for a driven shaft is provided that receives an input torque that varies cyclically between a peak input torque and a low input torque at a peak input torque frequency, which includes a shaft adapter, a rotary drive member, at least one isolation member, a torsional vibration damping structure including an inertia member and a elastomeric damping member, and a supplemental damping structure. The supplemental damping structure applies a supplemental damping torque to resist relative movement between the rotary drive member and the inertia member in addition to damping provided by the elastomeric damping member. A sum of torques including the supplemental damping torque limits a maximum twist between a first end of the driven shaft and a second end of the driven shaft, to below a yield point of the driven shaft.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2019Publication date: October 21, 2021Inventors: Sean KIERAN, Ahmed Abdul Wadood ANWER, Geoffrey William RYELAND, Ron FAREWELL, Kyle PUGSLEY, Frank VERRIET, Andrew Malcolm BOYES
-
Patent number: 9334932Abstract: In one aspect the invention relates to a tensioner that is capable of precognitively anticipating when it is desirable to increase the tension in a belt or other endless drive element so as to prevent belt slip prior to events that would raise the risk of it.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2012Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIPInventors: John R. Antchak, Zbyslaw Stan Staniewicz, Andrew Malcolm Boyes
-
Patent number: 9169904Abstract: In a first aspect, the invention is directed to a multi-speed drive for controlling the speed of a load that is driven from a crankshaft of an engine. The multi-speed drive permits the speed of the load to be adjusted based on one or more parameters, such as vehicle speed, engine RPM, battery charge level (e.g. when the load is an alternator), coolant temperature (e.g. when the load is a cooling fan), engine power demand from the vehicle driver, water level in which the vehicle is driving (e.g. when the load is a cooling fan whose blades could be damaged or could cause damage to other vehicle components if they impact water during use). The speeds provided by the multi-speed drive may include two or more non-zero rotational speeds, or two or more non-zero rotational speeds and a zero speed, or one non-zero rotational speed and a zero speed.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2012Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIPInventors: Garreth Graves, Robert J. Laing, Andrew Malcolm Boyes, Gary J. Spicer
-
Patent number: 9105386Abstract: A method of setting an air gap between an electromagnetic coil and an armature of an electro-mechanical device to be within a desired range includes applying a sensing signal to the electromagnetic coil and monitoring at least one electrical characteristic of the electromagnetic coil. The at least one electrical characteristic is related to a size of the air gap and the sensing signal. The method further includes moving the armature towards the electromagnetic coil to reduce the size of the air gap and stopping movement of the armature towards the electromagnetic coil when the at least one electrical characteristic indicates the size of the air gap is within the desired range.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2011Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIPInventors: Zbyslaw Staniewicz, Scott Parsons, Andrew Malcolm Boyes
-
Publication number: 20150057117Abstract: In one aspect the invention relates to a tensioner that is capable of precognitively anticipating when it is desirable to increase the tension in a belt or other endless drive element so as to prevent belt slip prior to events that would raise the risk of it.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2012Publication date: February 26, 2015Applicant: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIPInventors: John R. Antchak, Zbyslaw Stan Staniewicz, Andrew Malcolm Boyes
-
Publication number: 20140031156Abstract: In a first aspect, the invention is directed to a multi-speed drive for controlling the speed of a load that is driven from a crankshaft of an engine. The multi-speed drive permits the speed of the load to be adjusted based on one or more parameters, such as vehicle speed, engine RPM, battery charge level (e.g. when the load is an alternator), coolant temperature (e.g. when the load is a cooling fan), engine power demand from the vehicle driver, water level in which the vehicle is driving (e.g. when the load is a cooling fan whose blades could be damaged or could cause damage to other vehicle components if they impact water during use). The speeds provided by the multi-speed drive may include two or more non-zero rotational speeds, or two or more non-zero rotational speeds and a zero speed, or one non-zero rotational speed and a zero speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2012Publication date: January 30, 2014Applicant: Litens Automotive PartnershipInventors: Garreth Graves, Robert J. Laing, Andrew Malcolm Boyes, Gary J. Spicer
-
Publication number: 20130093547Abstract: A method of setting an air gap between an electromagnetic coil and an armature of an electro-mechanical device to be within a desired range includes applying a sensing signal to the electromagnetic coil and monitoring at least one electrical characteristic of the electromagnetic coil. The at least one electrical characteristic is related to a size of the air gap and the sensing signal. The method further includes moving the armature towards the electromagnetic coil to reduce the size of the air gap and stopping movement of the armature towards the electromagnetic coil when the at least one electrical characteristic indicates the size of the air gap is within the desired range.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2011Publication date: April 18, 2013Applicant: Litens Automotive PartnershipInventors: Zbyslaw Staniewicz, Scott Parsons, Andrew Malcolm Boyes