Patents Examined by David Morris
  • Patent number: 9488265
    Abstract: A compact planetary differential gear set includes first (130A) and second (130B) sun gears, a first set (200A) and a second set (200B) of planet gears (220), and a carrier (160) with a ring gear (190). Enmeshing gear pairs (210) are formed from one planet gear from each set. The first and second planet gear sets enmesh the first and second sun gears, respectively. The ring gear does not extend into an annular region containing the planet gears thereby allowing four or more gear pairs to compactly fit into the annular region. The carrier is a weldment and substantially encloses the sun gears and the planet gears permanently. The differential requires no fasteners or post-weld machining and may have a higher capacity, lower cost, smaller size, lower part number count, and/or lower amounts of material compared with conventional differentials. The differential is suited for motor vehicle applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Andrew N. Edler
  • Patent number: 9482323
    Abstract: Construction of a friction roller reducer is achieved wherein displacement of intermediate rollers due to the change in thickness in the axial direction of loading cam apparatuses can be performed smoothly, and excellent transmission efficiency can be obtained. Long guide holes that are long in the radial direction of a sun roller and ring-shaped roller are provided in guide blocks that are fastened to a support frame for supporting the end sections of rotation shafts of intermediate rollers. The outer rings of ball bearings, of which the inner rings are fitted around and fastened to the outside of the end sections of the rotation shafts, engage with the long guide holes so as to be able to displace in the radial direction of the sun roller and the ring-shaped roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: NSK, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutaka Tanaka, Yasuyuki Matsuda, Takashi Imanishi, Eiji Inoue, Hiroyasu Yoshioka, Tsutomu Hibi
  • Patent number: 9476491
    Abstract: A torque converter for a powered vehicle, the torque converter including a cover coupled to an engine, and a piston moveably coupled to the cover to define a lockup cavity. The torque converter includes a converter cavity and an exhaust valve coupled to the converter cavity is configured to exhaust the converter cavity and lockup cavity of oil when the powered vehicle is placed in neutral or in park. A passage located in the cover enables oil located in the lockup cavity to move to the converter cavity to substantially eliminate oil located in the lockup cavity when the powered vehicle is placed in neutral or in park.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Allison Transmission, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry E. Boley
  • Patent number: 9469216
    Abstract: A fitting for a motor vehicle seat adjusting device and a method for producing same is based on a relatively adjustable fitting top part and a fitting bottom part, a transmission gear unit, in operative connection with the fitting parts, for adjusting the fitting top part relative to the fitting bottom part, and a drive shaft (21) extending at one end through the fitting in a longitudinal axial direction of a fitting axis and in engagement with the gear unit. The drive shaft (21) is wobble riveted to a bushing (6) to axially secure the fitting top part (2) relative to the fitting bottom part (3). The bushing is arranged in an opening (11), coaxially to the fitting axis, of the fitting top part or fitting bottom part. The drive shaft rests, on the side opposite the bushing, with a stop (12) against the fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Metals and Mechanisms GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Eduard Vatmakhter
  • Patent number: 9464715
    Abstract: While a vehicle is decelerating starting at a braking start time, start-off pre-shifting starts when speed falls to a predetermined speed. At a vehicle stoppage time, an idle stop permission flag is not set to on if start-off pre-shifting is incomplete, even if idle stop permission conditions have been met. The idle stop permission flag is set to on when start-off pre-shifting is completed, and an idle stop flag is set to on and the engine stopped when engine rotational speed falls below a set speed. The engine is restarted in response to braking being released, and the idle stop flag is set to off and the idle stop control ended when the engine rotational speed reaches or exceeds a set speed. The restarting of the engine causes an engine-driven oil pump to dispense oil to be used as a medium to manifest an automatic clutch command hydraulic pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Kawamoto, Hiroyuki Takenaka
  • Patent number: 9440653
    Abstract: A drive control device for a vehicle including an engine and a clutch device provided in a power transmission path between the engine and a drive wheel includes: a normal traveling unit causing the vehicle to travel while the engine is connected to the drive wheel; a free-run coasting unit disconnecting the engine from the drive wheel during traveling and causing the vehicle to coast while the engine is stopped; a neutral coasting unit disconnecting the engine from the drive wheel during traveling and causing the vehicle to coast while the engine is autonomously operated; and a coasting switching control unit setting an upper limit value of an upward gradient of a road surface, at which the neutral coasting is stopped, such that the upper limit value is larger than an upper limit value of the upward gradient of the road surface, at which the free-run coasting is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeaki Suzuki, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9441681
    Abstract: A decoupler that includes a hub, a drive member and a one-way clutch and torsionally resilient coupling. The drive member is configured to engage an endless power transmitting element. The one-way clutch and torsionally resilient coupling is disposed in series in a torque path and has a carrier and a wrap spring. The carrier defines a groove. The wrap spring is formed of wire and has an engagement end and a plurality of helical coils. The engagement end is being shorter in overall length than a length of one of the helical coils. The engagement end is received in the groove. The carrier is received in a pocket formed in a rotary member that can be the hub, the drive member, or a component in a torque path between the hub and the drive member. An axial end face of the wire that forms the wrap spring is abutted against an edge of the pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Litens Automotive Partnership
    Inventor: Warren Williams
  • Patent number: 9435402
    Abstract: A planetary gear train of an automatic transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft receiving torque, an output shaft disposed in parallel with and apart from the input shaft, a planetary gear set including a first sun gear, a second sun gear, a common planet, and a common ring gear engaged, a first rotation shaft directly connected to the first sun gear and selectively connected to the input shaft, a second rotation shaft directly connected to the common planet carrier and directly connected to the output shaft, a third rotation shaft directly connected to the common ring gear and selectively connected to the input shaft or to a transmission housing, and a fourth rotation shaft directly connected to the second sun gear and selectively connected to the input shaft through first and second paths or to the transmission housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Seong Wook Hwang, Seongwook Ji, Myeong Hoon Noh, Kangsoo Seo, Jae Chang Kook, Won-Jun Sung, Wonmin Cho
  • Patent number: 9415761
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving gear shifting of a step-ratio automatic transmission in a hybrid vehicle are presented. The systems and methods may provide for adjusting torque capacity of one or more driveline clutches to reduce driveline torque disturbances that may be related to driveline inertia torque during transmission gear shifting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alexander O'Connor Gibson, John Edward Brevick, Seunghoon Lee, Matthew John Shelton, Felix Nedorezov
  • Patent number: 9416869
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, dual-clutch transmission (DCT), and controller. The controller executes a method to control a requested change-of-mind shift of the DCT to a second desired gear state. The requested shift is initiated after a prior-requested but not yet fully-executed shift of the DCT to a first desired gear state. The controller detects the requested shift, identifies the second desired gear state, and aborts the prior-requested shift immediately upon identifying the second desired gear state. The controller also shifts the DCT to the second desired gear state using a calibrated shift profile corresponding to the detected shift. The calibrated shift profile describes required oncoming and offgoing clutch torques needed for achieving the second desired gear state. Engine speed control may be used to synchronize engine and input shaft speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Harinath Atmaram, Ronald W. Van Diepen, Matthew D. Whitton, Mateusz Nowak
  • Patent number: 9404420
    Abstract: An epicyclic reduction gear, including a planetary gear movable in rotation about an axis of rotation, planet pinions driven by the planetary gear and movable in rotation about axes of planet gears carried by a planet carrier, the planet pinions rolling on a fixed ring gear and the planet carrier being axially positioned laterally relative to the ring gear, the gear formed by the planet pinions and the ring gear being formed to axially eject lubricating oil thereof after use. The planet carrier includes a radial extension positioned facing the gear and forming a mechanism for guiding the oil to a radial end thereof to be ejected from there by centrifugation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Francois Gallet, Boris Briantais, Jean-Pierre Serey, Alexandre Tan-Kim
  • Patent number: 9399457
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving hybrid vehicle torque control are presented. The system and methods included may estimate driveline torque via springs of a dual mass flywheel. The estimated driveline torque may provide feedback for adjusting operation of a driveline disconnect clutch and/or engine torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alex O'Connor Gibson, Jeffrey Allen Doering, Seung-Hoon Lee, Yuji Fujii, James William Loch McCallum, William Russell Goodwin
  • Patent number: 9382990
    Abstract: A helical LSD includes a case defining an inner cavity and a plurality of grooves disposed around the inner cavity. In addition to the case, the helical LSD includes a plurality of pinion gears. Each pinion gear is disposed in one of the grooves and includes a plurality of gear teeth. Each gear tooth has a top land. The helical LSD further includes at least one helical output gear disposed in the inner cavity of the case. The helical output gear meshes with the pinion gears, and the pinion gears are disposed around the helical output gear. The top land has a surface profile characterized by raised portions and indentations in order to minimize noise and vibration when the pinion gears rotate relative to the case. The surface profile can also be applied to contact surfaces of power transfer units and transfer cases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jason J. Nolte, David P. Schankin
  • Patent number: 9376009
    Abstract: A driving device for hybrid vehicle provided with an engine, first and second electrical machines, a first and second differential mechanisms, and a switching device in which the first and second differential mechanisms are connected to each other through output rotational elements. The engine and the first and second rotating electrical machines are connected to different rotational elements out of rotational elements of the first and second differential mechanisms. The switching device switches between an independent mode and a four-element mode. In the four element mode, rotational elements connected to the engine, first and second rotating electrical machines, and the output rotational elements differentially rotate, and in an alignment chart in the four-element mode, any one of rotational elements connected to the first and second rotating electrical machines is located between a rotational element connected to the engine and the output rotational elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohito Ono, Yuji Iwase, Takahito Endo
  • Patent number: 9353857
    Abstract: A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle including a first power transmission mechanism arranged between a drive source and a drive wheel, and a second power transmission mechanism which is arranged in series with the first power transmission mechanism and which changes a speed ratio between an input shaft and an output shaft, includes slip detection means configured to detect whether or not a slip occurs in the first power transmission mechanism, and shift means configured to reduce the slip by shifting the second power transmission mechanism in a case where occurrence of the slip is detected by the slip detection means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: JATCO LTD
    Inventors: Kousuke Waku, Hideshi Wakayama, Noritaka Aoyama
  • Patent number: 9347527
    Abstract: A planetary gear train of an automatic transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft receiving torque, an output shaft disposed in parallel with and apart from the input shaft, a first planetary gear set having at least three rotation elements, a second planetary gear set having at least three rotation elements, a first rotation shaft, a second rotation shaft, a third rotation shaft, and a fourth rotation shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Seong Wook Hwang, Seongwook Ji, Myeong Hoon Noh, Kangsoo Seo, Jae Chang Kook, Won-Jun Sung, Wonmin Cho
  • Patent number: 9346451
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for slowly rotating an engine, unfueled, via a motor prior to an imminent engine restart to heat the engine. By rotating the engine so that heat generated in the compression stroke of a cylinder can be transferred to cylinder walls, thereby expediting engine warm-up. By warming the engine before a restart, particulate emissions generated during an engine cold-start due to direct injection of fuel can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Norman Ulrey, Jianwen James Yi, Michael Howard Shelby, John Eric Rollinger
  • Patent number: 9346453
    Abstract: A compact transmission device that alleviates shift shock and avoids engine stall at the time of deceleration. A discharge resistance changing unit changes discharge resistance of a clutch oil pressure on a side where a clutch is disconnected due to swapping of clutches in two stages. During a shift period where the clutch on a connection side is changed over from a disconnection state to a connection state, an invalid filling zone where a friction force is not generated on a clutch plate is provided. A control unit controls the discharge resistance changing unit at a time of the shift change such that the clutch on a disconnection side is brought into a state where a friction force is not generated after finishing a half clutch zone when the clutch on a connection side is in a half clutch zone after the invalid filling zone is finished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Sakamoto, Eiji Kittaka
  • Patent number: 9347502
    Abstract: A transmission comprising housing and an axially compliant hub having a central plate with an axial opening and an outer circumference. The central plate is attached to the attached to the circumference with at least one strap spring. A method of managing axial stack up in a transmission is also disclosed where the transmission has a plurality of planetary gear sets aligned in series and at least one torque transmitting device. The planetary gear has gear members. The method includes providing a an axially compliant hub having a central plate with an axial opening and an outer circumference, wherein the central plate is attached to the attached to the circumference with at least one strap spring and wherein the outer circumference is connected to the torque transmitting device and wherein the central plate is connected to a gear member of a planetary gear set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, LLC
    Inventors: John A. Diemer, Victor M. Roses, Addison T. Solak
  • Patent number: 9341250
    Abstract: A hydrokinetic torque coupling device includes an impeller, a casing having a first engagement surface, a turbine-piston hydrodynamically drivable by the impeller, and a bearing device. The turbine-piston is axially displaceable into and out of a lockup mode. The bearing device includes a non-axially oriented spring and a substantially incompressible rolling member urged by the spring against an oblique contact surface associated with the turbine-piston to thereby exert a variable axial force against the turbine-piston shell for biasing the turbine-piston out of the lockup mode. The variable axial force exerted by the bearing device against the turbine-piston shell decreases as the turbine-piston is axially displaced towards the lockup mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Valeo Embrayges
    Inventors: Alexandre Depraete, Zane Yang