Patents by Inventor Thomas F. Wentworth

Thomas F. Wentworth 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: 11286001
    Abstract: A structural assembly for a vehicle, including a first rail extending in the nominal direction of forward vehicle travel, a second rail extending in the nominal direction of forward vehicle travel and a cross member having a main body having a first end and a second end, and being joined inboard of the first end to the first rail and inboard of the second end to the second rail, wherein the first end and second end of the cross member are angled relative to the direction of forward vehicle travel at an obtuse angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Andrew L O'Bannon, Joseph E Rudelic, Thomas F Wentworth, Meenakshi Solaimalai, Janakiram Sholingar, Eric J Stahmer
  • Patent number: 10967812
    Abstract: An acoustic dash panel seal and assembly guide for a vehicle having a dash panel with a shaft aperture configured to receive a steering column shaft includes a guide portion having a converging wall that converges from a first end to an opposite second end, and a flange portion extending from the converging wall first end. The guide portion second end is configured to be disposed proximate to the dash panel shaft aperture, and the guide portion first end is configured to receive the steering column shaft therein during assembly of the vehicle. The converging wall is configured to guide the steering column shaft toward and through the guide portion second end to thereby guide the steering column shaft through the dash panel shaft aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Thomas F Wentworth, Toon Shin Tan
  • Publication number: 20210070365
    Abstract: A structural assembly for a vehicle, including a first rail extending in the nominal direction of forward vehicle travel, a second rail extending in the nominal direction of forward vehicle travel and a cross member having a main body having a first end and a second end, and being joined inboard of the first end to the first rail and inboard of the second end to the second rail, wherein the first end and second end of the cross member are angled relative to the direction of forward vehicle travel at an obtuse angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Andrew L. O'Bannon, Joseph E. Rudelic, Thomas F. Wentworth, Meenakshi Solaimalai, Janakiram Sholingar, Eric J. Stahmer
  • Patent number: 10718417
    Abstract: A torque converter for a vehicle includes an impeller, a turbine, a stator positioned between the impeller and the turbine, a one-way clutch coupled to the stator and configured to couple to a fixed member, and a controllable clutch assembly. The controllable clutch assembly is configured to selectively engage the stator and the turbine such that the stator is able to rotate with the turbine to facilitate preventing the stator from reacting against the one-way clutch and applying a load to the fixed member and thereby facilitating reducing an output of the torque converter and reducing engine vibration during idle, and disengage the stator from the turbine to enable relative rotation between the stator and turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Thomas F. Wentworth, Gregory A Sbroglia, Jeffrey M Orzechowski
  • Patent number: 10675933
    Abstract: A control arm assembly for a suspension system of a vehicle includes a base member configured to couple to a structural member of the vehicle via at least one isolator, and a control arm pivotally coupled to the base member and configured to couple to a steering knuckle of the vehicle, such that kinematics acting on the control arm are decoupled from an isolation provided by the coupling between the base member and the vehicle structural member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Thomas F. Wentworth, Gregory A Sbroglia
  • Publication number: 20200103012
    Abstract: A torque converter for a vehicle includes an impeller, a turbine, a stator positioned between the impeller and the turbine, a one-way clutch coupled to the stator and configured to couple to a fixed member, and a controllable clutch assembly. The controllable clutch assembly is configured to selectively engage the stator and the turbine such that the stator is able to rotate with the turbine to facilitate preventing the stator from reacting against the one-way clutch and applying a load to the fixed member and thereby facilitating reducing an output of the torque converter and reducing engine vibration during idle, and disengage the stator from the turbine to enable relative rotation between the stator and turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas F. Wentworth, Gregory A. Sbroglia, Jeffrey M. Orzechowski
  • Publication number: 20190322228
    Abstract: An acoustic dash panel seal and assembly guide for a vehicle having a dash panel with a shaft aperture configured to receive a steering column shaft includes a guide portion having a converging wall that converges from a first end to an opposite second end, and a flange portion extending from the converging wall first end. The guide portion second end is configured to be disposed proximate to the dash panel shaft aperture, and the guide portion first end is configured to receive the steering column shaft therein during assembly of the vehicle. The converging wall is configured to guide the steering column shaft toward and through the guide portion second end to thereby guide the steering column shaft through the dash panel shaft aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas F Wentworth, Toon Shin Tan
  • Publication number: 20190308475
    Abstract: A control arm assembly for a suspension system of a vehicle includes a base member configured to couple to a structural member of the vehicle via at least one isolator, and a control arm pivotally coupled to the base member and configured to couple to a steering knuckle of the vehicle, such that kinematics acting on the control arm are decoupled from an isolation provided by the coupling between the base member and the vehicle structural member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas F. Wentworth, Gregory A. Sbroglia
  • Patent number: 9592777
    Abstract: A grommet configured to pass through a vehicle wall and an acoustic mat is provided. The grommet includes first and second sealing segments, a mounting segment, and a pass-through segment. A flange configured to abut the vehicle wall extends from the first sealing segment. The pass-through segment has a NVH flap that is configured to abut the acoustic mat. The grommet has a grommet installation coupling that includes a mounting hole in the flange for receiving a mounting stud that extends from the vehicle wall and an engagement member that engages the mounting stud. The engagement member applies an installation force to the flange, which moves the grommet longitudinally from a first installation position to a second installation position and pushes the NVH flap against the acoustic mat so that the NVH flap is deflected back toward the flange as the grommet moves to the second installation position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Christina H Van Agen, Damon I Blumenstein, Thomas F Wentworth
  • Patent number: 9174645
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods to detect and reduce any high driveline torsional levels, such as due to the cylinder deactivation in variable displacement system engines or aggressive lock-up strategies for fuel efficiency, in automobile transmissions. The present disclosure utilizes a controller in an automobile to operate a computationally thrifty method for quickly detecting noise and vibration disturbances in the transmission. This quick detection enables fuel economic calibrations that aggressively reduce the disturbances by controlling slip in a launch device of the transmission. As problem disturbances arise, they are detected before occupants notice objectionable behavior. Once detected, the disturbances are reduced, such as by increasing launch device slip, which effectively intercepts the objectionable disturbances before they are transferred through the entire drivetrain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Brian E. Beechie, Thomas F. Wentworth, Gregory A. Sbroglia, Bruce Geist, Mark C. Azzaretti, Marc H. Sullivan, In-Soo Suh, Mark J. Duty, Changwei Cao
  • Publication number: 20080288146
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods to detect and reduce any high driveline torsional levels, such as due to the cylinder deactivation in variable displacement system engines or aggressive lock-up strategies for fuel efficiency, in automobile transmissions. The present disclosure utilizes a controller in an automobile to operate a computationally thrifty method for quickly detecting noise and vibration disturbances in the transmission. This quick detection enables fuel economic calibrations that aggressively reduce the disturbances by controlling slip in a launch device of the transmission. As problem disturbances arise, they are detected before occupants notice objectionable behavior. Once detected, the disturbances are reduced, such as by increasing launch device slip, which effectively intercepts the objectionable disturbances before they are transferred through the entire drivetrain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Brian E. Beechie, Thomas F. Wentworth, Gregory A. Sbroglia, Bruce Geist, Mark C. Azzaretti, Marc H. Sullivan, In-Soo Suh, Mark J. Duty, Changwei Cao