Patents Examined by Colby M. Hansen
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Patent number: 12320421Abstract: Control method to carry out a gear shift in a manual automatic transmission provided with a gearbox having at least one clutch and in a road vehicle having an internal combustion engine and at least one reversible electric machine. The control method involves the steps of: receiving a gear shift command; opening and closing the clutch to allow the drive gear to be changed from the current gear to the following gear; determining a torque objective to be generated by the electric machine; controlling the electric machine to pursue the torque objective; and adding, only and exclusively during the gear shift, to the torque objective an additional torque profile which is impulsive and temporary and temporarily modifies the development of the torque objective.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2024Date of Patent: June 3, 2025Assignee: FERRARI S.p.A.Inventors: Stefano Varisco, Andrea Nannini, Daniele Genova, Lorenzo Laraia, Alessandro Barone
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Patent number: 12296671Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods relate to limiting torque applied to a rear axle. A vehicle includes a frame, a front tractive assembly coupled to the frame, a rear tractive assembly coupled to the frame, a prime mover coupled to the frame, a front tractive sensor, an output sensor, and a controller. The front tractive assembly includes a front axle. The rear tractive assembly includes a rear axle. The prime mover drives the front tractive assembly and the rear tractive assembly to propel the vehicle. The front tractive sensor collects data indicating a front power usage. The output sensor collects data indicating a power output of the prime mover. The controller is communicatively coupled to the front tractive sensor, the output sensor, and the prime mover. The controller de-rates the prime mover when the power output equals a sum of the power threshold and the front power usage.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2023Date of Patent: May 13, 2025Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventors: Pawel Kuros, Adam Abernethy, Michael Jensen
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Patent number: 12297900Abstract: A lubricating mechanism for a planetary gear train, including a planetary gear, a sliding bearing, a planetary gear shaft, and a thrust bearing. The thrust bearing is arranged at an end surface of the planetary gear. A gap is formed between the thrust bearing and end surface. An axial and radial channel are formed in the thrust bearing in a lubricating position in a circumferential direction. The thrust bearing includes a groove facing the end surface. A seal is provided in the groove. One end of the axial channel is in communication with the gap, the other end being in communication with the radial channel and being an open end leading to an outside of the planetary gear train. The axial channel is closer to the sliding bearing than the groove in a radial direction. The seal is configured to prevent lubricating oil from being discharged from the gap.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2023Date of Patent: May 13, 2025Assignees: ZF WIND POWER (TIANJIN) CO., LTD., ZF Wind Power Antwerpen, N.V.Inventors: Dan Zhou, Guowei Niu
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Patent number: 12264736Abstract: A lubricant device is configured for supplying lubricant to a planetary carrier of a planetary gearset. A planetary bolt passes through and extends beyond an opening in the planetary carrier to form an axially projecting end area. A collecting tray is configured for guiding lubricant to flow along the collecting tray to the planetary bolt during use. The collecting tray has an annular intermediate element fixed to the collecting tray when assembled, and which faces axially toward the planetary carrier. The intermediate element has first and second radial projections that are spaced axially. At its projecting end area, the planetary bolt has corresponding spaced first and second fixing contours, enabling the first radial projection to be latched into the first fixing contour and the second radial projection to be latched into the second fixing contour to form an axially secure arrangement of the collecting tray and the planetary bolt.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2024Date of Patent: April 1, 2025Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventor: Alfred Junk
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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: 12241509Abstract: The invention relates to a drive unit (10) for a vehicle, comprising an electric machine (12) having a rotor shaft (14) and a transmission (16) having a transmission shaft (18). According to the invention, the rotor shaft (14) and the transmission shaft (18) are interlocking and coupled by means of an interlocking toothing (44), wherein a lubricant channel (46) is formed in the transmission shaft (18), which feeds into an inner space (48) of the rotor shaft (14) at the end facing the rotor shaft (14) in order to provide lubricant for the interlocking toothing (44), wherein the rotor shaft (14) has an end side (50) at the axial end facing the transmission shaft (18), on which end side one or more openings (52) are formed, extending from an inner circumference (54) of the rotor shaft (14) bordering the inner space (48) to the outer circumference (56) thereof, such that the lubricant channel (46) is fluidically connected to the openings (52) via the inner space (48) and the interlocking toothing (44).Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2021Date of Patent: March 4, 2025Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Janek Kraeuter, Timo Kiekbusch, Tobias Schlittenbauer, Witold Techman, Zhengyu Liu
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Patent number: 12234906Abstract: A differential device includes a differential case having an inner surface with an oil introducing part. The oil introducing part is located between, in an axial direction, a corresponding one side gear support surface and at least a part of a circumferential rim of a window in a circumferential direction. The oil introducing part at least partially protrudes from the inner surface toward a first axial line so as to guide oil such that the oil deviates from a flow direction from the corresponding one side gear support surface to the window along the inner surface and flows around the window.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2020Date of Patent: February 25, 2025Assignee: Musashi Seimitsu Industry Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hirohisa Oda, Akuto Sekiguchi
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Patent number: 12233706Abstract: A vehicle drive system includes a motor (drive motor), a generator, a reduction drive that reduces output of the motor, and a housing. At a position above a motor shaft, an oil passage, through which oil is supplied to each of the motor, the reduction drive, and the generator, is integrally formed with the housing. An oil pipe is attached to the housing and supplies the oil from an oil reservoir to the oil passage. At a position between the motor and the generator, the reduction drive is offset from the motor shaft in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction. The oil pipe is located between the motor and the generator in the first direction, and at least part of the oil pipe is located on an opposite side of the reduction drive with the motor shaft being interposed therebetween in the second direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2022Date of Patent: February 25, 2025Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Yuya Yamaoka, Ryuichiro Amano, Yoshiaki Noguchi, Masaaki Kashimoto, Yusuke Oki, Li-Hsuan Huang, Sheng-Wei Chang
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Patent number: 12228203Abstract: Example illustrations are directed to a differential, e.g., a disconnecting differential, and associated methods. A disconnecting differential may include two side gears configured to deliver torque from an output gear or differential casing to respective vehicle wheels when the differential is in a connected state. Each of the side gears may be configured to receive the torque from the output gear while permitting a differential speed between the side gears. The disconnecting differential may also include a disconnect device configured to disconnect the output gear from the two side gears such that the differential is in a disconnected state. The disconnecting differential may also include a position sensor configured to determine a rotational position of the output gear.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2022Date of Patent: February 18, 2025Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLCInventors: Mason Verbridge, Vinaey Kalyanaraman, Gary Allen Pinkley, George Zalanca
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Patent number: 12208677Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a multi-speed transmission. The multi-speed transmission includes a housing, an electric motor with a stator and a rotor positioned within the housing, and a planetary assembly positioned on a first axial side of the electric motor. The transmission further includes a first and second clutch unit spaced away from one another, each including a synchronizer, and designed to selectively rotationally couple to the rotor and to rotationally couple the rotor to different gears in the planetary assembly and where the electric motor and planetary assembly are coaxially arranged.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2023Date of Patent: January 28, 2025Assignee: DANA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GROUP, LLCInventor: Gowrisankar Devaraj
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Patent number: 12193610Abstract: A drive assembly for a blender appliance includes an output drive shaft and an inner one-way bearing member received in an interior cavity of the output drive shaft. An outer bearing member is oppositely configured relative to the inner one-way bearing member and includes a receiving bore. The receiving well of the output drive shaft is received in the receiving bore of the outer one-way bearing member. An input drive shaft includes a first end received in a receiving bore of the inner one-way bearing member. A planetary gear system includes a sun gear that is operably coupled to the input drive shaft and gearingly engaged with a ring gear through a plurality of planet gears. A carrier member is operably coupled to the plurality of planet gears and includes a receiving bore in which the outer one-way bearing member is received for rotation therewith.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2021Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: Edward Haney, Ryan Ebstein
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Patent number: 12187286Abstract: A system and method are provided for disabling a retarder during a gearshift at low speeds for improved driver comfort. These embodiments recognize that power flow is interrupted during a shifting process and use that opportunity to disable the retarder at low speeds, thereby eliminating an additional, uncomfortable jolt to the driver. Several embodiments are provided.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2023Date of Patent: January 7, 2025Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLCInventors: Bernhard Trünkle, Thomas S. Miller, Jr.
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Patent number: 12181029Abstract: A gear reduction unit for coupling the output member of a prime mover to the input member of a device that is to be driven thereby. The gear reduction unit includes an input shaft, an output shaft, a primary gear set arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft, a secondary gear set arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft, and a gear selection device. The gear selection device is configured to selectively and alternately couple the input shaft to the output shaft for driving thereof by one of the primary gear or the secondary gear set.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2023Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignees: Exedy GlobalParts Corporation, Means Industries, Inc.Inventors: Cody Kelly, Bryant Grytzelius, Kenneth Walega, Joshua Hand, Ali Merat, Spencer Kane, Todd Andrzejewski
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Patent number: 12179759Abstract: To effectively improve drivability during travel control, provided is a vehicle control device comprising a travel control unit configured to set a target acceleration of the vehicle based on a target vehicle speed and an actual vehicle speed, and execute a travel control for automatically controlling travel of the vehicle by operating the drive device based on the target acceleration; a shift control unit configured to set a target driving force, and execute a shift control for operating the transmission device based on the target driving force; and a downshift suppression control unit configured to acquire an actual acceleration during execution of the travel control and suppress execution of downshift of the transmission device by the shift control unit based on an acceleration threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2024Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yusuke Onuki, Yuki Kawasaki, Shun Sato, Hidetoshi Hinuma
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Patent number: 12181036Abstract: Provided is a transmission device including a transmission unit, in which a differential device is arranged on one side in an axial direction and a gear reducer is arranged on the other side in the axial direction. The transmission unit is housed inside a transmission case with an oil storing part at a bottom part of the transmission case. A differential case (20) includes a body part (20a); an oil introducing port (20i) open to the one side in the axial direction thereof; and an oil discharging port (200) open to the other side in the axial direction. A large-diameter gear part (P1), which revolves in the same direction as a carrier (C) rotates, is arranged such that a bottom part thereof in a revolution trajectory is dipped below an oil storing surface (f) of an oil storing part (O) at the bottom part of the transmission case (10).Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2021Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignee: Musashi Seimitsu Industry Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ryosuke Asai, Kazuma Oyaizu, Shinya Matsuoka
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Patent number: 12172612Abstract: An axle assembly having a differential assembly, a drive pinion, and a differential brake. The differential assembly may be rotatable about a differential axis. The drive pinion may mesh with a ring gear of the differential assembly. The differential brake may be operable to apply a brake torque to inhibit rotation of the differential assembly.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2023Date of Patent: December 24, 2024Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLCInventors: Jeremy S. Fox, Robert Martin
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Patent number: 12175396Abstract: Systems and methods for facilitating aerial vehicle services are provided. A service entity system can obtain multi-modal transportation services data indicative of a plurality of anticipated aerial transportation service. The service entity system can obtain vehicle attributes associated vehicle(s) of an aerial vehicle provider and determine an expected performance of the vehicle(s) based on the vehicle attributes and the anticipated aerial transportation services. The service entity system can generate an aerial vehicle service request that requests access to the vehicle(s) for providing aerial transportation services for the service entity based on the expected performance of the vehicle(s). A vehicle provider system can obtain a number of different aerial vehicle service requests from a number of different service entities.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2023Date of Patent: December 24, 2024Assignee: JOBY AERO, INC.Inventors: Adam Warmoth, Christopher Hill Courtney, Ian Andreas Villa
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Patent number: 12169020Abstract: Disclosed is a method for operating an interlocking shifting element of a transmission of a vehicle, where the interlocking shifting element has shifting element halves which can be moved relative to one another when opening and closing the interlocking shifting element. An electric actuator is arranged to bring about the relative movement between the shifting element halves when opening and/or closing the interlocking shifting element. An electric current strength through the electric actuator is determined and, depending on the electric current strength through the electric actuator, a conclusion is reached about the shifting position of the interlocking shifting element.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2023Date of Patent: December 17, 2024Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Wilhelm Moser, Alain Tierry Chamaken Kamde
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Patent number: 12162466Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to control a vehicle based on signal blending are disclosed. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes programmable circuitry at least determine a first yaw rate signal based on first signal data output by a yaw rate sensor of a vehicle, determine a second yaw rate signal based on second signal data output by a steering wheel angle sensor of the vehicle, determine a blended yaw rate signal based on the first yaw rate signal and the second yaw rate signal, and adjust a torque to be applied by a motor of the vehicle based on the blended yaw rate signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2023Date of Patent: December 10, 2024Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Ashrit Das, Joshua Guerra, Benjamin James Northrup, Lodewijk Maarten Erik Wijffels, Ziyu Ke, Ronald Loyd Chadwick, Yijun Li
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Patent number: 12160160Abstract: A drive assembly with passive cooling and/or lubrication. The drive assembly includes a housing, an electric motor having a shaft that is rotatably drivable about an axis of rotation, and a gear assembly located in the housing. The gear assembly is rotatably drivable by the shaft, and includes a plurality of gears that are rotatable in a rotational drive direction. An oil removal opening is located on an inner wall of the housing aligned with the gears, with the oil removal opening being located between ?45 and +45 degrees from a horizontal plane that extends through the axis of rotation on a rotationally upward moving side of the gears in the rotational drive direction. The oil removal opening has an upper edge that is angled and faces counter to the rotational drive direction. An oil delivery channel extends from the oil removal opening to a feed port for the motor.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2023Date of Patent: December 3, 2024Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KGInventors: Andreas Rosenwald, Günter Völkel, Viktor Ruder, Fritz Wiesinger, Benjamin Kaestner, Carlo Vinci