Patents Examined by Mark A Manley
  • Patent number: 9869367
    Abstract: A balancing element for balancing a friction clutch, including a balancing head for providing a balancing mass, and a shaft that is connected to the balancing head, is to be inserted into an opening in the friction clutch, and has a shaft end which points away from the balancing head and which includes a face pointing away from the balancing head substantially in the axial direction of the shaft. The shaft end has a weakening in the material in a subsection between the face and the balancing head in order for the shaft end to plastically deform radially outward in relation to the longitudinal axis of the shaft when a compressive force is applied to the balancing head in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Holger Lietzenmaier
  • Patent number: 9868351
    Abstract: An electronic self-locking connect and disconnect system for vehicles. The system includes a motor which turns a gear that meshes with a ring gear contained within a housing. The ring gear meshes with a lead screw thread on an outer surface of a lead screw. When the motor is activated the ring gear rotates the lead screw thread which selectively engages or disengages the clutch. A groove extends on the outer surface of and transverse to the lead screw thread. A pin extends radially inward from an inner surface of the housing till part of the pin is located within the groove. When the pin contacts a radial wall of the groove it prevents further rotation of the lead screw which prevents the stub shaft from axially moving beyond predetermined points. A spring and a sliding collar may be utilized to accommodate full motor travel regardless of the clutch state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Dana Automotive Systems Group, LLC
    Inventor: Kenneth E. Cooper
  • Patent number: 9863533
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a continuously variable transmission (1) that includes a belt-type continuously variable transmission mechanism (40) and friction engagement elements (32), (33) is disclosed. The control apparatus includes: an operation position detection section (65) configured to detect an operation position of a selection lever (50); a selection control section (60b) configured to execute a selection control for engaging the friction engagement elements (32), (33) from a time point at which a switching from a non-travel range to a travel range is detected; a determination section (60) configured to determine engagement states of the friction engagement elements (32, 33); and a pulley pressure control section (60c) configured to control a pulley pressure supplied to two pulleys (41), (42). A belt slippage during an engagement of clutches is suppressed while a load on an oil pump is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignees: JATCO Ltd, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiichiro Takahashi, Daisuke Aoki, Takahiro Kobayashi, Juwan Kim, Shinichiro Watanabe, Yuta Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9856930
    Abstract: A bi-directional overrunning clutch for transmitting torque to drive axle halves includes a clutch housing that attaches to an input gear, and hubs that attach to the axle halves. A pair of roll cages located within the housing adjacent to the hubs have rollers. The rollers wedge between the hubs and first tapered portions on the clutch housing when the roll cage is rotated forward relative to the housing, and between the hubs and second tapered portions on the clutch housing when the roll cage is rotated in the opposite direction. Springs hold the rollers engaged with recesses in the hubs, but let the rollers lift to permit relative rotation of the hubs and roll cages. Relative rotation between the roll cages is limited: when one roll cage is wedged, the other can move only as far as a free position midway between the first and second tapered portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: The Hilliard Corporation
    Inventors: Kelly P. Heath, David C. Ochab
  • Patent number: 9856927
    Abstract: A return stop, including a rotating inner ring and a stationary, fixed outer ring, and a cage arranged between the inner ring and the outer ring with multiple roller pairs each having two rollers. At least one spring element is arranged between the two rollers of each roller pair for spring-loading the rollers at least against the outer ring, and on an outer circumferential surface of the inner ring for each roller of each roller pair, a clamping ramp is formed. The outer circumferential surface of the inner ring has at least one cam that is formed radially on the outside and engages in a groove formed on the cage. The at least one cam is smaller in the circumferential direction than the groove. Through a relative movement of the cage relative to the inner ring, the respective roller of each roller pair contacts both the respective clamping ramp and the outer ring. A transfer case for a motor vehicle with such return stop is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventor: Alexander Reimchen
  • Patent number: 9855930
    Abstract: A transaxle and a parking actuator assembly are provided. The parking actuator assembly may include an actuator, a rack, and the biasing member. The actuator may include a pin biased towards an extended position. The rack may be configured to carry a parking rod and may define first and second ramped recesses each configured to receive the pin. The biasing member may be coupled with the rack and may be configured to bias the parking rod towards engagement with a parking mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Emad Al-Regib, Todd Curtis Spaulding, Matthew Stephen Eiszler, Gerard Patrick Kuchta, Brian Richard Light, Eric S. Richardson, Ronald Gaw
  • Patent number: 9856922
    Abstract: A frictional shift element for a motor vehicle transmission includes a first frictional element allocated to a first carrier; and a second frictional element allocated to a second carrier. One of the first frictional element or the second frictional element has an annular frictional surface, and the other of the first frictional element or the second frictional element has a corresponding frictional surface with at least one frictional surface that protrudes along a radial direction in an overlapping area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Matthias Reisch, Peter Ziemer, Stefan Beck, Christian Sibla
  • Patent number: 9856925
    Abstract: A torque transfer device (1) for a drivetrain (2) of a motor vehicle, having a torsional vibration damping unit (3) and a decoupling clutch (6) having at least two clutch elements (4, 5) which can be joined to each other, wherein a first clutch element (4) is permanently connected non-rotatingly to a flange section (7) of the torsional vibration damping unit (3) and a second clutch element (5) is coupled with the flange section (7) via a freewheeling unit (8), wherein at least some sections of the freewheeling unit (8) are positioned in a radial receiving space (9) of the torsional vibration damping unit (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Schaffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christoph Maier
  • Patent number: 9850963
    Abstract: A coil housing has an inner ring, which is shaped into an annular form and is placed on an inner side of an electromagnetic coil in a radial direction of a rotational axis. A thermal fuse is placed on an inner side of a coil inner peripheral end of the electromagnetic coil in the radial direction, so that the thermal fuse can be placed in such a manner that the thermal fuse does not limit a length of the electromagnetic coil in a direction of the rotational axis by using a radial thickness of the inner ring that is indispensable as a part of a structure of a magnetic circuit. Thus, it is possible to sufficiently limit occurrence of limiting of a size of the electromagnetic coil that is caused by the placement of the thermal fuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiro Konishi, Yoshinori Fukumura, Yasuo Tabuchi
  • Patent number: 9845007
    Abstract: A driving force distributing device includes a single pump for supplying control hydraulic pressure to each of first and second hydraulic clutches, an electric motor for driving the pump, a flow rate variable mechanism for changing a ratio of flow rate of hydraulic fluid supplied to each of the first and second hydraulic clutches and a controlling means for controlling the electric motor and the flow rate variable mechanism. The driving force distributing device can variably control a flow rate of hydraulic fluid supplied to first and second hydraulic clutches based on changing a ratio of flow rate of hydraulic fluid supplied to the first and second hydraulic clutches in the flow rate variable mechanism and a control of changing rotational speed of the pump using the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Tsuchihashi, Sachi Fujinuma
  • Patent number: 9841115
    Abstract: A thermostat valve includes a housing with several cooling fluid connections, at least two hollow valve elements mounted rotatably next to one another in the housing on a common rotational shaft, each having at least one opening selectively couplable to one or more of the cooling fluid connections by way of rotation of the valve elements, and a rotational drive for a first of the valve elements can be driven rotationally in the housing, a second of the valve elements can be selectively coupled to or decoupled from the first valve element, the second valve element driven rotationally, when it is coupled to the first valve element, and a coupling element mounted axially movably on the rotational shaft, and a coupling drive by way of which the coupling element can be moved axially on the rotational shaft between a coupling position and a decoupling position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Rainer Gramss, Torsten Hauk
  • Patent number: 9841062
    Abstract: A clutch for a vehicle includes a hub disposed on a rotary shaft such that a rotation thereof is restricted, a sleeve spline-coupled to an outer circumference of the hub, a clutch member disposed on the rotary shaft, and a clutch ring disposed between the clutch member and the hub, wherein the clutch ring is pressed against the clutch member by the sleeve and the hub, wherein the clutch ring comprises a pressed part to which an amount of force pressing against the clutch member is applied from the sleeve and the hub, the sleeve comprises pressing protrusions that transfer the axial driving force of the sleeve to the pressed part, and the hub comprises displacement converting portions that convert a relative rotational displacement with respect to the clutch ring into an axial linear displacement of the clutch ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Jong Yun Park
  • Patent number: 9841064
    Abstract: A clutch plate includes first and second axially offset annular surfaces, a first angled surface extending at an acute angle from the first annular surface in a first axial direction, and a second angled surface extending at an acute angle from the first annular surface in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction. In some example embodiments, the clutch plate has a wet friction material fixed to the first and second annular surfaces and at least one of the first and second angled surfaces. In an example aspect, the clutch plate has a low friction wet friction material fixed to the wet friction material of the at least one of the first and second angled surfaces. The low friction wet friction material may be fixed to the wet friction material by infusion or bonding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: David Smith, Rashid Farahati
  • Patent number: 9829049
    Abstract: A cooling assembly fluidly communicating with a vehicle cooling system includes a coolant tube and a mounting plate. The cooling assembly is configured for cooling a support bearing disposed in a dual clutch transmission. The coolant tube includes (i) an inlet end that receives a cooling medium, (ii) an outlet end that returns the cooling medium to the vehicle cooling system and (iii) a heat transfer portion incorporated between the inlet end and the outlet end. The mounting plate has a plate body including a bearing opposing surface and a transmission housing opposing surface. The bearing opposing surface contacts the support bearing. The heat transfer portion of the coolant tube is attached to the mounting plate such that cooling medium communicated through the coolant tube reduces temperature of the mounting plate and therefore the support bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Ronald D Kruger, Tomislav Stajic
  • Patent number: 9822827
    Abstract: A saddle ride type vehicular dry clutch having passive clutch disc of co-axial fixed plane contact, used for seamlessly undertaking the drives from the drive bearing assembly, in which the drive bearing assembly includes a bearing body and an active disc, and the saddle ride type vehicular dry clutch comprises: a clutch device, including a drive axle body formed with a central through-hole, having non-planar guiding slide grooves and an axle body perimeter edge remote from the central through-hole; a passive clutch disc, having a contact surface and a friction drive surface, and assembly ports for assembling elastic components outside of the engage drive area; centrifugal rollers, accommodated within the non-planar guiding slide grooves; and the driven devices includes a drive disc, formed with radially symmetric drive snap ports; a clutch shell, having a tubular inner wall, a surrounding outer wall and a connection wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Inventor: Yu-Hsiu Yang
  • Patent number: 9816571
    Abstract: A bi-directional coupler that selectively couples and de-couples a driving element to a driven element. The coupler includes an outer shaft having an outer shaft slot and an inner shaft having an inner shaft slot, where the inner and outer shafts are configured to rotate independently of each other. The coupler also includes a ball bearing provided within the inner shaft slot and having a size so that when the ball bearing is located at a center portion of the inner shaft slot it does not interfere with rotation of the outer shaft, where the ball bearing is held in that location by a magnet located in the inner shaft. Rotation of the inner shaft above a predetermined rotational speed causes the ball bearing to engage the outer shaft slot so as to cause the inner shaft to be locked to the outer shaft and rotate therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew A. Neal, Charles R. Smith, Robert E. Bauer
  • Patent number: 9816595
    Abstract: A hydraulic system for a transmission device includes a primary pressure circuit and a secondary pressure circuit suppliable with hydraulic fluid from a defined saturation condition of the primary pressure circuit. A converter lock-up clutch is subjected to an operating pressure by a converter clutch valve. An inner torus chamber is suppliable with hydraulic fluid at a converter pressure of the secondary pressure circuit by a converter switching valve and by a valve device and a throttle device of the primary pressure circuit. The throttle device of the primary pressure circuit is downstream of the valve device of the primary pressure circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Markus Herrmann, Thilo Schmidt
  • Patent number: 9816567
    Abstract: A wedge clutch, including: a shaft; a hub radially disposed about the shaft; an outer ring located radially outward of the hub; a wedge plate radially disposed between the hub and the outer ring; and a displacement assembly including a first element and a plunger assembly at least partly disposed within the hub. To transition from a disconnect mode to a connect mode, the displacement assembly is arranged to displace the hub in a second axial direction and a portion of the plunger assembly is arranged to displace radially inward to block axial displacement of the hub in the first axial direction. To transition from the connect mode to the disconnect mode, the portion of the plunger assembly is arranged to displace radially outward through the hub and the first element is arranged to displace the hub in the first axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Marion Jack Ince, Guihui Zhong
  • Patent number: 9810270
    Abstract: A clutch device having at least one counter-pressure plate, a contact plate that is movable relative to the counter-pressure plate to a limited extent in an axial direction of the clutch device to frictionally clamp a clutch plate between the counter-pressure plate and the contact plate, and a wear adjustment device to compensate for wearing of the clutch plate, where the wear adjustment device has at least one drive ring which is rotatable and is clampable in the axial direction and at least one ramp ring which is rotatable and is clampable in the axial direction, which is connected to the drive ring by means of a torque-transferring link which permits limited relative travel in the circumferential direction of the clutch device, where the rigidity of the connection in the circumferential direction is dependent on the direction, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christoph Raber
  • Patent number: 9808919
    Abstract: A handheld screwing apparatus having a torque clutch provided to restrict a torque that is maximally able to be transmitted to an inserted tool. The handheld screwing apparatus includes at least one monitoring unit, which is set up to ascertain a characteristic rotational offset quantity that describes a rotational offset of the torque clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Dietmar Saur