With Control Of Or By The Fluid Circuit Patents (Class 475/48)
  • Patent number: 11047462
    Abstract: A compact integrated torque converter assembly is disclosed herein. The integrated torque converter assembly includes a clutch assembly that is integrated with a core ring arrangement. Based on this arrangement, the clutch assembly is positioned inside of the torus and radially inward from a radially outward periphery of the pump and the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Zipeng Han, Peter Rentfrow
  • Patent number: 9841094
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gear system with automatic operation designed to transmit the torque from the engine of an automotive vehicle to the driven wheels of the vehicle, in which changes in the vehicle speed is controlled as a function of the torque generated by the engine and of the linear momentum of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Inventor: Alan Miranda Monteiro De Lima
  • Patent number: 9217500
    Abstract: There is provided a drive train for transmitting a variable power with a variable input speed at a drive shaft and a substantially constant output speed at an output shaft for a power generation installation, driven by a continuous-flow machine. The drive train includes a power-split transmission having a first planetary gear as a superposition gear and a second planetary gear, and a hydrodynamic component which takes up power from an output side and returns said power in a controlled manner to the power-split transmission. The first and second planetary gears are coupled to each other via a common planet carrier. The drive shaft is coupled to a ring gear of the first planetary gear, and wherein in the common planet carrier, planets of the first planetary gear and planets of the second planetary gear are accommodated in an alternating fashion in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Voith Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Ludas, Manuel Rathgeb
  • Patent number: 8939859
    Abstract: A torque converter includes a prime mover input and an impeller configured to rotate in response to the prime mover input. The torque converter further includes a turbine arranged with the impeller and configured to rotate in response to rotation of the impeller, a stator arranged with the impeller and the turbine, and a stator clutch configured to allow rotation of the stator in a first mode and configured to limit rotation of the stator in a second mode. The torque converter further including a stator clutch actuator configured to activate and deactivate the stator clutch to place the stator clutch in the second mode during particular operations and to place the stator clutch in the first mode. A vehicle and a process of converting torque for operation of a vehicle are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Amarnath Rao Jawalkar Nagaraj, Timothy J. May
  • Patent number: 8758180
    Abstract: A hydraulic circuit for a vehicle powertrain includes a first line for carrying fluid to a torque converter, a second line for carrying fluid from the torque converter, a third line for carrying fluid to a balance dam and an electric motor, and a fourth line for supplying actuating pressure to a clutch, said lines being coaxial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Steven A. Frait, Steven G. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20130005524
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a continuously variable transmission that includes an input shaft, an output shaft, multiple planetary gear assemblies and a hydraulic system including a pump, a motor and a valve. Two of the planetary gear assemblies, in conjunction with the hydraulic system, work as a speed variation mechanism and as a braking device. A third planetary gear assembly multiplies torque. A sub-transmission serves as the range device, providing for forward or reverse rotation of a final drive shaft or alternately a neutral position wherein there is no rotation of the final drive shaft. In one embodiment, first, second and third planetary gear assemblies, the output shaft, a one-way clutch, the final drive shaft, the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic motor all have an axis of rotation that lies coaxially with a primary axis of rotation of the input shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventor: William C. Waugh
  • Patent number: 8060284
    Abstract: A work machine includes an internal combustion (IC) engine having an output, and an infinitely variable transmission (IVT) coupled with the IC engine output. The IVT includes a hydraulic module and a mechanical drivetrain module. A pressure transducer is associated with and provides an output signal representing a hydraulic pressure within the hydraulic module. At least one electrical processing circuit is configured for controlling the IC engine output, dependent upon the output signal from the pressure transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Alec Benjamin Hendryx
  • Patent number: 6669588
    Abstract: A continuously variable transmission including two pairs of conical disks of which one disk of each pair is axially movable toward and away from the other disk and having an endless loop member in the form of a belt that passes around each pair of disks and transfers torque between the pairs of disks. The axially movable conical disk includes a contact pressure chamber to move the disk axially by the application of hydraulic pressure. The movable disk also includes an integrated torque sensor that is operative for controlling the contact pressure between the disks of a pair of disks and the endless loop member as a function of the torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG
    Inventor: Jochen Schmid
  • Patent number: 5782715
    Abstract: A fan drive assembly includes a viscous coupling device (11), a radiator cooling fan (F), and a speed increasing mechanism (13), so that, at relatively low engine speeds, the fan (F) is driven at a speed ("overdrive") greater than the input speed to the coupling device (11), and at relatively higher engine speeds, the input torque is transmitted through the viscous coupling in the normal manner. In the subject embodiment, the speed increasing mechanism (13) is a planetary gear set, in which torque is transmitted from the input shaft (21) to the planet carrier (47), and in the overdrive condition, the sun gear (53) is grounded. The output of the planetary is the ring gear (59), which directly drives a housing (61) attached to both the housing (17) of the viscous coupling, as well as the cooling fan (F), thus effectively bypassing the viscous clutching action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Erlen B. Walton, James R. DeBrabander, David P. Godlew
  • Patent number: 5762576
    Abstract: A hydraulic control apparatus for a continuously variable transmission includes an inhibit valve that blocks the supply of hydraulic pressure to a reverse-drive brake during forward movement, and an inhibit solenoid valve that relieves the hydraulic pressure in a fluid passage acting on a spool of the inhibit valve so as to move the spool to the closed side and also relieves the hydraulic pressure in another fluid passage acting on a high-pressure regulator valve to urge the same to the low-pressure side, thereby increasing the high fluid pressure. This arrangement is able to improve the transient response of the control apparatus without providing additional pressure control valves as done in the conventional apparatus. The control apparatus can be manufactured with reduced number of components and at a relatively low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Aoki, Kaoru Kajikawa