Patents by Inventor John Spooner

John Spooner 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: 10704683
    Abstract: A gear selector comprising a gate pattern and a gear lever arranged to be moveable within the gate pattern, the gate pattern comprising: a high range gate sub-pattern comprising one or more high range gear planes for moving the gear lever into to select a high range gear; a low range gate sub-pattern comprising one or more low range gear planes for moving the gear lever into to select a low range gear; a neutral plane extending transversely with respect to the high and low range gear planes; and a force profile arranged to urge the gear lever when in the neutral plane toward a resting position in one of the one or more high range gear planes, the force profile comprising a first interference arranged to divide the high range gate sub-pattern from the low range gate sub-pattern, wherein the gear lever is moveable past the first interference from the high range gate sub-pattern to the low range gate sub-pattern when a first predefined action is performed by an operator moving the gear lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventors: John Spooner, Russell Osborn, Steve Mullane
  • Patent number: 10054196
    Abstract: A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Up to eight forward speeds and two reverse speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventors: Russell Osborn, Alex Tylee-Birdsall, John Spooner, Steve Mullane, Steve Nesbitt
  • Patent number: 10030598
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to the pull away from rest of a motor vehicle on a slope. The vehicle includes an automatic transmission and internal combustion engine with an electronic controller. The engine torque response to the accelerator pedal input is modified accounting for the slope to improve consistency of pull away on different slopes and reduce the dead pedal feeling on steep slopes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited
    Inventors: James Gennard, John Spooner
  • Patent number: 10024430
    Abstract: A park lock apparatus and control unit for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a locking member (28, 30; 50) having: a first state arranged to permit independent rotational movement of front and rear drive shafts (20, 22) of the vehicle relative to a fixed position on the vehicle; a second state arranged to prevent independent rotational movement of the front and rear drive shafts of the vehicle relative to the fixed position on the vehicle; and a third state arranged to prevent rotational movement of the front and rear drive shafts of the vehicle relative to the fixed position on the vehicle, and an actuation member (36; 64) for moving the locking member between the first, second and third states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventors: John Spooner, Ged Pybus
  • Publication number: 20170343106
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manually releasing power actuated vehicle park means in the absence of power, the method comprising the steps of: rotating a power actuated selector shaft from a park mode position in which one or more wheels are locked by the park means to a park release mode position in which the one or more wheels are released by the park means; and locking the selector shaft in the release mode position by means of locking means, whereby the successive steps of rotating the selector shaft to the release mode position and subsequently locking the selector shaft in the release mode position comprise manual translation or rotation of one or more members in first and second directions respectively, the first direction being different from the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: John Spooner, Graham Tarvar
  • Patent number: 9829072
    Abstract: A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Up to eight forward speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventors: Russell Osborn, Alex Tylee-Birdsall, John Spooner, Steve Mullane, Steve Nesbitt
  • Patent number: 9752655
    Abstract: A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Some torque paths are via a sleeve rotatable on a shaft on one of said axes. Up to eight forward speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventors: Russell Osborn, Alex Tylee-Birdsall, John Spooner, Steve Mullane, Steve Nesbitt, Gareth Thomas, Matthew Hole, Mark Findlay, George Scott
  • Publication number: 20170234428
    Abstract: A park lock apparatus and control unit for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a locking member (28, 30; 50) having: a first state arranged to permit independent rotational movement of front and rear drive shafts (20, 22) of the vehicle relative to a fixed position on the vehicle; a second state arranged to prevent independent rotational movement of the front and rear drive shafts of the vehicle relative to the fixed position on the vehicle; and a third state arranged to prevent rotational movement of the front and rear drive shafts of the vehicle relative to the fixed position on the vehicle, and an actuation member (36; 64) for moving the locking member between the first, second and third states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: John SPOONER, Ged PYBUS
  • Patent number: 9732850
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manually releasing power actuated vehicle park means in the absence of power, the method comprising the steps of: rotating a power actuated selector shaft from a park mode position in which one or more wheels are locked by the park means to a park release mode position in which the one or more wheels are released by the park means; and locking the selector shaft in the release mode position by means of locking means, whereby the successive steps of rotating the selector shaft to the release mode position and subsequently locking the selector shaft in the release mode position comprise manual translation or rotation of one or more members in first and second directions respectively, the first direction being different from the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited
    Inventors: John Spooner, Graham Tarver
  • Publication number: 20170211692
    Abstract: A gear selector comprising a gate pattern and a gear lever arranged to be moveable within the gate pattern, the gate pattern comprising: a high range gate sub-pattern comprising one or more high range gear planes for moving the gear lever into to select a high range gear; a low range gate sub-pattern comprising one or more low range gear planes for moving the gear lever into to select a low range gear; a neutral plane extending transversely with respect to the high and low range gear planes; and a force profile arranged to urge the gear lever when in the neutral plane toward a resting position in one of the one or more high range gear planes, the force profile comprising a first interference arranged to divide the high range gate sub-pattern from the low range gate sub-pattern, wherein the gear lever is moveable past the first interference from the high range gate sub-pattern to the low range gate sub-pattern when a first predefined action is performed by an operator moving the gear lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: John Spooner, Russell Osborn, Steve Mullane
  • Publication number: 20170058808
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to the pull away from rest of a motor vehicle on a slope. The vehicle includes an automatic transmission and internal combustion engine with an electronic controller. The engine torque response to the accelerator pedal input is modified accounting for the slope to improve consistency of pull away on different slopes and reduce the dead pedal feeling on steep slopes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: James GENNARD, John SPOONER
  • Publication number: 20160102734
    Abstract: A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Some torque paths are via a sleeve rotatable on a shaft on one of said axes. Up to eight forward speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Russell OSBORN, Alex TYLEE-BIRDSALL, John SPOONER, Steve MULLANE, Steve NESBITT, Gareth THOMAS, Matthew HOLE, Mark FINDLAY, George SCOTT
  • Publication number: 20160076628
    Abstract: A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Up to eight forward speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Russell OSBORN, Alex TYLEE-BIRDSALL, John SPOONER, Steve MULLANE, Steve NESBITT
  • Publication number: 20160053862
    Abstract: A constant mesh gearbox has five parallel rotational axes. The input and output axes are not aligned. Up to eight forward speeds and two reverse speeds are disclosed, with two very low ratios suitable for non-highway travel. The transmission is suitable for two and four wheel drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Russell OSBORN, Alex TYLEE-BIRDSALL, John SPOONER, Steve MULLANE, Steve NESBITT
  • Publication number: 20150034450
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manually releasing power actuated vehicle park means in the absence of power, the method comprising the steps of: rotating a power actuated selector shaft from a park mode position in which one or more wheels are locked by the park means to a park release mode position in which the one or more wheels are released by the park means; and locking the selector shaft in the release mode position by means of locking means, whereby the successive steps of rotating the selector shaft to the release mode position and subsequently locking the selector shaft in the release mode position comprise manual translation or rotation of one or more members in first and second directions respectively, the first direction being different from the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: John Spooner, Graham Tarvar
  • Publication number: 20100029155
    Abstract: The present invention relates to adhesive coated fabrics, suitable for use in composite materials, coated on at least one outwards facing surface thereof with an acrylate adhesive, wherein the coated acrylate adhesive on said at least one outwards facing surface is less than 11 g/m2 solid particles. Such adhesive coated fabrics are especially useful for the manufacturing of water or moist resistant or repellant structures such as boats, airplane components, wind turbine blades, helmets, or telephone poles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Charles William Peterson, Martin William John Spooner, Lee Ian
  • Patent number: 7031347
    Abstract: In order to enable high speed, high bandwidth data transfer between two ASIC devices, for example in a backplane, a wide parallel input data word is divided into a smaller number of words, and each smaller word is converted to serial form and then transmitted over a respective sub-link at a high clock rate relative to the system clock. At the receiving side, the clock is recovered from the serial words, and the serial words are converted back to parallel form. An alignment process is then carried out, firstly involving detecting the positions of the bits of the words and then storing the words in a buffer FIFO register. The words are clocked out of the FIFO register in synchronism under control of the system clock once it is detected that valid words are received in the FIFO registers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Robert John Spooner
  • Publication number: 20010033568
    Abstract: In order to enable high speed, high bandwidth data transfer between two ASIC devices, for example in a backplane, a wide parallel input data word is divided into a smaller number of words, and each smaller word is converted to serial form and then transmitted over a respective sub-link at a high clock rate relative to the system clock. At the receiving side, the clock is recovered from the serial words, and the serial words are converted back to parallel form. An alignment process is then carried out, firstly involving detecting the positions of the bits of the words and then storing the words in a buffer FIFO register. The words are clocked out of the FIFO register in synchronism under control of the system clock once it is detected that valid words are received in the FIFO registers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Publication date: October 25, 2001
    Applicant: Lucent and Agere
    Inventor: Robert John Spooner
  • Patent number: 6273809
    Abstract: Coin dispensing apparatus is provided including a reservoir for coins and a rotor located to receive coins from the reservoir, the rotor having a lower storage portion shaped to receive a stack of coins, and an upper feed portion shaped to receive coins from the reservoir and direct them to the lower storage portion. Because the rotor receives and feeds the coins, to provide a stack of coins within the lower storage portion, ready for dispensing, the associated reservoir can be of a size to receive any type of coin. If it is necessary to adapt the apparatus to accept a different type of coin, it is only necessary to replace the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Coin Controls Limited
    Inventors: Mike Bell, Colin Richard Spooner, Brian John Spooner
  • Patent number: 6254506
    Abstract: A motor vehicle transmission has a differential assembly (17) in which one input, sun gear (39), of an epicyclic gear train can be selectively coupled by a sleeve (59) through a viscous coupling (55) to either an input, i.e. annulus gear (31), or to another output, i.e. carrier (36). Coupling the sun gear to the annulus gear gives a low resistance mode of operation and coupling the sun gear to the carrier gives a high resistance mode of operation. A locked mode where the annulus is locked to the sun gear is also described, together with a free mode where the viscous coupling is disconnected from both the annulus gear and the carrier. The sleeve is lined to the control of a range change gearbox to select the low resistance mode when a high range is selected for on-road use and a high resistance mode is selected when a low range is selected for off-road use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Rover Group Limited
    Inventor: John Spooner