Patents Examined by Dirk Wright
  • Patent number: 11059475
    Abstract: An automatic transmission is arranged in a hybrid driveline employing an EV mode and an HEV mode, and establishes transmission ratio positions by engaging or disengaging frictional elements. A system or method includes: determining, based on a vehicle deceleration and a relationship between a requested transmission ratio position and an actual transmission ratio, whether or not interlocking is occurring, when the automatic transmission is in a state out of transmission shifting, wherein the interlocking is due to erroneous engagement of one of the frictional elements; and inhibiting the determination about interlocking, during a period from start of slip of a first frictional element of the automatic transmission to confirmation of convergence of slip of the first frictional element, in a situation that the first frictional element is slip-engaged for starting the engine in response to a request for mode transition from the EV mode to the HEV mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignees: JATCO LTD, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Hamano, Yutaka Tohyama, Norihira Amano
  • Patent number: 11060601
    Abstract: A differential assembly includes a housing defining an oil sump, a differential disposed in the housing, and a thermal-management system. The thermal-management system includes an oil pump in fluid communication with the sump, an oil-to-air heat exchanger external to the housing, and a passive valve assembly. The passive valve assembly has an inlet connected to the pump, a first outlet connected to the heat exchanger, and a second outlet connected to a conduit disposed within the housing. The valve assembly further has a valve movable to a first position in which the inlet and the first outlet are in fluid communication and to a second position in which the inlet and the second outlet are in fluid communication. The valve is configured to be in the first position in response to the oil exceeding a first threshold temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hassan Farhat, Ravi Gopal
  • Patent number: 11059364
    Abstract: A drive device for a vehicle axle, especially a rear axle, of a two-track vehicle, wherein the vehicle axle comprises an axle differential, which can be connected at the primary end to a primary drive machine and can be connected at the output end across flange shafts arranged on either side to vehicle wheels of the vehicle axle, wherein the vehicle axle is associated with an additional drive machine and a shiftable superimposing gear, which can be shifted to a torque distribution gear in which a drive torque is generated by the additional drive machine, depending on the magnitude and direction of rotation of which a torque distribution on the two vehicle wheels can be changed, and shifted to a hybrid mode in which the drive torque generated by the additional drive machine can be coupled to both flange shafts of the vehicle wheels, evenly distributed across the axle differential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Udo Pinschmidt, Steffen Hummel, Christian Wirth
  • Patent number: 11060593
    Abstract: A rotary actuator including: an electric motor including: a left shaft projecting out towards a left-hand side; a left motor operably connected to the left shaft; a right shaft projecting out towards a right-hand side; and a right motor operably connected to the right shaft; an actuator housing operably connected to the right shaft; a left outer actuator shaft operably connected to the actuator housing; a left inner actuator shaft operably connected to the left shaft; and an output gearbox including: a ring gear rigidly connected to the left outer actuator shaft; a center gear located within the ring gear, the center gear being operably connected to the left inner actuator shaft; a planetary gear interposed between the ring gear and center gear, the planetary gear meshing with the ring gear and center gear; and an actuator stub operably connected to the planetary gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Leo J. Veilleux, Jr., Lubomir A. Ribarov
  • Patent number: 11052904
    Abstract: When starting a skip downshift, a controller for an automatic transmission disengages two or more engagement elements that are in an engaged state. The disengaging two or more engagement elements includes setting a first engagement element, which is one of the two or more engagement elements that are disengaged and is used to form an intermediate gear stage having a lower transmission ratio than a post-shifting gear stage, to an engagement preparation state that maintains a state immediately before the engaged state. Subsequently, the controller engages a second engagement element, which is used to form both the intermediate gear stage and the post-shifting gear stage, and temporarily increases engagement pressure of the first engagement element. The controller disengages the first engagement element and engages a third engagement element, which is used to form the post-shifting gear stage, to form the post-shifting gear stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Chimbe, Keisuke Ota, Yuji Kajiyama, Daiki Fukuda, Kazuki Imanishi, Takuma Sugino
  • Patent number: 11054019
    Abstract: An oil container for cooling and/or lubricating bearings of a drive train of a vehicle. The drive train has a driveshaft, a gear mechanism, a differential and a wheel driveshaft. The differential has a final drive gearwheel in engagement with a gearwheel of the gear mechanism and they splash at least partially in an oil sump region. The gearwheels of the gear mechanism and/or the final drive gearwheel form at least two gear stages. The structural complexity of a drive train is reduced or the efficiency of a drive train is increased when the oil container is functionally configured and/or arranged such that the oil container is arranged in the region between the two gear stages and substantially on the side of the driveshaft and/or the wheel driveshaft lying opposite the oil sump region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Eugen Lamm, Bjoern Becker
  • Patent number: 11052903
    Abstract: A drive system of a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a first motor-generator, a power division mechanism, a speed change mechanism including a second output shaft, a second motor-generator including a third output shaft connected to a power transmission path transmitting a power from the second output shaft to an axle, a one-way clutch interposed between the second output shaft and the third output shaft in the power transmission path, and an electric control unit including a microprocessor to control the speed change mechanism. The speed change mechanism includes a first engagement mechanism and second engagement mechanism, and the microprocessor is configured to control the speed change mechanism so as to disengage one of the first engagement mechanism and the second engagement mechanism in engaged state and engage the other thereof in disengaged state, in accordance with a speed change instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahiro Kasahara
  • Patent number: 11054018
    Abstract: A vehicle drive-force transmitting apparatus including: a differential ring gear that is to be rotated about a first axis; a pump that is to be driven when the differential ring gear is rotated; a casing that stores therein the differential ring gear and the pump; a pipe that is connected to the pump so as to supply oil sucked by the pump, to lubrication-required elements of the drive-force transmitting apparatus; a catch tank that is provided by a rib provided in the casing; and a guide way that is provided by a rib provided in the casing. The guide way is configured to guide the oil discharged from the pipe, to the catch tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tetsuo Hori
  • Patent number: 11054013
    Abstract: A gear tooth for a gear of a planetary gear device may include a profile modification that alters a profile of the gear tooth to reduce wear and noise. Aspects of the profile modification may include a planar surface that connects a tip surface of the gear tooth with a first or second side of the gear tooth. Other aspects of the profile modification may include a curved surface connecting a tip surface of the gear tooth with a first or second side of the gear tooth. The gear tooth may also include non-constant profile width as measured between the first side and the second side in a gear thickness direction extending between the top and bottom surfaces of the gear. Aspects of gear teeth with either or both the profile modification and non-constant profile width may reduce tooth wear and gear noise during operation of the planetary gear device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Koki Hisai, Kazuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 11052750
    Abstract: A power transmission apparatus of a hybrid electric vehicle using an engine and a motor/generator as power sources includes: a first input shaft selectively connected to a rotor of the motor/generator; a second input shaft disposed external to the first input shaft, and selectively connected to the rotor; an idle shaft disposed in parallel with the first input shaft; an intermediate shaft shifting rotational power transmitted from the first input shaft to the idle shaft; a first output shaft shifting and outputting rotational power transmitted from the second input shaft and the idle shaft; a second output shaft shifting and outputting rotational power transmitted from the first input shaft; and a plurality of gear sets shifting the rotational power input through the first and second input shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seong Wook Hwang, Seongwook Ji, Ki Tae Kim, Chon Ok Kim, Soonki Eo, Wonmin Cho, Ilhan Yoo, Juhyeon Park, Dongwoo Kim, Hye Jin Lim, Dong Hwan Hwang, Jong Hyo Park
  • Patent number: 11052745
    Abstract: This disclosure describes powersplit hybrid transaxles for hybrid vehicles. An exemplary hybrid transaxle may include a dual sprocket assembly at least partially disposed between an engine and a first electric machine (e.g., a generator). A power transfer unit, such as a planetary gear set, may be nested within the dual sprocket assembly. Chains may operatively connect the power transfer unit to driven sprockets of a second electric machine (e.g., a traction motor) and a differential to provide torque to vehicle drive wheels. The proposed hybrid transaxles provide improved efficiency and compact packaging configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: David Allen Janson, David Gon Oh
  • Patent number: 11046167
    Abstract: A transmission device for a power system, comprising a first electric motor (EM1), a second electric motor (EM2), a single planetary gear train (PG), and a reduction gear transmission mechanism. The transmission device is provided with a brake (B1) and two clutches (C1, C2) and is capable of achieving the electric motor driving mode of two gears and satisfying low-speed high-torque and high-speed usage requirements of electric motor driving. During hybrid power driving, an input power splitting and fixed speed ratio mode is adopted to achieve high-efficient operation of the power system. By removing components such as clutches connected to an engine, the transmission device can also be used as a dual-motor two-gear electric motor drive transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: eKontrol Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yun Hao
  • Patent number: 11047470
    Abstract: An axle assembly including a lubrication pump operably configured to distribute lubricating fluid within the axle assembly. The lubrication pump includes a fluid inlet port, a fluid outlet port, an air inlet port, and an air outlet valve; a pump housing interposed between the first end and the second end; a piston reservoir disposed in the pump housing, wherein the piston reservoir has a first side and a second side, wherein the second side is in fluid communication with the air inlet port; a piston disposed in the piston reservoir between the first side and the second side; a first check valve housed within the inlet port; a second check valve housed within the outlet port; and one or more biasing members interposed between the piston and the fluid inlet port and the fluid outlet port in the first side of the piston reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Dana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group, LLC
    Inventors: Jordan M. Houser, Mark W. Leber, Marcus W. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11041562
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pivot pin (5) for an epicyclic gear train sliding bearing, the pivot pin having axially opposed, laterally open circumferential grooves (25a), providing flexibility to the pivot pin and which radially separate two axially opposite lateral end portions of a central shank from two lateral cantilevered portions (27a,27b) of the pivot pin. At least one of the cantilevered lateral portions is hollowed out by at least one recess (65a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Julie Marie Renée Lemoine, Alexis Claude Michel Dombek, Balint Pap
  • Patent number: 11034237
    Abstract: A torque transmission apparatus having a shift collar and a drive component. The shift collar may have a collar gear that may have a collar tooth that may have a concave collar tooth side surface that may be centered about a transverse collar tooth plane. The drive component may have a tooth that may have a convex lateral side surface centered about a transverse tooth plane. The concave collar tooth side surface may cooperate with the convex lateral side surface to align the transverse collar tooth plane with the transverse tooth plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Wagner Yukio Hirao, Chetankumar Ghatti
  • Patent number: 11034230
    Abstract: A power transmission apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle may include an input shaft receiving an engine torque, first and second planetary gear sets respectively having first to third rotation elements fourth to sixth rotation elements, a first shaft fixedly connected to the first rotation element and the motor-generator and selectively connectable to the input shaft, a second shaft fixedly connected to the second and sixth rotation elements and selectively connectable to the input shaft, a third shaft fixedly connected to the third rotation element and selectively connectable to the transmission housing, a fourth shaft fixedly connected to the fourth rotation element and selectively connectable to the transmission housing, a fifth shaft fixedly connecting the fifth rotation element and an output gear and selectively connectable to the third shaft, and a plurality of engagement elements including at least one clutch and at least one brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Hyu Tae Shim, Bong Hyun Cho, Jae Young Jeon, Byung Dae Choi, Hyung-Min Kim, Jin Yong Kim, Gwang Soo Hwang, Jun Seong Kang
  • Patent number: 11028914
    Abstract: A vehicle differential device includes a plurality of pinion gear sets. Each of the pinion gear sets includes a first pinion gear configured to mesh with a first outer helical gear and a plurality of second pinion gears configured to mesh with a second outer helical gear. The first pinion gear integrally includes an axially one end side gear portion configured to mesh with the first outer helical gear and an axially other end side gear portion configured to mesh with the second pinion gears. The second pinion gears are configured to mesh with the second outer helical gear at positions separated from each other in a circumferential direction of the second outer helical gear, and the axially other end side gear portion of the first pinion gear is configured to mesh with the second pinion gears at positions radially outward of the second outer helical gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: He Jin, Tomoki Yoshihama, Kenji Asami, Songjie Li
  • Patent number: 11027792
    Abstract: A bicycle control system may be configured to automatically control a bicycle, or components thereof. The bicycle control system may include a system control device configured to provide a simplified shifting system wherein large changes in speed associated with starting and stopping do not require the full attention of the automatic shifting system. The shifting system, or a system control device configured for controlling the shifting system, may be configured to determine when to enter an automatic shifting control mode, establish parameters for the automatic shifting of the automatic shifting control mode, and/or compare detected activities and values of the bicycle to the established parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: SRAM, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin Wesling
  • Patent number: 11028907
    Abstract: A power transmission apparatus for an electric vehicle including a motor as a power source may include: a compound planetary gear set formed as a combination of first and second planetary gear sets sharing a sun gear and a plurality first pinion gears; a first brake selectively connecting a first ring gear of the first planetary gear set to a transmission housing; and a second brake selectively connecting the shared sun gear of the first and second planetary gear sets to the transmission housing. In particular, a second ring gear of the second planetary gear set is fixedly connected to a rotor of the motor and thus continuously receives a torque of the motor, and the power transmission apparatus outputs a shifted torque through a planet carrier rotatably supporting the plurality of first pinion gears and a plurality of second pinion gears of the first planetary gear set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jin Young Hwang, Jong Sool Park, Jong Soo Kim, Sang Bum Baek, Jin Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 11015683
    Abstract: A vehicle driving device including: a rotary electric machine that is a driving force source of a first wheel and a second wheel; a speed reduction device that reduces a speed of a rotation of the rotary electric machine; and a differential gear device that distributes to the first wheel and the second wheel, a driving force that is transmitted from the rotary electric machine via the speed reduction device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daiki Suyama, Hiroaki Sanji, Mitsuhiro Ichioka