Patents Examined by David Morris
  • Patent number: 9206896
    Abstract: An auxiliary hydraulic pressurization system for use with a vehicle including a transmission having a hydraulic reservoir, a hydraulic circuit, and a main pump is disclosed herein. The auxiliary hydraulic pressurization system includes an auxiliary pump and a controller. The auxiliary pump has a low side adapted to be coupled to the hydraulic reservoir and a high side adapted to be coupled to the hydraulic circuit. The controller is electrically connectable to the auxiliary pump and is configured to turn on the auxiliary pump in response to receipt of a signal indicating that the vehicle is in a stop condition to maintain hydraulic pressurization of the hydraulic circuit of the transmission when the vehicle is in the stop condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Allison Transmission, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles F. Long, Phillip McCauley, Charles Taylor
  • Patent number: 9194439
    Abstract: A dog clutch operable to bypass a variator of a transmission is disclosed. The dog clutch includes a housing engaged with an input ring of the variator. The dog clutch also includes a piston engaged with the housing and movable from a first position in which the piston is disengaged from an output ring of the variator to a second position in which the piston is engaged with the output ring. The variator input ring and output ring are locked together when the dog clutch is in the second position to prevent the variator from producing continuously variable torque output. The variator is operable to produce continuously-variable torque output when the dog clutch is in the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Allison Transmission, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Raszkowski, Jeremy A. Turner, Brad Philip Pohl
  • Patent number: 9168910
    Abstract: A control apparatus controls a vehicle provided with an internal combustion engine, an oil pump actuated by the engine for pressurizing operation oil, and a belt-type continuously variable transmission to which the pressurized operation oil is supplied. An automatic stop of the engine is performed when a predetermined condition is satisfied. A transmission ratio of the continuously variable transmission is detected, and a continuable time period of the automatic stop of the engine is set according to the detected transmission ratio upon automatically stopping the engine. The automatic stop is controlled to end when a continuation time period of the automatic stop of the engine expires. Good vehicle start performance can be obtained when restarting the engine after the automatic stop, regardless of the brake operation manner and the like upon stopping the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Onodera, Kohei Sakai
  • Patent number: 9168826
    Abstract: A hybrid power train for a vehicle may include an input shaft, an engine side driving gear mounted at the input shaft, an output shaft, an engine side driven gear fixedly mounted at the output shaft and meshed with the engine side driving gear, a motor side driving gear and mounted to rotate by the motor, a motor side driven gear fixedly mounted at the output shaft and meshed with the motor side driving gear, an output gear rotatably mounted at the output shaft, a one way clutch mounted between the output gear and the output shaft, a clutch device mounted on the output shaft, and a planetary gear apparatus engaging between the output shaft and the output gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Jong Yun Park, Kyung Ha Kim
  • Patent number: 9163703
    Abstract: A planetary gear train of an automatic transmission may include a first shaft receiving engine torque, a second shaft disposed in parallel to the first shaft, a first planetary gear set on the first shaft including a first element operated as a fixed element, a second element directly connected to the first shaft, and a third element, a compound planetary gear set formed by combining a second planetary gear set and a third planetary gear set including a fourth element selectively connected to the first shaft and the third element, a fifth element connected to an output gear, a sixth element selectively connected to the first element, and a seventh element selectively connected to the third element through a gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Myonghoon Noh, Hyu Tae Shim, Kangsoo Seo, Jae Chang Kook, Chang Wook Lee, Jongsool Park
  • Patent number: 9162680
    Abstract: A method of controlling a transmission and engine during a coasting downshift is particularly suited to transmission arrangements exhibiting strong inertia coupling. During the inertia phase of the downshift, a third clutch such as a torque converter bypass clutch is modulated to control output torque. Simultaneously, engine torque is modulated to control engine speed. The resulting control scheme is only semi-coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hongtei Eric Tseng, Christopher John Teslak, Bradley Dean Riedle, Jeffrey Allen Doering, Tobias John Pallett
  • Patent number: 9156442
    Abstract: A parking mechanism for a vehicle includes an automatic transmission, a parking gear, a parking pawl, and a parking-pawl turn member. The parking gear is fixed to a part formed by any of an output shaft of the automatic transmission and an intermediate member connected to the output shaft. The parking pawl is turnably attached to a turn shaft that is supported by a plate fastened to a transmission case by a first bolt and a second bolt. The parking-pawl turn member turns the parking pawl into engagement with the parking gear. An extending part formed by extending a support member that turnably supports the part of the automatic transmission is substituted for the plate. The extending part is fastened to the transmission case by the first bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toyokazu Tsubono, Hiroyuki Kita
  • Patent number: 9139190
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a vehicle includes a target rotational speed calculator, a transmission controller, a fuel supply stop controller, and an inhibition controller. The target rotational speed calculator is configured to calculate a target rotational speed of an internal combustion engine in accordance with a drive condition of the vehicle. The transmission controller is configured to change a transmission gear ratio of an automatic transmission so that a rotational speed of an output shaft of the internal combustion engine approaches the target rotational speed. The output shaft of the internal combustion engine is connected to the automatic transmission via a transfer mechanism. The fuel supply stop controller is configured to stop supplying fuel to the internal combustion engine if a predetermined fuel supply stop condition is satisfied during deceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Oki, Toshiaki Ichoda
  • Patent number: 9132726
    Abstract: A hybrid power train for a vehicle may include an input shaft, an engine-side drive gear provided on the input shaft, an output shaft, an engine-side driven gear rotatably provided on the output shaft and meshed with the engine-side drive gear, a motor-side drive gear rotated by a motor, a motor-side driven gear fixedly provided on the output shaft and meshed with the motor-side drive gear, an output gear rotatably provided on the output shaft, a one way clutch installed between the output gear and the output shaft, a clutch unit provided to switch an operating state of the output gear and to switch an operating state of the engine-side driven gear between a fixed state and a released state relative to the output shaft, and a planetary gear mechanism installed to couple the output shaft and the output gear to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Jong Yun Park, Kyung Ha Kim
  • Patent number: 9132823
    Abstract: A coast stop vehicle for automatically stopping a drive source when a predetermined condition holds during the travel of the vehicle includes a drive source control unit adapted to control the automatic stop and the restart of the drive source, a transmission mechanism provided between the drive source and drive wheels, and a transmission control unit adapted to control a speed ratio of the transmission mechanism. When the drive source is restarted, the transmission control unit is adapted to control the transmission mechanism to a speed ratio higher than a predetermined speed ratio in response to an input shift request to the predetermined speed ratio, and the drive source control unit is adapted to restart the drive source in a state where the speed ratio of the transmission mechanism is higher than the predetermined speed ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: JATCO LTD
    Inventors: Hideshi Wakayama, Keichi Tatewaki, Naohiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 9127755
    Abstract: A multiple clutch module for an automatic transmission integrates at least two multi-plate wet clutches into a single module. Each of the clutches includes a set of separator plates interleaved with at least one friction plate and a piston configured to compress the separators plates and friction plates. The separator plates of the first clutch are splined to a housing along their inner diameter whereas the separator plates of the second clutch are splined to the housing along their outer diameter. Each piston is associated with an apply chamber and a balance chamber radially inside the respective separator plates and friction plates. The housing rotates about a central shaft. Pressurized fluid is supplied to the clutches from the shaft. The first and second balance chambers are connected by a passageway within the housing such that they can be supplied with fluid from a common orifice in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Daniel Goleski, Jeffrey Edward Maurer, Steven Gerald Thomas
  • Patent number: 9114823
    Abstract: An actuating device employed in a steering system comprises an input-side sun gear, which is provided on an input shaft of a steering shaft and is rotated integrally with the input shaft of the steering shaft, an output-side sun gear, which is provided on an output shaft of the steering shaft and is rotated integrally with the output shaft, an input-side planetary gear, which is engaged with the input-side sun gear, revolves around the input-side sun gear, and is provided on a planetary gear shaft, and an output-side planetary gear, which is engaged with the output-side sun gear, revolves around the output-side sun gear, and is provided on a planetary gear shaft, the output-side planetary gear being spaced apart from the input-side planetary gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kwang Seok Hong, Nam Hwan Heo
  • Patent number: 9108637
    Abstract: A hybrid drivetrain and method for controlling a friction clutch of a hybrid drivetrain of a motor vehicle having a combustion engine which is coupled by means of a freewheel to a transmission input shaft of a transmission to transmit the engine torque, and having an electric machine which starts the combustion engine and/or propels the motor vehicle, which friction clutch transmits to the combustion engine a summed torque formed of a starting torque for starting the combustion engine by means of the electric machine and a drag torque which acts on the combustion engine when the drivetrain is in drag mode. To be able to operate the friction clutch reliably and to avoid over-dimensioning of the friction clutch as a result of high summed torques, a torque present at the friction clutch is limited to a predefined transmission torque which can be transmitted via the friction clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Willi Ruder, Martin Dilzer
  • Patent number: 9097291
    Abstract: A drive assembly having an actuating piston for generating a thrust for engagement of a clutch unit. The assembly also has a bearing for transferring the engagement thrust and a pusher for discharging the engagement thrust onto the clutch unit. The actuating piston, the bearing and the pusher are assembled in succession on a transmission shaft carrying the clutch unit. A chamber is provided for supplying a fluid under pressure for generating a disengagement thrust acting on the actuating piston. At least one preloaded spring is provided that acts on the actuating piston so as to push it towards the clutch unit. The bearing for transferring the thrust is mounted with play directly on the transmission shaft. The pusher being disk-shaped and comprising a first face in lateral contact with the bearing and a second face in lateral contact with the clutch unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Dana Italia SpA
    Inventor: Marco Pontanari
  • Patent number: 9097319
    Abstract: An automated manual transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft configured to receive rotating force from a power source, an output shaft disposed parallel to the input shaft so that power is output from the output shaft, and a plurality of shift gear trains each comprising external gears respectively provided on the input shaft and the output shaft in such a way that the external gears circumscribe each other, the external gears forming a pair that embodies one of a series of shift ratios. Among the external gears that form a shift gear train in the plurality of the shift gear trains that embodies at least two adjacent shift ratios, either of two external gears that forms each of the shift gear trains may be connected to the input shaft or the output shaft by a planetary gear device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Soon Ki Eo, Jong Yun Park
  • Patent number: 9080666
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system for a transmission is provided. The hydraulic control system includes a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid that communicates with a discrete electronic transmission range selection (ETRS) subsystem. The hydraulic control system includes first and second mode valves located downstream of a hydraulic fluid pressure source. The mode valves are supplied with fluid via one or more solenoid valves or other valves. The mode valves have a plurality of ports configured to transfer pressurized hydraulic fluid. The first mode valve transfers pressurized hydraulic fluid from the source to the second mode valve. The second mode valve transfers pressurized hydraulic fluid from the first mode valve to one of drive or reverse. An electro-hydraulic circuit for pulling the transmission out of park and putting the transmission into park is also provided. A park sensor assembly including a Hall Effect sensor switch is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd R. Berger, Peter Donald Bock, John R. Czoykowski, Christopher J. Landino, Bradford E. Vorbeck, Stephen W. Powell
  • Patent number: 9074662
    Abstract: A transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices include clutches and brakes actuatable in combinations of two to establish a plurality of forward gear ratios and one reverse gear ratio. One of the torque transmitting devices includes a friction clutch and a binary clutch which have a spring-ball structure disposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Edward W. Mellet, James M. Hart, Daryl A. Wilton
  • Patent number: 9062756
    Abstract: A planetary gear system having at least one planet carrier which comprises a planet carrier plate which is produced from plastic in one pieces together with at least one bearing pin for a planetary gear and which, on the output side, is rotationally fixed connected to a sun gear. According to the invention, a thrust collar that is connected to the planet carrier plate in one piece is provided between the planetary gear and the planet carrier plate of the planet carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: IMS GEAR GMBH
    Inventor: Heinz Hagedorn
  • Patent number: 9062755
    Abstract: A transmission planetary gear assembly, having: a carrier housing with axial orifice; a pinion shaft fitted through the axial orifice; a first fastener configured to axially secure the pinion shaft with respect to the carrier housing at one end of the shaft; and a second fastener configured to axially secure the pinion shaft with respect to the carrier housing at another end of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Bradley Ronald Heuver
  • Patent number: 9057474
    Abstract: A robot uses a multi-output differential gear to generate outputs. The robot includes a driver; a differential gear configured to receive a driving power from the driver, and to drive in an interlocked manner with the driving power to generate at least three outputs differentiated from the driving power; and a motion section configured to drive in an interlocked manner with an output generated from the differential gear, and to apply an external resistance to the differential gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Research & Business Foundation SUNGKYUNKWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hyouk Ryeol Choi, Homoon Kim, Jung Seok Suh, Yun Seok Choi