Patents Examined by Edwin A. Young
  • Patent number: 7998018
    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 may include clutches and at least one brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Andrew W. Phillips, Scott H. Wittkopp, James M. Hart, Clinton E. Carey
  • Patent number: 7998013
    Abstract: A transmission of the present invention has 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 may include clutches and brakes. The torque transmitting devices are selectively engageable in combinations of at least three to establish at least nine forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Andrew W. Phillips, James M. Hart, Clinton E. Carey, Scott H. Wittkopp
  • Patent number: 7993237
    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 may include clutches and brakes. Moreover, the torque transmitting devices are selectively engageable in combinations of at least four to establish at least ten forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio between the input member and the output member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Scott H. Wittkopp, Clinton E. Carey, James M. Hart, Andrew W. Phillips
  • Patent number: 7993234
    Abstract: A transmission and a motor or non-motor type transport device including a cross-coupling power train using the transmission, such as chainless bicycle or wagon with two or four wheels are disclosed. The transmission includes a coarse adjustment gearshift of internal gear type and a fine adjustment gearshift of differential gear type which are mounted on a main shaft to change the speed and are selectively connected to each other by a shift lever to provide low-speed rotation and high-speed rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Shingu Auto Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong-Dae Kim
  • Patent number: 7988594
    Abstract: A powertrain system includes an engine mechanically coupled to an electromechanical transmission selectively operative in one of a plurality of transmission operating range states and one of a plurality of engine states. A method for controlling the powertrain system includes determining a current transmission operating range state and engine state, determining at least one potential transmission operating range state and engine state, determining preferability factors associated with the current and potential transmission operating range state and the engine state wherein the preferability factors associated with potential transmission operating range states include load-stabilizing preferability factors, preferentially weighting the preferability factors for the current transmission operating range state and engine state, and selectively commanding changing the present transmission operating range state and engine state based upon the preferability factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Anthony H. Heap, Kee Yong Kim
  • Patent number: 7988591
    Abstract: There is provided a control system for a powertrain system including an electro-mechanical transmission operative in a plurality of fixed gear modes and continuously variable modes. The control system is adapted to identify preferred operating conditions for operating the powertrain in a fixed gear operating range state. The method comprises determining a range of permissible input torques. States for input torque are iteratively selected, and a motor torque output from the first electrical machine is optimized based upon the selected state for the input torque. A motor torque output from the second electrical machine is determined based upon the optimized motor torque output from the first electrical machine. A cost for each of the iteratively selected states for the input torque and the motor torques from the first and second electrical machines is calculated. A preferred operating range is identified based upon the plurality of costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Anthony H. Heap
  • Patent number: 7985157
    Abstract: A decelerating device includes a fixed shaft, a tube, a transmission element and a driven element is provided. The tube is disposed around the fixed shaft and adapted to rotate about the fixed shaft. The transmission element has a fixed portion fixed at the fixed shaft and a planetary gear revolvably disposed at the fixed portion. The teeth of the tube are geared to the planetary gear. The driven element has a wheel, a sun gear fixed at the wheel and a plurality of balls. The sun gear and the wheel are revolvably disposed at the fixed shaft and in the tube. The planetary gear is adapted to drive the sun gear. The wheel has holes. Each of the holes extends from an outer surface of the wheel facing the tube to the interior of the wheel to form a cavity. The balls are disposed in the holes respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Coretronic (Suchou) Corporation
    Inventor: Xin-Chang Yang
  • Patent number: 7985156
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mechanically controlled continuously variable automatic transmission, comprises a housing and a torque converting mechanism mounted in the housing, the torque converting mechanism comprising an input part, a rotatable or rotary carrier, at least one eccentric assembly which is rotatablely mounted on the carrier, and an output part, wherein the input part and the carrier can rotate independently with respect to each other, and have respective rotation axes which are collinear. Each of the at least of one eccentric assembly comprises an eccentric mass which is driven to rotate around its rotation axis by the input part, the output part is provided with only one one-way clutch directly connected therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Beijing Wujitong Automotive Systems Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wenming Han
  • Patent number: 7980982
    Abstract: A ring gear of a planetary reduction gear is screwed into an inner peripheral surface of a first housing through an opening thereof, while the thrust-receiving flange of a screw feed mechanism is held by the locknut screwed into an inner peripheral surface of a second housing through an opening thereof. In addition, the locknut and the ring gear face each other in an axial direction with a slight gap provided therebetween when the openings, respectively, of the first and second housings are connected to each other in the axial direction. Accordingly, even if the threaded connection of any one component of the locknut and the ring gear is loosened, the one component is prevented from moving by the other component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yuta, Hajime Kajiwara, Takehiko Hakui, Masanori Watanabe, Kotaro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7938041
    Abstract: In a bi-directional overrunning clutched differential unit, a pair of coaxial hubs are relatively unrotatably fitted on respective coaxial output shafts, and are relatively rotatably inserted into a cage holding rollers. A pair of second bearings journal a clutch housing disposed around the cage is diametrically larger than a pair of first bearings journaling the respective hubs, and are disposed between the first bearings in the axial direction of the output shafts. An axial end portion of the cage and the second bearing on the same axial side are distant from the first bearing on the same axial side so as to have a space where a friction mechanism for applying a frictional rotation resistance onto the cage is disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Shiigi, Tomoyuki Ebihara
  • Patent number: 7935020
    Abstract: A drive train for a wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine comprises a low speed shaft connected to blades of the wind turbine and a higher speed shaft connected to a generator. The drive train also includes a bearing that substantially supports the weight of at least the low speed shaft. A compound planetary gear stage is connected to the low speed shaft and the higher speed shaft, and includes a rotating carrier, a non-rotating ring gear, a plurality of planetary gears, and a rotating sun gear. The sun gear is connected to the higher speed shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Patrick L. Jansen, Ralph James Carl, Jr., Robert J. Ciszak, Fulton J. Lopez, Aniruddha D. Gadre
  • Patent number: 7935014
    Abstract: A drive system for individually driving two wheels of a drive wheel pair of a vehicle. The drive system has two infinitely variable transmission drives which are drivingly connected, via a transmission arrangement, to an associated drive wheel. Each transmission arrangement includes two transmission units arranged one behind the other, with one of the transmission units preferably being a two-stage shiftable transmission and the other transmission unit being a bevel gear transmission. The shiftable transmission makes it possible to vary the drive transmission ratio. The bevel gear transmission makes it possible to arrange the transmission drives so that their drive shafts are at right angles to the rotational axis of the drive wheel pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Max Bachmann
  • Patent number: 7935021
    Abstract: A vehicle-starting-engine-torque restricting device is provided to restrict engine torque upon starting of a vehicle with an engine used as a vehicle drive power source, so that a required output of a first electric motor which generates a reaction force corresponding to the engine torque can be made smaller than when the engine torque is not restricted. Namely, the vehicle-starting-engine-torque restricting device eliminates a need of increasing the maximum output of the first electric motor to generate the reaction force corresponding to the engine torque, making it possible to reduce the required size of the first electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Yutaka Taga, Atsushi Kamada
  • Patent number: 7935016
    Abstract: An automatic transmission includes a planetary gear mechanism, an engagement element group including a particular engagement element having first and second pressure chambers, a pressure control valve to regulate the fluid pressure for the particular engagement element, and a selector valve arranged to connect the second pressure chamber with the pressure control valve at a first valve position, and to disconnect the second pressure chamber from the pressure control valve at a second valve position. A shift control section is configured to command a shift operation from a first gear position, to a second gear position, by controlling the selector valve to the second valve position and to supply the fluid pressure to the first pressure chamber, and to judge the selector valve to be in an abnormal state, in accordance with a parameter in the shift operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Jatco Ltd
    Inventors: Takateru Kawaguchi, Shinya Mochiyama, Fumitaka Nagashima, Yoshihide Shinso
  • Patent number: 7935018
    Abstract: An automatic transmission is provided with three planetary gear units and five friction elements that establish at least six forward speeds and one reverse speed by engaging different combinations of three out of five friction elements simultaneously. In the automatic transmission, an output shaft is always connected to a first ring gear of the first planetary gear unit. A second ring gear of the second planetary gear unit is always fixed. A first carrier of the first planetary gear unit and a third ring gear of the third planetary gear unit are connected together to form a first rotating member. A second sun gear of the second planetary gear unit and a third carrier of the third planetary gear unit are connected together to form a second rotating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Jatco Ltd
    Inventor: Takeo Hiramatsu
  • Patent number: 7931560
    Abstract: Method and arrangement for adjusting shift characteristics of a transmission of a heavy vehicle. A heavy vehicle is operated and that is powered by an internal combustion engine equipped with an automated manual transmission and a power take off. The power take off, when operating, imposes a torque-consuming load on the engine. Operation of the power take off is detected when the engine of the vehicle is in a power mode. At least one gear-shift event is adapted to occur at a higher engine speed when power take off operation is detected than when power take off operation is not detected. The gear-shift event is affected at an engine speed that is approximately five to twenty-five percent higher than when power take off operation is not detected. The gear-shift event may be an up-shift to a lower ratio gear engagement or a down-shift to a higher ratio gear engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB
    Inventors: Svante Karlsson, Erik Lauri
  • Patent number: 7901319
    Abstract: A transmission mechanism including a switching clutch or brake is switchable between a continuously-variable shifting state and a step-variable shifting state, and provides improved fuel economy by a transmission with an electrically variable speed ratio and high power transmitting efficiency by a gear type power transmitting device constructed for mechanical transmission of power. During four-wheel drive vehicle running with second drive wheels driven by a third electric motor, a switching control switches a differential portion to a continuously-variable shifting state, so that an operating speed of a first electric motor operated by an output of an engine as an electric generator is controlled to assure a higher degree of electricity generating efficiency, owing to the differential function of the differential portion, than when the differential portion is placed in a non-continuously-variable shifting state in which first electric motor speed and engine speed are determined by vehicle running speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Yuji Inoue, Atsushi Kamada
  • Patent number: 7887455
    Abstract: A bicycle hub transmission basically includes a hub axle, a driver, a hub shell, a power transmission mechanism and a shift mechanism. The driver is rotatably supported relative to the hub axle. The hub shell is rotatably supported relative to the driver. The power transmission mechanism includes a downstream planetary gear unit and an upstream planetary gear unit disposed between the driver and the hub shell to selectively transmit rotational power from the driver to the hub shell through one a plurality of power transmission paths. The shift mechanism is operatively coupled to the power transmission mechanism to select one of the power transmission paths. The downstream planetary gear unit includes at least a first sun gear, a second sun gear and a planetary gear carrier that meshes with planetary gears of the upstream planetary gear unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Hino
  • Patent number: 7878937
    Abstract: A differential and axle assembly for an automotive vehicle driveline is disclosed. The assembly includes a differential drive pinion and a drive pinion shaft, the drive pinion shaft being splined to a drive pinion shaft flange. Axial and radial dimensional runout is minimized by spaced, front and rear pilot surfaces at axially spaced ends of the splines for the drive pinion shaft and the drive pinion flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Francis John Brasile, Ernest Besler, Sarvesh S. Agrawal, Jihong Guo
  • Patent number: 7874225
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a shift-position changing mechanism includes a detection unit that is provided on a path along which the operation member with a magnetic member moves, and that detects a change in the magnetic field due to a positional change of the operation member; and a determination unit that determines the shift position corresponding to the operated position of the operation member based on the detected change in the magnetic field and predetermined multiple modes of changes in the magnetic field, which correspond to the respective shift positions. The predetermined modes are set such that, when the detected change in the magnetic field is influenced by a change in the magnetic field due to a factor different from the positional change of the operation member, a likelihood that the determination unit determines that the running shift position, at which a vehicle is able to run, is selected is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Atsushi Kamada, Masahiro Taniguchi