Patents Examined by Derek D. Knight
  • Patent number: 11976713
    Abstract: A transmission includes a drive element, a first output element, a primary transmission unit, a reversing unit, and an intermediate gearbox. At least two of the at least five shifting elements of the primary transmission unit, at least one of the at least two shifting elements of the reversing unit, and at least one of the at least two shifting elements of the intermediate gearbox are activatable in combinations of at least four shifting elements so as to establish at least twelve forward gears between the drive element and the first output element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Lubben, Pradip Shinde
  • Patent number: 11976620
    Abstract: A gearbox arrangement of an electric machine of an engine includes a planetary gear arrangement configured to receive rotational input from the electric machine and from the engine and to mechanically couple the electric machine and the engine in first and second power flow directions, the planetary gear set comprising a ring gear, a ring brake, a free-wheel clutch attachable to a fixed structure and the ring brake, the free-wheel clutch permitting rotation of the ring brake in a first direction and preventing rotation of the ring brake in an opposite second direction, and an arrangement for moving the ring gear between a first position in which the ring gear is non-rotatably engaged with the ring brake and a second position in which the ring gear is non-rotatably engaged with the carrier. An engine starter and power generator device Is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nicholas Lieberum
  • Patent number: 11971091
    Abstract: A transmission includes a drive element, a first output element, a primary transmission unit, a reversing unit, and an intermediate gearbox. At least two of the at least five shifting elements of the primary transmission unit, at least one of the at least two shifting elements of the reversing unit, and at least one of the at least two shifting elements of the intermediate gearbox are activatable in combinations of at least four shifting elements so as to establish at least twelve forward gears between the drive element and the first output element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Pradip Shinde, Jeffrey L. Lubben
  • Patent number: 11971094
    Abstract: A drive apparatus for a vehicle having an electric machine whose rotor shaft is constructed as a hollow shaft having an internal tooth arrangement. A gear mechanism drive shaft, which has an external tooth arrangement, is inserted coaxially relative to the hollow shaft into the hollow shaft, to form a torque-transmitting spline. The rotor shaft with a rotor shaft rotary bearing being interposed is guided outward through a bearing opening of an electric machine housing, and the gear mechanism drive shaft has a centering seat which is in abutment with the internal circumference of the rotor shaft with a tight clearance fit. The gear mechanism drive shaft is subjected to bending (D) during travel operation as a result of radially active operating forces (FR). To reduce the bending stress (D), the centering seat of the gear mechanism drive shaft is arranged without an axial offset with respect to the rotor shaft rotary bearing, in axial alignment relative to the rotor shaft rotary bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Markus Schaefer, Moritz Lux
  • Patent number: 11959541
    Abstract: A compact geared reduction unit for application with transmission shaft subjected to radial loads, comprising a box-like body inside which a gear system is accommodated for the transmission of rotary motion from a driving shaft to a transmission shaft, which is provided with an output reduction stage of the epicyclic type; the output reduction stage comprises a driving sun gear which rotates about a main axis and a ring gear which is integrally associated with the box-like body, between which multiple planet gears are engaged which are supported in rotation about respective longitudinal axes which are parallel to the main axis by a transmission planet carrier, which in turn rotates about the main axis and is associated so as to be integral in rotation with the transmission shaft at a connection region. The reduction unit furthermore provides for rolling means adapted to support radial loads associated with the transmission shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: COMER INDUSTRIES S.P.A.
    Inventors: Andrea Gallo, Federico Bindani
  • Patent number: 11952949
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes a carrier, a first gear system, a second gear system and a lock device. The first gear system includes a sun gear, a first ring gear and a plurality of first intermediate gears between and meshed with the sun gear and the first ring gear. Each of the first intermediate gears is rotatably mounted to the carrier. The second gear system includes a second ring gear and a plurality of second intermediate gears meshed with the second ring gear. Each of the second intermediate gears is rotatably mounted to the carrier. The lock device is configured to lock rotation of the carrier about an axis during a first mode. The lock device is configured to unlock rotation of the carrier about the axis during a second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Paul R. Hanrahan
  • Patent number: 11953082
    Abstract: A planetary transmission (1) with a differential (3) and at least one set of planetary gears (6) and with a common planetary carrier (9) for the differential (3) and the set of planetary gears (7) and with at least one set of planet journals (18). The planet journals (7) and first differential gears (11) of the differential (3) are seated so as to follow one another axially on in each case one planet journal (18) and, here, are axially separated from one another by way of the intermediate web (20). The intermediate web (20) which extends in radial directions runs axially between a first toothing plane (I) and a second toothing plane (II).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Klein, Harald Martini, Thorsten Biermann
  • Patent number: 11952948
    Abstract: A turbomachine engine according to aspects of the present disclosure is provided. The engine includes a fan assembly including a plurality of fan blades, and a core engine surrounded by an outer casing. The core engine includes a power output component operably connected to the fan assembly, a first input power source and a second input power source. The first input power source is counter-rotatable relative to the second input power source. The core engine includes a gear assembly operably connected to the power output component and configured to receive power from the first input power source and the second input power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: GE AVIO S.R.L.
    Inventors: Juraj Hrubec, Davide Lauria
  • Patent number: 11945293
    Abstract: Methods and sysemteds for a driveline, comprising: a transmission having an input and an output, a power take-off (PTO), a first electric motor drivingly engaged or selectively drivingly engaged with the input of the transmission, a second electric motor, a first clutching device, and a second clutching device, wherein the second electric motor is selectively drivingly engaged with the input of the transmission through the first clutching device, and wherein the second electric motor is selectively drivingly engaged with the PTO through the second clutching device. The present document further relates to a vehicle including said dual motor electric driveline, and to a method of controlling said dual motor electric driveline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: DANA ITALIA S.R.L.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Serrao, Filip Van Raepenbusch
  • Patent number: 11938916
    Abstract: A brake control device as an example of the present disclosure includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire an output of a sensor that detects information indicating a ground contact state of a drive wheel of a vehicle; and a control unit configured to, when an acceleration operation for causing the vehicle to accelerate is performed on the vehicle stopped due to a parking brake force generated by an electric parking brake, identify the ground contact state of the drive wheel based on the output of the sensor acquired by the acquisition unit, and control the electric parking brake to release the parking brake force by a control method that differs depending on the identified ground contact state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Hirata, Terushige Uraoka, Hirotaka Takeya
  • Patent number: 11940034
    Abstract: A planetary mechanism has a stationary frame on which are supported a first gear with a central axis of rotation, a second gear and carrier. The second gear and the carrier are configured to rotate freely and endlessly about the central axis of rotation. Planetic shafts are supported on the carrier coaxially with respective planetic axes equally angularly distributed around the central axis of rotation. The planetic shafts are configured to undergo rotation freely and endlessly about the respective planetic axes. Third gears cooperate with the first gear and are connected to respective first ends of the planetic shafts. Fourth gears cooperate with the second gear and are connected to respective second ends of the planetic shafts. The first gear, the second gear, each of the third gears, and each of the fourth gears have a teeth number Z1, Z4, Z2 and Z3, respectively, satisfying the relation (Z1?Z2)*(Z4?Z3)>0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Inventor: Panagiotis Zaraphonitis
  • Patent number: 11938824
    Abstract: A hybrid transmission for a vehicle includes a transmission input shaft extending in a transverse direction, at least one countershaft arranged parallel to the transmission input shaft, a clutch device arranged coaxially with respect to the transmission input shaft and which has at least one clutch, and a differential having a differential input gear. A rotational axis of the differential input gear is arranged parallel to the transmission input shaft. The transmission also includes an electric machine having a rotor with a rotor rotational axis arranged parallel to the transmission input shaft and a transmission control device. As viewed in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the transverse direction, the differential input gear, the transmission input shaft, and a transmission controller including the transmission control device are arranged in succession in the sequence specified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
    Inventors: Martin Dengler, Benjamin Bauer, Jan Becker, Markus Brandenburg, Andreas Ertel, Peter Hahn, Tobias Haerter, Elmar Mueller, Jörg Weigold, Timo Maurer, Preetam Birje
  • Patent number: 11932234
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has at least two drive motors, at least one drive motor being an electric machine; a high-voltage accumulator; and an automatic gearbox, having at least one fixed transmission ratio and at least one power-split transmission ratio for transmission regulation starting from the at least one fixed transmission ratio. The motor vehicle further includes an electronic control unit, which is designed such that, when a gear change command is present, the shifting element to be opened of the fixed transmission ratio to be disengaged is unloaded in a torque-controlled manner by at least two of the drive motors. For the shifting element to be opened, the torque load is calculated and observed. The torque load is observed with the objective of bringing about a load change by way of a zero crossing in order to produce a no-load state at the shifting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Sebastian Liebert
  • Patent number: 11933229
    Abstract: Speed reduction gear for an aircraft turbomachine. The reduction gear has a main axis and planet carrier having a cage and a cage carrier, a sun gear located in the cage and centred on the main axis, an annular row of planet gears arranged around the main axis and the sun gear and meshed with the sun gear, and a ring gear arranged around the axis and the cage and meshed with the planet gears. The cage and the cage carrier are connected to each other by connections whose bending flexibility is optimised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Patrice Julien Ptaszynski, Antoine Jacques Marie Pennacino, Boris Pierre Marcel Morelli
  • Patent number: 11920676
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and device for controlling the state switching of a fluid torque converter, a vehicle and a storage medium, the method including: obtaining a target instruction when the torque converter of the vehicle is in a locked state, the target instruction triggering a change in the torque transmission direction of a transmission system of the vehicle; obtaining a state parameter, and determining whether the current vehicle is in a target operating condition according to the state parameter; and if the current vehicle is in the target operating condition, switching the fluid torque converter to an open state, and switching the torque converter back to the locked state after maintaining the open state for a preset period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignees: Zhejiang Liankong Technologies Co., Ltd, Zhejiang Geely Holdings Group Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Guojie Tang, Lei Liu, Yan Sun, Wenyu Hu, Liqing Shao
  • Patent number: 11912132
    Abstract: A hybrid transmission for a vehicle includes a transmission input shaft extending in a transverse direction, at least one countershaft arranged parallel to the transmission input shaft, a clutch device arranged coaxially with respect to the transmission input shaft and which has at least one clutch, and a differential having a differential input gear. A rotational axis of the differential input gear is arranged parallel to the transmission input shaft. The transmission also includes an electric machine having a rotor with a rotor rotational axis arranged parallel to the transmission input shaft and a transmission control device. As viewed in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the transverse direction, the differential input gear, the transmission input shaft, and a transmission controller including the transmission control device are arranged in succession in the sequence specified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
    Inventors: Martin Dengler, Benjamin Bauer, Jan Becker, Markus Brandenburg, Andreas Ertel, Peter Hahn, Tobias Haerter, Elmar Mueller, Jörg Weigold, Timo Maurer, Preetam Birje
  • Patent number: 11904982
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining an operative shift configuration of a drive mechanism (1) of a gearbox (G) of a saddle-ride type vehicle (4). In particular, this method is applied to a drive mechanism (1) comprising a pedal shift lever (12) and a quick-shifter device (5) that connects, directly or indirectly, the lever to the gearbox, where this device includes a rod (10) and first sensor means (SM0, SM1-SM2) that detect the variation of the tension state of said rod (10) following a gear shifting. The method according to the invention includes acquiring a first signal (S1) generated by said first sensor means and determining, based on said first signal, whether the rod is in a traction tension state or in a compression tension state. The method also includes acquiring at least a second signal (S2) generated by second sensor means (SM3) and determining, based on this second signal (S2), the gear engaged following said gear shifting and/or the direction of said gear shifting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Piaggio & C. S.p.A.
    Inventors: Piero Soatti, Stivi Peron
  • Patent number: 11892060
    Abstract: A frictional roller reducer having a sun roller; a ring roller; a plurality of intermediate rollers having rolling surfaces coming in rolling contact with the sun roller and the ring roller; the sun roller or the ring roller having a pair of roller elements including inclined surface portions on a circumferential surface coming in rolling with rolling surfaces, the inclined surface portions inclined in directions going toward the intermediate rollers in a radial direction as going away from each other in the axial direction; a pressing device pressing the pair of roller elements in directions going closer to each other, and an elastic member arranged between the pair of roller elements, the elastic member urging the pair of roller elements in directions going away from the rolling surface of the intermediate rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kawahara, Hiroki Hashiguchi, Hirofumi Itagaki, Azusa Hidaka, Hiroki Nishida, Naofumi Fujita, Hikari Yoshimi, Naohiro Hitomi, Masahiro Kita
  • Patent number: 11884256
    Abstract: A control device includes a motor control unit that controls an electric motor, a shift control unit that controls a shift by wire system of a movable body, and a torque detection unit that detects torque applied to a power transmission mechanism. The shift control unit drives an actuator unit so that the power transmission mechanism locked by a lock mechanism is unlocked, based on a change of a shift range of the shift by wire system from a parking range to a non-parking range. The motor control unit controls output of the electric motor depending on detected torque of the torque detection unit, based on the change of the shift range of the shift by wire system from the parking range to the non-parking range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenta Koduka, Shigeru Kamio
  • Patent number: 11884146
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a transmission comprising an input shaft, a first output shaft, a second output shaft, a first planetary gear set, and a second planetary gear set which is connected to the first planetary gear set. Each of the planetary gear sets comprises multiple elements. The input shaft, the two output shafts, the planetary gear sets, as well as the elements thereof are arranged and designed such that—a torque introduced via the input shaft is converted and is distributed to the two output shafts in a defined ratio, and the development of a sum torque is prevented. At least one element of the first planetary gear set is rotationally fixed to another element of the second planetary gear set. Another element of the second planetary gear set is secured to a rotationally fixed component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Matthias Reisch, Stefan Beck