Patents by Inventor Timothy A. Droste
Timothy A. Droste 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).
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Patent number: 7875171Abstract: A filter assembly includes a filter housing including an inlet, through which hydraulic fluid enters the housing, and an outlet, through which hydraulic fluid exits the housing, valve housing containing a bypass valve located adjacent the inlet in a chamber, the valve including an orifice that opens and closes in response to differential pressure across the valve, and a screen secured to the valve housing and covering the orifice, the screen having a fine mesh for removing contaminants from the fluid that flows through the valve.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2007Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Lev Pekarsky, Timothy A. Droste, Gary H. Hafemeister
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Patent number: 7601191Abstract: A system for separating contaminants from an air stream entering a sealed case through a vent fitting communicating to the interior cavity of the case includes a contaminant separator having a housing enclosing a chamber, an inlet and outlet communicating with the chamber, a baffle located in the chamber and producing a constricted fluid flow passageway between the inlet and the outlet.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2006Date of Patent: October 13, 2009Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Timothy A. Droste, Clay F. Ramseyer
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Publication number: 20090114578Abstract: A filter assembly includes a filter housing including an inlet, through which hydraulic fluid enters the housing, and an outlet, through which hydraulic fluid exits the housing, valve housing containing a bypass valve located adjacent the inlet in a chamber, the valve including an orifice that opens and closes in response to differential pressure across the valve, and a screen secured to the valve housing and covering the orifice, the screen having a fine mess for removing contaminants from the fluid that flows through the valve.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2007Publication date: May 7, 2009Inventors: Lev Pekarsky, Timothy A. Droste, Gary H. Hafemeister
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Publication number: 20090065451Abstract: The present invention is premised upon an improved filter device that has multiple flow paths with differing filtration performance. Access to the flow paths are controlled by pressure valves and are based upon the level of pressure within the system. The improved filter device is also tunable to the work life cycle of the system.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2008Publication date: March 12, 2009Inventors: Pierre Nieuwland, Timothy Droste, Jeffrey Woodbury
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Publication number: 20080028934Abstract: A system for separating contaminants from an air stream entering a sealed case through a vent fitting communicating to the interior cavity of the case includes a contaminant separator having a housing enclosing a chamber, an inlet and outlet communicating with the chamber, a baffle located in the chamber and producing a constricted fluid flow passageway between the inlet and the outlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2006Publication date: February 7, 2008Inventors: Timothy A. Droste, Clay F. Ramseyer
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Patent number: 7192257Abstract: The automatic transmission for motor vehicles includes a positive displacement pump, a sump hydraulically connected by a passage to the pump inlet, a line pressure control valve having a high pressure outlet, a passage carrying fluid from the control valve through a nozzle and an nozzle exit opening to the passage that connects the sump to the pump inlet. The high pressure passage has a cross section whose area decreases in the direction toward the pump inlet and terminates in a nozzle through which a high speed jet enters the low pressure passage through the nozzle exit opening.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2003Date of Patent: March 20, 2007Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Lee Becker, Timothy Droste, Vladimir Yasnogorodskiy, Thomas Tibbles
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Publication number: 20060022458Abstract: A fluid connector assembly is sealingly received by a housing having a bore. A hollow tube has a first end that is received in the housing bore, and a seal retention lip that is spaced from the first end and extends radially outward from the outer surface of the tube. A ring shaped band seal is sealingly mounted about the outer surface of the hollow tube between the first end and the seal retention lip and an outer seal surface sealingly engages the bore in the housing. Preferably, the band seal is formed from an elastomeric type of material. A seal backer ring is mounted about the outer surface of the hollow tube between and in engagement with the band seal and a first side of the seal retention lip, with the seal backer ring including an outer surface that is in surface contact with the bore of the housing in order to absorb clamping loads.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2004Publication date: February 2, 2006Inventors: Timothy Droste, Thomas Skill, Eugene Mazurek, Thomas Cutsinger, Bruce Murden
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Publication number: 20050058550Abstract: The automatic transmission for motor vehicles includes a positive displacement pump, a sump hydraulically connected by a passage to the pump inlet, a line pressure control valve having a high pressure outlet, a passage carrying fluid from the control valve through a nozzle and an nozzle exit opening to the passage that connects the sump to the pump inlet. The high pressure passage has a cross section whose area decreases in the direction toward the pump inlet and terminates in a nozzle through which a high speed jet enters the low pressure passage through the nozzle exit opening.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2003Publication date: March 17, 2005Inventors: Lee Becker, Timothy Droste, Vladimir Yasnogorodskiy, Thomas Tibbles
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Patent number: 5802490Abstract: A system for controlling operation of a bypass clutch for a torque converter in an automatic transmission includes a clutch capacity control valve, which connects a source of fluid pressure to a space between a converter clutch friction surface and an impeller casing in response to a force balance produced by variable pressure control signal and an unlock control pressure signal, produced by a converter lockout valve. The a clutch capacity control valve also supplies pressurized fluid to a torus of the torque converter. The valve includes four control lands connecting 10 ports, all of which are active and independent.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 1996Date of Patent: September 1, 1998Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Timothy A. Droste
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Patent number: 5799260Abstract: A system for controlling a pump in a hydraulic circuit for an automatic transmission, having a viscosity insensitive fixed orifice and a relatively high resistance laminar orifice connected in series relationship between a vent port and a control pressure supplied to a secondary regulated pressure SRP valve. At relatively low temperature, flow through the laminar orifice is negligible; therefore, the steady-state differential pressure across the fixed orifice is negligible. At relatively higher temperatures, flow through the laminar orifice increases. A pressure divider is established and the feedback differential pressure is reduced in proportion to the hydraulic resistance of the two orifices. Flow to friction elements from a primary pump and auxiliary pump and return of fluid to the inlets of the pumps is controlled through a clutch capacity pressure regulator valve acting in cooperation with the SRP valve.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 1996Date of Patent: August 25, 1998Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Timothy A. Droste, Charles W. Barnes, Mark J. Kane, Paul J. Castiglione
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Patent number: 5762134Abstract: A cooler bypass valve, located in a hydraulic circuit between the discharge side of a torque converter and lubrication circuit, includes a valve spool urged by feedback pressure acting in opposition to the force of a compression spring to a bypass cooling mode position where the converter discharge fluid flow is connected to the lubrication circuit bypassing the oil cooler. The bypass valve includes a viscosity-sensitive pressure divider, which includes a series arrangement of a laminar orifice and a sharp-edged orifice located between the converter discharge and an oil sump. As oil temperature increases, flow through the laminar orifice produces a control pressure in opposition to the feedback pressure and additive to a spring force, which combine to move the valve spool to a cooling mode position where substantially all of the converter discharge is directed through the oil cooler.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 1996Date of Patent: June 9, 1998Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Timothy A. Droste, Lee J. Becker
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Patent number: 5700226Abstract: A sharp-edged orifice, located in an hydraulic circuit between a lubrication system and a source of lubrication, is connected to a flow control valve, which balances the differential pressure across the orifice and throttles the source of fluid pressure to a lubrication feed line. A lube augmentation valve, responsive to pressure, present when operating in forward drive, alternately opens and closes lubrication fluid flow through a second sharp-edged orifice located in a line arranged in parallel with the first orifice and connected downstream from that orifice and upstream from the lubrication circuit.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 1996Date of Patent: December 23, 1997Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Timothy A. Droste
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Patent number: 5637053Abstract: A system for controlling operation of a bypass clutch for a torque converter in an automatic transmission includes a converter lockout valve for producing a pressure signal having a first magnitude indicating unlocked operation of the converter clutch and a second magnitude representing locked operation, the pressure magnitudes being produced in response to control pressures representing engine speed, transmission operation in any forward gear, and in a first forward gear.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 1996Date of Patent: June 10, 1997Assignee: Ford Motor CompanyInventors: Timothy A. Droste, Charles W. Barnes, Mark J. Kane
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Patent number: 4995971Abstract: A dual purpose automatic transmission oil pan (10) for covering transmission components (20,22) and containing a reservoir of oil in a sump portion (32). First and second drainback channels (34,36) extend to the sump portion (32) from spaced drain openings (16,18) of a closed-barrel transmission case (14) which permit free flow of oil to the sump portion (32). A magnetic filter (40) is secured to a ramp surface (44) at the confluence of the oil flows (A,B) from the first and second drainback channels (34,36) for removing ferrous contaminants from the oil. An inlet port (26) of a filter cartridge opens into an inlet port region (46) of the sump portion (32).Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 1989Date of Patent: February 26, 1991Assignee: Ford Motor CompanyInventors: Timothy A. Droste, Jerome J. Middione, Himat B. Kher
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Patent number: 4876923Abstract: A torque converter lockup clutch is pressurized from a source of regulated line pressure through a lockup clutch control valve, which directs pressure to either of two passages to apply and release the clutch. The control valve is supplied with control pressure from a solenoid-operated valve that produces high and low fluid pressure states corresponding to commands to engage and release the lockup clutch. A second control pressure, opposing the effect of the solenoid-operated control pressure, is applied to the control valve when the vehicle operator manually selects certain gear ratios, principally the lowest forward and reverse gear ratios. A line pressure regulator valve produces line pressure whose magnitude is proportional to the magnitude of a control pressure representing a commanded engine torque output.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 1988Date of Patent: October 31, 1989Assignee: Ford Motor CompanyInventors: Scott R. Crandall, Timothy A. Droste, Stanley D. Rosen