Patents Examined by Justin Holmes
  • Patent number: 11926430
    Abstract: A multi-mode aircraft power-split-transmission system includes a rotational power input and a power-split transmission. The power-split transmission includes a sun gear, a planetary carrier, a ring gear, a first rotational power output, and a second rotational power output. The multi-mode aircraft power-split-transmission system also includes a first resistance device coupled to the first rotational power output and fixed to an airframe of the multi-mode aircraft and a second resistance device coupled to the second rotational power output and fixed to the airframe. Operation of the first resistance device causes power received from the rotational power input to be directed to the second rotational power output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Brett Schmidt Spicer
  • Patent number: 11920560
    Abstract: A transmission gearing includes a sun gear, a planetary unit and a high speed unit. The sun gear is mounted on a slowly rotating gear shaft. The planetary unit includes a planetary toothed gear wheel and a planetary shaft gear wheel, which are both mounted on a planetary shaft. The planetary shaft gear wheel has a diameter that is larger than that of the planetary toothed gear wheel and smaller than that of the sun gear. The planetary toothed gear wheel engages the sun gear. The high speed unit includes a quickly rotating gear shaft on which a high speed shaft gear is mounted. The high speed shaft gear has a diameter that is smaller than that of the planetary shaft gear wheel. A drive belt engages both the planetary shaft gear wheel and the high speed shaft gear. The slowly rotating gear shaft is parallel to the planetary shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Inventor: Peter Lutz
  • Patent number: 11920665
    Abstract: A differential having a circulating carrier with drive gearwheel, at least two planet gearwheels rotatably mounted in the circulating carrier, with lateral gearwheels leading to side shafts of the drive axle of a vehicle and enmeshing with the planet gearwheels, wherein one lateral gearwheel can be connected either to the associated side shaft or to the circulating carrier via a coupling arrangement. The coupling arrangement is located between the circulating carrier and the side shaft and includes an actuator sleeve with an axially active claw coupling towards the lateral gearwheel and a radially active sliding toothing towards the side shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: MAGNA Powertrain GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Herbert Steinwender, Kristian Rois
  • Patent number: 11919532
    Abstract: A system for comparing driver intent and a gear setting of a vehicle comprises a driver monitoring system including at least one driver monitoring sensor configured to capture attributes of the driver indicative of driver intent regarding an intended direction of travel. The system also comprises an evaluation processor configured to access driver data from the driver monitoring system. The evaluation processor is also configured to generate a mismatch signal in response to determining a mismatch between the driver intent and a gear setting of the vehicle. The evaluation processor may also be configured to control braking and/or acceleration of the vehicle in response to determining a mismatch between the driver intent and a gear setting of the vehicle. The system may also use data regarding an object within a threshold distance from a front or a rear of the vehicle, and/or a requested acceleration above a threshold amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Arriver Software LLC
    Inventors: Jacob Pusheck, Joshua Forwerck, Kristie Hargreaves
  • Patent number: 11913528
    Abstract: A multi-mode CVT for a work vehicle powertrain has a continuously variable power source (CVP), an input arrangement with an input shaft receiving engine power, a variator arrangement with a variator shaft supporting a planetary set, a drop set arrangement with a drop set shaft, and an output arrangement with an output shaft supporting an output component. The input, variator, and drop set arrangements include clutch components with the clutch(es) of the drop set arrangement transmitting CVP power or combined CVP and engine power to the output arrangement to provide a selective gear reduction for transmission of an output power according to a plurality of transmission modes, including a CVP-only mode and a combined engine and CVP split-path mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Clayton P. Neumann, Kevin R. King
  • Patent number: 11906019
    Abstract: A swash-plate-type gearing for adjustment devices includes a housing; an outer part, which has an inner toothing concentric with a joint axis; and an inner part with an outer toothing concentric with an eccentric axis, which runs parallel to the joint axis, offset by an off-centre distance. The gearing also includes an engagement region, in which the outer toothing is engaged with the inner toothing and which is located on a straight line intersecting the joint axis and eccentric axis, in each case at a right angle, with the eccentric axis lying on this straight line between the joint axis and engagement region; and a free space located 180° opposite the engagement region and on the straight line, in which free space the outer toothing is disengaged from and at a distance from the inner toothing. A locking part is provided having a locking region located in the free space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: FISHER DYNAMICS GERMANY GMBH
    Inventor: Hans Burckhard Becker
  • Patent number: 11892066
    Abstract: A transmission may include an input shaft, a first output shaft, a second output shaft, a first planetary gearset, and a second planetary gearset connected to the first planetary gearset. Optionally, the input shaft is connected to a first element of the first planetary gearset for conjoint rotation, the first output shaft is connected to a second element of the first planetary gearset for conjoint rotation, and the second output shaft is connected to a third element of the second planetary gearset for conjoint rotation. A third element of the first planetary gearset may be connected to a first element of the second planetary gearset via a shaft for conjoint rotation, and a second element of the second planetary gearset may be fixed in place on a non-rotating component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Matthias Reisch, Stefan Beck
  • Patent number: 11892063
    Abstract: A compact and fast-shifting two-speed transmission for an electric drive system, such as an electric vehicle, has two synchronized dog clutches. A sliding sleeve for engaging a first and second gear is actuatable using a single actuator. A substantially load-interruption-free shifting is realized via a friction engagement in the synchronization. A drive system having such a two-speed transmission is capable of achieving at least substantially load-interruption-free shifting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: HÖHN GMBH
    Inventor: Bernd-Robert Höhn
  • Patent number: 11892077
    Abstract: A vehicle gear-shifting control apparatus is equipped with an engine, an automatic transmission, and a controller which changes a shift stage by outputting a gear-shifting signal in accordance with the rotation speed of an input shaft to the automatic transmission. The controller executes a torque-regulating control of temporarily increasing or decreasing an input torque input to the input shaft during a shift-change, and when executing the control, determines whether or not a target increase/decrease amount of the input torque can be realized based on calculation results of a target output torque and a target gear-shifting time, executes the control to realize the target amount when it is determined that the target amount can be realized, and executes the control based on an allowable gear-shifting time set in advance to be longer than the target gear-shifting time when it is determined that the target amount cannot be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Yamada, Yasunari Nakayama, Yusuke Moriyama, Wataru Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11885412
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of controlling a dog clutch by a DC motor configured to move the dog clutch via an actuator arm). The dog clutch including at least one gear having one or more dogs configured to engage one or more dogs of a sliding sleeve). The method includes supplying the DC motor with a pulse width modulated voltage having a duty cycle which is provided by a control algorithm). The control algorithm includes a trajectory planner generating a desired position of the actuator arm based on a 4th order trajectory planning algorithm and a motion controller based on the sliding mode theory for tracking the desired arm position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Eduardo Quintero Manríquez, Oscar Eduardo Sarmiento, Andreas Kelm, Mario Alberto Chinchilla Saborio, Seyoun Park
  • Patent number: 11884257
    Abstract: A method for controlling driving force of a vehicle includes determining a natural frequency of vehicle suspension pitch motion according to characteristics of a suspension device of the vehicle, providing a filter configured for removing or passing a natural frequency component of the vehicle suspension pitch motion to a control unit of the vehicle, determining, by the control unit, a required driving force command based on vehicle driving information collected during vehicle driving, determining, by the control unit, a final front wheel driving force command and a final rear wheel driving force command through a filtering process using the filter from the determined required driving force command, and controlling, by the control unit, a driving force applied to a front wheel and a rear wheel of the vehicle by a driving device for driving the vehicle according to the determined final front wheel driving force command and the determined final rear wheel driving force command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Ji Won Oh
  • Patent number: 11885411
    Abstract: Transmissions, control systems for transmissions, and methods of operating transmissions are disclosed. A transmission includes an input shaft, an output shaft, one or more clutches, and a control system. The input shaft is configured to receive rotational power supplied by a drive unit. The output shaft is coupled to the input shaft and configured to provide rotational power supplied to the input shaft to a load. The one or more clutches are coupled between the input shaft and the output shaft to selectively transmit rotational power between the input shaft and the output shaft in one or more operating modes of the transmission. Each of the one or more clutches is selectively engageable in response to one or more fluid pressures applied thereto. The control system is configured to control operation of the one or more clutches to select the one or more operating modes of the transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Allison Transmission, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey E. Shultz, Bruno Re, Scott Kluemper
  • Patent number: 11885399
    Abstract: A power transmission device is provided with: a rotary body arranged to receive the torque to rotate about an axis; a clutch including a clutch member engaging with the rotary body and axially movable and clutch teeth connectable with the clutch member to transmit the torque; a solenoid configured to generate a magnetic flux in response to input of electric power; a stator coupled with the solenoid as to conduct the magnetic flux and prevented from rotation about the axis; a rotor arranged to receive the magnetic flux from the stator and, when driven by the received magnetic flux, to create a rotational motion about the axis; and a conversion mechanism drivingly connected with the rotor to convert the rotational motion into a linear motion in a direction along the axis, the conversion mechanism including a thrust member transmitting the linear motion to the clutch member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: GKN Automotive Limited
    Inventors: Yuu Yaguchi, Toshiaki Komatsu, Masato Horiguchi, Toshiyuki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11865913
    Abstract: A vehicle may include rear ground traction members, front ground traction members, a rear drive system to drive the rear ground traction members, a continuously variable speed front drive system to drive the front ground traction members, a rear speed sensor to output rear speeds of the rear ground traction members, a front speed sensor to output front speeds of the front ground traction members, and a controller to select a chosen lead for a rear speed of the rear ground traction members based on evaluations of different tractive efficiencies for different leads for the rear speed. The controller may further output control signals to the continuously variable speed front drive system to drive the front ground traction members at the chosen lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Zimeno Inc.
    Inventors: Zachary Meyer Omohundro, Karan Kaushik, Uriel Aparecido Rosa
  • Patent number: 11858327
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device includes a rotary electric machine disposed on a first axis, an output member disposed on a second axis parallel to the first axis, an inverter device, a terminal block for electrically connecting a rotary electric machine-side bus bar and an inverter-side bus bar, and a case. The case includes a first housing chamber for housing the rotary electric machine MG, a second housing chamber for housing the inverter device, and a partition wall for separating the first housing chamber and the second housing chamber. A terminal block is disposed such that an arrangement area of the terminal block in an axial direction overlaps the rotary electric machine, and disposed so as to penetrate the partition wall in a radial direction of the output member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Nagaya, Nozomu Takahashi, Ryohei Inoue, Takeshi Torii, Daisuke Yamaoka, Taketoki Maruyama, Toshiya Sugiyama, Munehiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11859708
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a lubrication system based on an axle configuration of a tandem axle with a disconnect feature. In one example, a method may include adjusting an oil level in an axle sump of a tandem axle based on an axle configuration of the tandem axle (e.g., whether the tandem axle is operating with one of a 6×4 axle configuration and a 6×2 axle configuration), the axle sump selectably coupled to an external reservoir via a first passage and a second passage, the first passage including an electric pump, the second passage including a valve, and the tandem axle coupled to a drivetrain of a motor vehicle. In this way, an amount of oil in the axle sump may be adjusted based on the tandem axle configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Inventors: Lucas A. Balistreri, Shane T. Smith
  • Patent number: 11859716
    Abstract: A tidal current energy converter including an infinitely variable transmission (IVT) control system and a hybrid vertical axis wind (or water) turbine (VAWTs) apparatus. The hybrid VAWT apparatus includes a modified-Savonius (MS) rotor in the central region and a straight bladed H-type Darrieus rotor in the surrounding annular region. The IVT control system includes a nonlinear closed-loop control combined with an integral time-delay feedback control to adjust a speed ratio of the IVT. A speed ratio control for an IVT system involves a forward speed controller and/or a crank length controller for different speed ranges. The time-delay control is designed to reduce speed fluctuations of the output speed of an IVT with an accurate speed ratio. The speed ratio of an IVT with the disclosed control strategy can achieve an excellent tracking response for the desired constant output speed and reduce speed fluctuations of the output speed of an IVT by the time-delay feedback control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    Inventors: Weidong Zhu, Gang Li, Meilin Yu, Xuefeng Wang
  • Patent number: 11859710
    Abstract: A control unit for an automatic transmission of a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a gear selection operating element which allows a user of the vehicle to set different drive positions of the transmission, but not individual gears, by actuating the gear selection operating element. The control unit is configured to determine that a drive position “L” has been set using the gear selection operating element, and in response thereto, the control unit is also configured to provide a graphical user interface on a screen of the vehicle. The user interface allows a manual gear shift of the transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stephan Peters, Benjamin Sprengart
  • Patent number: 11852216
    Abstract: A transmission system of a decelerating mechanism includes a planetary gear unit including a sun gear being adjacent to the first surface and a planetary gear set and a holder including a carrier and several planetary shaft units rotatably disposed on the carrier. The carrier has a first surface and a second surface that face opposite directions. The planetary gear set has several first gears being adjacent to the first surface, respectively fitting around the planetary shaft units, and meshing with the sun gear, several second gears being adjacent to the second surface and being coaxially disposed with the first gears, and an internal gear ring meshing with the second gears. By respectively arranging the first gears and the second gears on two opposite sides of the carrier, mutual interference therebetween while turning could be avoided, and an overall volume of the transmission system could be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: TIEN HSIN INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ming-Lan Ou, Tsung-Ming Tsai, Yu-Nong Wu
  • Patent number: 11850929
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle axle, comprising: —a differential; —a powertrain, comprising a first electric motor (EM1) and a second electric motor (EM2); —a first transmission element between the first electric motor and said differential, this first transmission element comprising a variable transmission ratio; —a second transmission element between the second electric motor and said differential; wherein the second electric motor is controlled so as to provide its maximum power during gear changes of the first transmission element, so as to compensate at least partially for the power loss inherent in the gear change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas Barillot, Bertrand Cauvin, Jean Terrat, Serge Vananty