Patents by Inventor Christopher C. Murray

Christopher C. Murray 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).

  • Electronically controlled differential locker
    Patent number: 8050829
    Abstract: An electronic locking mechanism for a vehicle differential assembly includes a lock element movable in response to an actuation signal between an open position and a locked position. The lock element generally forces side gears of the differential assembly to turn generally at a same rate when the lock element is in the locked position. The electronic locking mechanism further includes a processor configured to determine a status of the differential assembly from a current profile that includes the actuation signal and an induced current. The determined differential assembly status is generally one of an “activated and locked” status, an “activated but unlocked” status, a “deactivated but locked” status, and a “deactivated and unlocked” status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: GKN Driveline North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Rory Matthew Johnson, Christopher C. Murray
  • ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED DIFFERENTIAL LOCKER
    Publication number: 20100179736
    Abstract: An electronic locking mechanism for a vehicle differential assembly includes a lock element movable in response to an actuation signal between an open position and a locked position. The lock element generally forces side gears of the differential assembly to turn generally at a same rate when the lock element is in the locked position. The electronic locking mechanism further includes a processor configured to determine a status of the differential assembly from a current profile that includes the actuation signal and an induced current. The determined differential assembly status is generally one of an “activated and locked” status, an “activated but unlocked” status, a “deactivated but locked” status, and a “deactivated and unlocked” status.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: RORY M. JOHNSON, Christopher C. Murray