Patents Examined by David R Morris
  • Patent number: 11391330
    Abstract: A high performance synchronous transmission to be used aboard a motorcycle for transmitting the motion generated by an engine to a driving wheel, between a crankshaft and a hub shaft parallel therebetween and perpendicular to the median plane of the motorcycle, having a primary shaft of mechanical gearbox equipped with a primary gearwheel, and a pair of secondary gearwheels equipped with one or more secondary shafts for transmitting the motion to a hub shaft, wherein the primary shaft receives the motion through a driven pulley which receives the motion by a driving pulley connected to the crankshaft, an input clutch being provided on the primary shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: PIAGGIO & C. S.P.A.
    Inventors: Walter Mariotti, Luca Nuti
  • Patent number: 11391348
    Abstract: A transmission and a power system for use in a hybrid vehicle. A first ring gear or a first planetary frame is drivingly connected with an output gear of the transmission to serve as an output member, when either the first ring gear or the first planetary frame is drivingly connected with the output gear, the other one is connected with a casing of the transmission via a brake. A second clutch is configured as: when the brake is disengaged, the second clutch is engaged to make the rotational speed of the output member equal to the rotational speed of an input shaft. The transmission and the power system are structurally compact, work steadily, and effectively increase the acceleration performance of the hybrid vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignees: NINGBO UMD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CO., LTD, ZHEJIANG GEELY HOLDING GROUP CO., LTD
    Inventors: Weiqian Xie, Lin Zhu
  • Patent number: 11391328
    Abstract: A transmission device has a clutch spring (8). The clutch spring (8) can generate rotational resistance that occurs when a pressure member (5) rotates relative to a clutch member (4) due to clearance between cam surfaces of a press-contact assisting cam or a back torque limiting cam. Thus, one end (8a) of the clutch spring (8) slides on a surface (10a) of a restricting member 10. A side surface (8b) of the clutch spring (8) is held in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha F.C.C.
    Inventors: Makoto Kataoka, Go Ando, Yoshihiko Ozawa, Han Hiong Chen
  • Patent number: 11383593
    Abstract: An electric drive unit clutch for an automobile includes a first rotatable shaft, a one-way clutch fixedly mounted onto the first rotatable shaft, a dog clutch slidingly mounted onto the first rotatable shaft and adapted to rotate with the first rotatable shaft, a clutch ring positioned between the one-way clutch and the dog clutch, and a second rotatable shaft rotatable engaged with the clutch ring, wherein the clutch ring is adapted to transfer rotational motion from the second rotatable shaft through the one-way clutch and the dog clutch to the first rotatable shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Alan G. Holmes, Pete R. Garcia, Joseph R. Littlefield
  • Patent number: 11378141
    Abstract: A leaf spring for a centrifugal clutch of a transport refrigeration unit, and a centrifugal clutch incorporating the leaf spring are provided. The centrifugal clutch includes a drum, a hub, at least two friction pads, and at least one leaf spring between each respective friction pad. The leaf spring includes a frame and an indicator tab. The indicator tab of the leaf spring is configured to indicate when at least one friction pad of the centrifugal clutch is in need of replacement. This indication may be in the form of an audible sound generated when the indicator tab engages the internally facing surface of the drum. The indicator tab may be configured to only be able to engage the internally facing surface of the drum when the friction material of the friction pad has a thickness suggesting it is worn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Conway
  • Patent number: 11371589
    Abstract: An electric powertrain includes a first electric motor that has an uninterrupted connection with a drive shaft of a vehicle. The electric powertrain further includes a second electric motor that has an interruptible connection with the drive shaft. In one form, this interruptible connection includes a clutch. The electric powertrain further includes a first gear train in the form of a first planetary gear and a second gear train in the form of a second planetary gear. The clutch in one variation includes a positive clutch in the form of a dog clutch. The dog clutch has a clutch suspension configured to deflect a clutch collar when gearing is misaligned during shifting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Allison Transmission, Inc.
    Inventors: Isaac Mock, James Allen Raszkowski
  • Patent number: 11371568
    Abstract: A driving force transmission device includes an input rotation member and output rotation member, a multiple-disc clutch, a pressing mechanism, and a control device that includes a current supply circuit. The control device is configured to compute a torque command value based on a state of a vehicle, the torque command value being a driving force that needs to be transmitted by the multiple-disc clutch, to compute a current command value, to correct the current command value, and to control the current supply circuit such that an electric current depending on the current command value is supplied to the pressing mechanism. The control device is configured to perform the correction so as to increase or decrease the current command value by a correction amount depending on a change rate of the torque command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ichiro Oda, Go Nagayama, Tomonori Ono, Takashi Kouzai
  • Patent number: 11365767
    Abstract: A clutch includes a drive disc, a driven disc, and a friction plate unit capable of engaging or disengaging the drive disc with or from the driven disc, the friction plate unit including a first friction plate assembly and a second friction plate assembly, the clutch further including a pressing unit configured to engage or disengage the drive disc with or from the driven disc selectively by the first friction plate assembly alone or by a combination of the first friction plate assembly and the second friction plate assembly. Such an arrangement enables the clutch to select an appropriate number of friction plates as required for engagement, solving the problem that in existing multi-plate clutches, it is impossible to select an appropriate number of friction plates to participate in work to make the clutches obtain optimal performance according to different working conditions of the automobile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG SIEKON TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Wenyong Yu, Akihiro Nakao, Jianhua Jin
  • Patent number: 11365769
    Abstract: An automotive air conditioning assembly including a scroll compressor and a wrap spring clutch. The wrap spring clutch enables the use of a comparatively smaller pulley (a diameter of at most 85 mm) which comparatively increases the compressor speed and hence cooling capacity at a given engine speed. The clutch requires low power (e.g. less than 5 Watts) for continuous operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIP
    Inventors: David Balsdon, Hao Q. Tran, Andrew M. Boyes
  • Patent number: 11359678
    Abstract: A power transmission device has a pressure member 5, drive-side clutch plates, driven-side clutch plates, a clutch spring 10, a separate receiving member 11, and a back-torque limiting cam. A radially-outside restricting portion restricts radially-outward movement of the receiving member 11 relative to the pressure member 5. This maintains clearance t between a side surface 11d of the receiving member 11 and an inner peripheral wall 4e of a clutch member 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha F.C.C.
    Inventors: Junichi Nishikawa, Katsu Yoshimoto, Han Hiong Chen, Yoshihiko Ozawa
  • Patent number: 11359718
    Abstract: A shift control device for an automatic transmission includes: an engagement control unit that controls an engagement hydraulic pressure supplied to an engagement hydraulic chamber of an engagement side friction element; a hydraulic pressure detecting unit that detects the engagement hydraulic pressure; a reference setting unit that calculates a predicted value of the engagement hydraulic pressure during shifting, based on a rising characteristic of the engagement hydraulic pressure from when supply of the engagement hydraulic pressure is started to when engagement of the engagement side friction element is started, and sets the predicted value as a reference hydraulic pressure; and an engagement start detecting unit that detects an engagement start time point of the engagement side friction element, based on a difference between the hydraulic pressure detected by the hydraulic pressure detecting unit during the shifting and the reference hydraulic pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Saito, Tomohiro Kubo, Hiroki Hanae, Yasunari Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11352008
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus includes management of coasting during operation of a vehicle. Speed of a vehicle is monitored during a coasting event and is compared against a threshold to determine whether to remain coasting or re-engage an engine to a driveline. If instantaneous speed exceeds the threshold, predicted speed can be used to determine whether to permit short duration excursions, or to re-engage the engine to the driveline. These techniques can be used whether the vehicle is slowing down below a threshold or speeding up above a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Jairo Andres Sandoval Leon, Vivek Anand Sujan, Tejas Shrikant Kinjawadekar
  • Patent number: 11351849
    Abstract: An electric drive device has a planetary gear set, which includes has a first sun gear, a first planet carrier and a first ring gear. The drive device also includes a planetary gear set with a second sun gear that is or can be non-rotatably coupled to the first ring gear, a second planet carrier and a second ring gear that is or can be non-rotatably coupled to the first planet carrier. An electric motor has a rotor with an input shaft driveable by the rotor and permanently non-rotatably connected to the first sun gear. The drive device also includes an output shaft, a differential gear, a first switching element, and a second switching element. The planetary gear sets are arranged coaxially to the differential gear and the differential gear has a ball-shaped differential having a differential housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
    Inventors: Tobias Schilder, Philip Gansloser, Klaus Riedl, Tobias Haerter
  • Patent number: 11339837
    Abstract: A two-mode rocker clutch, including: a clutch gear; a housing; a first pawl including an end and a portion disposed within the housing; an actuation assembly; a second pawl including a portion disposed within the housing; and a resilient element urging the second pawl into contact with the clutch gear. For a one-way mode, the clutch gear is rotatable, with respect to the housing, only in a first circumferential direction. To transition from the one-way mode to a locked mode: the second pawl blocks rotation of the clutch gear, with respect to the housing, in a second circumferential direction, opposite the first circumferential direction; the actuation assembly is arranged to pivot the first pawl into contact with the clutch gear; and the end of the first pawl is arranged to block rotation of the clutch gear, with respect to the housing, in the first circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventor: Brian Lee
  • Patent number: 11326570
    Abstract: A combination starter-generator device includes a power transmission assembly with first and second planetary gear set stages. One or more of the planetary gear set stages includes an idler gear and a ring gear. A clutch arrangement is coupled to effect a delivery mode in which power flows in a first power flow direction and a generation mode in which power flows in a second power flow direction. In delivery mode, input power is received in the first rotational direction from the electric machine and output power is provided in the first rotational direction to the engine as the first power flow direction. In generation mode, one or more of the planetary gear set stages receives input power in the first rotational direction and outputs power in the first rotational direction to the electric machine as the second power flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Steven R. Fliearman, Lisa R. Lloyd, Jeffrey S. Turner, Douglas S. Base
  • Patent number: 11326652
    Abstract: A friction clutch includes a housing, an axially displaceable pressure plate, a lever system for displacing the pressure plate, a ramp system arranged between the pressure plate and the lever system, a torsion device for rotating the ramp system, and a control device. The torsion device has a spindle to drive the ramp system and a drive gear with an external profile. The control device has a fastening portion fixed to the housing and a pawl with a plurality of tongues to forming a positive interlock. At least one tongue is arranged to engage the external profile. Each tongue is separated from another tongue by a gap extending in the axial direction. At least one gap, starting from a tip of the tongue, extends in the axial direction 30% or less of a minimum distance between the tip and the fastening portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Marc Finkenzeller
  • Patent number: 11326653
    Abstract: A clutch hub which is engaged with the clutch plates in an outer circumference is a press-molding article made from one steel sheet. In its inner circumferential surface, plural oil grooves for cooling the clutch plates, which are extended to a shaft direction and have a space in a circumferential direction. Each of dams as a press-molding portion extending to radial inward is formed at an end portion of each of the oil groove. The dams include an upright front surface and a back surface, and the bottom surfaces and both side surfaces of the oil grooves are integrated with the dams at the front surface side and the back surface side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: UNIPRES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daichi Watanabe, Masamichi Miwa, Ryosuke Suzuki, Hideyuki Nezu
  • Patent number: 11326678
    Abstract: A torque converter assembly includes a torsional vibration damper and a clutch operatively coupled to the torsional vibration damper. The clutch includes a friction disc having a tab coupled to a distal portion of the friction disc and extending axially away from the distal portion. The clutch also includes a piston configured to urge the friction disc into engagement with a torque converter cover to transfer torque from the torque converter cover to the torsional vibration damper. The tab includes a first segment directly contacting a spring member or a spring seat of the torsional vibration damper and a second segment, between the first segment and the distal portion of the friction disc, configured to slide against a guide surface of the torsional vibration damper to provide radial guidance to the friction disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: VALEO KAPEC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Vijayakumar Velayudham, Sungchul Lee, Subramanian Jeyabalan, Caleb Garcia
  • Patent number: 11320033
    Abstract: A differential assembly includes a differential. The differential includes a differential housing configured for rotation. A shifting assembly includes a first portion that is mounted to the differential and a second portion that is mounted to an output shaft. A movable shifting collar disposed around the differential housing selectively engages gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: DONGFENG DANA AXLE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumin Deng, Shengli Hu, Buliang Zhang, Shanshan Hu
  • Patent number: 11320007
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for monitoring the functions of a friction clutch which is arranged in a vehicle between a drive motor and a compressor of a compressed air supply system and which can be disengaged and engaged pneumatically. In a delivery mode of the compressor, at least one operating parameter is detected by sensor and evaluated in an electronic control unit. When a slipping condition of the friction clutch is identified, a value for a cut-off pressure of the compressor stored in the electronic control unit is reduced. When a slipping condition has been identified, the delivery mode of the compressor is ended by disengagement of the friction clutch, and a warning signal and/or warning information is outputted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS HANNOVER GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Brinkmann, Dirk Hillbring, Konrad Feyerabend, Volker Gniesmer, Ralf Stoffels