Patents Examined by Charles A. Fox
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Patent number: 11326657Abstract: A method for operating an electrohydraulic transmission clutch of a motor vehicle, wherein, for a clutch operation, a hydraulic pressure is set by way of a regulating device of a controller as a function of a clutch signal, and, through the pressure, a disengagement element of the transmission clutch is moved through a soft region into a rigid region via a rigid point, or vice versa. The soft region is to be compensated for. Further, as a function of the clutch signal, the regulating device generates a preliminary target value signal for the pressure and a time derivative of the preliminary target value signal is generated as a movement signal, and a pilot control generates a pilot control signal as a function of the movement signal, and the preliminary target value signal and the pilot control signal are combined to give a final actuating value signal for the pressure.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2016Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: AUDI AGInventor: Michael Jonuscheit
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Patent number: 11320004Abstract: The disclosure relates to an overrunning clutch, comprising a torque-introducing clutch element, a torque-receiving clutch element and switching element, which is forced from an engagement position into a freewheeling position or from a freewheeling position into an engagement position in dependence on the direction of a sufficient change in the rotational angle position between the torque-introducing clutch element and the torque-receiving clutch element by means of an actuating force applied to the switching element by an actuator. According to the disclosure, the actuating force is a friction-induced actuating force, which is induced by means of a friction-force pairing between the actuator and a component of the overrunning clutch that is in frictional contact with the actuator and the actuator forms an interlockingly acting actuating stop, by means of which the actuating force acts on the switching element.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2017Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: GKN Automotive Ltd.Inventors: Wolfgang Beigang, Thomas Weckerling, Maximilian Werkhausen, Jan Haupt, Dirk Güth
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Patent number: 11305630Abstract: A transmission for an electric vehicle may include a first planetary gear set; a first motor configured to input power to a first rotation element of the first planetary gear set; a differential configured to receive power output from a second rotation element of the first planetary gear set; a second motor configured to selectively provide power to a third rotation element of the first planetary gear set; a second planetary gear set including a first rotation element which is directly connected to the differential, and a second rotation element which is configured to selectively receive power from the second motor; and a third planetary gear set including a third rotation element which is directly connected to a third rotation element of the second planetary gear set, a second rotation element which is fixed, and a first rotation element which is directly connected to a selected output shaft of the differential.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2020Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventors: Jae Joon Lee, Jin Young Hwang, Jin Ho Kim, Jong Sung Kim, Sung Whan Min, Jong Sool Park, Wook Jin Jang, Jin Hyung Kong
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Patent number: 11306792Abstract: An automatic transmission is provided, which includes a transmission case having a vertical wall part, a clutch disposed on a first side of the vertical wall part in an axial direction, a given component disposed on the second side of the vertical wall part, and a sleeve having a cylindrical body and a flange part coupled to the second side of the vertical wall part and disposed radially inward of the given component. The hydraulic fluid is supplied to the clutch from radially inward of the clutch through the vertical wall part. An oil supply passage is configured to supply the hydraulic fluid to the radially inward of the clutch through a first oil passage extending in the axial direction via a coupling part between the vertical wall part and the flange part, a second oil passage inside the flange part, and a third oil passage inside the cylindrical body.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2020Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Tomotaka Ishizaka, Norio Iwashita, Kensuke Ueda, Masanori Sasaki
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Patent number: 11306791Abstract: A driving apparatus 100 includes a motor 20 that generates drive power and power transmission units 30, 40, and 50 that transmit drive power of the motor 20 to an output shaft 60. The power transmission units 30, 40, and 50 include a clutch mechanism 30 that switches between a state where the motor 20 and the output shaft 60 are connected and a state where the motor 20 and the output shaft 60 are disconnected, and a brake mechanism 40 that brakes rotation of the output shaft 60, and the clutch mechanism 30 is arranged so as to overlap the brake mechanism 40 in a radial direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2020Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Naoki Matsunaga, Tsuyoshi Yoshigasaki, Kenta Kohigashi
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Patent number: 11307042Abstract: Systems including one or more sensors, coupled to a vehicle, may detect sensor information and provide the sensor information to another computing device for processing. The processing may include analyzing the sensor information to identify one or more risk objects, such as animals, pedestrians, potholes, etc. The processing may further include generating a three-dimensional (3D) risk map, which may be displayed to a passenger in the vehicle. The 3D risk map may illustrate the one or more risk objects as one or more point clouds, respectively, within a virtual world representation of the vehicle's surroundings. Such a display may be used to alert drivers to possible risks while driving. In case of an accident, the 3D risk map may also be leveraged by insurance providers to process insurance claims and to notify customers that an insurance claim has been established.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2015Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: Allstate Insurance CompanyInventor: Mark Slusar
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Patent number: 11301693Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and systems to manage traffic density in a transportation system, and by doing so, maintain, in one embodiment, traffic flows near optimum levels to maximize road capacity and minimize travel times. The method includes, in one embodiment, a mechanism for vehicles to request road access from a centralized control, a queuing system that allows road access to be granted to individual vehicles over an extended period of time in a fair and organized fashion, a measurement system that allows traffic flow and density throughout the system to be determined in real-time, and an enforcement and fraud prevention mechanism to ensure that the rules and permissions imposed by the system are followed.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2020Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Inventor: Marc R. Hannah
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Patent number: 11287021Abstract: A torque converter, including: a cover arranged to receive a rotational torque; an impeller including an impeller shell connected to the cover; a turbine including a turbine shell; a lock-up clutch including a piston plate; an output element arranged to non-rotatably connect to an input shaft of a transmission; and a flow control assembly including a seal plate defining a through-bore. The cover, the flow control assembly, and the piston plate define, at least partly, a release pressure chamber. The cover, the impeller shell, the piston plate, and the flow control assembly define, at least partly, an apply pressure chamber. In a clutch closed mode of the two-pass torque converter: the lock-up clutch is arranged to transmit the rotational torque to the output element; and a fluid in the apply pressure chamber is arranged to flow through the through-bore and into the release pressure chamber.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2020Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KGInventor: Kyle Nelson
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Patent number: 11267362Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for dynamically selecting a control policy from among several available control policies for controlling an electric vehicle fleet charging system. A control policy may take into account fluctuating local renewable generation and/or time of use electricity pricing. The performance of the selected control policy is monitored and a different control policy may be deployed in its place if the different control policy has a higher chance of providing better performance given the current control environment. Thus, as the control environment changes, the control policy that controls the power system may also be changed in an adaptive manner. In this way, the control policies may be changed as the control environment changes to provide an improved real-time performance compared to the use of a single control policy.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2020Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: BLUWAVE INC.Inventors: Nasrin Sadeghianpourhamami, Mostafa Farrokhabadi
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Patent number: 11261922Abstract: A clutch assembly includes an outer ring having a first and second pocket, and an inner ring. A strut and pawl may be disposed within the first and second pockets. The pawl may be configured such that rotation of the strut pushes the pawl toward teeth of the inner ring for engagement therewith. In a first mode of operation, the pawl does not contact the teeth and the inner ring is free to rotate in the first and second rotational directions. In a second mode of operation, the pawl is in partial engagement with the teeth and the inner ring is free to rotate in the second rotational direction and prevented from rotation in the first rotational direction. In a third mode of operation, the pawl is in full engagement with the teeth and the inner ring is prevented from rotation in both the first and the second rotational directions.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2020Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KGInventors: Peter Burke, Michael Hodge
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Patent number: 11255413Abstract: A planetary gear set may include a first rotation element fixedly connected to a first shaft, a second rotation element fixedly connected to a second shaft, and a third rotation element fixedly connected to a third shaft; a first motor which is mounted to supply power to the first shaft continuously; and a second motor which is mounted to supply power to the second shaft continuously, and the third shaft is connected to be selectively connectable to a transmission housing, and any two shafts of the first shaft, the second shaft, and the third shaft are configured to constrain rotations thereof to each other.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2020Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventors: Jong Sung Kim, Jin Ho Kim, Jae Joon Lee, Jong Sool Park, Jin Young Hwang
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Patent number: 11255387Abstract: A controllable one-way clutch assembly having an electromagnetic actuator module equipped with an energizeable coil assembly, a strut moveable in response to energization of the coil assembly from a released position to a locked position, and a latching mechanism operable to releaseably hold the strut in the released position when the coil assembly is not energized.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2018Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: MAGNA POWERTRAIN INC.Inventors: Darrell Greene, Alberto Passos, Dennis (Tak Man) Loui, Dusan Milacic, David Gelfand, Adrian Cioc, Ranjit Uppal
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Patent number: 11247238Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for separating and/or recovering silicate particles from plant material. This device and the method are characterized by an air classifier (3, 14), which has at least one material inlet (4), an air inlet (6), arranged under the material inlet (4), an air outlet (7) and at least one particle receptacle (8), arranged under the air outlet, wherein the plant particles recovered from plant material by crushing can be subjected to an air stream in the air classifier (3, 14) in such a way that silicate particles contained in the plant material are removed by the air stream via the air outlet (7) and, as a result of gravitational force, the plant particles are received by the particle receptacle (8) arranged under the air outlet (7) and taken away.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2018Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: SIEMPELKAMP MASCHINEN-UND ANLAGENBAU GMBHInventors: Hans W. Fechner, Michael Schoeler, Jochem Berns, Rolf Trummmel
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Patent number: 11247242Abstract: A system and associated method is provided for sorting parts, which includes a conveyor system for receiving and circulating a plurality of randomly presented parts, a sorting buffer for accumulating selected parts from the plurality of randomly presented parts in an assigned buffer location, and a sequencing system for sequencing the accumulated selected parts.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2020Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: James Clete Culp, Stanley E. Sankaran
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Patent number: 11248666Abstract: A system is configured to control a clutch that connects a first rotating body and a second rotating body. The system includes a biasing portion, an actuator, an energization device, and a control unit. The biasing portion permanently biases the clutch in a connecting direction. The actuator drives the clutch in a disconnecting direction. The energization device energizes the actuator. The control unit controls the energization device. The energization device outputs a first current value to the actuator when a connection of the clutch is detected even if a condition for permitting a disconnection is satisfied. The energization device outputs a second current value lower than the first current value when the condition for permitting the disconnection is satisfied and a disconnection of the clutch is detected.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2020Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: GKN Automotive LimitedInventor: Takahiro Nagaoka
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Patent number: 11242519Abstract: A discontinuous wall magnet having an opening or channel is provided. A bead separation magnet having a discontinuous or segmented wall is also provided. The segmented wall causes bead formation to form in a segmented or gapped ring to allow for easier manual pipetting. Also provided are systems and kits having the inventive magnets. Methods of purifying a macromolecule using the inventive magnets are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2018Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: Alpaqua Engineering, LLCInventor: Olaf Stelling
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Patent number: 11242899Abstract: A fluid distribution apparatus for an axle assembly, the fluid distribution apparatus including a cylindrical portion rotatably disposed about a bearing race. A conical portion is coupled with the cylindrical portion, and a retaining portion is coupled with the conical portion. A plurality of circumferentially spaced tubes are coupled with the retaining portion, wherein the tubes are at least partially disposed through a rotating component of a clutch.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2019Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: Dana Automotive Systems Group, LLCInventors: Nicholas C. Billmaier, Thomas L. Nahrwold
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Patent number: 11241697Abstract: Classifying tanks, related systems and methods of operating the same are described. Some classifying tank embodiments facilitate the use of a control system and methods to perform one or more of the following tracking the product discharged, performing optimization routines, and determining new settings for a plurality of stations of the classifying tank.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2019Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: Superior Industries, Inc.Inventors: John Bennington, Frank Squires
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Patent number: 11236813Abstract: A straddle vehicle includes: a prime mover; a hydraulically actuated main clutch; an oil control valve unit; a power unit case accommodating at least the main clutch; an oil pan mounted beneath the power unit case; a clutch-dedicated pump; a primary filter disposed in an oil passage between the oil pan and the clutch-dedicated pump; and a secondary filter disposed in an oil passage between the clutch-dedicated pump and the oil control valve unit. The primary filter and the secondary filter are mounted on a bottom surface of the power unit case and covered from below by the oil pan.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2020Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masaki Nishiyabu, Yuji Hida
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Patent number: 11235356Abstract: A transfer module assembly includes a frame, a conveyor belt with internal rotating elements, where the conveyor belt is supported by the frame, conveyor drive rollers supported by the frame and configured to drive the conveyor belt, a flat transfer belt mounted beneath the conveyor belt and configured to contact undersides of the internal rotating elements of the conveyor belt in operation, and flat transfer belt drive rollers supported by the frame and configured to drive the flat transfer belt. The conveyor drive rollers are friction-based and operate without use of a sprocket, and comprise depressions for receiving the internal rotating elements of the conveyor belt.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2018Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.Inventors: Robert D Lundahl, Robert W Cutlip, Mark G Bankard, William D Finch