Patents Examined by Lillian T Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11506248
    Abstract: A freewheel has a first ring which has a first blocking contour on a first axial side and a second ring which is rotatable relative to the first ring and which has a second blocking contour on a second axial side pointing toward the first axial side of the first ring. Tiltable blocking bodies can be caused to engage into the first blocking contour and into the second blocking contour. A switching element tilts the blocking bodies. A displacement unit axially displaces the second blocking contour relative to the first ring between an active setting, which is axially approximated to the first ring, and an inactive setting, which is axially remote from the first ring and in which torque-transmitting blocking of the first ring with the second ring is prevented in any setting of the blocking bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Inventor: Michael Brunner
  • Patent number: 11491869
    Abstract: A first electric motor is coupled to a first rotating element of a first differential mechanism, and a second electric motor is coupled to a first rotating element of a second differential mechanism. A first rotating element coupling body, formed by coupling a second rotating element of the first differential mechanism and a second rotating element of the second differential mechanism with each other, is coupled to an output shaft. a second rotating element coupling body, formed by coupling a third rotating element of the first differential mechanism and a third rotating element of the second differential mechanism with each other, is coupled to a first connection/disconnection portion. A first rotating element of the first differential mechanism, the first rotating element coupling body, the second rotating element coupling body, a first rotating element of the second differential mechanism are aligned in this order on a collinear diagram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshinari Tsukada
  • Patent number: 11454308
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide an electric actuator including a first driving source coupled to an output through a first pathway created by a transmission, a second driving source coupled to the output though a second pathway created by the transmission that, upon the electric actuator losses electrical power to the electric actuator, causes the output to be positioned at a fail-safe position, a differential coupled to the first driving source and the second driving source through a third pathway created by the transmission to store energy from the first driving source in the second driving source, and an eddy current brake coupled to the output through the transmission that reduces a speed at which the second driving source moves the output to the fail-safe position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: NELES USA Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard T. Armstrong
  • Patent number: 11448310
    Abstract: A method of assembling an epicyclic gear train includes positioning a carrier, the carrier being a unitary structure with side walls and mounts unitary with one another, inserting intermediate gears through a central opening of the carrier, moving each of the intermediate gears into intermediate gear pockets, inserting baffles into the carrier, inserting a sun gear through the central opening, and moving the intermediate gears to intermesh with the sun gear, and moving a ring gear into engagement with the intermediate gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William G. Sheridan, Michael E. McCune
  • Patent number: 11434985
    Abstract: A torque converter comprises a front cover, an impeller including an impeller shell fixed to the front cover, and a turbine including a turbine shell axially movable to frictionally engage the impeller shell such that the turbine shell forms a turbine piston of a lock-up clutch. A damper assembly disposed between the front cover and the turbine shell comprises: springs; a flange connected to the turbine shell and drivingly engaged with the springs; and a spring retainer supporting the springs and connected to a turbine hub. A piston plate may be disposed between the spring retainer and front cover and configured to be axially displaceable to force the turbine piston against the impeller shell for engagement of the lock-up clutch. A seal plate may be fixed to the front cover and disposed between the front cover and the piston plate with the piston plate sealed to the seal plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Luis Alberto Bernal, Angel Salvador Flores
  • Patent number: 11428297
    Abstract: An axle assembly having a gear reduction unit that is configured to operatively connect an electric motor to a drive pinion. The gear reduction unit includes at least two gear sets. At least one clutch is engageable to provide a torque path between the electric motor and the drive pinion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy Cradit, Nick Bofferding, David Zueski, Robert Martin, Eric LaMothe, Christopher Keeney, Brian Hayes
  • Patent number: 11427089
    Abstract: An electric axle is configured to selectively enable an electric motor to power a pair of drive shafts of a vehicle. The electric axle includes a planetary gearset configured to drivably couple an electric motor with first and second drive shafts coaxially arranged. The planetary gearset including a ring gear. A housing at least partially surrounds the planetary gearset and is configured to be grounded to the vehicle. A clutch is configured to selectively ground the ring gear with the housing to enable an electric motor to power the first and second drive shafts. The electric axle may include a second planetary gearset, namely a differential planetary gearset. The differential planetary gearset may include a carrier that is shared or common amongst the planetary gearset and the differential planetary gearset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & CO. KG
    Inventor: Brian Lee
  • Patent number: 11407300
    Abstract: A hybrid module for a drivetrain of a motor vehicle includes a separating clutch for coupling an input-side drive shaft with an output-side intermediate shaft, and an actuating device for actuating the separating clutch, co-rotatable with the drive shaft or with the intermediate shaft. The actuating device includes a pressure chamber connectable to a pressure source arranged to provide a hydraulic actuating pressure through a hydraulic medium, and a compensation device for at least partially compensating a change in pressure in the pressure chamber from a first centrifugal force acting on the hydraulic medium. The drive shaft may be a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine arranged for mechanically driving the motor vehicle and the intermediate shaft may be a rotor shaft for an electric machine arranged for electrically driving the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: René Daikeler, Stephan Maienschein, Christian Hügel, Florian Vogel
  • Patent number: 11407299
    Abstract: A stator assembly for a hybrid module includes a stator carrier, a stator segment, and a water jacket. The stator carrier has an inner cylindrical surface and the stator segment is installed in the inner cylindrical surface. The water jacket is fixed to the stator carrier to enclose a sealed chamber therebetween. The water jacket may be fixed to the stator carrier by a pair of circumferential welds at opposite ends of the sealed chamber. The stator assembly may include a fluid port fixed to the water jacket and arranged to guide a fluid into or out of the sealed chamber to cool the stator assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Ayyalraju Satyaseelan
  • Patent number: 11401980
    Abstract: Provided are a wet friction plate configured so that drag torque can be reduced while a manufacturing burden is reduced with a simple configuration, a wet multiplate clutch device including the wet friction plates, and a wet friction plate manufacturing method. A wet friction plate (200) includes friction members (210) provided on a flat plate annular core metal (201), having oil grooves (203), and made of a paper material. The friction members (210) include higher friction members (211) and lower friction members (212). The higher friction member (211) is formed such that the height thereof from a surface of the core metal (201) is higher than that of the lower friction member (212). In addition, the higher friction member (211) is formed with a less-elastically-deformable structure than that of the lower friction member (212). The lower friction member (212) is formed such that the height thereof from the surface of the core metal (201) is lower than that of the higher friction member (211).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha F.C.C.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Seki, Kazuhiro Ichihara, Akihiro Yamashita, Koji Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 11396929
    Abstract: A transmission (G) for a motor vehicle includes an electric machine (EM1), a first input shaft (GW1), a second input shaft (GW2), an output shaft (GWA), two planetary gear sets (P1, P2, P3), and at least six shift elements (A, B, C, D, E, F). Different gears are implementable by selectively actuating the at least six shift elements (A, B, C, D, E, F) and, in addition, in interaction with the electric machine (EM1), different operating modes are implementable. A drive train for a motor vehicle with such transmission (G) and a method for operating such transmission (G) are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Stefan Beck, Johannes Kaltenbach, Thomas Martin, Uwe Griesmeier, Matthias Horn, Fabian Kutter
  • Patent number: 11391330
    Abstract: A high performance synchronous transmission to be used aboard a motorcycle for transmitting the motion generated by an engine to a driving wheel, between a crankshaft and a hub shaft parallel therebetween and perpendicular to the median plane of the motorcycle, having a primary shaft of mechanical gearbox equipped with a primary gearwheel, and a pair of secondary gearwheels equipped with one or more secondary shafts for transmitting the motion to a hub shaft, wherein the primary shaft receives the motion through a driven pulley which receives the motion by a driving pulley connected to the crankshaft, an input clutch being provided on the primary shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: PIAGGIO & C. S.P.A.
    Inventors: Walter Mariotti, Luca Nuti
  • Patent number: 11391348
    Abstract: A transmission and a power system for use in a hybrid vehicle. A first ring gear or a first planetary frame is drivingly connected with an output gear of the transmission to serve as an output member, when either the first ring gear or the first planetary frame is drivingly connected with the output gear, the other one is connected with a casing of the transmission via a brake. A second clutch is configured as: when the brake is disengaged, the second clutch is engaged to make the rotational speed of the output member equal to the rotational speed of an input shaft. The transmission and the power system are structurally compact, work steadily, and effectively increase the acceleration performance of the hybrid vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignees: NINGBO UMD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CO., LTD, ZHEJIANG GEELY HOLDING GROUP CO., LTD
    Inventors: Weiqian Xie, Lin Zhu
  • Patent number: 11371590
    Abstract: A gear transmission for aeronautical applications including an input shaft rotating about an axis, an output shaft rotating about the axis, and a transfer group for transferring the torque from the input shaft to the output shaft. The transfer group includes a first torque splitting stage, receiving the torque from the input shaft, and a second torque splitting stage, receiving the torque from the first stage. The first stage presents at least one first rotating member and the second stage presents at least one second rotating member. The input shaft and the first rotating member cooperate with one another at respective interaction surfaces. The rotating members cooperate with one another at respective friction surfaces. One of the interaction surfaces has first engagement elements, and another of the interaction surfaces has second engagement elements that are clutch coupled to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: GE AVIO S.R.L.
    Inventor: Michele Gravina
  • Patent number: 11371574
    Abstract: A friction device has a carrier element and friction lining segments arranged thereon. The friction lining segments each include a sintered friction lining, which is arranged on a friction lining carrier, the friction lining carrier is connected to the carrier element, and preferably the carrier element includes multiple fastening lugs and/or lining spring elements for the friction lining segments. In the design of the carrier element with the fastening lugs and/or lining spring elements, the friction lining segments each connect two fastening lugs or two lining spring elements to one another and/or the friction lining segments have an angle coverage between 25° and 55°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Miba Frictec GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Muehlegger
  • Patent number: 11370290
    Abstract: A friction clutch includes a reference plane aligned perpendicular to a rotational axis, a first clutch component, and a second clutch component. The first clutch component has a first friction element, a first support part that receives the first friction element, a leaf spring unit including a leaf spring that rotationally fixes the second support part to the first support part. The second clutch component has a second friction element. The first friction element lies against the second friction element in a frictionally locking manner in a closed position, and is axially spaced from the second friction element in an open position. The leaf spring is designed and positioned relative to the reference plane in a set angle in the closed position such that an additional axial force is applied to the first friction element and the second friction element in a drive rotational direction of the first clutch component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Marc Finkenzeller, Aurelie Keller
  • Patent number: 11365805
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission having a variator and a sub-transmission mechanism, a controller serving as a shift control unit adapted to, as shift of the transmission, shift the sub-transmission mechanism and the variator so that a through speed ratio becomes a target speed ratio, and an engine serving as a torque increasing portion adapted to increase a torque inputted to the transmission in association with the shift of the transmission. The controller has a torque setting unit adapted to make a magnitude of an inclination larger as an increase amount of the engine rotation speed in association with the shift of the transmission is larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignees: JATCO LTD, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiya Kitagawa, Tomoaki Honma
  • Patent number: 11358468
    Abstract: A two-speed transmission system integrated with an inner rotor hub motor, including an inner rotor hub motor, a steering knuckle, a fastening screw, a first transmission casing, a second transmission casing, a screw, a first planetary gear train, a second planetary gear train, a first electromagnetic brake, a second electromagnetic brake, a tire, a wheel rim, a rim bolt, a rim nut, a wheel hub, a shaft end bolt, a brake disc and a brake caliper. This invention also provides an electric vehicle, which balances the requirements for dynamics performance and driving economics and achieves better overall performances. The two-speed transmission system of this invention realizes gear shifting and long-term no-power parking braking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Jilin University
    Inventors: Junnian Wang, Kai Wang, Dachang Guo, Chunlin Zhang, Rui Luo, Zhenhao Zhang, Jiulong Gao, Jiantu Ni
  • Patent number: 11359701
    Abstract: A multiple speed transmission includes an input member, an output member, first, second, third and fourth planetary gearsets each having first, second and third members, and a plurality of interconnecting members each connected between at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth planetary gearsets and at least another of the first, second, third, and fourth planetary gearsets. The transmission includes a plurality of torque-transmitting mechanisms between the input and output members, wherein the torque transmitting mechanisms are selectively engageable in combinations of at least four to establish at least ten forward speed ratios between the input member and the output member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Allison Transmission, Inc.
    Inventor: Rayman E. Bazilio
  • Patent number: 11353097
    Abstract: A powertrain includes an electric machine including a rotor defining a hollow center and a fluid-coupling assembly at least partially disposed within the hollow center. The fluid-coupling assembly includes an input shaft, a turbine fixedly coupled to the rotor and having a hub configured to connect with a transmission input shaft, and an impeller configured to fluid couple with the turbine. The impeller is selectively coupled to the rotor and selectively coupled to the input shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & CO. KG
    Inventor: Peter Rentfrow