Patents Examined by Huan Le
  • Patent number: 11525487
    Abstract: A clutch release bearing for a motor vehicle includes a thrust element having an axial axis, a guide element supporting said thrust element, and a self-aligning sleeve including an annular body and a plurality of radial ribs extending towards the guide element from the body with a free end of each of the ribs radially contacting the guide element. The guide element includes angular retaining members for limiting angular movement of at least one radial rib of the plurality of radial ribs, which members may be integrally formed with the guide element or formed as separate elements attached to the guide element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventors: Benoit Arnault, Mickael Chollet, Philippe Walter
  • Patent number: 11519480
    Abstract: An electric actuator includes a motor, a speed reduction mechanism, and a bearing fixed to a motor shaft having an eccentric axis portion. The speed reduction mechanism has: an externally toothed gear, an internally toothed gear, a facing member arranged facing the externally toothed gear, and column members arranged to protrude from one member of the facing member and the externally toothed gear toward the other member and surround the motor axis. The other member has hole portions arranged to surround the motor axis. The column members are inserted into the hole portions respectively, and support the externally toothed gear to be swingable around the motor axis via an inner side surface of each of the hole portions. At least one of the column members is attached to the one member in a manner of being rotatable around a central axis of the at least one column member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: NIDEC TOSOK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shirai, Tomoki Sato
  • Patent number: 11512648
    Abstract: An engine for an aircraft includes an engine core having a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan having a plurality of fan blades; and a gearbox. The gearbox is an epicyclic gearbox and comprises a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, a ring gear, and a planet carrier on which the planet gears are mounted. The radial bending stiffness of the planet carrier is equal to or greater than 1.20×109 N/m, and/or the tilt stiffness of the planet carrier is greater than or equal to 6.00×108 Nm/rad. A method of operation of such an engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Mark Spruce
  • Patent number: 11512776
    Abstract: A parking apparatus for a vehicle may include: a piston moved according to whether hydraulic pressure is introduced; a detent lever rotated by the movement of the piston; a sprag disposed on a rotation path of the detent lever, and locked to the detent lever so as to restrict the rotation of the detent lever; and a driver contacted with the sprag, and configured to transfer rotational power to the sprag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Hyundai Transys Inc.
    Inventor: Jae Young Yoon
  • Patent number: 11506260
    Abstract: A planetary gear is disclosed that provides at least a first hollow wheel with a helical gearing and a second hollow wheel with a helical gearing are adapted to rotate in a first rotational direction and a second opposite rotational direction, and a first double planet having a first wheel with a helical gearing meshing with the helical gearing of the first hollow wheel and having a second wheel with a helical gearing meshing with the helical gearing of the second hollow wheel. The disclosed configuration minimizes backlash between the helical gearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventor: Ingo Schulz
  • Patent number: 11499622
    Abstract: A speed reducer casing of the present invention has inner teeth on an inner periphery thereof. The speed reducer casing includes an inner tooth portion and a casing body portion, the inner tooth portion including the inner teeth, the casing body portion supporting the inner tooth portion. The inner tooth portion is formed of a material having a higher slidability than the casing body portion. The casing body portion is formed of a material having a higher hardness than the inner tooth portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: NABTESCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuyoshi Makisumi
  • Patent number: 11493100
    Abstract: An adjustable mass clutch weight for use in a CVT clutch is provided. The adjustable mass clutch weight may include an elongate body having a heel and a tip; a first protrusion having external threads extending from a first side of the elongate body at the heel. The adjustable mass clutch weight may also include a second protrusion having external threads extending from a second side of the elongate body at the heel. The adjustable mass clutch weight may also include a mounting aperture extending through the first protrusion, the elongate body and the second protrusion; and at least one mass adjustment weight with a threaded aperture extending through the at least one mass adjustment weight. The at least one mass adjustment weight may be coupled to the first threaded protrusion and/or the second threaded protrusion to adjust the mass of the adjustable mass clutch weight at the heel of the elongate body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Inventor: Don Simpson
  • Patent number: 11473661
    Abstract: An axle assembly with a housing, an annular gear, a bearing, a differential, and a pair of output shafts. The housing has an annular hub. The annular gear is received in the housing. The bearing, which is a four-point angular contact bearing, supports the gear for rotation about an axis relative to the housing and has an inner bearing race, which is mounted on the annular hub, and an outer bearing race that is fixedly coupled to the annular gear. The differential is received in the housing and includes an input member, which is coupled to the annular gear for rotation therewith, and a pair of output members that are rotatable relative to the input member about the output axis. Each of the output shafts is coupled to an associated one of the output members for rotation therewith. One of the output shafts extends through the annular hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: James P. Downs, Paul J. Valente
  • Patent number: 11473632
    Abstract: An actuating device for a motor vehicle, including a housing and a multi-part working piston movable in relation to the housing. The multi-part working piston has a main piston and an adjusting piston, which pistons are formed in a manner movable axially with respect to each other to compensate for wear. A clamping device clamps the main piston and the adjusting piston in relation to each other in order to fix an operative length of the working piston. The main piston and the adjusting piston are partial pistons of the working piston. A shielding element for protecting the actuating device from dirt is arranged on the housing and a partial piston or on a first partial piston and a second partial piston or on an adjusting piston and on the clamping device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Stephan Hahn, Fabian Erb, Matthias Diemer
  • Patent number: 11466735
    Abstract: In some examples, an electromagnetic clutch assembly. The assembly includes a pair of clutch plates including a first clutch plate configured to rotate around a rotational axis; and a second clutch plate configured to rotate around the rotational axis. The assembly further includes an electromagnetic coil circumferentially surrounding the air gap, wherein the electromagnetic coil is configured to generate a magnetic flux passing through the first clutch plate and the second clutch plate, wherein the pair of clutch plates define an air gap between the first clutch plate and the second clutch plate in the absence of the magnetic flux, and wherein the magnetic flux is configured to cause at least one of the first clutch plate or the second clutch plate to move to close the air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Donald Klemen
  • Patent number: 11460079
    Abstract: Valve systems include a valve and a valve actuator assembly for operating the valve. The valve actuator assembly includes a drive device and a hand wheel assembly that can independently be used to cause movement of the valve. An anti-back drive component is coupled to the output of the drive device, the hand wheel assembly, or both. The anti-back drive component includes a locking device and an unlocking device, each with respective protrusions that cooperate to define cavities that house pairs of springs and rollers. The shape and orientation of the cavities allows for rotation of the rollers in the cavities and the anti-back drive component by rotating the unlocking device, while preventing rotation of the rollers and the anti-back drive component via rotation of the locking device to selectively prevent rotation of the output of the drive device, hand wheel assembly, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: TRI-TEC MANUFACTURING, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Douglas Williams, Mark Scott Soldan, Donald Hoban, Matt Todd Buss
  • Patent number: 11460095
    Abstract: A gear reducer has a helical gear, an eccentric shaft that is joined to the helical gear and has a first supporting portion that is offset in a rotation radial direction with respect to a rotation shaft of the helical gear, and a slider plate that is disposed at a radial direction outer side of the eccentric shaft. Further, the gear reducer has a transmitting gear that is supported at a first supporting portion, and whose rotation around its own axis is restricted due to the transmitting gear being engaged with the slider plate, and that revolves due to the helical gear rotating together with the eccentric shaft, and has an output gear body that rotates due to the transmitting gear revolving. The transmitting gear has a pair of restricting projections that project-out toward the slider plate side, and the slider plate is disposed between the pair of restricting projections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Okada, Masahito Sakai, Kazuki Maruo, Fumihiro Shimizu, Tomoki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11454297
    Abstract: A torsional vibration damper that damps torsional vibration effectively in a low-speed range. In the torsional vibration damper, a spring holder is formed by apertures of an input element and an output element, and an elastic member is held in the spring holder. A first moveable range of a planetary element extending from an initial position in a drive direction is wider than a second movable range of the planetary element extending from the initial position in a counter direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD., AISIN FUKUI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomo Iwagaki, Hideyuki Nishida, Masayuki Ishibashi, Yoichi Oi, Yu Mizukami, Takuya Yoshikawa, Katsunori Tanaka, Tomoyuki Hiramoto
  • Patent number: 11448298
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-speed planetary transmission (10). The multi-speed planetary transmission (10) comprises a driveshaft (12), which comprises a sun gear (18) and a ring gear (19), and an output shaft (14), which comprises a planet carrier with at least one planet gear (30). The drive shaft (12) and the output shaft (14) can be connected together or separated from each other by means of a clutch (20). The multi-speed planetary transmission (10) has a freewheel (26), via which a shift is carried out between a first transmission ratio i_1 and a second transmission ratio i_2 under a load using the clutch (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Tobias Schlittenbauer, Ianislav Krastev, Wael Mohamed
  • Patent number: 11448290
    Abstract: A transmission apparatus may include a planetary gear set including three rotation elements, a dog clutch provided to selectively fix one rotation element of the planetary gear set, input and output shafts connected to two remaining rotation elements, a friction clutch provided to vary frictional force between two arbitrary rotation elements, a linear actuator provided to form linear displacement, a push member provided to receive the linear displacement and to apply pressure to the friction clutch to increase frictional force thereof, a return spring elastically supporting the push member in a direction of releasing the frictional force of the friction clutch, a one-way interlocking structure provided between a sleeve and the push member, and a release spring provided to elastically support the sleeve with respect to the push member in a direction of releasing the dog clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Kang Hoon Lee, Yeong Hoon Kim, Dong Hwan Hwang, Jin Won Seok
  • Patent number: 11440181
    Abstract: A planetary gear train including a ring gear defining a central axis; a plurality of planet gears, each planet gear being rotatable about a respective planet axis and meshing with the ring gear, and each planet gear including a conical and helical planet gear toothing defining a conical direction; a planet carrier rotationally supporting the planet gears for rotation about the planet axes, the planet carrier being axially displaceable along the central axis; and a carrier forcing device arranged to force the planet carrier along the central axis in the conical direction. A gearbox for an industrial robot, the gearbox including a planetary gear train, and an industrial robot including a planetary gear train or a gearbox, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventor: Per Lindblom
  • Patent number: 11441681
    Abstract: Systems and methods related to activating a parking lock system in the drive train of a vehicle having at least one electrical machine comprising a transmission which is connected to driven wheels. The method includes comparing a rotational speed nE of the at least one electrical machine with the transmission to a predetermined threshold value for a limiting speed nG, triggering, in the event that the rotational speed nE is below the threshold value for the limiting speed nG, a command for the actuation of an actuator system for activating the parking lock system, triggering, in the event that the rotational speed nE exceeds the threshold value for the limiting speed nG, a command for preventing an actuation of an actuator system for activating the parking lock system, and miming through a second comparison stage so long as nE?nG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Bast, Ingo Drewe
  • Patent number: 11434960
    Abstract: A method for motion control of a shift sleeve in a stepped gear transmission during a synchronization and gear engagement sequence for avoiding gear teeth interference, wherein the stepped gear transmission includes an axially displaceable shift sleeve arranged on and rotationally secured to a shaft, and a constant mesh gear wheel arranged on and rotatable relative to said shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: NINGBO GEELY AUTOMOBILE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CO.
    Inventors: Johan Hellsing, Muddassar Zahid Piracha
  • Patent number: 11434986
    Abstract: A vehicle driveline component includes a torque converter including an actuator and a clutch. The actuator includes an actuator piston slidable within an actuator chamber and dividing the actuator chamber into loosening and tightening chambers. The actuator piston moves the stator blades between a plurality of pitch positions. The clutch selectively couples the turbine to the impeller. The clutch includes a spring and clutch piston. The clutch piston at least partially defines an apply chamber and a release chamber. The apply chamber is in fluid communication with the tightening chamber via a hydrodynamic chamber. The release chamber is in fluid communication with the loosening chamber. The clutch piston is movable between an engaged position which inhibits relative rotation between the housing and the turbine and a disengaged position permitting relative rotation. The clutch spring is supported by the turbine hub and biases the clutch piston toward the disengaged position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: John Edward Brevick
  • Patent number: 11421552
    Abstract: Gearboxes for aircraft gas turbine engines, in particular to arrangements for journal bearings such gearboxes, and to related methods of operating such gearboxes and gas turbine engines. Example embodiments include a gearbox for an aircraft gas turbine engine, the gearbox including: a sun gear; a plurality of planet gears surrounding and engaged with the sun gear; and a ring gear surrounding and engaged with the plurality of planet gears, each of the plurality of planet gears being rotatably mounted around a pin of a planet gear carrier with a journal bearing having an internal sliding surface on the planet gear and an external sliding surface on the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Mark Spruce