Patents Examined by Justin Holmes
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Patent number: 11766943Abstract: A drive system includes a first drive train and a second drive train coupled by a differential assembly. Each drive train include a motor, an output gear, and a clutch assembly that engages and disengages the output gear from respective halfshafts. The differential assembly is configured to couple the first and second halfshafts, and connect/disconnect the first output gear and the first halfshaft. The differential assembly includes, for example, side gears, a spider gearset, and an actuator for engaging and disengaging the differential casing from the first output gear. A control system is configured to actuate actuators of clutch assemblies and/or a differential assembly to achieve one or more drive modes for each drive axis. The control system determines the first drive mode, controls the clutch assemblies and differential assemblies, and controls one or more motors. The drive modes include, for example, torque vectoring, fully locked, single motor, and neutral.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2022Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignee: RIVIAN IP HOLDINGS, LLCInventors: Mason Verbridge, Cameron P. Williams, Khwaja Rahman, Henry Huang, Vinaey Kalyanaraman
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Patent number: 11761157Abstract: A road milling machine includes a machine frame, at least three travelling devices, a milling drum, and at least one hydraulic drive system. The hydraulic drive system includes at least one hydraulic pump, at least one hydraulic fixed displacement motor for driving at least one driven travelling device, and one each hydraulic variable displacement motor for driving the remaining travelling devices. A first gearbox is arranged between the fixed displacement hydraulic motor and its associated travelling device. One each second gearbox is arranged between each of the hydraulic variable displacement motors and their associated travelling devices. The transmission ratio of the first gearbox is lower than the transmission ratios of the second gearboxes and/or the displacement volume of the fixed displacement motor is smaller than the maximum displacement volume of the variable displacement motors.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2022Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Inventors: Christian Berning, Sebastian Drumm
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Patent number: 11760197Abstract: A driving force estimation apparatus includes a free rolling rotation speed output unit, an actual rotation speed detector, a slip rate calculation unit, a driving force estimation unit, a slip angle output unit, and a stiffness correction unit. The free rolling rotation speed output unit outputs free rolling rotation speeds of front and rear wheels in a free rolling state devoid of a braking or driving force. The slip rate calculation unit calculates slip rates of the front and rear wheels, from the free rolling rotation speeds and actual rotation speeds. The driving force estimation unit estimates driving forces of the front and rear wheels, using driving or braking stiffnesses of the front and rear wheels and the slip rates. The slip angle output unit outputs slip angles of the front and rear wheels. The stiffness correction unit corrects the driving or braking stiffnesses based on the slip angles.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2023Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATIONInventors: Koji Matsuno, Yoshiki Shima, Masahiro Saito
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Patent number: 11760179Abstract: A drive axle for an electric vehicle which comprises first and second electric machines (EM1, EM2), first and second drive wheels (R1, R2) and first and second two-speed transmissions (G1, G2) each having the same gear ratios. The first electric machine (EM1) drives the first drive wheel (R1) by way of the first two-speed transmission (G1) and the second electric machine (EM2) drives the second drive wheel (R2) by way of the second two-speed transmission (G2). The first and the second two-speed transmissions (G1, G2) each comprise a first planetary gearset (PS1) and a second planetary gearset (PS2) coupled to one another. The first planetary gearset (PS1) and the second planetary gearset (PS2) each comprise a web shaft (ST1, ST2), a ring-gear shaft (HR1, HR2) and a sun-gear shaft (SO1, SO2).Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2020Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Johannes Glückler, Kai Bornträger, Stefan Spühler, Johannes Kaltenbach, Stefan Renner, Michael Trübenbach
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Patent number: 11752865Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a primary axle drivably connected to the engine, and a secondary axle drivably connected to the engine by a clutch. A controller is programmed to, in response to map data indicating that the vehicle is off-road, enable an off-road transfer torque control mode in which temperatures of the clutch are compared to a lower threshold. The controller is further programmed to, in response to the temperature of the clutch exceeding the lower threshold, display a message to a driver indicative of rising temperatures of the clutch, and, in response to a temperature of the clutch exceeding an upper limit, enable a power limiting mode in which torque of the engine is limited to a predefined value.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2022Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Guopeng Hu, Ashok Eugene Rodrigues, Zhengyu Dai, Peter James Barrette
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Patent number: 11754173Abstract: A transmission system associated with a vehicle includes a shaft to rotate about an axis of rotation. The shaft is coupled to a gear set. The transmission system includes a sensor target to be coupled to the gear set and to rotate with the gear set. The sensor target includes at least one target. The transmission system includes a sensor spaced apart from the sensor target by a gap. The sensor is configured to observe the at least one target of the sensor target to determine a rotation speed of the shaft.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2022Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Angela M Hutcheon, Joel H Gunderson, Roman Shestakov
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Patent number: 11746853Abstract: Pericyclic transmission having at least one input shaft (58) rotatable about an axis of rotation and at least one inclined bearing seat (55, 56) secured to the input shaft with the inclined bearing seat being oriented at an inclination angle with respect to the axis of rotation of the input shaft. An input gear (52, 54) is attached to each inclined bearing seat with the input gear being oriented at the inclination angle and having an axis of rotation inclined to the axis of rotation of the input shaft by the inclination angle whereby upon rotation of the input shaft, the input gear performs at least a nutating motion. The transmission also includes an intermediate gear (51, 53) in mesh with the input gear with the intermediate gear having an axis of rotation coincident with the axis of rotation of the input shaft. The intermediate gear communicates with a transmission output.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2020Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: THE GLEASON WORKSInventor: Hermann J. Stadtfeld
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Patent number: 11746887Abstract: An arrangement includes a structure affixed to a housing, a planetary carrier mounted rotatably in the structure affixed to the housing, an oil bushing ring, and a first means and a second means for contactless power transmission. The oil bushing ring forms a lubricant-conducting joint between the structure affixed to the housing and the planetary carrier. The structure affixed to the housing has the first means and the oil bushing ring has the second means.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2020Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AGInventors: Christian Riess, Umit Kutluay, Philipp Lang
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Patent number: 11732655Abstract: A gear assembly comprises a plurality of planet gear layshafts that have an outer surface having a plurality of gear surfaces and a surface having one or more bearing surfaces. The one or more bearing surfaces of the surfaces of the planet gear layshafts have a first case hardening depth and a first nitriding hardness depth. The gear surfaces of the outer surface of the planet gear layshafts have a second case hardening depth.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2022Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Inventor: Andrea Piazza
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Patent number: 11724596Abstract: Systems and methods for road disturbance detection and torque vectoring control. A vehicle may comprise: a torque vectoring system for independently varying torque to a plurality of wheels, an external sensor suite, and an electronic control unit. The control unit may comprise one or more processors and memory storing executable instructions that, as a result of execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement an appropriate torque vectoring strategy. The torque vectoring strategy may comprise biasing torque towards or away from a wheel/motor/axle.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2023Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Brendan Diamond, Keith Weston, Aaron L. Mills, Jordan Barrett
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Patent number: 11718187Abstract: A rotary electric machine is disposed coaxially with an input member more toward a first side in an axial direction than a first gear that meshes with a second gear. A third gear rotates integrally with second and fourth gears that mesh with third gear more toward second side in axial direction than first and second gears. An axis of a counter gear mechanism is below axis of rotary electric machine and axis of differential gear mechanism. An inverter device more toward first side in axial direction than fourth gear and above axis of differential gear mechanism while that inverter device overlaps fourth gear as seen in axial direction. A specific portion of inverter device is between rotary electric machine and fourth gear in axial direction, such that specific portion overlaps counter gear mechanism as seen in up-down direction and overlaps rotary electric machine as seen in axial direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2022Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: AISIN CORPORATIONInventor: Ryohei Inoue
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Patent number: 11713033Abstract: A control method controls an electric four-wheel-drive vehicle to switch a drive torque distribution between a first distribution prioritizing energy efficiency and a second distribution prioritizing driving performance. The distribution is set to the second distribution where wheel slip is detected during a trip, and returned to the first distribution once the vehicle has stopped. When wheel slip is detected at least during acceleration, the distribution is switched from the first distribution to the second distribution. When wheel slip is detected during deceleration, a slip experience flag is set. The slip experience flag is maintained at least until starting off in a subsequent trip. Where the slip experience flag has been set, the distribution is maintained as the second distribution when the vehicle has stopped, and where the slip experience flag has not been set, the distribution is returned to the first distribution upon the vehicle being stopped.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2020Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Daisuke Hiroi, Kouki Saitou, Kentaro Hashimoto
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Patent number: 11713748Abstract: A planetary transmission for a wind turbine includes a bolt having a cylindrical outer surface and a gear having a cylindrical inner surface rotatably supported on the outer surface of the bolt. The cylindrical outer surface of the bolt and the cylindrical inner surface of the gear are configured to function as a plain bearing, and one or both of these surfaces may include a sliding layer formed from a low friction material.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2021Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKFInventors: Joanna Stefania Dzwonczyk, Thilo von Schleinitz
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Patent number: 11708890Abstract: A one-piece planetary carrier includes first and second side walls connected to one another by a plurality of webs. At least one of the webs has a curved outer surface which is directed substantially outward in a radial direction and belongs to a lateral surface of the web. The web includes a transition to the first side wall and a transition to the second side wall. The curved outer surface is convexly curved about a first axis of curvature at the transition to the first side wall and the transition to the second side wall. The curved outer surface has at least one anticlastic region which lies in an axial central section and an axial edge section of the web, with a combination of the axial central section with the axial edge section substantially defining an axial dimension of the planetary carrier.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2020Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: FLENDER GMBHInventors: Volker Lensing, Timo Funke, Carolin Telaar
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Patent number: 11707992Abstract: A system is configured to manage motor engagement in a vehicle by determining to engage a disengaged motor shaft with a drivetrain, and in response, activating a feedback controller based on a speed of the motor shaft and activating a feedforward controller. The system determines at least one metric for modifying an output of the feedforward controller. The at least one metric is based on the speed of the motor shaft and the desired speed, and may be applied as a gain to the output of the feedforward controller. The system generates a command based on the feedback controller, the feedforward controller, and the at least one metric, and causes the motor shaft and the drivetrain to be engaged based on the speed of the motor shaft and the desired speed. The system nulls output of the feedforward controller as the speed of the motor shaft approaches the desired speed.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2022Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLCInventors: Kang Wang, Boru Wang, Steve Schulz, Chia-Chou Yeh
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Patent number: 11702080Abstract: A system and method is provided for determining where a vehicle has parked in a parking lot. The method includes determining a geometry for a parking lot; receiving vehicle event data including periodic vehicle event data for vehicle speed and steering angle; tracking a movement of a vehicle using the vehicle event data; and determining where a vehicle has parked using a steering angle to determine a number of turns in the parking lot geometry.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2021Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: Wejo LimitedInventors: Roger Downing, Dylan Sumner
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Patent number: 11701966Abstract: A driveline component includes a first plate and a second plate. A motor is engaged with the first plate. The first plate and the second plate include ramped grooves that ramp toward the other of the first plate and the second plate. Balls are disposed between the first plate and the second plate and are engaged with the ramped grooves. A shifter is engaged with the second plate. Relative rotation of the first plate and the second plate causes the balls in the ramped grooves to move the first plate and the second plate axially relative to each other. This relative rotation may be used to make one type of mode selection, and operation of the shifter by the second plate may be used to make another type of mode selection. This allows the single motor to make both selections.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2020Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: GKN Automotive LimitedInventors: Brent M. Peura, Matthew R. Schmalenberg
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Patent number: 11697344Abstract: A wheel end disconnect assembly includes a housing, a shift ring, a shift fork and an actuator. The shift ring is supported for axial translation relative to the housing between a connected position in which the shift ring couples an input member to a wheel hub for rotation therewith and a disconnected position in which the input member and the wheel hub are rotatable relative to each other. The shift fork includes a first arm portion, a second arm portion, and an input portion extending from a junction of the first and second arm portions. The shift fork is pivotably coupled to the housing at the junction of the first and second arm portions. The actuator is configured to move the input portion to pivot the first and second arm portions such that the first and second arm portions translate the shift ring between the connected and disconnected positions.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2021Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Norman Jerry Bird, Steven Adam Hermann
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Patent number: 11698133Abstract: A power transmission device includes a motor having a motor shaft, a transmission mechanism, a reduction gear, and a case member. The transmission mechanism is connected downstream of the motor. The transmission mechanism has a band brake, and an actuator. A reduction gear is arranged downstream of the transmission mechanism. The case member houses the motor, at least a part of the transmission mechanism, and the reduction gear. The case member has an outer circumference wall that surrounds an outer circumference with respect to a radial direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the motor shaft, and a side wall that is linked to the outer circumference wall, and that extends outwardly in the radial direction from the outer circumference wall. The actuator is provided adjacent to the outer circumference wall, and adjacent to the side wall, the actuator overlapping with the band brake in the radial direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2019Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignee: Jateo LtdInventors: Hiroki Uehara, Masumi Fujikawa, Toshikazu Oshidari
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Patent number: 11697456Abstract: A method can be used to control a steer-by-wire steering system for a motor vehicle that has two axles each with two wheels. Two front wheels can be steered by front-wheel steering and two rear wheels can be steered by rear-wheel steering. The motor vehicle includes a single wheel drive that is assigned to one of the two axles and drives the two wheels of the corresponding axle via a differential. The motor vehicle comprises an inboard braking system. The method involves checking the motor vehicle speed and activating rear-axle steering when a motor vehicle speed should be slower than 40 km/hr. With rear-axle steering active, the following steps are performed: deactivating front-wheel steering and rear-wheel steering, determining a reference position of a first steering rod via a reference wheel steering angle, determining a differential drive torque between the rear wheels to reach the reference position via a control unit.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2021Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP PRESTA AG, THYSSENKRUPP AGInventors: Leonard Lapis, Kristof Polmans, Carlo Mario Miano