Patents Examined by Aimee Tran Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11661976
    Abstract: A progressivity device for a friction clutch disc includes a support flange, having a central axis of rotation, in which an annular central part is designed to cooperate with a torsional vibration damper, and an external part bears progressivity blades and friction pads attached to the progressivity blades. The progressivity blades extend circumferentially over at least one of the faces of the support flange. The progressivity blade include one end fixed to the external part, another free end and folds delimiting a support region for the friction pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: VALEO EMBRAYAGES
    Inventors: Remy Defontaine, Pascal Dast
  • Patent number: 11661051
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle of the disclosure includes an engine, a motor that outputs a torque to a driving system, a hydraulic clutch that connects the engine with the motor and disconnects the engine from the motor, and a control device that performs slip control of the hydraulic clutch in response to satisfaction of a start condition of the engine and controls the motor to output at least a cranking torque to the engine. The control device sets a target value of a rotation speed difference between the engine and the motor during execution of the slip control, and increases at least one of a hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic clutch, an output torque of the motor and an output torque of the engine when a difference between the rotation speed difference and the target value is out of an allowable range. This configuration ensures good startability of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keigo Matsubara, Nobufusa Kobayashi, Tomoya Inayoshi
  • Patent number: 11655789
    Abstract: A method of controlling a pickup manoeuvre of a hybrid vehicle is actuated with an engine off, an electric motor active and a first clutch being open. In a first phase of the manoeuvre, vehicle advancement is obtained by progressively closing the second clutch so that the input shaft is set in rotation with an increasing speed, while the motor rotates at an increasing speed higher than a speed of the input shaft with the second clutch in a slip condition. Upon a request for starting the engine, the first clutch is progressively closed so that the engine starts to be driven by the motor, while the second clutch is kept in the slip condition, which is maintained until the engine and motor rotate substantially at a same speed, higher than the speed of the input shaft, and once this condition is reached, closing of the second clutch is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: C.R.F. Società Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Dario Morina, Dario Del Pin, Simone Martina, Emanuel Corigliano
  • Patent number: 11649883
    Abstract: A torque converter assembly is disclosed herein. The assembly can include a torque converter cover having a first axially extending flange, a reaction plate having a second axially extending flange, and a torque converter pump having a third axially extending flange. The first axially extending flange, the second axially extending flange, and the third axially extending flange are connected to each other via a single connection. In one aspect, the single connection comprises a weld.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Kyle Nelson, Victor Norwich, Kyle Royer, Brian Zaugg
  • Patent number: 11644095
    Abstract: A slipper clutch transmission brake includes a clutch housing, a pin, a slipper clutch outer race rotationally fixed in the clutch housing, a slipper clutch inner race, a plurality of first cylindrical rollers, and a clutch inner ring. The clutch housing has a radial aperture and the pin is disposed in the radial aperture. The outer race has inner bidirectional ramps arranged on an inner circumference. The inner race has outer bidirectional ramps arranged on an outer circumference, a notch for receiving the pin, and a split extending axially through its width. The plurality of first cylindrical rollers are arranged in respective gaps formed between the inner and outer bidirectional ramps. The inner ring is arranged to rotate relative to the slipper clutch inner race when the pin is engaged with the notch, and frictionally engage with the slipper clutch inner race when the pin is disengaged from the notch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Brian Lee
  • Patent number: 11618434
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an electric machine, an engine selectively coupled to the electric machine by a disconnect clutch, and a controller. The controller is programmed to, in response to a change in the driver-demanded torque necessitating starting of the engine: determine a state of driving (SOD) based on the change in driver-demanded torque, wherein the SOD is indicative of a desired responsiveness of the vehicle, and the desired responsiveness increases as SOD increases; command a speed target to the engine equal to a predicted motor speed associated with the driver-demanded torque plus an offset that is based on the SOD; and command a capacity to the disconnect clutch at a rate and a magnitude based on the SOD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott James Thompson, Rajit Johri, Jason Meyer, Francis Connolly, Minku Lee, Justin Panhans, Bradley Dean Riedle, Arun Sebastian, Ameya Gadre, Corey James Blue, Andrew Burt
  • Patent number: 11597377
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes an overlapping-prediction determination portion configured to determine whether or not it is predicted that, during execution of a synchronous control for placing a clutch, which is provided between an engine and an electric motor, into an engaged state, a synchronization-completion time point of the clutch overlaps with an inertia phase period in process of a shift control of a transmission, and a torque limitation portion configured, when the overlapping-prediction determination portion determines that it is predicted that the synchronization-completion time point overlaps with the inertia phase period, to execute a torque limitation by which at least one of a torque capacity of the clutch and an output torque of the engine is made smaller than when the overlapping-prediction determination portion determines that it is not predicted that the synchronization-completion time point overlaps with the inertia phase period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keigo Matsubara, Masayuki Baba, Tomoya Inayoshi, Takuma Sugino
  • Patent number: 11598415
    Abstract: A gearwheel (10), in particular a parking interlock gear, includes an annular body (1). The annular body includes a first toothing (2), arranged on an outer circumference of the annular body, for engaging a locking pawl (20), and a second toothing (3), arranged on an inner circumference of the annular body, for the form-locking connection to a shaft (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventor: Ulrich Kehr
  • Patent number: 11598404
    Abstract: A gear assembly for a motor vehicle comprising at least one shaft, at least one gear component arranged on the shaft, at least one engagement component which is engaged with the gear component or can be brought into engagement with the gear component, and at least one damping element. The damping element is arranged in an operative manner between the gear component and the engagement component and/or between the gear component and the shaft, and wherein the damping element is produced at least in part from amorphous metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: MAGNA POWERTRAIN GMBH & CO KG
    Inventor: Thomas Schnabel
  • Patent number: 11584359
    Abstract: A control device of a hybrid vehicle of the disclosure includes a clutch controller configured to perform slip control of a hydraulic clutch in response to satisfaction of a start condition of an engine and to perform pressure increase control of increasing a hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic clutch with elapse of time after a rotation speed difference between the engine and a motor enters a predetermined range; and an engine controller configured to start fuel injection and ignition of the engine before the rotation speed difference enters the predetermined range, to control the engine such that the rotation speed of the engine becomes equal to a target rotation speed after the start of the fuel injection and the ignition, and to increase the target rotation speed of the engine as an angular acceleration of the motor becomes larger during execution of the pressure increase control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keigo Matsubara, Nobufusa Kobayashi, Tomoya Inayoshi
  • Patent number: 11578779
    Abstract: Intermediate plate apparatus and related damper assemblies for use with vehicles are disclosed. A disclosed vehicle torque converter includes a clutch and a torsional vibration damper configured to receive a torque from the clutch when the clutch is engaged and dampen a torsional vibration in the torque. The torsional vibration damper includes a driven plate, a retainer plate, a first spring member, a second spring member, and an intermediate plate positioned radially outward relative to the driven plate and the retainer plate. The intermediate plate includes a body that defines an annular cavity though which the first and second spring members extend. The body is configured to engage inner and outer radial portions of the respective first and second spring members to maintain bend radii of the respective first and second spring members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: VALEO KAPEC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Antoine Cantenot, Sungchul Lee
  • Patent number: 11560141
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a first rotary electric machine, a second rotary electric machine, and a control circuit. When the control circuit determines that a failure has occurred in the first rotary electric machine, the control circuit places the first rotary electric machine and a first transmission path as a power transmission path of the vehicle in the disconnection state, and places the second rotary electric machine and the first transmission path in the connection state. Further, when the control circuit determines that a failure has occurred in the second rotary electric machine, the control circuit places the first rotary electric machine and a first transmission path in the connection state, and place the second rotary electric machine and the first transmission path in the disconnection state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshito Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 11541555
    Abstract: A robot wrist structure includes: a case, a first motor, a second motor, a first transmission mechanism, a second transmission mechanism, a first driving bevel gear, a second driving bevel gear, a driven bevel gear, a retaining fame, and an output connecting member; wherein the first motor and the second motor are mounted on the case, the first driving bevel gear, the second driving bevel gear and the driven bevel gear are respectively rotatably mounted in the retaining frame, the first driving bevel gear and the second driving bevel gear are both in mesh with the driven bevel gear, the first motor is connected to the first driving bevel gear by the first transmission mechanism, the second motor is connected to the second driving bevel gear by the second transmission mechanism, and the output connecting member is fixedly connected to the driven bevel gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignees: CLOUDMINDS (BEIJING) TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD., CLOUDMINDS ROBOTICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Haotian Cui, Xunge Yan, Cheng Luo, William Xiao-qing Huang
  • Patent number: 11519492
    Abstract: The subject matter described herein includes an upgraded planetary gearbox including an input support provided with an input transmission element axially rotatable and connectable to an external appliance, an output support provided with an output transmission element axially rotatable and connectable to an external appliance or to an external tool, at least one planetary wheelwork operationally placed between the input transmission element and the output transmission element, and a static coupling member between the planetary wheelwork and at least one of either the input support or the output support, wherein at least one of the static coupling member, the input support and the output support includes a measuring sensor for measuring the drive torque transmitted by the output transmission element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: DINAMIC OIL S.P.A.
    Inventors: Andrea Malaguti, Alan Bertani
  • Patent number: 11519486
    Abstract: A hydrodynamic torque converter (1) with a lock-up clutch (6) in a clutch space, (9) and with a piston (7) for activating of the lock-up clutch (6). The piston (7) separates the clutch space (9) from a piston chamber (10). The piston (7), via the application of pressure, can be moved, from a starting position in which the lock-up clutch (6) is disengaged, in the engaging direction of the lock-up clutch (6). The piston (7) has at least a closable opening (11) through which hydraulic fluid can flow from the piston chamber (10) into the clutch space (9). The opening (11) is open if either the piston (7) is away from the starting position and/or if a fluid pressure in the piston chamber (10), compared to the clutch space (9), is elevated. The closing element (12, 13) is tongue-shaped element which serves closing and opening of the opening (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Horst Leichsenring, Ewgeni Bayer
  • Patent number: 11512752
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a clutch arrangement (500) of a vehicle transmission arrangement (100), the clutch arrangement (500) being positioned within a clutch bell housing (206) of the vehicle transmission and comprising a pneumatically controlled actuator arrangement (208) connectable to a first clutch unit (202) of the vehicle transmission arrangement (100) and arranged to controllably position the first clutch unit (202) between a closed position and an opened position, a pneumatically controlled brake actuator arrangement (210) connectable to a second clutch unit (204) of the transmission arrangement and arranged to controllably position the second clutch unit (204) between a closed position and an opened position, and a valve unit (302) connected to the pneumatically controlled actuator arrangement (208) and the pneumatically controlled brake actuator arrangement (210), wherein the valve unit (302) comprises a clutch valve (308) arranged in fluid communication with the pneumatically controlled ac
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lars Zetterstrand, Fredrik Sjöqvist
  • Patent number: 11498566
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission, a powerplant, an inertial measurement unit, and a controller. The transmission has an input shaft and an output shaft. The powerplant is configured to generate and deliver torque to the input shaft. The inertial measurement unit is configured to measure inertial forces exerted onto the vehicle. The controller is programmed to, in response to a demanded torque at the output shaft and a non-transient condition of the vehicle, control the torque at the output shaft based on a torque at the input shaft and a gear ratio of the step-ratio transmission. The controller is further programmed to, in response to the demanded torque at the output shaft and a transient condition of the vehicle, control the torque at the output shaft based on the inertial forces and a vehicle velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Fengyi Chen, Yijing Zhang, Bradley Dean Riedle, Weitian Chen, Yuji Fujii
  • Patent number: 11479255
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a transmission unit for an electric vehicle and a control method for the transmission unit. The transmission unit comprises a transmission output shaft, a first electric motor having a first output shaft that can be coupled with the transmission output shaft via a first or a second gear set, wherein a first clutch element is arranged between the first gear set and the transmission output shaft and a second clutch element is arranged between the second gear set and the transmission output shaft, and a second electric motor having a second output shaft coupled with the transmission output shaft via a third gear set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Dana Motion Systems Italia S.R.L.
    Inventor: Riccardo Morselli
  • Patent number: 11458968
    Abstract: A braking/driving force control system, during control for maintaining a target vehicle speed, performs fuel cut and then, when a required braking/driving force for maintaining the target vehicle speed reduces, makes a downshift while fuel cut is continued. The braking/driving force control system causes a brake to generate a braking force such that the sum of a braking/driving force that a powertrain generates and the braking force that the brake generates agrees with the required braking/driving force. Thus, good fuel efficiency and riding comfort are obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomonori Nonami, Shin Nomura, Takeshi Inoguchi, Yoshihide Nakane
  • Patent number: 11440525
    Abstract: A method for setting an idling speed of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, in which the idling speed of the internal combustion engine is increased if a predetermined power request within an on-board power system of the motor vehicle is detected, wherein a generator for electrically supplying the on-board power system is driven by the internal combustion engine, and wherein the internal combustion engine is connected to a transmission of the motor vehicle, wherein the connection between the internal combustion engine and the transmission is disconnected, and/or a predetermined braking force is made available by means of at least one brake of the motor vehicle if the predetermined power request is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Michael Vogt