Patents Examined by Khoi A. Ta
  • Patent number: 5445572
    Abstract: A differential assembly in which a belt links gears on opposite sides of a carrier via idlers, which idlers are spaced to have synchronous interfittment of the belt teeth with the gear teeth and peripherally shaped to turn the belt flat for gear engagement with a minimum arc of partial engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Inventor: Bruce H. Parker
  • Patent number: 5417124
    Abstract: A gear change for an industrial vehicle, provided with an integrated control unit housed in a seat of the gear box and comprising a plurality of actuators for controlling the selection and coupling of the gears, a plurality of electrovalves for the actuation of the actuators and a sensor of the angular speed of an input shaft of the gear change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignees: Iveco Fiat S.p.A., Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Martin Huff, Gian M. Pigozzi, Armando Gregori
  • Patent number: 5362283
    Abstract: This invention provides and improved apparatus and an improved method of adjusting the tractive torque at the driven wheels of a scale model vehicle employing an enclosed friction driven differential. The invention's improvements allow this adjustment to be accomplished without disassembly of the driven axles, or removing any member of the differential's enclosure to gain access to the internal adjusting components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Assignee: Traxxas Corporation
    Inventor: Jimmy R. Jenkins
  • Patent number: 5351577
    Abstract: A control system is provided for servo hydraulic pressure in an automatic transmission having planetary gear mechanisms. Shifting elements of the mechanisms can be connected to establish a different power flow in accordance with engagement or release of frictional engagement devices under the control of servo hydraulic pressure to achieve plural speed stages. The system comprises first and second frictional engagement devices engageable simultaneously in a reverse range, first and second servo pressure feed lines for feeding servo hydraulic pressure to the devices, a regulator valve disposed in the first line, a solenoid for controlling the valve, an electronic control unit for outputting a signal to the solenoid, and a detector for detecting shifting to the reverse range. The valve is controlled by the solenoid in accordance with an output from the unit upon detection of shifting to the reverse range by the detector, whereby engagement of the first device is coincided with that of the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignees: Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Ando, Koji Noda, Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Masahiro Hayabuchi, Kazumasa Tsukamoto, Yasuo Hojo, Yutaka Taga, Hidehiro Oba
  • Patent number: 5349885
    Abstract: An automatic transmission includes a multi-speed transmission gear mechanism having an input shaft, an output shaft and a plurality of friction coupling elements. A hydraulic control system selectively supplies a hydraulic pressure to the friction coupling elements, thereby selectively applying the friction coupling elements to cause the transmission gear mechanism to shift to a speed which is determined according to a predetermined shift pattern. The control system sets a target hydraulic pressure to be applied to the friction coupling elements according to the kind of the shift to be effected and the engine load, and, when it is detected that the transmission gear mechanism is to make a backout upshift due to reduction in the engine load, increases the target hydraulic pressure by an amount which is determined according to the throttle opening and the turbine speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1994
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yoshimura, Kazuo Sasaki, Kenji Kurisu, Takuji Fujiwara, Mitsutoshi Abe
  • Patent number: 5348516
    Abstract: A transaxle for a drive system of a vehicle including a midship transversely mounted engine. The transaxle comprising a transmission, a differential mechanism for differential action between a set of rear wheels of the vehicle, and a transfer case for transferring drive torque to a set of front wheels of the vehicle. The transmission has a main shaft extending transversely with respect to a logitudinal direction of the vehicle. Disposed rearwardly of the main shaft is the differential mechanism, while disposed forwardly of the main shaft is the transfer case. Drive torque from the main shaft is transferred via two power flows to a differential case of the rear differential mechanism and to an input shaft of the transfer case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: JATCO Corporation
    Inventor: Masanori Shibata
  • Patent number: 5347885
    Abstract: A shift control system controls an automatic transmission of a vehicle wherein half-lock-up control for a lock-up clutch is executed when the running state of the vehicle is in a predetermined operative range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Taga, Yasuo Hojo, Atsushi Tabata
  • Patent number: 5345836
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a shift lever device for an automatic transmission for use in a vehicle such as an automobile, etc. A female connector is disposed in a position inwardly away from the outer periphery of a shift lever and laid on an axially-extending portion thereof. In addition, the female connector is held in position by a connector support disposed below the female connector. A knob is inserted into and fixed to one end of the shift lever. A male connector and a switch are fixed to an intermediate portion of the knob. When the knob is inserted into the shift lever, the male connector is disposed in such a way as to be fitted into the female connector. It is therefore possible to form the knob so as to cover the one end of the shift lever on a small scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Yokoyama, Tatsuya Aoki, Etsuo Shimizu
  • Patent number: 5343779
    Abstract: An arrangement and process for operating a continuously variable drive unit of a motor vehicle having an apparatus for control of the operation of the clutches (25, 26) in the mechanical transmission branch (19). Sensors (7, 9, 45) transmit the speed of the mechanical transmission branch (19), the hydrostatic transmission branch (17) and the transmission output shaft (10) to an electronic control device (3). The clutches (25, 26) are disconnected in the case of inadmissible speed ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignee: Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Heinrich Nikolaus, Robert Paton
  • Patent number: 5343782
    Abstract: In a computer-based control, pressure is progressively decreased in an off-going clutch for gradual release while pressure is progressively increased in an on-coming clutch. Positive off-going clutch slip and the rate of slip change are monitored to detect the onset of turbine flare. A control calculates a compensation pressure which is added to the on-coming clutch pressure to reduce the slip and thus the flare. The control calculates a term proportional to slip and an integral term when the slip and slip rate are positive. When the slip rate goes negative, the control calculates a negative integral term. All the calculated terms are combined to produce the compensation pressure value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Fereydoon Jamzadeh
  • Patent number: 5341698
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a full meshing gear type variable speed transmission using interlocked gear pairs of the driving and driven gears to transmit power from the mainshaft to the auxiliary axle housing. The mainshaft can only drive the first driving gear through the spiral springs to drive the rest of the other driving gears indirectly. Each spiral spring of the different gear is normally disengaged, when the rotational speed of the auxiliary axle housing is exceeding a set limit, the spiral spring will be engaged with its gears change shift by the automatic gravity type shifting assembly. Each driven gear will also transmit its own power thru the transmission mechanism. Each transmission mechanism allows the driven gear of the higher shift to rotate faster than the driven gear of the lower shift, thus the interlocked pair of gears will not disengage during shifting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Inventor: Sheng-Tsai Tseng
  • Patent number: 5342254
    Abstract: An end-of-arm tooling device for a robot or like manipulator is provided which, in a preferred embodiment, includes a differential separating a first torsional input into first and second torsional outputs, and two jaws for interacting with a workpiece powered by a separate one of the first and second torsional outputs, and wherein, upon interaction with the workpiece at a predetermined torque level by one of the jaws, the jaw's motion will be stopped and torque will be continually transferred to the remaining jaw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel J. Sula
  • Patent number: 5339709
    Abstract: A control system is provided for an automatic transmission which has primary and second shifting units connected together to provide multi-stage speed ranges. Upon performing a combined shift, a hydraulic control circuit disconnects a hydraulic servomotor and its corresponding accumulator and the pressure in the servomotor is controlled by an electrical signal. When a decision for a second shift is made in the course of the combined shift, the pressure in a hydraulic servomotor for a downshift frictional engagement element is controlled by an electrical signal to return the element to its position before the combined shift while monitoring the number of revolutions of a rotating member in the transmission. As a consequence, a particular speed stage is configured and a shift signal corresponding to the decision of the second shift is outputted to the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignees: Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Suzuki, Kazunori Ishikawa, Kunihiro Iwatsuki, Hidehiro Oba, Hiromachi Kimura, Hideaki Otsubo
  • Patent number: 5337624
    Abstract: A powershift transmission having input, center and output clutch sections, each section including a plurality of clutches, is arranged to have a high and a low range of input/output speed ratios with some of the lower ratios of the high range being substantially equal to some of the higher ratios of the low range. During upshifting the shift sequence is 1L, 2L, . . . (N-2)L, (N-1)L, NL, 3H, 4H, . . . NH and during downshifting the sequence is NH, (N-1)H . . . 2H, 1H, (N-2)L . . . 2L, 1L wherein ratios (N-1)L and NL are substantially equal to 1H and 2H, respectively, L represents the low range, H represents the high range and N represents the number of gear ratios within each range. The arrangement avoids the need for simultaneous clutch swaps in all three clutch sections and reduces the number of shifts requiring simultaneous clutch swaps in the center and output clutch sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Ford New Holland, Inc.
    Inventors: Garth H. Bulgrien, Charles A. Hansen
  • Patent number: 5337629
    Abstract: A continuously variable transmission for use in a vehicle which enables smooth starting of the vehicle with a good response. The transmission is intended to eliminate a particular phenomenon in both low-speed and high-speed vehicles provided with the transmission at the time of starting, that is, delay in response and subsequent abrupt rushing out of the vehicles. To this end, the transmission is provided with a variable speed hydraulic transmitting system connected to a hydraulic pump/motor of a variable displacement type acting as a pump and a hydraulic pump/motor of a variable displacement type acting as a motor, and to change the displacement of the hydraulic pump/motor acting as a pump, there are additionally provided a control cylinder, a servo valve, a circuit for detecting the differential pressure of the hydraulic transmitting system, a potentiometer and the like, and a duty control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Kita
  • Patent number: 5336137
    Abstract: A seat reclining mechanism for adjusting the angular position of a seatback relative to a seat cushion by a planetary gear arrangement includes a rotatable shaft, a base plate, a pivotable arm, a control gear, a plurality of planetary gears, and a supporting member. The pivotable arm is rotatably connected to the base plate through the rotatable shaft. Each planetary gear has two opposed cylindrical projections which are outwardly biased by the supporting member against cylindrical smooth surfaces of cylindrical recesses formed on the base plate and the pivotable arm. Therefore, the planetary gears are held in a predetermined revolution orbit around the control gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignee: Ikeda Bussan Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Kawakita
  • Patent number: 5335567
    Abstract: A process is described for controlling the actuating pressure in a control element (shift element) of an electrohydraulically controlled transmission of a motor vehicle during a change of the gear position. In the case of downshifts in the coasting operation, the hydraulic pressure in the transmission is preferably increased with the initiating of the shifting by way of the pressure control valve in a time-limited manner. Starting from a presettable or preset basic value, the amount of this filling pulse is automatically and in steps for each control operation in the course of the operation of the transmission adapted to a target value in such a manner that an input rotational speed of the transmission or a rotational speed of a driving engine connected in front of the transmission follows a predetermined sequence of movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F Porsche AG
    Inventors: Willi Seidel, Joseph Petersmann
  • Patent number: 5335747
    Abstract: An all-wheel drive for a motor vehicle has a first transmission line which starts out from a change-speed gearbox and leads to the rear axle and a second transmission line branching off from the first transmission line and leading to the front axle. The second transmission line can be connected by a permanently acting all-wheel locking system as a function of the rotational speed difference between the drive shaft and the output shaft of the all-wheel locking system. In the first transmission line, a separating coupling is inserted behind the branch-off point to the second transmission line, this separating coupling being operable as a function of parameters of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG
    Inventor: Robert Muller
  • Patent number: 5335562
    Abstract: A multi-speed rear wheel drive transmission having synchronizers and a plurality of gears rotatable on the input shaft provides for the elimination of neutral roll-over noise and optimization of common reduced size synchronizers. Gear face widths are also reduced along with shaft diameters to further optimize the transmission design. Towing restrictions are no longer required in vehicles utilizing this design. The input shaft is coaxial with the output shaft and may be connected by synchronizer to the output shaft. A countershaft is in continuous meshing contact with the output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Inventors: Cesare G. Mastroianni, Timothy E. Mick
  • Patent number: 5333709
    Abstract: In a powershift transmission having electro-hydraulic clutches for selectively connecting an input shaft in driving relationship with an output at any one of a plurality of output to input shaft speed ratios, creeper gear speeds, less than those obtained by selecting the lowest output to input shaft speed ratio, are obtained by placing the transmission in the lowest gear (forward or reverse) and controlling the output shaft speed by automatically controlling clutch slippage. Any one of a plurality of forward or reverse creeper gear speeds may be selected by operation of a gearshift lever. The speeds of the input and output shafts are sensed and a microprocessor responds to the sensed shaft speeds and the selected creeper gear speed to control slipping of the clutch. In one embodiment the output shaft speed is controlled to a specific speed value independent of the input shaft speed. In a second embodiment, the output shaft speed is controlled to obtain a specific ratio of output to input shaft speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Assignee: Ford New Holland, Inc.
    Inventor: Garth H. Bulgrien