Patents Examined by Dirk Wright
  • Handle-operated automatic start and stop for marine engine
    Patent number: 10578042
    Abstract: A system for automatically starting and stopping engine(s) of a vessel based on the position of a handle. Movement of the handle out of neutral initiates the automatic starting of the engine(s) by an ECM. Movement of the handle into neutral initiates the automatic stopping of the engine(s), which may also require certain other prerequisite conditions. An ECM is in electrical communication with the engine(s), transmission, battery, initializer, starter, and various sensors providing information on the position of the handle and other conditions including engine speed, temperature, transmission speed, vessel speed and battery voltage. The ECM includes memory and processor(s), and is configured to receive information from the various sensors and operative components of the vessel and determine when to initiate automatic start and stop of the engine(s) based on thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Pleasurecraft Marine Engine Group
    Inventor: Carver Buis
  • Vehicle park system and method for shift out of park assist
    Patent number: 10571023
    Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle park system in a shift out of park includes receiving a shift out of park request, and commanding a park actuator to rotate an actuator shaft operatively connected to a park pawl movable from an engaged position in which the park pawl is engaged with a park gear, to a disengaged position in which the park pawl is disengaged from the park gear. The method includes determining whether a detent lever operatively connected to the park pawl has moved towards an out of park position within a predetermined period of time after commanding the park actuator to rotate the actuator shaft, and then commanding an electric propulsion motor to apply torque to the transmission output shaft to assist the park actuator if the detent lever has not moved towards the out of park position within the predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Vijay A. Neelakantan, Marc H. Sullivan, Lawrence A. Kaminsky
  • Driving force control device for saddled vehicle
    Patent number: 10569756
    Abstract: A driving force control device for saddled vehicle includes a transmission that transmits driving force of an engine to a driving wheel of a vehicle at predetermined reduction ratio; a clutch that connects/disconnects the driving force between the engine and the transmission; and a controller that controls the transmission and the clutch. The controller permits selection of a normal mode in which the reduction ratio of the transmission is varied according to a running condition and a slow mode permitting slow forward movement and slow backward movement by varying the reduction ratio of the transmission to a fixed reduction ratio according to predetermined operation, and the controller holds the clutch in a partial clutch engagement condition so as to prevent the vehicle from moving forward or backward when the slow mode is selected and no predetermined operation is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Tetsuka, Naoki Sakamoto, Yukio Yokogawa, Shinji Misawa
  • Gear mechanism for a motor vehicle, and drive train for a motor vehicle comprising such a gear mechanism
    Patent number: 10570994
    Abstract: A transmission (G) for a motor vehicle includes an input shaft (GW1), an output shaft (GW2), three planetary gear sets (P1, P2, P3), and four shift elements (B1, K1, K2, K3). By selective engagement of the four shift elements (B1, K1, K2, K3) in pairs, six forward gears (1-6) are shiftable between the input shaft (GW1) and the output shaft (GW2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Viktor Warth, Uwe Griesmeier, Martin Brehmer, Peter Ziemer, Johannes Kaltenbach, Stefan Beck, Raffael Kuberczyk, Michael Wechs, Stephan Scharr, Eckehard Münch, Bernd Knöpke, Matthias Horn, Jens Moraw, Julian King, Juri Pawlakowitsch, Gerhard Niederbrucker
  • Acceleration control method for DCT vehicle
    Patent number: 10556594
    Abstract: An acceleration control method for a dual clutch transmission (DCT) vehicle, may include determining whether an engine speed is lower than a desired shift stage input shaft speed by a controller when a driver's demand for acceleration is verified, determining whether an engine speed increased by the demand for acceleration is equal to or greater than the desired shift stage input shaft speed by the controller, feedback-controlling an engagement-side clutch to reduce a slip caused by a difference between the engine speed and the desired shift stage input shaft speed while maintaining an engine torque by the controller when the engine speed is verified to be equal to or greater than the desired shift stage input shaft speed, and completing control by verifying whether synchronization of the engine speed with the desired shift stage input shaft speed is stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Sung Kim, Dong Hyup Kang
  • Gearing system for compound gear reduction
    Patent number: 10557524
    Abstract: A transmission comprising an input shaft connectable to a power generation device such that the input shaft is rotatable at a power input rotational speed, an output shaft connectable to a driveline of the vehicle, and a plurality of gear sets selectable to operably connect the input shaft to the output shaft providing a rotational speed reduction ratio therebetween. The gear sets comprise a master active gear set having a master gear ratio, a slave active gear set having a slave gear ratio, and a passive gear set having a passive gear ratio. The passive gear set is operable to selectively engage the master and slave active gear sets to provide the high numeric compound ratio rotational speed reduction that is the product of the master active gear ratio, the slave active gear ratio and the passive gear ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Russell Hopkins, Eric Nels Anderfaas, Jared Trauernicht
  • Real-time vehicle state trajectory prediction for vehicle energy management and autonomous drive
    Patent number: 10551842
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein are directed to predicting velocity and trajectory of a vehicle based on a route to be navigated for a vehicle, thereby estimating the vehicle drive cycle, for one or more segments of the route. The predicted velocity trajectory is determined from a machine learning function that takes into account historical information from vehicle routes traveled by other vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventor: Yashodeep Lonari
  • System and method for generating vacuum via an engine
    Patent number: 10543842
    Abstract: Methods and systems for improving vacuum generation for an engine that may be operated at higher altitudes are presented. In one non-limiting example, a transmission that is mechanically coupled to the engine may be shifted from a gear to neutral in response to an actual total number of times a vehicle brake pedal is applied and partially released while the vehicle is stopped and the brake pedal is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ross Dykstra Pursifull, Russ William Ferguson, Ralph Wayne Cunningham
  • Method for changing a range group without interrupting the tractive force
    Patent number: 10538235
    Abstract: A method for tractive force interruption-free shifting of a hybrid drive comprising combustion engine (21), electric engine (2), main gear (HG) comprising two parallel connected partial gears, output shaft (3), and first and second planetary gears (PG1, PG2). Each partial gear having either first hollow gear input shaft (4) or second solid gear input shaft (5). The first planetary gear (PG1) is connected to the main gear (HG) as the range group, with main gear (HG) comprising at least five gear planes (R1-R5) and at least four shifting elements (S1-S4). The electric engine (2) is connected to carrier (ST1) of the range group (PG1) and the output shaft (3) so that the electric engine (2) supports tractive force while the range group (PG1) is shifted, and the fifth gear plane (R5) is connected to carrier (ST1) of range group (PG1) and thus can be shifted under load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Johannes Kaltenbach, Johannes Glückler, Stefan Renner, Rayk Gersten
  • Power system
    Patent number: 10539225
    Abstract: A power system includes: a rotating body; a housing accommodating the rotating body; and a storage portion provided at a bottom of the housing. A part of the rotating body is located in the storage portion. The housing includes: a supply target portion; and a direction changing portion. The direction changing portion includes: a collecting portion that is gradually inclined toward a downstream side in a rotation direction of the rotating body so as to be separated from an outer periphery of the rotating body and that receives the liquid medium scattered by the rotating body; and a guiding portion that is provided so as to cross a lower end of the collecting portion and that is gradually inclined downward toward the supply target portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nakano, Koji Ono, Noriyasu Hakuta
  • Vehicle control apparatus
    Patent number: 10538249
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle provided with (a) a transmission and (b) a shifting device including (b-1) a shift actuator and (b-2) a shift lever. The shift actuator establishes one of shift ranges in the transmission such that the established one of the shift ranges corresponds to a selected one of shift-lever operating positions of the shift lever. When a switching request is made to request the transmission to be switched to an opposite-direction drive range that is for driving the vehicle in a direction opposite to a current running direction of the vehicle, during running of the vehicle with a speed being not lower than a given value, the control apparatus rejects the switching request. The control apparatus rejects the switching request, also during running of the vehicle with the running speed being lower than the given value, if the vehicle is running on a downhill road.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazumi Shine, Kazuhiko Yamada
  • Compound planet gear arrangement and drive train arrangement
    Patent number: 10533636
    Abstract: A compound planet gear arrangement (100, 200, 300, 400) having a ring gear (110, 210, 310, 410), at least two planet gear units (120, 220, 329, 429) and a sun wheel (130, 230, 330, 430). Each planet gear unit comprise a primary planet gear (121, 221, 321, 421) with primary planet teeth meshing with the ring gear and a secondary planet gear (122,222, 322, 422) with secondary planet teeth meshing with the sun wheel. The secondary planet gear is axially connected with the primary planet gear and has a diameter which is larger than the diameter of the primary planet gear Each planet gear unit (120, 220, 320,420) comprises a shock absorbing transmission arrangement (20) which is arranged to allow a limited elastic rotation of the secondary planet teeth relative to the primary planet teeth. A drive train arrangement comprising such a compound planet gear arrangement is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Cascade Drives AB
    Inventor: Stig Lundbäck
  • Hydraulic control device and hydraulic control method of transmission
    Patent number: 10533660
    Abstract: In a hydraulic control device and a hydraulic control method of a transmission, in a case that an oil supplying section is supplying a first oil to a continuously variable transmission mechanism, a TCU outputs, to an LC control valve of the oil supplying section, a control signal for giving a command to start supply of a second oil to a torque converter if a pulley pressure detected by a pressure sensor reaches a pressure threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masayoshi Iwata
  • Control device for automatic transmission and control method for automatic transmission
    Patent number: 10527163
    Abstract: The present invention is a control device for an automatic transmission, the control device being adapted to control the automatic transmission including a torque converter and a stepped transmission mechanism provided on a power transmission route from the torque converter to drive wheels, wherein while a non-driving range of the automatic transmission is selected, determination on interlock in the stepped transmission mechanism is executed on the basis of deceleration of an output shaft of the stepped transmission mechanism and a change in the torque converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignees: JATCO LTD, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Hamano, Youji Itou, Haruka Kondo, Norihira Amano
  • Electric drive unit
    Patent number: 10525810
    Abstract: An electric drive unit with a housing, a motor coupled to the housing and having a motor shaft, a differential assembly, a pair of output shafts, and a transmission that transmits rotary power between the motor shaft and the differential input member. The differential assembly and the transmission are received in the housing. The differential assembly has a differential input member and a differential a pair of differential output members that are rotatably coupled to the output shafts. The transmission has a transmission output member that is coupled to the differential input member for rotation therewith. An optional mechanical input assembly can be housed in the housing and can have a ring gear, which can be coupled to the differential input member for rotation therewith, and an input pinon that can be meshingly engaged to the ring gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: e-AAM Driveline Systems AB
    Inventors: Thomas Jegebris, Mathias Petersson, Miguel Garcia Cabrera, Oscar Nyberg, Gabriel Trönnberg
  • Control device and control method for continuously variable transmission mechanism for vehicle
    Patent number: 10514095
    Abstract: A control device for a continuously variable transmission mechanism of a vehicle includes: a stepwise variable transmission mechanism which is disposed in series with the continuously variable transmission mechanism, and which has at least two or more forward gear stages; and a controller configured to increase the belt capacities to be greater than the belt capacity set when an accelerator opening degree is zero, at least in a time period from a timing when the accelerator opening degree becomes zero, to a timing when a braking force is generated by a depression of a brake pedal, the controller being configured to set an increase amount with respect to the belt capacity set when the accelerator opening degree is zero, to a smaller value as a transmission gear ratio of the stepwise variable transmission mechanism is higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignees: JATCO LTD, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Kawamoto, Norio Asai, Hiroyasu Tanaka
  • Infinitely variable power transmission system
    Patent number: 10514084
    Abstract: A power transmission system is disclosed for infinitely variable speed capability. The power transmission system includes a pair of power units, each configured to deliver a rotational torque to drive an output element. A transmission arrangement receives the rotational torques from the power units and delivers a resulting torque to the output element. The transmission arrangement includes a gear set coupling the one power unit to the output element to deliver torque through a mechanical meshing engagement that is continuously effected between the first power unit and the output element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Dwayne B. Watt, G. William Detrick, Randall L. Long
  • Upshift control method for DCT vehicle
    Patent number: 10508736
    Abstract: An upshift control method for a dual clutch transmission (DCT) for a vehicle includes: determining, by a controller, whether or not an inertia phase begins when a driver accelerator pedal depression amount increases during power-on upshifting; calculating, by the controller, a first control amount, which is a first final clutch torque for controlling an engaging clutch, when the inner phase begins, in consideration of a difference between a current accelerator pedal depression amount and an accelerator pedal depression amount at beginning of the inertia phase, a difference between the current accelerator pedal depression amount and a maximum value of an accelerator pedal depression amount during the inertia phase elapsed until a present time, and a target engine torque, and controlling, by the controller, the engaging clutch with the final clutch torque calculated in the calculating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sung Hyun Cho, Dong Hyup Kang
  • Drivetrain provided with a CVT
    Patent number: 10502268
    Abstract: A drivetrain for connection between the output of a prime mover and the input of a final drive is described herein. The drivetrain comprises a CVT including an input connected to the output of the prime mover and an output; a power mixer having a first input connected to the output of the prime mover, a second input coupled to the output disk of the CVT and an output; a three-speed transmission having an input connected to the output of the power mixer and an output connected to the input of the final drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: TRANSMISSION CVTCORP INC.
    Inventors: Jean-François Dionne, Jean-Robert Desmeules, Rémi Tremblay
  • Gearbox for a wind turbine
    Patent number: 10495070
    Abstract: A gearbox for a wind turbine, which has at least one first and one second shaft, which are arranged parallel to each other and supported in roller bearings. A preload device for the roller bearings is provided, wherein the preload device generates a preload force between the first and the second shaft and is supported with one end on the shafts in each case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Nordex Energy GmbH
    Inventors: Florian Adler, Moritz Dreher