Patents Assigned to American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
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Patent number: 12251999Abstract: An electric drive axle with an electric motor having a motor shaft that is rotatable about an axis, a differential, and a transmission. The transmission transmits rotary power between the motor shaft and the differential. The multi-speed reduction has an input shaft and at least three on-axis gears. The input shaft is rotatably coupled to the motor shaft. Each of the at least three on-axis gears is co-axial with the input shaft and is rotatable relative to the input shaft in at least one of a first speed ratio and a second speed ratio. The input shaft is axially movable along the axis between a first position, in which a first one of the at least three on-axis gears is rotationally coupled to the input shaft, and a second position in which a second one of the at least three on-axis gears is rotationally coupled to the input shaft.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2024Date of Patent: March 18, 2025Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventors: Austin R. Gerding, Jason Bock, Justin Sieferd, Peter Barta, Mandar Ahir, Jonathan Trim, Shawn S. Proctor, Mario Amerla
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Patent number: 12199020Abstract: An electrical assembly that includes a semiconductor die, a heat sink and a case. The semiconductor die includes a power semiconductor device with a plurality of terminals, and a plurality of electrically conductive leads. Each of the electrically conductive leads is electrically coupled to an associated one of the terminals on the power semiconductor device. The heat sink has a base, a mount, and a plurality of fins. The mount extends from a first side of the base and is coupled to the semiconductor die. The fins are fixedly coupled to the base and extend from a second side of the base that is opposite the first side of the base. The case is formed of a first electrically insulating material. A first one of the leads is integrally and unitarily formed with the mount.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2021Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventors: James P. Downs, Paul J. Valente, Chi-Wai David Lau
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Patent number: 12085161Abstract: A weldment includes a first component, a second component, and a weld joint coupling the first and second components together. The weld joint forms a heat affected zone in the first component and creates residual tensile stress in the first component. The first and second components cooperate to define a pocket configured to position a highest magnitude of the residual tensile stress in the first component in a location that is outside of the heat affected zone of the first component.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2020Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventors: Anoop Vasu, Shizhu Xing, Jifa Mei, Chih-Hung Chung, Ravi S. Desai
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Patent number: 12077041Abstract: An electric drive axle with an electric motor having a motor shaft that is rotatable about an axis, a differential, and a transmission. The transmission transmits rotary power between the motor shaft and the differential. The multi-speed reduction has an input shaft and at least three on-axis gears. The input shaft is rotatably coupled to the motor shaft. Each of the at least three on-axis gears is co-axial with the input shaft and is rotatable relative to the input shaft in at least one of a first speed ratio and a second speed ratio. The input shaft is axially movable along the axis between a first position, in which a first one of the at least three on-axis gears is rotationally coupled to the input shaft, and a second position in which a second one of the at least three on-axis gears is rotationally coupled to the input shaft.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2024Date of Patent: September 3, 2024Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventors: Austin R. Gerding, Jason Bock, Justin Sieferd, Peter Barta, Mandar Ahir, Jonathan Trim, Shawn S. Proctor, Mario Amerla
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Patent number: 12057738Abstract: An electric motor can include a stator body defining fluid channels extending axially for fluid communication between axial ends of the stator body. Conductive windings can form first loops extending axially outward from the first end of the stator body and second loops extending axially outward from the second end of the stator body. A first cap can be coupled to the first end of the stator body and can include a first wall. The first wall can be between the first loops and the channels. Pins can extend from a side of the first wall that is opposite the first loops. The second cap can be coupled to the second end of the stator body and include a second wall. The second wall can be between the second loops and the channels. Pins can extend from a side of the second wall that is opposite the second loops.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2022Date of Patent: August 6, 2024Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventors: John Morgante, James P. Downs, David Crecelius, Peter Fischer, Jeffrey J. Ronning
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Patent number: 12046529Abstract: An array of heat-sinked power semiconductors that includes a power semiconductor and a heat sink. The power semiconductor has a power semiconductor die, a plurality of first terminals and a second terminal. The power semiconductor die has a plurality of semiconductor terminals. Each of the first terminals is electrically coupled to an associated one of the semiconductor terminals. The second terminal is a surface mount terminal and is electrically coupled to one of the first terminals. The heat sink has a heat sink body and a plurality of fins. The heat sink body has a base and an exterior surface. The base is fixedly coupled directly to the surface mount terminal. The exterior surface has a fin mount portion to which the fins extend. At least a portion of the fin-mount portion is oriented non-parallel to base.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2023Date of Patent: July 23, 2024Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventor: Jeffrey J. Ronning
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Patent number: 12046981Abstract: An electric drive unit having an electric motor, which has a rotor and a stator that includes a stator core and field windings, a housing assembly into which the electric motor is received, and a seal member. The stator core defines a plurality of stator cooling passages that extend longitudinally through the stator core. Each of the field windings has a protruding portion that extends from an axial end of the stator core. The protruding portions are encapsulated in a plastic material. The housing assembly has an annular wall member that defines a seal groove. The seal member is received in the seal groove and forms a seal between the annular wall member and the plastic encapsulation on the protruding portion of the field windings. A coolant is circulated through the stator cooling channels, and the seal member inhibits ingress of the coolant between the stator and the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2022Date of Patent: July 23, 2024Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventors: James P. Downs, Paul J. Valente
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Patent number: 12027944Abstract: An electric drive unit that includes an electric motor having a rotor with a rotor shaft and a heat exchanger that is received in the rotor shaft. The heat exchanger has a plurality of heat exchanger plates, each of which having a hub, a rim member, and disc spring portion that interconnects the hub and the rib member. Each disk spring portion defines a plurality of coolant apertures. The heat exchanger plates are press-fit to the rotor shaft such that each disc spring portion is deflected from a pre-installation state, and each rim member is engaged to an interior surface of the rotor shaft while being spaced apart from adjacent rim members along a rotational axis of the rotor. A first coolant passage is disposed through the hubs of the plates. The coolant apertures in the heat exchanger plates cooperate to form a plurality of second coolant passages.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2023Date of Patent: July 2, 2024Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventors: Jeffrey J. Ronning, Paul J. Valente, Christopher D. Pump, Frederick E. Zink, Bangalore Lingaraj Yashwanth
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Patent number: 12023736Abstract: A method for manufacturing in which alternating layers of a powdered magnetically susceptible material and a powdered insulating material are deposited onto a table as it is rotated about a first rotational axis.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2021Date of Patent: July 2, 2024Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventor: Charles G. Stuart
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Patent number: 12018738Abstract: A vehicle driveline component includes an armature disposed and moveable along a translation axis, a coil assembly having a coil, a coil driver, an oscillator circuit having a resonant circuit, and a controller. The oscillator circuit is electrically coupled to the coil such that the coil defines a portion of the resonant circuit. The oscillator circuit generates an oscillating signal having a frequency that varies based on a spacing between the armature and the coil assembly along the translation axis. The controller applies a drive signal to the coil driver to have the coil driver provide a modulating power signal to the coil to generate an electromagnetic field that causes relative motion between the coil assembly and the armature along the translation axis. The controller determines a system response characteristic related to the spacing between the armature and the coil assembly based on the oscillating signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2021Date of Patent: June 25, 2024Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventors: Tejas Desai, Edgar B. Gostin, Jr., Yini Chen
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Patent number: 11946532Abstract: A vehicle drive unit that provides improved power transfer to a differential input member of a differential assembly. The vehicle drive unit is configured with an interlock system that is configured to inhibit the supply of electrical power from a source of electrical power if certain predetermined conditions are not met.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Mattias Freiholtz, Tommy Elbing, Alexander Tylee-Birdsall, David Kelly, John Burke, Jason Allen, Thomas Bengtsson, Michael Klinth
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Patent number: 11946537Abstract: A damped isolation pulley having a hub, a pulley disposed concentrically about the hub, an isolation spring, an inertia ring and an electro-adhesive clutch. The hub is configured to be mounted to a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. The isolation spring is formed of an elastomeric material and couples the pulley to the hub. The inertia ring is resiliently coupled to the hub and is rotationally de-coupled from the pulley. The electro-adhesive clutch has a clutch input member that is coupled to the pulley and can be operated to form an alternate torque path between the pulley and the hub that does not include the isolation spring.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventor: Steven Chevalier
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Patent number: 11946531Abstract: An electric drive module that includes an electric motor, a differential assembly, and a transmission that transmits rotary power between the electric motor and the differential assembly. The transmission has first and second reductions. The first reduction has a drive gear, which is rotatable about a first axis, and a pair of first reduction gears that are each meshingly engaged to the drive gear rotatable about a respective second axis. The second axes are spaced apart from one another and are parallel to the first axis. The second reduction has a driven gear and a pair of second reduction gears. The driven gear is rotatable about a third axis that is parallel to the first axis. Each of the second reduction gears is being meshingly engaged to the driven gear and non-rotatably coupled to an associated one of the first reduction gears.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: James P. Downs, Paul J. Valente
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Patent number: 11940056Abstract: A vehicle driveline component that includes a tubular body, a relief valve, a vent cover and a pin. The tubular body has a first and second axial ends and defines an interior circumferential surface. The relief valve is mounted in the tubular body between the first and second axial ends. The vent cover is mounted to the tubular body and covers the second axial end. The pin is mounted to the tubular body at a location between the first axial end and the relief valve. The pin extends through the interior circumferential surface into a hollow interior of the tubular body.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2022Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Salvatore N. Grupido, Mark L. White
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Patent number: 11940014Abstract: A vehicle driveline component with a ball-ramp mechanism that includes a first ball-ramp ring, a second ball-ramp ring and a plurality of balls. Each of the first and second ball-ramp rings have a plurality of ball supports that define ball tracks that receive the balls. Each of the ball supports has a first radial width at a first location and a second radial width at a second location. The first and second widths are different to minimize the amount of material that forms the first and second ball-ramp rings.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2022Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Frederick E. Zink, Robert S. Kleinhardt
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Patent number: 11888356Abstract: A motor drive system with a rotor assembly having an insert, which is received into a blind hollow rotor space in a rotor shaft. The insert is unitarily and integrally formed and defines a central hole, which is disposed along a rotational axis of the rotor assembly, and a plurality of slots that extend through an outer circumferential surface of the insert. The insert is disposed in the rotor shaft such that the outer circumferential surface of the insert is engaged to the inside circumferential surface of the rotor shaft. The central hole forms a first fluid passage through the insert, while the slots form a plurality of second fluid passages through the insert.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2023Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey J. Ronning, James P. Downs, John Morgante, Peter D. Fischer, David Crecelius, Zugang Huang, Paul J. Valente
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Patent number: 11867273Abstract: A helical sector gear having a body and a gear segment having a plurality of helical teeth. The gear segment has a toothed sector, on which all of the helical teeth are formed, and spacing segments on the opposite circumferential ends of the toothed sector. Each of the spacing segments has a circumferential surface, which is longer than a pitch of the helical teeth, and a radial surface that is formed in a helical manner that conforms to the helix angle of helical teeth. A die set for forming the helical sector gear and a related method are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2022Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Daniel R. Bankovic, Douglas Hanes, Martin J. Fannin
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Patent number: 11863046Abstract: An electric drive unit having a multi-phase electric motor and an inverter with a plurality of power semiconductors, an inverter mount, and a plurality of busbars. The power semiconductors are mounted to the base of the inverter mount in an annular arrangement and with the terminals of the power semiconductors extending through the base. Each of the busbars has a first busbar portion, which includes a first body and a set of first fingers that are fixedly coupled to the first body, and a second busbar portion that includes a second body and a set of second fingers that are fixedly coupled to the second body. Associated fingers in the first and second sets of fingers of each bus bar are mechanically and electrically coupled to opposite sides of a corresponding one of the terminals.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2022Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: James P. Downs, Paul J. Valente, Jeffrey J. Ronning, John C. Morgante, David Crecelius, Zugang Huang
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Patent number: 11862543Abstract: An electric drive unit having a stator, a rotor received in the stator and rotatable about a central longitudinal axis, and an inverter assembly that includes a plurality of power semiconductors, a plurality of heat sinks and an end plate. The power semiconductors are thermally coupled to the heat sinks. Each of the heat sinks has a plurality of fins that extend into a flow channel that is coaxial with the plurality of sets of field windings. The end plate is coupled to the power semiconductors and has a projection, which is sealingly coupled to the stator and which and partly defines an annular cavity, and a coolant port that is coupled in fluid communication with the annular cavity. The flow channel is in fluid communication with and disposed in a flow path between the annular cavity and the cooling channels in the stator body.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2022Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: James P. Downs, David Crecelius, Jeffrey J. Ronning, Paul J. Valente, John C. Morgante
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Patent number: 11845328Abstract: An electric drive unit having an electric motor, a differential assembly, a transmission, which transmits rotary power between the electric motor and the differential assembly, a pair of axle shafts, which are drivingly coupled to output members of the differential assembly, and a housing assembly in which the electric motor, the differential assembly, the transmission, and the axle shafts are housed. The electric motor includes a stator, a rotor and a motor housing that houses the stator and the rotor. The motor housing is fixedly coupled the housing assembly. Bending loads transmitted through the motor housing are not transmitted through the electric motor.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2023Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: James P. Downs, Paul J. Valente